I have spotted a couple of satellite boxes for sale on a certain internet auction site that say that you can pick up Sky tv and not have to worry about a contract/subscription.
A friend of mine says that I will need a card?
All I want to do is pick up a signal strong enough that I can watch some tv when the sun goes down/weather is fowl etc. The choice of equipment is horrendous! Freeview, Free to Air, Free Sat, Free Sat from Sky not to mention all the different boxes that offer all manner of connections, cabling, single through to quad LNB, between 140 and 260 channels, boxes that can hold up to 5000 stations!
Can anybody explain whether I will be able to use a box without a card and still pick up a signal? Can anyone suggest what would be best; Free Sat or Free to Air.
Have a look here - tells you just about everything - it applies to caravan or home use, but briefly - you only need a card to view subscription channels (Sky One, Sky Movies, SciFi, FX, Hallmark and the like) - BBC1/2/3/4,ITV1/2/3/4 and many others do not need a card....
One point however; satellite reception is more likely to be affected by bad weather than ordinary terrestrial reception....
Gram
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
probably best to read some of the earlier posts ,satellite isnt like tv through your aerial
a sky box will scramble channels normally in the clear on real satellite receivers ,if they were clear on sky boxes they couldn't sell their freesat cards could they
i use a sky box in our caravan with my card from home but if i take the card out i still get BBC 1,2,3,4, ITV 1,2,3, C4 plus the extra C4 channels plus a few more about the same as freeview hope this helps Andy
Thanks for the link, i'll go take a look now; but you've disappointed me re: the poor weather reception
Still, I suppose getting a signal and losing it in poor weather is better than not getting a signal at all?
We take our spare Sky+ box and card from home so we can record if there's something on and we're going to be out. The only time we've had weather related problems was when the sound of the rain hitting the caravan roof was too loud for us to hear the TV - the picture was perfect!
------------- Best Wishes and Happy Travels,
Feecamp
I believe you can get equipment that will also enable you to view subscription channel's without paying the subscription, one of the ones for cable tv is a D box, but I know you can get this equipment for sky also! Not that I condone this illegal equipment of course! lol!
------------- Elaine
Easter Southerness
Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin
There is no hack for a sky box to allow you to watch subscription channels like there is with cable.
However if you get a 3rd party sat box you can partake in whats called a card share. Then you can get subscription channels, however you need a permanent network connection as every time you change channel it contacts the cardahare server to acquire the new keys.
If you look in my profile there is a link to a site where all can be learnt about sky ;)
Quote: Originally posted by Feecamp on 11/7/2009
We take our spare Sky+ box and card from home so we can record if there's something on and we're going to be out. The only time we've had weather related problems was when the sound of the rain hitting the caravan roof was too loud for us to hear the TV - the picture was perfect!
....I should have said "severe weather condtions"; at this moment I'm halfway up a mountain in Wales in medium rainfall, but I'm getting perfect reception on Sky with my Aldi Sat TV in a suitcase kit - only odd thing, I'm apparently getting it from the Astra 1 satellite rather than (should-be) Astra 2.....
Gram
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
I know Sky systems quite well. If you don't want to buy a subsription, but want more than the 5 channels, phone Sky and tell them you want 'Freeview over Sky'. They will send you a card for £5 and that will give you as many channels as other freeview methods and a few more besides.
You can always add more channels later by paying for more subscripions.
Other freeview methods need a TV socket or cable. However you should be able to pick up a Sky signal through a portable / camping satelite dish. These cost £50-£100 or more depending what you're willing to pay.
They should work ok but you should google reviews first as my personal experience ends here.
I only lose signal on my home system if there is a significant thunderstorm looming - 2 or 3 times a year, but a portable system may be more suscepible. Anyway a thunderstorm is a great excuse to play Verdi's Requiem at full pelt.
I will telephone Sky tomorrow. We were in Bluewater this evening and there are a couple of Sky desks situated around the malls. According to the sales representatives on these stands, you cannot just get subscription free tv from Sky similar to Free Sat; you have to take out a subscription.
One rep did admit though that a Sky box would work even if the subscriber had cancelled their subscription but stated that you would receive fewer channels than Freeview offer.
I guess, in order to receive more channels I would need to pay the £5 for the card. Would they sell this to me even though I was not a Sky customer though?