Freeview via Satellite

I am considering cancelling my Sky subscription as, quite honestly, I'm
becomming more and more disenchanted with the rubbish on offer. I'm not
interested in sport, I watch a film once in a blue moon, and it would
be cheaper to buy those I do want to see on DVD, and the rest of the
channels are, IMHO, by and large just repeated tat. What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels? For other reasons I'm going to have to buy a new TV
set which will have a freeveiw decoder built in but at present I
believe that freeview through the aerial in the area where I live (SW
Co Durham) is either very ropey or totally unobtainable.

In article .com,
"victormeldrewsyoungerbrother" writes:
I am considering cancelling my Sky subscription as, quite honestly, I'm
becomming more and more disenchanted with the rubbish on offer.

Was on holiday last week, and the only available news was Sky News. To
think I thought News 24 was crap. Good grief. Not only that, but it
looks as if Isobel Lang does weather for Sky now. I was wondering where
she'd gone. Very sad.
--
SAm.

victormeldrewsyoungerbrother wrote:
I am considering cancelling my Sky subscription as, quite honestly, I'm
becomming more and more disenchanted with the rubbish on offer. I'm not
interested in sport, I watch a film once in a blue moon, and it would
be cheaper to buy those I do want to see on DVD, and the rest of the
channels are, IMHO, by and large just repeated tat. What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels?

They're not Freeview channels, that's a 'brand name' only the DTT
platform.
What you refer to are 'Freesat from Sky' channels.

In short (despite what Sky might tell you) you'll get all the BBC and
ITV channels free after cancelling, plus Channel 4 and Film 4 (but NOT
E4 or More4) Five and the two new junk channels 5-Life and 5-US. Just
about all the radio stations will remain too.

Pull your card out now, what you are still able to receive is what
you'll get, plus what are called FTV stations (Free To View, encrypted
(hence the card) but still free). These channels are C4, C5, 5 US, 5
Life, and Sky 3.

"victormeldrewsyoungerbrother" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am considering cancelling my Sky subscription as, quite honestly, I'm
becomming more and more disenchanted with the rubbish on offer. I'm not
interested in sport, I watch a film once in a blue moon, and it would
be cheaper to buy those I do want to see on DVD, and the rest of the
channels are, IMHO, by and large just repeated tat. What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels? For other reasons I'm going to have to buy a new TV
set which will have a freeveiw decoder built in but at present I
believe that freeview through the aerial in the area where I live (SW
Co Durham) is either very ropey or totally unobtainable.


In general terms yes, plus many more.

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels?

If you cancel your existing subscription plan you will revert back to
receiving some of the "Free to Air" channels and you may have to phone a
special number - and wait a long time to be answered to have all the "Free
to Air" Channels restored.

Bodger1946
http://bodgers-lair.com

Bodger wrote:
What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels?

If you cancel your existing subscription plan you will revert back to
receiving some of the "Free to Air" channels and you may have to phone a
special number - and wait a long time to be answered to have all the "Free
to Air" Channels restored.

No. You will get all the Free to Air channels ( you don't even need a
card for them, so explain how Sky could possibly restrict them ?)

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bodger wrote:
What I want to know
is, if I cancel, will the satellite box still operate to receive the
Freeview channels?

If you cancel your existing subscription plan you will revert back to
receiving some of the "Free to Air" channels and you may have to phone a
special number - and wait a long time to be answered to have all the
"Free
to Air" Channels restored.

No. You will get all the Free to Air channels ( you don't even need a
card for them, so explain how Sky could possibly restrict them ?)


My old subscription cards get me the one or two stations which are free but
encrypted such as Five. I've not contacted Sky to do this.
--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

No. You will get all the Free to Air channels ( you don't even need a
card for them, so explain how Sky could possibly restrict them ?)

I don't know how the Sky system works, but when I was in Burnley last week
my host had a Sky set up and could receive only a few of the free-to-air
channels. On the channels she wasn't able to resolve she was presented with
an on screen message told her to call a special number to have that channel
activated, which we duly did.

We didn't get an answer within a reasonable time so we abandoned that
approach and I bought her a set-top-box for £23 from the local ASDA store
and we were presented with 106 Channels in total.
40 channels with some sort of video content, 25 Radio channels and 5 text
channels. 35 Channels were blank or scrambled (pay to view) and 1
Interactive Channel. The transmitter was located at Winter Hill and the
signal strength was excellent.

If you are interested you can download the received channel list from my
website http://bodgers-lair.com/freeview

"Bodger" wrote in message
...



I don't know how the Sky system works, but when I was in Burnley last week
my host had a Sky set up and could receive only a few of the free-to-air
channels.


Was there a card in the slot?
If yes had the box been left on for 24/48 hours for it to capture the info.
the box/card require in order to get Five etc.?

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

Bodger wrote:
No. You will get all the Free to Air channels ( you don't even need a
card for them, so explain how Sky could possibly restrict them ?)

I don't know how the Sky system works, but when I was in Burnley last week
my host had a Sky set up and could receive only a few of the free-to-air
channels. On the channels she wasn't able to resolve she was presented with
an on screen message told her to call a special number to have that channel
activated, which we duly did.

We didn't get an answer within a reasonable time so we abandoned that
approach and I bought her a set-top-box for £23 from the local ASDA store
and we were presented with 106 Channels in total.
40 channels with some sort of video content, 25 Radio channels and 5 text
channels. 35 Channels were blank or scrambled (pay to view) and 1
Interactive Channel. The transmitter was located at Winter Hill and the
signal strength was excellent.

If you are interested you can download the received channel list from my
website http://bodgers-lair.com/freeview


Thank you for this and to every one else who has responded to my query.
As I explained in my OP though, I'm not able, at present, to go down
the set-top-box, or built in decoder, route due to signal problems. I
guess these will be resolved when analogue is switched off, but
understand that my area is likely to be one of the last to convert so
that's a way off yet.