Using Sky communal satellite for FTA

jakdublin · 17-02-2015 01:25PM #1

Hiya. I have a Sky sub via a communal Sky dish in my apartment complex. I'm thinking of cancelling my sub but will I still be able to use my Sky HD box to access FTA channels like BBC, ITV etc from the dish?

winston_1 · 17-02-2015 02:06PM

jakdublin wrote: »

Hiya. I have a Sky sub via a communal Sky dish in my apartment complex. I'm thinking of cancelling my sub but will I still be able to use my Sky HD box to access FTA channels like BBC, ITV etc from the dish?

Yes.

jakdublin · 17-02-2015 02:28PM

I thought that, but when I take the card out I can't get any channels. I guess it won't work without the card but leaving the card in will enable the FTA channels. Thanks.

ei9go · 17-02-2015 02:35PM

Get a UK card and then you will get the UK epg with BBC1 on 101 etc.

Lots on Adverts for a couple of Euro

jakdublin · 17-02-2015 02:37PM

Will I not be able to get them just by cancelling the sub and leaving the current card in?

ei9go · 17-02-2015 02:45PM

The UK card is the way to go because you get all the UK channels in a logical order and on the epg.

No more "other channels"

By the way, you do know that the SKY+ won't work when you stop paying

jakdublin · 17-02-2015 02:57PM

Yeah, I figured I'd lose the Sky+. OK, I think I understand now. If I do nothing and keep the current card in I can access channels but only through 'other channels' and if I get a UK card they'll appear in the epg. And if I decided later that I wanted to record I'd have to ditch the sky box and get a combo box or something (I'm assuming any box will connect to the communal Sky dish in our complex).

ei9go · 17-02-2015 03:56PM

Thats it in a nutshell

Humax Freesat recorder is the way to go if you want record.

No subscriptions, no cards needed.

You enter a UK postcode for whatever region you want and that's it.

Simply swap out the Sky+ box

The Cush · 17-02-2015 05:06PM

Also once you cancel your Sky sub the Irish channels will no longer be available thru the satellite dish, an aerial connected to a Saorview TV or STB will be required.

jakdublin · 17-02-2015 05:22PM

The Cush wrote: »

Also once you cancel your Sky sub the Irish channels will no longer be available thru the satellite dish, an aerial connected to a Saorview TV or STB will be required.

Yeah, I knew that much. I'm hoping the old rabbit ears will do the job. It's a cheap Saorview approved TV that I'm picking up on Thursday.

winston_1 · 17-02-2015 08:15PM

jakdublin wrote: »

Yeah, I knew that much. I'm hoping the old rabbit ears will do the job. It's a cheap Saorview approved TV that I'm picking up on Thursday.

So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for FM and DAB radio. You need a UHF aerial for TV, preferably on the roof but this may do:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerm/telecam.htm

jakdublin · 18-02-2015 02:11AM

Thanks winston. I'm not totally tech clueless but flapping around in the dark a bit with this so every bit of info is saving me money. Wouldn't have known that.

Using Sky communal satellite for FTA

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