Sky+ Question

[Drobbins]

Hey Guys,

I have passed my 12 month period now and want to cancel sky as we never watch anything but ITV2 and other freeview channels, if i cancel the service can i keep the hardware and use it as a freeview box with the recording facility?

Rich

[Peter Parker]

Not sure if it'll just work if you cancel, though you could always get a digital TV decoder quite cheaply. However since you've got the Sky+ box, look at this:

http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk

You can get plenty of free 'no monthly fee' content. I *think* Sky might want to charge you about £20 for a one-off change to a Freesat viewing card. Still, not bad value if you can keep using your dish and the Sky+ box.

Disclaimer -> I work for Sky, but not at the TV bit. No idea if this is a good service or not!

[snootyjim]

AFAIK, you can watch free channels using Sky without a subscription, but you can't use Sky+ without paying.

[mehmeh]

Unless Sky have changed it recently (several months since I left). To access the "+" features of a Sky+ box you need to have an active subscription. Box will still work fine as a reciever tho and FYI you dont need to buy a freesat card. Your current card will turn into one when you stop paying them subs.

Will be honest tho.. Freesat sucks pretty bad. No Dave and recently we seem to have lost Five, Fiver and Sky3 also. A Freeview box if you've got aerial etc for it, is a much better option these days imo.

Edit: beat me too it ^^

[snootyjim]

Yeah, I forgot that bit

You are far better off with Freeview - the problem is that a lot of channels are on an encrypted satellite, primarily so that people in Europe couldn't watch British television for free. For a better solution, they decided to use a satellite which only gave Britain good coverage, and was rubbish for Europe, which then meant that they could air channels unencrypted - so far though, not all channels have made the switchover.

As a result, they're unencrypted via the aerials, but encrypted via satellite, so not available on Freesat. Furthermore, I don't think they're really making too much of an effort to switch them over, they're being very sluggish.

I hope that's all roughly right - this information is from a magazine about 8-10 months back I think - so not current - but having seen what mehmeh posted it seems that it's still the case.

[Drobbins]

Thanks all, so cancelling sky to be honest is a waste of time. I may just aswell keep paying the £15 a month for the pleasure of sky+

Rich

[james_d]

If you are going to cancel, might be worth waiting till you get a new card sent out as they won't send one if you've cancelled.

It's not a major issue, a non-sub card only enables five/fiver/five us, sky3 & setanta news... although if what mehmeh is saying is true then maybe not even that.

[mehmeh]

Will be honest and I say don't watch alot of TV, so dunno when we "lost" these channels. When I first cancelled and went Freesat, Five, Fiver/Fiver+1, Sky3 were being recieved fine. Sometime in the past several weeks tho, those channels vanished (all at once or over time I dunno). First I heard about it was complaints from people who come round and treat the place like their own home lol. Havent put much effort into figuring out why, other than the dish, box, etc are all working as they should and AFIAK Sky havent been sending out new cards recently. When going to any of those channels I just get the "to subcribe to this channel call Sky" etc etc bs.

Will endeavor to give the Freesat peeps a call today and see if they can shed any light. Will check my other channels too before I call.

Read your post with interest snootyjim, always wondered why half the decent channels are missing. Always figured it as having commerical interests at the core tbh but that makes sense. Remember when I first complained, the best the rep could do was say, but you get so much more like all the shopping channels.. yay!

Anywho, too earlier in the morning for essay posts no one ever reads. Will report back later.

[Drobbins]

Originally Posted by mehmeh

Will be honest and I say don't watch alot of TV, so dunno when we "lost" these channels. When I first cancelled and went Freesat, Five, Fiver/Fiver+1, Sky3 were being recieved fine. Sometime in the past several weeks tho, those channels vanished (all at once or over time I dunno). First I heard about it was complaints from people who come round and treat the place like their own home lol. Havent put much effort into figuring out why, other than the dish, box, etc are all working as they should and AFIAK Sky havent been sending out new cards recently. When going to any of those channels I just get the "to subcribe to this channel call Sky" etc etc bs.

Will endeavor to give the Freesat peeps a call today and see if they can shed any light. Will check my other channels too before I call.

Read your post with interest snootyjim, always wondered why half the decent channels are missing. Always figured it as having commerical interests at the core tbh but that makes sense. Remember when I first complained, the best the rep could do was say, but you get so much more like all the shopping channels.. yay!

Anywho, too earlier in the morning for essay posts no one ever reads. Will report back later.

I have read it and thankyou i am still looking into this

[shaithis]

www.freesatfromsky.co.uk

They will sell you a "freesat" card for £20 that is basically a life subscription.

The Sky+ functionality is £10 per month if you want it though (IIRC)


I guess the decision is wether PVR functionality is worth the cost of a Freesat box or £10/month to you.....

If you don't have SkyHD, then a cheap DVD-Recorder may be all thats needed.

[burrellhead]

yes i think they will because (not that it is the same thing) when i cancled to go with sky from virgin they let us keep the box and everything with it

hope this helps burrellhead

[burrellhead]

i mean what will they do with a used box they cant send it back to someone else because they could of tampered with it and they cant realy send it back to sell parts because they might be broke

burrellhead

[shaithis]

They do not want the boxes back because YOU pay for them and therefore own them....

Ensuring that once it's past it's 1 year warranty it is not their problem when it breaks.

Personally, of all Sky's practices, this is the one I hate. You need their proprietry hardware to access their paid-for service but they don't want to maintain that hardware :S