Satellite System - Sky Channels ?

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

I know satellite systems are getting a lot of space at the moment, however I keep reading about Sky viewing cards etc. and am hoping someone can answer what is probably a silly question.

I currently use a cheap suitcase system and it works perfectly giving me all the 'free' channels - however most of the Sky channels appear in the listing with an S against them, which I presume means 'scrambled' ?

If this is correct does it mean that if I took my old Sky Box with me I could receive them ? I assume I would also have to have a viewing card ? Where do you get one (looked on Sky web site and couldn't see anything)?

Honestly do not have a clue about these things - I hope one of you kind souls out there will put a technophobe out of is misery !

Jon

 

[Woody3]

If you use a Sky box with a FTV card the encrypted channels that you will get are Sky3, Five USA, and Fiver. If you like them then use a Sky box, otherwise stay with what you have.

If you have an active Sky card without premium channels (i.e. movies and sport) then you will get everything, albeit in both cases you are technically in breach of contract.

 

[Sproket]

Johnny V

Is this what you are after ?

Q: I already have Sky digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?

A: All you need to gain access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a Freesat from Sky viewing card, which costs just

 

[JohnnyV]

Thank you - I think I get it - I buy a

 

[Sproket]

your twin LNB you use at home is for your sky + .

The twin output LNB provides two outputs to feed two separate receivers.

You can just couple your sky box up the same but with only one cable... you will have to couple the spare one up, & i think you might have to ring sky with the box info for them to turn the card on, the new ones are now locked to the sky box that you intend to use.

I bought a spare sky box & had to ring sky to switch the card over ....

Intructions will come with the card...

 

[Philspadders]

a quad LNB will only cost around

 

[GrahamDerby]

Hi Johnnyv

You say you get all freeview channels!!!. I have just bought a set up like yours and i am a load of channels missing. Which satalite do you log on to ?.

Cheers

Graham (Derby)

 

[Woody3]

Take care in terminology here: Freeview is terrestrial TV which comes from a TV transmitter somewhere nearby; Freesat comes from a satellite cluster 22000 miles up in the sky.

If you can get any free-to-air (FTA) UK stations on Freesat then you will get all of them - there is no halfway house - unless you have a poor signal (note quality is more importamt than strength with sat.). On the other hand with Freeview you may only get a selection of stations.

With Freeview only the main transmitter sites and a few major relays have all six muxes (a mux is a 'block' of stations transmitted on one TV channel.) If you are in an area where digital switchover (DSO) has taken place and are using a minor relay transmitter then you will only get the basic stations - all BBC and a selection of independent including ITV1, Ch4, and five, and with a suitable box and/or TV BBC HD, ITV HD, and CH4 HD.

Note I have tried to use the correct terminology here to avoid confusion. With analogue TV a station - e.g. BBC1 - occupied one TV channel; with digital TV a group of stations are amalgamated together into a multiplex (mux for short) and that mux carrying as many as eight TV stations only uses one TV channel. The TV or set top box then decodes the received mux and produces the selection of stations for you to watch.

 

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

Just to clarify it is the Astra 2 satellite and I just get the free channels - most of the 'Sky' channels appear with an 's' against them which I presume means 'scrambled'.

Off the top of my head I get BBC1 / BBC 2 / ITV 1 / ITV 3 / Four / E4 / Five / Ceebebies - actually there are about 20 I think, plus a load of music channels and some others that I would best descibe as x rated.

 

[vauxhall2]

just a note on cards,odd times they stop working.if ch 5 is not there it is not working.you must ring sky and they will repair the card as you are on the phone.i use three at a cost of

 

[Woody3]

The lack of channels is one you will come up against often if you have a box and card in the van that sits there unused for months at a time.

The lack of channels - which usually only affects the FTV encrypted channels such as five and its siblings - will correct itself after the box has been on a while but at can take up to 48 hours worst case. You most certainly don't need to ring Sky - unless you have desperate need to have it activated immediately.

 

[Sproket]

When you get your card you will have to ring sky to activate it, they will want information from the sky box, & it must be left on for 24hr's, here is a link to the

freesat from sky channels

The main thing you will get will be your regional news & weather & channel 5 & over 240 channels.....

 

[PetePajero]

Anyone out there want a sky viewing card???

The reason I am offering is that I have a Sky freesat box but I DONT subcribe to Sky, it gets all the free channels.

When I use my sky card in the box, it switches itself off after a given time. Not always the same. (YES - I have checked the auto stand by to OFF)

When I dont use the sky card, the system stays on.

Over