Convert your Sky Digibox into a Free To Air Satellite Receiver

[glennfordfan]

i did that with my sky plus box upstairs because it was part of a multi room which i cancelled because i did not want to pay for it any more so i pulled the card out and have all the english channels and ch 5, there are a lot of free channels, but i could not do it with my sky hd box, i dont mind so long as i can watch em for free upstairs

[tvtradedave]

@glennfordfan the new sky HD boxes work differently so the video above is not applicable to them. It only applies to standard sky and sky+ boxes.

[dazzamatic2008]

can you get eurosport this way free too?

[tvtradedave]

@dazzamatic2008 sorry, don't think so.

[hello12345783]

I got no idea!!!

[robgersmi]

Hi Dave, Im trying to do this with my Sky HD box but it will not unlock. Its a pretty new box and I've read that its locked and simply cant be used for freeview. Is this the case? Surely not?

[tvtradedave]

@robgersmi I'm not sure what's going on with your box. This may work if you use a freeview or no logo card in the box slot. On boxes I have tested it has worked fine

[robgersmi]

@tvtradedave Thanks for that Dave. It seems the new boxes are "locked"... after you take out the card and restart the box you get a message requesting to put a card in the slot. I will try a freeview or no logo card as you suggest. Thanks again!

[seanleah1]

hi,,im in n.ireland and have sky but not subscribing...is it possible for me to get the rte channels?.. as they are blocked at the min...many thanks!

[tvtradedave]

@seanleah1 You need a card that is registered to a Rep of ireland address to get RTE on sky.  That means gving Rupert a few bob unfortunately. Alternatively search Xoro 9000 on the TV Trade website and see how to get the best of irish & UK channels on one box for free and legally.

[seanleah1]

@tvtradedave does the xoro 9000 need to be connected to an aerial as well as a dish?..thanks!

[FutureSimpsons]

@seanleah1 RTE on Satellite in Ireland are pay channels but you can get them free on another satellite at 9E on a platform called Soursat

[tvtradedave]

@FutureSimpsons @seanleah1 be aware that it is called saorsat and it is expected later in the year to be rolled out properly. Also your gonna need two dishes and a diseqc enable receiver to get both UK & Irish channels from it and astra2.  Could suit some folks when up and running though.

[tvtradedave]

@FutureSimpsons @seanleah1 I tella lie, saorsat is operational since yesterday, just found this out. Don't knowif it will be up and down for a bit while testing but it's operational anyway.

[TheChannel13tv]

do you still need a satalite dish? or can you use an ariel antenna

[tvtradedave]

@TheChannel13tv you're still gonna need ur satellite dish to do this.

[yeshu26uk]

Dave, What is the default transponder setting for Freesat in the UK for the skybox? What frequency? Cheers

[yeshu26uk]

r u suggesting, that by simply unplugging the power cord it becomes a FTA?

Can i buy a second hand box without a card and try it? Is it possible on every make and model?

[tvtradedave]

@yeshu26uk that's correct and it should do alright.

[yeshu26uk]

@tvtradedave

And WIll I miss any channels? I do not have a card, just the card. So will it still work?

[tvtradedave]

@yeshu26uk you won't have the subscription channels like sky1 etc

[yeshu26uk]

@tvtradedave A suggestion: You should probably add a video of the secret Sky menu of pressing 001 to get the secret scan for a master reset?

[tvtradedave]

@yeshu26uk it's on our ever growing list

[barryjd86]

hi, i got free sat round 5 years ago and last year i lost sky 3 five, five five us and viva!! the box looks like the one in the video. Are they anyway i can get these channels back ?

[tvtradedave]

@barryjd86 A UK Free to view FTV card will sort you out. Don't think viva is free to air though.

[minovaga]

i am going to do this, but help me please: will i get gold for free as well

[tvtradedave]

@minovaga no, gold isn't free to air unfortunately.

[minovaga]

@tvtradedave for sky customers it is impossible to NOT get Gold so what does it say when you go on the channel?

[tvtradedave]

@minovaga probably cokes up with something like not subscribed to channel

[SuperKeithykins]

This doesn't work on Sky+HD boxes, the settings remain the same even after doing this.

[sandydogy]

can i watch Hotbird using a skybox if I move my dish

[tvtradedave]

@sandydogy Yes but all you channels will be on the other channels sections

[sandydogy]

@tvtradedave thanks for getting back to me! will the sky box receive all the channels off Hotbird or do I need a new receiver to view all of them? Many Thanks for your help! I just want to have a play and see what is out there to watch

[tvtradedave]

@sandydogy should do, all the free ones anyway.

[pddybrry]

At the moment i have a sky+ box. If i go to sky news and press the red button. When sky active loads i turn the card upside down and reinsert it and the UK EPG loads. I then can record ITV or channels that are not on the Irish EPG.

I'm waiting to get a sky HD box installed that will have the new EPG and I'm wondering will I be able to do the same with that.

[MrFatherfoley]

does that mean we get to watch sky for free

[Zakman440]

im not irish, but wheres channel 5????

[tvtradedave]

@Zakman440 when that video was made, I think you needed an fta card to get channel 5. Think that was the case back then.

[AlanS181824]

BBC 3 IS NOW ON SKY CHANNEL 229 IN R.O.I!!!!

[TheTommy2times]

Is there anyway of picking up the irish channels through the sky box, free to air??

[tvtradedave]

@TheTommy2times no way unfortunately. You will need a combo receiver. Checjk out our combo receivers under the saorview and satellite receivers sections of the TV Trade website and look at the vidoes to see how it works. You seem to already have the dish, so all you need is an aerial and a combo receiver and maybe a bit of extra cable and a few connectors and you would be good to go.

[TheTommy2times]

@tvtradedave Thanks for the feedback, il check it out.

[TheTommy2times]

Is there anyway of picking up the irish channels through the sky box, free to air??

[tvtradedave]

@RapidConsoleHacks it will come up with something like not subscribed to that channel. Won't work in free to air mode unfortunately.

[adeleQ1972]

do you sell sky + boxes

I currenly have a Sky + box which I transfer from UK to my holiday home in Morocco, which is a nuisance, If I buy another box from you ,How or if ,can I use my sky card, which I pay subscription for, in both boxes. Question, my ITV source is Granada, which I can not get a signal in Maroc, but I can receive, Border ,Meridian etc, in other chanells, but of course, cant record, I have spoken to Sky at great length,[ and expence!] who refuse to change my 103 to Border

[Hazelwood1styear]

Will it work if I have still have my Sky Subscription and I have two boxes, use one as normal and the second as a Free To Air???

[tvtradedave]

@Hazelwood1styear Yep, you can use your second sky box as a free to air receiver without the second subscription. You lose some of the functionality on the sky box without the card but it will work as a free to air receiver.

[kreftovich1]

My Sky got disconnected today. All Freesat channels r working. Didn't had to do a thing.It was instant switch from Sky to Freesat.The problem is all channel layout is as it was with Sky.So u keep flicking channels and they all blocked until u get to Freesat. Is there a way of getting rid off channels which don't work.

[threesim]

@kreftovich1 no but you can save the channels you use to your favorites and scan through them with the blue button. Glad to hear you got rid of Sky they rob you blind

[kreftovich1]

My Sky got disconnected today. All Freesat channels r working. Didn't had to do a thing.It was instant switch from Sky to Freesat.The problem is all channel layout is as it was with Sky.So u keep flicking channels and they all blocked until u get to Freesat. Is there a way of getting rid off channels which don't work.

[upernoe]

so i phone up sky and cancel my subscription, and do all things you did!

my sky box will still work?

[tvtradedave]

@upernoe yep, once cancelled, do what I do in the video and you will get the free channels.

[MusicanoftheFuture]

My Brother once said you can get Sky and then after the payment runs out use it as a Freesat Box for Free is this really true?

Anyway me Mum and Dad have Freesat+HD not the Sky Service one.

But the completely free Service and Freeview.

[tvtradedave]

@MusicanoftheFuture true but not freesat, you get free to air.

[tvtradedave]

Only if you have an RTE viewing card from Sky. You can only get this by subscribing to sky in Ireland (will need an Irish address - though you can use an Englinsh Credit card).

[5mistry]

is it possible to get RTE in England?

[tvtradedave]

Should be exactly the same process

[welshyy28]

do you no how to get channels on the new sky+box  it wud be a big help thanks