Using Sky Plus Box without subscribing?

1972pixie

All of these posts refer to people using their cancelled boxes as a PVR but my question is can I use it as a freeview box (no record required) I have cancelled my sky subscription but would like to use my sky (normal) box to get freeview in my kitchen.

Thanks in advance

Shoog

As long as you have a cable from your satellite dish in your kitchen then it will work for the "free-to-air" satellite channels.

"Freeview" is the digital terrestrial service available via an aerial.

Free channels available via satellite are typically called FreeSat, FreeSatFromSky free-to-air.

A handful of channels are "free-to-view" which means they require a card but no subscription. FreeSatFromSky cards are ~£20 available from Sky. It's mainly the Channel Five channels they provide.

almillar

1972pixi - you can continue to use, but as Shoog says, don't call it Freeview - that's through an aerial. Also leave your card in if you still have it as it gets you some extra channels - saves you buying the £25, not £20 card that people might tell you you need, don't buy one!

mjd498

Has anyone managed to get this code? Flight 747 is not accepting PMs at present. If anyone has it would they PM me with it please?

spannerzone

mjd498 wrote: »

Has anyone managed to get this code? Flight 747 is not accepting PMs at present. If anyone has it would they PM me with it please?

I'll say it one more time as apparently it wasn't clear or more likely wasn't what people wanted to read:

THERE IS NO CODE TO UNLOCK YOUR SKY+ BOX TO MAKE IT RECORD WITHOUT SUBSCRIPTION*

Flight747 has never accepted PM's despite telling people to PM him for details. Basically he was talking a load of crap.


*For the pedants- there is a hardware hack available which can be applied to Pace 3100 Sky+ boxes, Google 'Jtagging Pace 3100' and you'll find the info, not for the faint hearted or non technical though.

Robie

I will be coming to end of my subscription to Sky+ soon.

I was wondering is it possible to connect a 'Digital TV Recorder' to the Sky+ box so that I can then record 'free 2 air' channels of it? That is, not using the Sky+ facility to record/view the programs but just view them on Sky+ and record on a separate DVR.

Thanks.
Robie

googler

Robie wrote: »

I was wondering is it possible to connect a 'Digital TV Recorder' to the Sky+ box so that I can then record 'free 2 air' channels of it? That is, not using the Sky+ facility to record/view the programs but just view them on Sky+ and record on a separate DVR.

If it has SCART or HDMI outputs, you can connect one of these to the input of a DVD or Hard Disk Recorder, but then you'll only be able to record the programme you've selected on the Sky box, I reckon....

Shoog

If you're looking to buy a 'Digital TV Recorder' for this purpose you'd be better getting a FreeSat box with recording capability.

If it's something you have already, it would depend if it was able to record from external sources (eg SCART, HDMI). A lot will only record from their internal tuner.

If it does record from external sources, it would only record the channel currently selected on the sky box. Standard Sky boxes have a reminder option so it will switch to that programme when it comes on. I think this might also exist for Sky+ boxes but I've never used it.

woodface7

I thought I'd share my experiences with ex-contract Sky Plus boxes.

Our old blue card Sky Plus SD box still records fine - with the free channels, obviously.

We had hoped our HD box would do the same, having unplugged two days before the sub expired in September. Sadly, as soon as we plugged in this week, recording (and even playback of old FTA progs) was unavailable.

So either a kill signal is sent during your 31 days notice period at the end of contract, or the lack of a 'stay alive' signal kills PVR functions. Don't know if that applies to any box with a white card or just HD. Probably all.

Time to get that Humax Freeview HD recorder I guess...

Shoog

woodface7, did you try the old blue card in the Sky HD box?