Sky News but nowt else

stockton_2

My neighbour in the flat below asked my advice about his TV setup. When he moved into his flat there was already a sky dish there but he got his TV reception through a TV aerial (presumably freeview). Recently we had scaffolding interfering with the signals so he started to use the sky dish.

He has no sky subscription. When he tunes into the sky box (an old one) he gets the on-screen sky EPG. When he tries to access one of the programmes on the EPG he gets a message saying "no satellite signal being received". However, the Sky EPG allows him to access Sky News No problem. I asked him to look at the signal strength (Services) and it is showing about 60%.

He can get a range of TV programmes through the satellite dish but they are not coming through the Sky box so I am presuming his TV has inbuilt free-sat.

He asked my advice because he found it confusing but I have to say that I am rather confused myself. Would be grateful if anyone could offer any advice. For example, how is it he is getting Sky News no problem but nothing else. Is there any way he can get to use the sky EPG for other programmes as well. He is not minded to take out a sky subscription.

macman

A working Sky box without a subscription will still give him all the non-subscription channels ('Freesat from Sky'), broadly similar to the channel line up on Freesat or Freeview.
If the TV has built in Freesat then he would get the Freesat channels via the Sky dish, since it uses the same alignment. He'll know by checking which source the TV is set to-Freesat tuner or external Sky box. However not many older TV's have a built in Freesat tiuner, so I suspect he's viewing some channels on Sky.

stockton_2

macman wrote: »

A working Sky box without a subscription will still give him all the non-subscription channels ('Freesat from Sky'), broadly similar to the channel line up on Freesat or Freeview.
If the TV has built in Freesat then he would get the Freesat channels via the Sky dish, since it uses the same alignment. He'll know by checking which source the TV is set to-Freesat tuner or external Sky box. However not many older TV's have a built in Freesat tiuner, so I suspect he's viewing some channels on Sky.

Thanks for reply. I will ask him to check the source the TV is set to.

If the source is the external Sky box would not that allow him to use the Sky EPG?

stockton_2

UPDATE

I have just had a talk with neighbour and he has clarified a few things. First of all he says he is getting his current programs from Freeview through his TV aerial. Not Freesat, as I had thought.

When he changes the source to the Skybox, he gets the Sky EPG, but the only program he can access through the Sky EPG is Sky News. If he tries to access any other program on the Sky EPG he gets a message on screen saying "There is no satelitte signal being received". The signal from Sky News is good.

iniltous

macman wrote: »

A working Sky box without a subscription will still give him all the non-subscription channels ('Freesat from Sky'), broadly similar to the channel line up on Freesat or Freeview.
If the TV has built in Freesat then he would get the Freesat channels via the Sky dish, since it uses the same alignment. He'll know by checking which source the TV is set to-Freesat tuner or external Sky box. However not many older TV's have a built in Freesat tiuner, so I suspect he's viewing some channels on Sky.

How old his his Sky box, and is it a Thompson ?, I had to replace my Sky box a few years ago, it said no satellite signal being recieved when there was nothing wrong with the dish or LNB, it was the PSU in the Thompson Sky box, when they start to breakdown, you can get all sorts of odd behaviour ,
TBH if his freeview is working, I don't think there is anything to be gained from having a Sky box with no subscription connected as well

stockton_2

iniltous wrote: »

How old his his Sky box, and is it a Thompson ?, I had to replace my Sky box a few years ago, it said no satellite signal being recieved when there was nothing wrong with the dish or LNB, it was the PSU in the Thompson Sky box, when they start to breakdown, you can get all sorts of odd behaviour ,
TBH if his freeview is working, I don't think there is anything to be gained from having a Sky box with no subscription connected as well

It is definitely an old box as it has been there several years, left by the previous tenant. I now learn that it was working ok a few weeks ago.

Sorry for not providing more information but it is difficult trying to help someone when you have not got access to the hardware. The situation has also been much complicated by the scaffolders, who have now gone. The neighbour has found it all confusing and so have I.

I think the only way to go now is to ask the neighbour to disconnect the sky box and let me have it so I can test it for myself. It is not much use to him as it is.

Thanks for letting me know about the possibility of a Sky box failure. I was going to suggest to him that he get a viewing card from sky or from ebay but that would not have been a good idea if the box is gone.

I realize he wont gain much in additional channels as he has freeview but he likes the Sky EPG and feels it is easier to navigate than freeview.

teddysmum

PVRs like Humax, which are similar to Sky boxes , have odd behaviour when they go wrong. We have had a number, over the years, one of which took to recording programmes which were not set to record.

macman

He already has a working viewing card in the box though? I'd do a reset/retune on the box to see what other channels he can get.
If the box is failing, thousands of Sky boxes of every possible incarnation are available on eBay starting at 99p. Just a straight swap, then phone Sky to pair the viewing card with it-or use without and lose a handful of channels.

stockton_2

macman wrote: »

He already has a working viewing card in the box though? I'd do a reset/retune on the box to see what other channels he can get.

If the box is failing, thousands of Sky boxes of every possible incarnation are available on eBay starting at 99p. Just a straight swap, then phone Sky to pair the viewing card with it-or use without and lose a handful of channels.

Never thought of the reset option. Great advice. Thanks macman.

davemurgatroyd

macman wrote: »

He already has a working viewing card in the box though? I'd do a reset/retune on the box to see what other channels he can get.
If the box is failing, thousands of Sky boxes of every possible incarnation are available on eBay starting at 99p. Just a straight swap, then phone Sky to pair the viewing card with it-or use without and lose a handful of channels.

Sky will NOT pair a non subscription viewing card and there is absolutely no need for non subscription channels.

artyclarty

Silly question I'm sure, but that signal strength seems a bit on the low side. Are you sure the dish hasn't been knocked out of alignment (even slightly) by the scaffolders?