CH4 Now Fta on Sky Box

steveon

Channel 4 has been added to the Sky EPG for free...so you can now view it on channel No 104 without the use of an FTV card.:pac:

byte

Good stuff. Thanks for the heads up.

bittihuduga

i cant see it on 104 on my SKY FTA box

fat-tony

Did this just happen today? I fired up a old SKY box yesterday for a little project I'm involved with and forced an update etc. I added all the usual BBC, ITV channels and the free movie channels to the Favourites, but there was no sign of Channel 4 on the EPG. I added that to the additional channels.

pa990

Sky box with an irish sub showing "Programme Not Availible" this morn at 7am (everyone loves raymond)

channelsurfer

probably only for uk boxes. I will check when I go home later to see if it works if I take out the ftv card.

SamandFrank

Just checked mine not there. how do you force an update on a fta sky box???

barnicles

You don't need to force an update to get channel 4,

SamandFrank

oh really is there another way to get it on the epg? with out a sky card?

thomasking22008

i have one on my non sky box look work perfect for channel 4 104:)

bmaxi

I have two Silvercrest SL 65 FTA boxes, one of them gives the now and next EPG with the title Channel Four but the other one still only gives the numerical title with the EPG. Scanned it several times. Weird or what?

thomasking22008

yeah there is 2 different freq for channel 4 10.729 for 8350 with no information epg cos for prepair test free to air then now channel 4 12.160 v move freq to 10.714 h 22.0 5/6 now free sat free to air

Mayo Exile

Seems to be at 104, if what's also being said over at DS Forums is correct:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=859239&page=2

norbert64

this is for the UK right?

there's no sign of it on either of my ex SKY/FTA boxes.

can still get it on 8350, though.

Mayo Exile

Should it matter? Once you get the default UK EPG on a Digibox, Channel 4 would appear at 104, that's if it's there in the first place?

emaherx

There is no diferrance between UK and Irish Box.
But I think if this requires a Software update then not all boxes receive their updates at the same time.

I think updates are released in batches based on Serial numbers.
You can't force the updated for your box until the update is released for your box serial number.

box will also need to be reset to default UK EPG

Tony

This is an interesting development. If sky had any sense they would put ITV also back on the EPG (if its not already there) and drop the box price to compete with Freesat. That way customers have an easier upgrade path to sky packages.

watty

Sky would have to pay an ITV region though!

Also this is only applying to cardless boxes that have UK EPG. Not all Digiboxes show UK EPG ever, if they 1st had an Irish card. My Sky box ONLY does UK epg either with UK card or removal of Irish Card while in Sky Interactive on Sky News.

Tony

watty wrote: »

Sky would have to pay an ITV region though!

Not necessarily, they could use the same public broadcasting remit that ch4 used to get on Freesat FTA.

steveon

Simply unplug your sky box for a about 2 minutes and allow it reboot and channel 4 should appear on 104...

To force a software update, do the above and hold in the backup button on your box and keep pressed whilst returning the power lead...after approx 10 second the box will light up and software update will commence.

wil

steveon wrote: »

Simply unplug your sky box for a about 2 minutes and allow it reboot and channel 4 should appear on 104...
.

Unfortunately that didnt work for me.
The real C4 is coming in fine on 10.714 in Other channels, just not epg'ed:(
Guess I'll have to wait for the update, doubt a forced one will make any difference if it hasnt already been pushed.

Watty wrote:

Also this is only applying to cardless boxes that have UK EPG. Not all Digiboxes show UK EPG ever, if they 1st had an Irish card. My Sky box ONLY does UK epg either with UK card or removal of Irish Card while in Sky Interactive on Sky News

Watty, I'm a little confused Are you saying not all cardless digiboxes are the same???

glineli

Didnt work for me either, still not 104!!!

Mossy Monk

wil wrote: »

Watty, I'm a little confused Are you saying not all cardless digiboxes are the same???

It is true. Some will display the Irish EPG, others an EPG from say Scotland and so on.

watty

wil wrote: »

Unfortunately that didnt work for me.
The real C4 is coming in fine on 10.714 in Other channels, just not epg'ed:(
Guess I'll have to wait for the update, doubt a forced one will make any difference if it hasnt already been pushed.



Watty, I'm a little confused Are you saying not all cardless digiboxes are the same???

They are not all the same. Though they all start off the same, probably even Sky Italia boxes.

1) Different models have different versions of the same basic current software.
2) Some Models/Software versions Digibox appears to be affected permanently by whatever card is first used.

For Digiboxes that seem stuck on Irish EPG:
a) Make sure Irish card is in (even exipired/cancelled sub).
b) go 510 Sky News
c) Press Red
d) Wait for Interactive to finish loading
e) Remove and DO NOT reinsert card at all.
f) press backup to go back to regular Sky News.
g) UK EPG will load. Ignore errors DO NOT INSERT ANY CARD

To return to Irish EPG just insert card.


Some boxes (all?) at a previous level of software would go to UK EPG if they could not read an inserted card (the slot has a switch to indicate a card is inserted). Putting any old card with no chip or Irish card upside down worked.

MarkK

It may be that they are being transitioned over from ftv to fta one region at a time.
There are 7 or 8 Channel 4 Regions:

http://www.channel4sales.com/advertising/television/macromap

So whether you get it fta or not, may depend on which Channel 4 Region is on your 104.

fat-tony

steveon wrote: »

Simply unplug your sky box for a about 2 minutes and allow it reboot and channel 4 should appear on 104...

To force a software update, do the above and hold in the backup button on your box and keep pressed whilst returning the power lead...after approx 10 second the box will light up and software update will commence.

Hi steve. Can you clarify the model of the box this is working on? I was setting up a Panasonic standard SKY box yesterday for a neighbour so he could watch the Olympics (no card). It gets the usual UK EPG, but no sign of Ch4, except as an additional channel. I pulled the card from my SKY HD box this morning and I get the usual UK EPG and no Ch4:(
BBC 1 London/BBC2 England/ITV Central W on 101/102/103, then 106 has SKY1 as usual...

Update - 10714 V 22000 (as per earlier posts in this thread) has Channel 4 with EPG now and next. Scanned in just now on my FTA receiver.

fat-tony

Tony wrote: »

This is an interesting development. If sky had any sense they would put ITV also back on the EPG (if its not already there) and drop the box price to compete with Freesat. That way customers have an easier upgrade path to sky packages.

Hi Tony. For info, ITV1/2/3/4 and the +1 variants are all on the default cardless UK EPG on the SKY box already.

Tony

fat-tony wrote: »

Hi Tony. For info, ITV1/2/3/4 and the +1 variants are all on the default cardless UK EPG on the SKY box already.

Thanks for the info Tony. Just set up a brand new box with no card and latest firmware definitely no CH 4 showing on UK EPG.

emaherx

Still not on either of my digiboxes through default EPG.
But it is coming in clear on an deactivated UK card


By Deactivated I mean card no longer works for FTV ie no channel 5 or sky3

watty

Not even if you leave card in for 24hrs?
They "deactivate" by missing keys and reactivate on their own in less than 24hrs in box.

byte

Tried it myself today on both a new Sky and new Sky+ box, and neither had 104 listed. I have noticed a few versions of C4 being FTA on 10714 (FTA box), but that's about it. Unless 104 became "active" for a short duration when regions were changing to FTA?

channelsurfer

tried it myself with my 2 boxes grundig and panasonic. both didnt work. interestingly when I just took out the card even itv merdian didnt work. It said please insert your viewing card..

machiavellianme

Perhaps its due to kick in on August 18th? I saw an ad on the Travel Channel saying it and Travel Channel+1 & 2 are moving on the EPG on that date. Perhaps theres a mass shuffling afoot?

I've a Grundig box here which won't display the UK EPG for me at all (even if I try the Sky News Active trick with a dummy card), though I don't have a Sky card for it.

emaherx

watty wrote: »

Not even if you leave card in for 24hrs?
They "deactivate" by missing keys and reactivate on their own in less than 24hrs in box.

Thanks Watty, but its deactivated as in dead. You could leave it in a digi box for a week and get the same results.

It was left in the box constantly for about 2 years, then it started showing all of the channels as in full top package for about a month. And now it just displays the contact your broadcaster message. Its an ex UK sub card, possibly original owner got sky in again and ended up with sky killing my card

Dosen't really bother me as I have another one and I don't watch channel 5 or sky 3 very often anyway and channel five will most likely go FTA.

Any way, at least now it puts channel 4 on the EPG

watty

Karsini wrote: »

I've a Grundig box here which won't display the UK EPG for me at all (even if I try the Sky News Active trick with a dummy card), though I don't have a Sky card for it.

You need a working Irish card for the Sky News Active trick!

watty

byte wrote: »

Tried it myself today on both a new Sky and new Sky+ box, and neither had 104 listed. I have noticed a few versions of C4 being FTA on 10714 (FTA box), but that's about it. Unless 104 became "active" for a short duration when regions were changing to FTA?

I've never seen 104 & 105 on a UK EPG without a UK card.

bittihuduga

i removed my freesat UK card and saw 104 - ch4

machiavellianme

watty wrote: »

You need a working Irish card for the Sky News Active trick!

Wont an expired card work too? Or at least it did for me.

Zaphod

I had a look at this with an ex-UK sub card and an ex-Irish sub card.

With the ex-Irish sub card inserted, an Irish EPG shows up with C4 listed but not viewable. Doing the Sky News trick, and removing the card, the box gives a default EPG with BBC London, ITV but no C4. If I re-insert the card upside down, the box reverts back to the Irish EPG.

Putting in an ex-UK sub card, BBC W Midlands, ITV and C4 ok. Doing the Sky News trick, the default EPG shows up with BBC London and no C4. Putting in the card upside down, the box now reverts to the ex-UK EPG, with BBC W Midlands, ITV and C4 on the EPG.

St Senan

I have Ch4 on 104 on a panasonic box with a FTV left out since Thursday just to see will it still work the box reverts back to default epg and Ch4 is still on 104

Mossy Monk

The Sky box doesn't automatically go back to the default EPG when the card is taken out. Put in your viewing card upside down and reboot. That loads the default EPG for me.

fat-tony

Zaphod wrote: »

I had a look at this with an ex-UK sub card and an ex-Irish sub card.

With the ex-Irish sub card inserted, an Irish EPG shows up with C4 listed but not viewable. Doing the Sky News trick, and removing the card, the box gives a default EPG with BBC London, ITV but no C4. If I re-insert the card upside down, the box reverts back to the Irish EPG.

Putting in an ex-UK sub card, BBC W Midlands, ITV and C4 ok. Doing the Sky News trick, the default EPG shows up with BBC London and no C4. Putting in the card upside down, the box now reverts to the ex-UK EPG, with BBC W Midlands, ITV and C4 on the EPG.

It would appear that the box is retaining some form of region setting (as in TV region not DVD region:D) when it's booted with the card in upside-down. This would explain why the default EPG with BBC London is not showing C4 on 104, but a "fallback" Midland region EPG is showing C4 - maybe because SKY are rolling this out gradually to all the regions.

Maybe we just wait until C4 appears on the standard UK EPG:) or is there another way ....;) - suggestions anyone?

St Senan

Mossy Monk wrote: »

The Sky box doesn't automatically go back to the default EPG when the card is taken out. Put in your viewing card upside down and reboot. That loads the default EPG for me.

Any sky box will revert back to default epg when you leave card out long enough

watty

Buy a Freesat box?

wil

scaller wrote: »

Any sky box will revert back to default epg when you leave card out long enough

That would be my experience too.
Perhaps depends what default is in the firmware.

Both of my current digiboxes (Pace and Thomson) are showing

OS: 1.2S4FI epg: 3.6.4.18 (default UK epg - region BBC1 London)

But I have noticed they dont always update at the same time.
Both were originally Irish subs.

I have a third unused box which I might do a forced update on to see if it is any different.