Using Sky HD box for Free to Air channels

quinnd6

I have a sky hd box.
I tried taking out the viewing card and plugging it out.
When I turned it on I got Rte 1 as the first channel and please insert viewing card for every channel even the ones that should be free to air.
In order to get into the free to air channels I had to go into other channels and it was a complete nuisance and couldn't be doing that every time I change the channel.

I don't believe it was like that in the past and sky effed it up to make it unusable as a free to air box with one of their updates.
Is there any way of fixing it so if I have no viewing card or sky sub it will go to the free to air channels instead like sky boxes in the past used to do without the viewing card?

twinklerunner

The clue is in the name ... it's a SKY box ... they don't want you using it as a free-to-air box, and why should they?

pawrick

I use a UK card in mine to reorder the channels into a more convenient number range BBC1 at 101 etc. - you lose the Irish ones doing this but there are less gaps between channels. adverts usually has some of these cards for sale.

ShaneOC

quinnd6 wrote: »

I have a sky hd box.
I tried taking out the viewing card and plugging it out.
When I turned it on I got Rte 1 as the first channel and please insert viewing card for every channel even the ones that should be free to air.
In order to get into the free to air channels I had to go into other channels and it was a complete nuisance and couldn't be doing that every time I change the channel.

I don't believe it was like that in the past and sky effed it up to make it unusable as a free to air box with one of their updates.
Is there any way of fixing it so if I have no viewing card or sky sub it will go to the free to air channels instead like sky boxes in the past used to do without the viewing card?

The process to revert to the UK EPG worked on older boxes but it does not work on the HD ones. A UK FTV card will put the UK channels in a better order and will allow you to view those channels without having to go into 'other channels'.

This is fine in the short term but you might consider getting a box better suited for viewing FTA channels. A FreeSat box will give you a very similar user experience to Sky complete with recording functionality and series link. There are plenty other options too (enigma2 boxes, combi boxes, etc).

Johnboy1951

Sell the Sky HD box and put the price towards a FTA combi box which can be had for ~ €65
You can then order the channels as you wish.