Off subscrition sky+ box, does a paired card give you some extra free channels?

seatbeltnoob

Hello

I was under the impression that if you have a sky+ box that used to have a subscription with a paired card with it. You can get some extra free channels in addtion to the freesat channels.

Channels that are owned and operated by sky, but off subscription.

Is this still the case?

I found an ebay seller who is selling boxes, and he's basically mocking the idea. Saying it's rubbish.

Rodders53

Once upon a time:
Some TV services were encrypted on satellite to avoid Rights issues (UK vs Europe) including the BBC using the $ky encryption system.   Those encrypted channels were 'Free to View' with a basic card and out of subs cards or freesat from $ky cards.  No card in box = no pics.

Since there are now UK "only" spot beams most (and possibly all) of those have become 'in the clear' or Free to Air so the $ky card only gives the correct regionality (BBC One version on 101, ITV 1 on 102) and so on.  No card in box then the channels are still viewable.

In recent years, even channels like ITV2, 3 and 4 are in the clear and available in HD on the Freesat EPG as well as the $ky EPG.

I don't believe any $ky-owned/operated channels were Free to View with a card (but memory is a funny thing, so someone may prove me wrong).

$ky boxes are very energy hungry in standby so best avoided unless paying subs for premium channels and recording.  Second-user freesat boxes are a better buy, and some TVs have freesat tuners.  Free to Air satellite boxes are best avoided as they don't have 7 day epgs nor any Logical Channel Numbering systems.

Neil_Jones

seatbeltnoob said:

Hello

I was under the impression that if you have a sky+ box that used to have a subscription with a paired card with it. You can get some extra free channels in addtion to the freesat channels.

Channels that are owned and operated by sky, but off subscription.

Is this still the case?

I found an ebay seller who is selling boxes, and he's basically mocking the idea. Saying it's rubbish.

A Sky+HD box without an active subscription became Freesat from Sky instead, which was basically Freesat with a few extra channels.

However that is no longer the case and they effectively become chunky Freesat receivers instead.

The only free-to-air Sky owned channels on Satellite are Sky News, Arts, Mix and Challenge which are available on all other platforms and being free to air you don't need a card for anyway.  Everything else from Sky involves coughing up money.

WillPS

Neil_Jones said:

seatbeltnoob said:

Hello

I was under the impression that if you have a sky+ box that used to have a subscription with a paired card with it. You can get some extra free channels in addtion to the freesat channels.

Channels that are owned and operated by sky, but off subscription.

Is this still the case?

I found an ebay seller who is selling boxes, and he's basically mocking the idea. Saying it's rubbish.

A Sky+HD box without an active subscription became Freesat from Sky instead, which was basically Freesat with a few extra channels.

However that is no longer the case and they effectively become chunky Freesat receivers instead.

The only free-to-air Sky owned channels on Satellite are Sky News, Arts, Mix and Challenge which are available on all other platforms and being free to air you don't need a card for anyway.  Everything else from Sky involves coughing up money.

Worth noting that there are a fair few FTA channels on the Sky EPG which aren't on the Freesat EPG - for example Freesat's music channel selection is currently empty, whereas Sky's has half a dozen FTA options from AATW channels (Now and Clubland) and That's TV.

I'm not sure about Sky Q, but Sky's older boxes make it much easier to add and get back to 'off-EPG' channels than Freesat's Arris boxes do too.