sky box for free to air?

peter-pantslez

hi,

iv just changed from sky back to upc cause of costs. but i heard some where that i can still use the sky dish and boxes (one is a hd + box, the other is a normal box) to receive free to air. is it just a matter of plugging the sky box back in to the dish or do you need to change settings?

i want to do this so i can hook up for tv in two of the bedrooms.

thanks for any help

Kristopherus

Take the cards out and the standard box will revert to the UK epg. I'm not sure about the HD+ box. Some posters say the Irish epg remains on the newer boxes. You may very well end up getting BBC 1 as 101 on the standard box & as 141 on the HD box. But that won't stop them working as FTA boxes if you can live with that little inconvenience. You will not have the + function on the HD box either.

KoolKid

I have the HD box . It reverts to UK EPG when restarted with the viewing card removed.

clonadlad

I have a normal sky box and it works grand.

dellWlan

a mates given me his Sky+HD box, which i was going to use as a FTA box but it stays with the irish epg with no sky card plugged in and it won't let me access other channels without a sky card so seems useless as a fta box.
if anyone has a cure for this i'd be interested to know it.

Basic sky box and sky+ boxes have UK epg which i'll probably end up using

bryaner

dellWlan wrote: »

a mates given me his Sky+HD box, which i was going to use as a FTA box but it stays with the irish epg with no sky card plugged in and it won't let me access other channels without a sky card so seems useless as a fta box.
if anyone has a cure for this i'd be interested to know it.

Basic sky box and sky+ boxes have UK epg which i'll probably end up using

I just got a Sky ftv card from england for my sky hd box, well worth the £20 I must say.

dellWlan

seems like the best idea probably.

it's just a name and uk address sky want for activation is it?

Mayo Exile

dellWlan wrote: »

a mates given me his Sky+HD box, which i was going to use as a FTA box but it stays with the irish epg with no sky card plugged in and it won't let me access other channels without a sky card so seems useless as a fta box.
if anyone has a cure for this i'd be interested to know it.

Basic sky box and sky+ boxes have UK epg which i'll probably end up using

Was the card paired to the box at any stage, so as to view the Sky premium channels (movies, sports etc)? If it was, the default EPG will now be the Irish one. A UK FTV card will be needed to get the UK EPG.

You can view other channels (FTA ones) without a card in the box but its a PIN code related issue. You need to go to the PIN/Parental etc menu. Enter PIN (with card in box, and hopefully you know your PIN!).

Remove all parental restrictions such as access to adult channels etc. and save these changes. Now press the Blue button. It disables PIN areas (greys out tabs) dealing with other channels etc. You should now be able to view other channels without a card.

dellWlan

thanks i'll try that in the mean time while i work on getting a FTA card.

Mayo Exile

dellWlan wrote: »

thanks i'll try that in the mean time while i work on getting a FTA card.

At the moment a UK FTV card will get you Five HD, Five USA, Fiver, Sky 3, LFC TV and until April, CH4 HD. From then CH4 HD won't need a card to view it. It will be FTA.

FTA now are BBC 1 HD, BBC HD and ITV 1 HD.

peter-pantslez

Kristopherus wrote: »

Take the cards out and the standard box will revert to the UK epg. I'm not sure about the HD+ box. Some posters say the Irish epg remains on the newer boxes. You may very well end up getting BBC 1 as 101 on the standard box & as 141 on the HD box. But that won't stop them working as FTA boxes if you can live with that little inconvenience. You will not have the + function on the HD box either.

thanks, i tried the standard box today with the card in and i got a good few channels...bbc, channel 4, utv, film 4 and so on. but yeah channel 101 is bbc but that doesnt bother me.

can you get any of the irish channels on it?

John mac

peter-pantslez wrote: »

.

can you get any of the irish channels on it?

Nope.

(unless you pay sky)

hdowney

i cannot get any of the channel4 channels fta when i take out the card. it just says insert viewing card.

where can i get one of these 20quid ft cards and how do i go about doing it?

watty

Hit backup and guide.
here is list of free channels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_in_the_UK

It will ask for viewing card on the Irish channels (they are only free via TV aerial) and on Pay channels.
Setup favorites and use Guide then blue to get Favorite EPG of up to 50 channels

Do NOT put card in at all or you lose the UK guide.

Either unplug box and count 15 and plug it in again WITHOUT CARD to get UK guide
Or if card in, try 501 (sky news),red button, take card out when interactive loads. hit backup and DO NOT re-insert card. Ignore error messages. Press backup and Guide.

hdowney

nope tried both and i am stuck with irl epg. and to get channel4 and assoc channels i have to put them in under other channels!

Cantona's Collars

Its a HD box-sky buggered up the EPG on it,get a FTV card from the UK to get the UK EPG and a few more channels such as Five USA etc.
Maybe hdowney should get this sorted 1st though...

(mind you i think the 10 yrs thing is nothing to do with it cos they cut me off today and when i rang to ask why told me my bill hadn't been paid. 1st they tried to take the dd on the 10th - my bill is due 15th! - but second they haven't notified me in anyway that there was a problem with payment. just cut me off. guy says oh you will get a letter warning that you will be cut off if you don't sort it!!! AFTER being cut off!!!! bollox!)

hdowney

yup gathered sky buggered something up as i have the uk epg grand on the +box in the multiroom.

where do i get one of those cards exactly pls thanks

Cantona's Collars

hdowney wrote: »

yup gathered sky buggered something up as i have the uk epg grand on the +box in the multiroom.

where do i get one of those cards exactly pls thanks

Theres a thread here somewhere on it or get a relative in England to order one and post it to you.

hdowney

as to the bill thing - had no clue it hadn't gone thru, sitting watchin telly today and it goes. what bothers me is no notification that there was a problem with the payment (not least the fact that trying to take it five days before it is due!!!) and unfortch with today being sunday there was nothing i could do about arranging to pay it so gotta wait til tomorrow to do something about it

Cantona's Collars

They won't admit to making a mistake even if they did.Try and speak to a supervisor when you ring them.

hdowney

asked to speak to a supervisor today - 'oh there is none available at the moment but i will get one to call you back'!!! won't hold my breath. sent a snotty (but polite) email too but doubt much will come back from that. will see what happens when i ring tomorrow to pay my bill. not disputing that there is a bill that needs to be paid, just the manner in which they treated me and didn't bother to tell me!

dogtoffee

watty wrote: »

Or if card in, try 501 (sky news),red button, take card out when interactive loads. hit backup and DO NOT re-insert card. Ignore error messages. Press backup and Guide.

Watty your a legend, that worked first time m8 thanks

reddevil16

Hi All
New to all this but find it great.
Trying to load sky FTA ( no card !!! ) using the sky dish, it has two connectors. (Had to work around for right one )box works o.k but using the Remote -switches the tv settings. i.e av1 to av2 and locks up. using the manual buttons on box is the only way to change stations. a long way from 104 to 500 ect!!!
I am 78 and still up for the challenge !! any help appreciated.
Regards
Russ

Johnboy1951

reddevil16 wrote: »

Hi All
New to all this but find it great.
Trying to load sky FTA ( no card !!! ) using the sky dish, it has two connectors. (Had to work around for right one )box works o.k but using the Remote -switches the tv settings. i.e av1 to av2 and locks up. using the manual buttons on box is the only way to change stations. a long way from 104 to 500 ect!!!
I am 78 and still up for the challenge !! any help appreciated.
Regards
Russ

This is an old thread which probably will soon be locked.

IMO you should post a new thread to get help with your problem.

In the meantime look for a button on the Sky remote to switch it from TV to Sky.

icdg

We don't drag up old threads