No TV aerial socket at all in house... but previous Sky wires......

[redyvette]

Help!!!!!!!

I have recently moved into my boyfriends house, which had no landline, no broadband, zilch. So i went ahead and signed up for BT's full package. It's been installed, however, i have now noticed and after lots of fiddling around blah blah blah, realised that i need a TV aerial socket in order to get even normal TV channels/freeview. I've had a quote for one to be installed but really cannot afford to get it done, and BT refuse to take off the BT vision off my package.

However, before i moved in, boyf was watching TV (just freeview channels) through a Sky box which he already had although was not subscribed to sky. Stupidly, thinking the BT vision would work, we threw out the sky box. (BT cust services were pants and it's taken 3 weeks to suss out myself that i need an aerial installed).

So i am wondering, if i just purchase a cheapy regular sky box, will i be able to watch normal crappy TV (channels 1-5 will do me fine!!!) and plug the 2 sky cables into it wihtout having to fork out extra money on either a whole new sky subscriptoin (just to add to the blinking BT vision!) or a new aerial socket???

Funds are tight (now unemployed since signing up to BT).. so looking at cheapest way to get normal bog standard TV!

Thanks in advance for your help (am really hoping someone can help as this is driving me nuts!)

Cheers
Red

 

[Broadz]

An unsubscribed Sky box (or a Freesat box) will get you far more channels than you will get via a TV aerial (using BT Vision or just Freeview). There are approx 200 free TV and radio channels available via satellite, approx 80 available via a TV aerial.

Use a Sky box, or a Freesat box, or a generic satellite tuner. You can pick up second hand Sky boxes on ebay from about a fiver.

Note - channels available free on satellite, and channels available on Freeview, are not the same. Even though satellite has approx 120 more, it doesn't have Sky Sports News, Dave or Virgin 1, which are all available for free via a TV aerial.

Taking out a Sky subscription won't help regarding receiving Freeview via your BT box - you can't connect a satellite box to a BT Vision box, only a TV aerial. So, unless you fit a TV aerial, you will never get Freeview. Presumably, if nobody at BT customer services ever informed you that you would need a TV aerial to make use of the BT Vision box, you have good grounds for cancelling the BT contract.

 

[redyvette]

Thank you!!!! Thats all i needed to know! I will go searching for a sky box on ebay!

No they didn't tell me i needed a TV aerial socket... even when i phoned up the day it was installed to see why i couldn't get the BT vision working. They won't cancel it as they said it's mentioned in the terms and conditions .....

Thanks for your help...much appreciated...
Red

 

[Broadz]

No they didn't tell me i needed a TV aerial socket... even when i phoned up the day it was installed to see why i couldn't get the BT vision working. They won't cancel it as they said it's mentioned in the terms and conditions .....

Presumably you could offer it cheap to somebody who does have a TV aerial if you aren't going to get any use out of it?

 

[MartinPickering]

Dependent on your postcode, you might be able simply to set up a small aerial pointing through a window in the direction of the transmitter.

 

[logiciel]

Yes, an amplified indoor aerial could work.

 

[fernandez]

No they didn't tell me i needed a TV aerial socket...

In fairness to BT...
FAQs – Set top box, BT Hub, Parental control and more – BT Vision

As it's a Freeview based service an aerial is obviously required

 

[logiciel]

And specifically, from the first few lines: "BT Vision Vision+ box™ set top box connects to your existing TV aerial".

Not trying to rub it in, Red, but we have to be fair to them.

 

[pedro2000uk]

Dependent on your postcode, you might be able simply to set up a small aerial pointing through a window in the direction of the transmitter.

I'd definitely try what Martin says too to get the BT vision you've paid for up & running.

We've just been testing a few new satellite meters that also have digital terrestrial on & the best signals we could get on a particular property were quite low down - not on the roof, even 3' off the ground gave an adequate digital signal (& more than adequate through a window) on the cheapest of indoor aerials, a basic outdoor aerial should be pretty cheap.

If buying a used Sky box- make sure it isn't a faulty one and can't cause any damage to your own gear.

 

[Bigf00t]

Buying a second hand sky box without having a new P4 sky viewing card (white) then you won't be able to access freeview channels, you would have to buy a Freesat card to use a sky box

 

[Broadz]

Buying a second hand sky box without having a new P4 sky viewing card (white) then you won't be able to access freeview channels, you would have to buy a Freesat card to use a sky box

Freeview only accessible via TV aerial. FTA satellite channels accessible via a second hand Sky box with no card. FTV channels also accessible with a white Sky viewing card or Freesatfromsky card - all five of them. Please don't give misleading information...

 

[logiciel]

Bigf00t: Do not post any more false information.
Logiciel