Add Channels options on sky without a subscription

batman75

Can you add channels on a sky box if you don't have a sky subscription? My box is 5 years old. I used to be able to watch BBC NEWS channel when I had a sub through add channels. I have found ITV on the box through the add channels option but can't access them.

Kurn

I'm pretty sure you can add channels without a sub. ITV recently changed frequency for some of its channels, so maybe you need a retune.

brandonviewer

batman75 wrote: »

Can you add channels on a sky box if you don't have a sky subscription? My box is 5 years old. I used to be able to watch BBC NEWS channel when I had a sub through add channels. I have found ITV on the box through the add channels option but can't access them.

If you stick a uk viewing card into the box you will have all the free to air up channels ( bbc news, ITV, channel 5 etc) without the need for tuning them into other channels. This will also get rid of the non watchable Irish channels from the epg and bring the uk ones to the fore

batman75

brandonviewer wrote: »

If you stick a uk viewing card into the box you will have all the free to air up channels ( bbc news, ITV, channel 5 etc) without the need for tuning them into other channels. This will also get rid of the non watchable Irish channels from the epg and bring the uk ones to the fore

Thank you. How do I get a UK viewing card from here?

Spn744

batman75 wrote: »

Thank you. How do I get a UK viewing card from here?

I have one I’ll send to you for €5 inc.P&P? (Paid €10 last year but happy to help out) will even taken payment when you’ve received and it’s tested working?

brandonviewer

Spn744 wrote: »

I have one I’ll send to you for €5 inc.P&P? (Paid €10 last year but happy to help out) will even taken payment when you’ve received and it’s tested working?

That sounds like a good deal. They are usually advertised at around €10

icdg

brandonviewer wrote: »

That sounds like a good deal. They are usually advertised at around €10

There is no buying and selling items on thread. Particularly in this case items that do not belong to you. Sky viewing cards remain the property of SSSL at all times. Both brandonviewer and Spn744 take warnings

Clitheroekid

A sky box can be used to receive all free to air astra 28 channels, remove card, unplug box,restore power after one minute and free to air channels will load up on box.do not insert sky card.

Glaceon

Not sure if it’s still the case but there was a time where the box would prompt for a card or PIN when accessing Other Channels if any parental controls were enabled.

icdg

Glaceon wrote: »

Not sure if it’s still the case but there was a time where the box would prompt for a card or PIN when accessing Other Channels if any parental controls were enabled.

Certainly the case on Sky Q, but I’m presuming the OP is using an older Sky STB.

Clitheroekid

Try the following go to adding other channels.put in the parameters of channel required,eg channel 5 channel should appear on epg as channel 105.This has worked for me.

swoofer

It depends on the box, if its a UK box and either SD or HD it will default to uk epg but with a irish box ie sky hd it will not default to uk epg but to irish one. That's why sky UK cards are popular.

batman75

icdg wrote: »

Certainly the case on Sky Q, but I’m presuming the OP is using an older Sky STB.

My box dates from 2015. Was able to access other channels while subscribing but no longer.

swoofer

You need a sky uk card it makes the box default to the uk epg so all the free to air channels become available ie in sequence 101 bbc 1 102 bbc 2 103 itv. Another way is to get a uk box on ebay and that will default to uk channels but there are so many boxes better than sky now that allow all fta abd saorview that few bother will old sky box, eg zgemma, tiviar, vu+, gigablue, edison, and so on, the list is endless and they allow recording to hdd or usb hdd.

Dempo1

Clitheroekid wrote: »

A sky box can be used to receive all free to air astra 28 channels, remove card, unplug box,restore power after one minute and free to air channels will load up on box.do not insert sky card.

Hi, quick question, I got a Sky + HD box from neighbour, he upgraded, I'd been using a very old grundig model sky box for years but as a lot of channels going HD, I thought I'd try it, I don't require subscription, happy with FTA.

For some reason there's a lot of channels missing, all the ITV and some BBC as well as chanel 4 and the 5"s channels All the usual others available.

I've removed the card that was in it to test if that solved issue and no and when trying to add channels no option other than Genre.

Am I missing something or is it not worth trying this Box, old box still fine albeit no HD, also using a relatively new Sky approved dish. Thanks if you can advise.

decor58

Dempo1 wrote: »

Hi, quick question, I got a Sky + HD box from neighbour, he upgraded, I'd been using a very old grundig model sky box for years but as a lot of channels going HD, I thought I'd try it, I don't require subscription, happy with FTA.

For some reason there's a lot of channels missing, all the ITV and some BBC as well as chanel 4 and the 5"s channels All the usual others available.

I've removed the card that was in it to test if that solved issue and no and when trying to add channels no option other than Genre.

Am I missing something or is it not worth trying this Box, old box still fine albeit no HD, also using a relatively new Sky approved dish. Thanks if you can advise.

The sd boxes defaulted to UK settings when the sub card was removed, the HD boxes don't revert, they stick with the original subscription channel listing. To switch to UK listing you need a UK viewing card, they can often be bought online for 5/10e. If you could borrow one the box can be reset to UK settings in a matter of minutes, just do a new install, you can then remove the card and the box will retain the UK settings.

Dempo1

decor58 wrote: »

The sd boxes defaulted to UK settings when the sub card was removed, the HD boxes don't revert, they stick with the original subscription channel listing. To switch to UK listing you need a UK viewing card, they can often be bought online for 5/10e. If you could borrow one the box can be reset to UK settings in a matter of minutes, just do a new install, you can then remove the card and the box will retain the UK settings.

Ah, I see, thanks so much for that

brandonviewer

decor58 wrote: »

The sd boxes defaulted to UK settings when the sub card was removed, the HD boxes don't revert, they stick with the original subscription channel listing. To switch to UK listing you need a UK viewing card, they can often be bought online for 5/10e. If you could borrow one the box can be reset to UK settings in a matter of minutes, just do a new install, you can then remove the card and the box will retain the UK settings.

I’m nearly certain that if you lose power to the box it will revert to Irish epg again, but I’m open to correction on this. Ideally, get your hands on a uk card and leave it in the box

head82

brandonviewer wrote: »

I’m nearly certain that if you lose power to the box it will revert to Irish epg again, but I’m open to correction on this. Ideally, get your hands on a uk card and leave it in the box

That's precisely what happens to mine.
I can remove the UK card and switch the box off (standby) and it still retains the UK EPG.
But once power is lost, it reverts back to Irish EPG.

decor58

head82 wrote: »

That's precisely what happens to mine.
I can remove the UK card and switch the box off (standby) and it still retains the UK EPG.
But once power is lost, it reverts back to Irish EPG.

That's what I was saying earlier, if you were to do a new install with the UK card in place you could then remove the card and no matter how often the box looses power it will retain the UK settings. There are videos online showing the procedure.

muffler

decor58 wrote: »

That's what I was saying earlier, if you were to do a new install with the UK card in place you could then remove the card and no matter how often the box looses power it will retain the UK settings. There are videos online showing the procedure.

You might want to read what they (and another poster also) said --- the box reverts to ROI EPG if power goes off

decor58

muffler wrote: »

You might want to read what they (and another poster also) said --- the box reverts to ROI EPG if power goes off

I have read the comments, I have reset a number of boxes with the same card, removing the card, leaving no card in the box and the UK setting then becomes the default setting.

muffler

decor58 wrote: »

I have read the comments, I have reset a number of boxes with the same card, removing the card, leaving no card in the box and the UK setting then becomes the default setting.

Yeah that's fine as I've done this myself in the past but in the event of a power failure the box resets to ROI. That's the issue I was pointing out to you.

decor58

muffler wrote: »

Yeah that's fine as I've done this myself in the past but in the event of a power failure the box resets to ROI. That's the issue I was pointing out to you.

I see what you are saying but in my experience the boxes haven't reset.