[pakeen]

I have Sky+ SD & have been given a Sky HD stb.

Can I continue with the Sky SD & have Freesat HD?

I've been told that Sky would want £9.25 pm which tends to contradict the term FREEsat.

Anyway, does anyone know what the real situation is?

Thanks

[Fred Smith]

Freesat is free. Freesat from Sky cost £20 for a card (one off payment) or use a lapsed Sky card for free, either will add three or four channels to the Freesat lineup. If Sky want £9.25 a month then you are subscribing to some additional Sky service.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by pakeen

I have Sky+ SD & have been given a Sky HD stb.

Can I continue with the Sky SD & have Freesat HD?

I've been told that Sky would want £9.25 pm which tends to contradict the term FREEsat.

Anyway, does anyone know what the real situation is?

Thanks

It sounds as if theres some confusion, the HD box will get BBC HD Luxe HD and ITV HD if its got the new epg and also CH4 HD if you pay a one off £20.00 for a freesat from sky card (assumimg these are still avaialable)

[gta15]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

It sounds as if theres some confusion, the HD box will get BBC HD Luxe HD and ITV HD if its got the new epg and also CH4 HD if you pay a one off £20.00 for a freesat from sky card (assumimg these are still avaialable)

Where do you buy these cards? Any channel listings anywhere?

Thanks!

John

[Davey H]

Originally Posted by gta15

Where do you buy these cards? Any channel listings anywhere?

Thanks!

John

You buy it from Sky by phoning 08448 244 400 or they're are plenty of third party suppliers on the web who'll supply one, at higher cost by the time they've added their margin to it.

Free to air channels on Sky listed HERE

[toshthebosh]

One off payment?? I bought a freesat from sky veiwing card in 2005 and now they want another £20 quid to renew it!!!

[pyroking]

For what it's worth, I just had to get a replacement card for my "freesat" from sky - but didn't have to pay for it. I think I got my first card a couple of years ago.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by toshthebosh

One off payment?? I bought a freesat from sky veiwing card in 2005 and now they want another £20 quid to renew it!!!

A card bought by itself has a 3 year guaranteed replacement (5 years when bought with the full product), so if SKY change the encryption (as they are pretty much guaranteed to do) after more than 3 years then if you want to continue watching the FTV channels you need a new card but the box will still allow you to watch all the FTA channels.

As pyroking confirms freesatfromsky cards under warranty are replaced free of charge but those outside the timeframe or ex-sub cards are not.

[Norman]

Originally Posted by Fred Smith

Freesat is free. Freesat from Sky cost £20 for a card (one off payment) or use a lapsed Sky card for free, either will add three or four channels to the Freesat lineup. If Sky want £9.25 a month then you are subscribing to some additional Sky service.

Are you sure the Sky+ PVR functionality is free on Sky Freesat? I thought you had to have a Sky subscription to get Plus free.

[JimmyZ]

Originally Posted by Norman

Are you sure the Sky+ PVR functionality is free on Sky Freesat? I thought you had to have a Sky subscription to get Plus free.

Correct. The PVR functionality is chargeable.

[cmclean]

Nothing is free from Sky!

Its amazing what they get away with

[Norman]

Originally Posted by cmclean

Nothing is free from Sky!

Its amazing what they get away with

It amazes me and I think it is a stupid business decision because if they didn't charge for it on the free package would there have been a reason for Freesat?

[pakeen]

Sorry grahamlthompson, but I had to go away & have just seen your response to my original query.

Are you saying that, although I've obviously got my Sky+ SD card, I will have to get another "Freesat" card to use when I want to view Freesat HD channels?

Also, I noticed that Fred Smith has said a lapsed Sky card would do. If so, why pay Sky anything?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by pakeen

Sorry grahamlthompson, but I had to go away & have just seen your response to my original query.

Are you saying that, although I've obviously got my Sky+ SD card, I will have to get another "Freesat" card to use when I want to view Freesat HD channels?

Also, I noticed that Fred Smith has said a lapsed Sky card would do. If so, why pay Sky anything?

There aren't any Freesat channels HD or SD. Freesat is just an epg much like the sky one. You don't need a card in a sky box or a freesat box to view free to air content (HD or SD). The £20.00 Freesat From Sky Card (or a recent elapsed subscription card) adds the few encrypted but otherwise free channels (Free To View -FTV). These include Sky 3, Fiver, Five US and CH4 HD (on a hd box). You can't get these on a freesat box. Without a card in a sky box you will also lose access to CH 5 from the epg but you can add the fta version used in the freesat epg using add channels.

[GasDad]

Daft question time:

Why don't you just swap your Sky + box with your HD Sky + box and put your sky card in the HD box. Phone up sky and pair the card with the HD box.

You'll then have a box like you sky + box but with more storage, and the ability to watch and record BBC HD, C4HD etc.

At no extra cost.

Just make sure you make it clear you don't want to subscribe to sky HD when you pair the card.

[pakeen]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

It sounds as if theres some confusion, the HD box will get BBC HD Luxe HD and ITV HD if its got the new epg and also CH4 HD if you pay a one off £20.00 for a freesat from sky card (assumimg these are still avaialable)

Sorry, I've had to be away for a while & have, therefore jut seen the resposes.

From the above does it mean I would have to get another card in addition to my current Sky card.

Also what about FredSmith's comment on using a lapsed Sky Card?

Does Murdoch need to get anything - it would probably be a first!

Thanks for the info.

[Broadz]

Originally Posted by pakeen

From the above does it mean I would have to get another card in addition to my current Sky card.

No. As everybody has told you (including Graham twice) an expired Sky subscription card is the equivalent of a FreesatfromSky card. It will give you access to three channels you wouldn't be able to get otherwise.

Originally Posted by pakeen

Also what about FredSmith's comment on using a lapsed Sky Card?

What about it? It is correct. You've already been told this. Once you stop paying your Sky subscription, your currently active Sky card becomes a lapsed/inactive/expired (cross out as applicable) Sky card and you can use it to access Fiver, Five USA and Sky 3.

Originally Posted by pakeen

Does Murdoch need to get anything - it would probably be a first!

If in five or so year's time you decide you still want to be able to view the FTV channels as well as the FTA channels, and your current expired Sky card stops working, then you will have to buy another Freesatfromsky card. But whether there will still be FTV as opposed to FTA channels in five year's time, and whether Sky will still be charging what they are charging now for FreesatfromSky cards, is anybody's guess.

[asprint]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

There aren't any Freesat channels HD or SD. Freesat is just an epg much like the sky one. You don't need a card in a sky box or a freesat box to view free to air content (HD or SD). The £20.00 Freesat From Sky Card (or a recent elapsed subscription card) adds the few encrypted but otherwise free channels (Free To View -FTV). These include Sky 3, Fiver, Five US and CH4 HD (on a hd box). You can't get these on a freesat box. Without a card in a sky box you will also lose access to CH 5 from the epg but you can add the fta version used in the freesat epg using add channels.

How do you add ch 5 manually after sky withdraw the encrption? It wouls appear that I will also loose ITV1? Can that also be added manually?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by asprint

How do you add ch 5 manually after sky withdraw the encrption? It wouls appear that I will also loose ITV1? Can that also be added manually?

You just need to know the transponder data for the channels you want to add

ITV 1 London 10758 V
ITV 1 Granada 10758 V
ITV 1 Anglia North 10758 V
ITV 1 Central West 10758 V
ITV 1 Border England 10832 H
ITV 1 Central East 10832 H
ITV 1 Thames Valley 10832 H
ITV 1 Wales 10832 H
ITV 1 West 10832 H
ITV 1 West Country South 10832 H
ITV 1 Anglia South 10891 H
ITV 1 Border Scotland 10891 H
ITV 1 Meridian South 10891 H
ITV 1 Tyne Tees North 10891 H
ITV 1 Yorkshire West 10891 H
STV 10906 V
CH 5 10773 H

Note ITV 1 West Country has by far the best ITV 1 pictures available

You won't lose ITV 1 it defaults to ITV 1 West Midlands

[Broadz]

Originally Posted by Norman

Are you sure the Sky+ PVR functionality is free on Sky Freesat?

No, we are all sure that Sky+ PVR functionality is not free on Sky Freesat. And Fred Smith didn't say anything contrary to this in his post...

[Norman]

Originally Posted by Broadz

No, we are all sure that Sky+ PVR functionality is not free on Sky Freesat. And Fred Smith didn't say anything contrary to this in his post...

Since the OP was refering to a newly equired Sky HD stb of which the + feature is an integral part of the hardware my point was relevant (Fred made no mentin of it contrary or not).