OT: Sky dish

Yes

If the dish still works and is pointed at the correct satellite, then yes, can just plug a Freesat receiver into it.

It's what I did here.

There isn't much more on Freesat than on Freeview though, and some of the better Freeview channels are not on Freesat.

Freesat came into its own during the Olympics when there was a load more HD stuff on it. You could pretty much watch any event.

Philip

In article , GB writes

In short, yes!

The screw on plugs are F - type. If you have need to make new connections, have a google for the method, use screw on ones for simplicity, buy from toolstation/screwfix/cpc.

The Bush freesat boxes (basic, no recording) aren't a bad, low cost, introduction to what freesat can offer.

Yes - same satellite constellation - freesat just has a different program guide.

Yup - it should be an F Conector - small screw on plug - end of coax inner poking out.

thank you that was quick :)

Yes unless you are very unlucky and they broke it you can get both.

You may also find that your Freesat tuner can be persuaded to decode all the Sky channels but not the encrypted ones unless you put the appropriate subscriber card in a slot somehwere. Mine has an "other satellites" setting that gets countless channels of Sky dross.

Friends of mine re-patriated to France and gave me their dish, sky box etc. I'm not sure about the FreeSat program guides, but I've found the Freeview ones clunky and slow. So I got a Sky viewing card for the inherited Sky box and this gives plenty of free-to-view and free-to-air channels. The card cost £20 from Sky and lasts until they decide to re-issue the cards again (about 5 years last time I think). So if you can pick up a cheap/free Sky box, this would be another option, with no subscription and a good program guide. Clearly you can't get the Sky sport/movie channels via this cheapo route.

Phil

Yes.

Yes.

Bill

You mean all the free-to-air channels, Sky or non-Sky.

but not the encrypted ones unless you put the

Freesat boxes or normal free-to-air boxes don't have a slot for a Sky card. Sky don't allow it.

Mine has an "other

Yes, get a Freesat box that has the 'other channels' or the 'non-Freesat' option.

Bill

Yup I did the same when someone gave me their old sky box. I had to smile when the bods at sky were keen on selling me insurance for the hardware at something like £60/year along with the "Freesat from sky" card. I countered by suggesting I could just get another sky box from ebay for a tenner. She thought that was unrealistically cheap! So I reminded her that I paid nothing for the one I have now!

Do sky get any say in what goes in Freesat boxes? (either Freesat specifically or generic sat boxes in general)

That depends if you have Freeview Lite or Full Fat Freeview where you are. We have Freeview Lite, there are about 4 or 5 times as many channels on Freesat than Freeview Lite, not that many of them are actually worth watching of course. B-)

They control the Sky Card and it's encryption, they don't let that be used anywhere but in a Sky box.

A Freesat or generic DSAT box can have a CAM (Consumer Access Module) slot into which you plug a CAM and into that the relevant card. I don't think Sky produce or issue a CAM. That is all built into a Sky box so all you get is a Sky dedicated card slot. You can't put a card from another provider into a Sky box card slot and expect it to work.

I don't remember having to consult sky when I put my sat box together a few months ago :)

rbel

unless the previous tenants were Polish :-)

tim

ITYF that the dross channels have absolutely nothing at all to do with Sky

tim

Free to air means free to air in Australia, not have to pay for license.

Must admit I had not really given much thought to the differences between a CAM and a card...

Yes.

Freesat uses the same satellite transponders as Sky Digital. It took Freesat quite some time to put that important fact on its website.