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Using Sky+ box for freesat


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Old 15-07-2016, 14:43
whr-t
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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Hi, I've just moved into a house that hasn't got a TV aerial, but has got a satellite dish. I'm therefore trying to find the cheapest way to watch satellite TV!

I understand that a Sky+ box can be used to pick up Freesat channels, if I was to buy one off Ebay would I need to get a Freesat from Sky viewing card to watch anything, or would the standard channels (BBC 1, 2, ITV etc...) work without one? I've had a look on Google and haven't been able to find an answer, so any help would be appreciated.
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Old 15-07-2016, 14:58
chrisjr
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Buy a Freesat box. There are odd channels that you can get with a Sky box that you can't get with a Freesat box but all the main ones are present on both.

The big advantage of course is you can record with a Freesat box for only the initial outlay of the box. To record with Sky you need to pay them something in the region of a tenner a month for the privilege.
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Old 15-07-2016, 14:59
gemma-the-husky
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you will get a lot of channels without a card.

Similar to freeview, but not quite the same.

Some of the HD channels are encrypted.

I bought a Skyplus Box to watch BT sport. BT sent me a Sky viewing card, FOC to get BT sport. otherwise you have to pay sky for the card.

You can't record/time shift free to air channels, though. Seems wrong to me, but you can't.

I bought my box from a cash-converters type shop for £20. Worth it for the remote alone.
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Old 15-07-2016, 18:49
WillButcher
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Join Date: Apr 2016
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Hi, I've just moved into a house that hasn't got a TV aerial, but has got a satellite dish. I'm therefore trying to find the cheapest way to watch satellite TV!

I understand that a Sky+ box can be used to pick up Freesat channels, if I was to buy one off Ebay would I need to get a Freesat from Sky viewing card to watch anything, or would the standard channels (BBC 1, 2, ITV etc...) work without one? I've had a look on Google and haven't been able to find an answer, so any help would be appreciated.
If you don't already have Sky box, buy a Freesat box instead. The channels you receive will be virtually identical, but the Freesat guide doesn't list channels you cannot watch.
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Old 19-07-2016, 12:48
AlanO
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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Hi, I've just moved into a house that hasn't got a TV aerial, but has got a satellite dish. I'm therefore trying to find the cheapest way to watch satellite TV!

I understand that a Sky+ box can be used to pick up Freesat channels, if I was to buy one off Ebay would I need to get a Freesat from Sky viewing card to watch anything, or would the standard channels (BBC 1, 2, ITV etc...) work without one? I've had a look on Google and haven't been able to find an answer, so any help would be appreciated.
You can use a SKY+ box to watch without subscription, but you can't use the recording or catch-up TV services.

So if you want a SKY box, you don't necessarily need a '+' one.

That said, as others have pointed out, it would be better to use a Freesat box - and probably no real price difference.
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