Recording with a Sky FTA card?

Gwynston

I have a "Freesat from Sky" UK card I used in an old Sky box to view the UK FTA channels, including ITV, but don't use it anymore (have a new TV with a Freesat tuner that uses that dish feed now).

Now in the other room where we have a Sky+ box, I'm getting it replaced with a Sky+ HD box and wondered if I can make use of the old Sky+ box?
Obviously our Sky subscription card will be paired to the new HD box, so can I get Sky to pair the old FTA card to the old Sky+ box and get recording enabled on it?

I thought I'd read somewhere that it's possible to get Sky to enable recording on a FTA card (perhaps for a fee)?

John mac

Nope,
You need a subscription for recording to work..

Cantona's Collars

It's €10 a month to allow recording of fta on a Skybox,you're better off saving those tenners & buying a freesat pvr.

I'm one of the lucky ones who found an old blue card that let's me record:)

Gwynston

zerks wrote: »

It's €10 a month to allow recording of fta on a Skybox,you're better off saving those tenners & buying a freesat pvr.
I'm one of the lucky ones who found an old blue card that let's me record:)

Thanks - I knew I'd heard it somewhere....! As you say - a bit steep really.

My old card is blue too. Maybe I'll be lucky? What do I do, just call Sky with the card no. and serial number off the Sky+ box to pair them up?

Would it be "safest" to get my brother-in-law in England to make the phone call for me - it was him who ordered the FTA card originally for me.

watty

It's NOT a FTA card either it's a pre-Subscription FTV card. A blue card is no use. If you subscribe to any Sky service you need a current card.

The sky box is only sensible nowadays for people that want Pay TV. More than five years ago an out of sub box wasn't a bad idea for FTA. Now it just doesn't make sense.

Get a proper Freesat HD PVR unless you want to subscribe to PayTV.

Cantona's Collars

watty wrote: »

It's NOT a FTA card either it's a pre-Subscription FTV card. A blue card is no use. If you subscribe to any Sky service you need a current card.

The sky box is only sensible nowadays for people that want Pay TV. More than five years ago an out of sub box wasn't a bad idea for FTA. Now it just doesn't make sense.

Get a proper Freesat HD PVR unless you want to subscribe to PayTV.

Good advice,a 'standard' Skybox is ok for fta,the new HD ones aren't.

As I said to the op,it was just pure luck that I found out my old Blue Card allowed me to record.This is the exception rather than the rule.I still had to use a UK ftv card & the 'card trick' to get the UK channels on the epg so I can record them.

Gwynston

Thanks for the advice.
TBH, I don't really need to do this, as I have a HDD connected to the new TV with the Freesat tuner. And I'm replacing the other TVs Sky+ box with a Sky+ HD box.

I was just wondering how I might still be able to watch some of the stuff recorded on the old Sky+ box once my sub card is paired with the new HD one. I guess the best way is probably to copy the stuff from the old disk over onto the new one? That will involve taking the disks out though which probably isn't a great idea while the new HD box is in warranty....

watty

The files are encrypted on two or three levels.

One level uses a key matched with the card.

Once a sub lapses only renewing the same sub allows viewing the files.

Cantona's Collars

Visit copy+ website if you really need to move stuff from one box to another.Or else delete them & visit one of those sites Sean Sherlock hates;)