No Free To Air Sky Channels

dok_golf

Hello all. I hope this query is in the correct section. I recently cancelled my SKY subscription to move to Eir Broadband , including Eir TV. I assumed that I should still be able to receive the existing free to air channels via my sky box. A few days ago, this message showed up when attempting to watch any of these channels
"to watch this channel please press sky then red button".
I don't know what this is about but when I press the red button, I get a message saying "Please wait" and after a few second, all the shows up is a blue screen. Any help would be greatly appreciated. DOK

Former Former

If you were hoping to get the Irish channels, then no, you need a subscription.

UK Freesat channels should work, but not in HD

dok_golf

No, I had the free channels up to a few days ago and then the above happened.

STB.

This a Sky Q box ?

dok_golf

I thibnk its a Sky+HD box. We've had it a good number of years

SCOOP 64

With the sky hd box i have i had to purchase one of these,
https://www.adverts.ie/satellite/sky-freesat-actived-uk-channels-from-3-euro/14833108
with the old type box you could just unplug it and plug it back to reset channels.

Johnboy1951

dok_golf wrote: »

Hello all. I hope this query is in the correct section. I recently cancelled my SKY subscription to move to Eir Broadband , including Eir TV. I assumed that I should still be able to receive the existing free to air channels via my sky box. A few days ago, this message showed up when attempting to watch any of these channels
"to watch this channel please press sky then red button".
I don't know what this is about but when I press the red button, I get a message saying "Please wait" and after a few second, all the shows up is a blue screen. Any help would be greatly appreciated. DOK

If you are an Eir broadband customer then you can get the old Sky card enabled for EIr sports channels (providing your Sky box is still operational of course).
You would have access to the Satellite FTA channels also.

I had the free channels up to a few days ago and then the above happened.

Something amiss with the Sky box it seems, as it should provide you with FTA channels without a subscription or a card of any type.
It is less than ideal of course ... much less!

Cushie Butterfield

OP, have you disconnected the power from the box & removed the sky viewing card?

dok_golf

Yes, I've tried rebooting the box. The Sky channel , i.e. the one that advertises Sky products is active but no deal on any of the others. I haven't tried rebooting the box without the card inserted. I'll try that in a little while. Thank you all for your help so far

Johnboy1951

dok_golf wrote: »

Yes, I've tried rebooting the box. The Sky channel , i.e. the one that advertises Sky products is active but no deal on any of the others. I haven't tried rebooting the box without the card inserted. I'll try that in a little while. Thank you all for your help so far

It is not sufficient to 'reboot' ...... you need to disconnect from the power for a short time and then power up the box again.

swoofer

scoop has the answer, sky nobbled the hd boxes so that they wont pick up the FTA channels, ie the box defaults to an irish epg. The UK card makes the box default to a UK epg.

icdg

Defaulting to an Irish EPG shouldn’t stop you viewing those U.K. FTA channels that are on that EPG*.

Try 141 BBC One or 501 Sky News and see if they work.

(*But NB - not Channel 4, for various reasons).

Johnboy1951

swoofer wrote: »

scoop has the answer, sky nobbled the hd boxes so that they wont pick up the FTA channels, ie the box defaults to an irish epg. The UK card makes the box default to a UK epg.

The Irish Sky +HD box here most certainly does show the FTA channels without any card.

dok_golf

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

It is not sufficient to 'reboot' ...... you need to disconnect from the power for a short time and then power up the box again.

Yes, that's what I meant by reboot.

dwasol

dok_golf wrote: »

Yes, that's what I meant by reboot.

Just off the phone from sky.
Only on the basic Tv package & broadband.
Contracts up so was hoping to just have broadband only & stop paying the sky television tariff but retain the equipment as FTA box
The guy told me that's a thing of the past as sky have changed all these boxes by irish law.
Is this true ??

decor58

dwasol wrote:

Just off the phone from sky. Only on the basic Tv package & broadband. Contracts up so was hoping to just have broadband only & stop paying the sky television tariff but retain the equipment as FTA box The guy told me that's a thing of the past as sky have changed all these boxes by irish law. Is this true ??

I am using two of them at present and all is fine, they updated with the new numbers recently. The sky Q box is different, why not give it a try and see.

Johnboy1951

dwasol wrote: »

Just off the phone from sky.
Only on the basic Tv package & broadband.
Contracts up so was hoping to just have broadband only & stop paying the sky television tariff but retain the equipment as FTA box
The guy told me that's a thing of the past as sky have changed all these boxes by irish law.
Is this true ??

The Sky Q boxes must be returned when the subscription contract ceases.
If you have older equipment then you can keep it and use it.

As no 'old-style' boxes are now being issued, I guess it is a thing of the past ...... but there are a lot of older style boxes still in use so they can be used.

dwasol

Thanks lads.
No idea why I was steered that way so.