Sky News on Freeview

[Tefler]

Before the analogue shut-off, we could receive no Freeview channels here on the south coast of England. However, when Freeview was rolled out here, we got most of them, including Sky News. We also had a Sky+ box. Recently, we cancelled our Sky TV subscription, as we weren't using the programmes enough to warrant the cost. At that time, our Sky card became a Sky Freesat card - meaning we could watch the Freeview channels, but not record from them. Yesterday, we removed the Sky box and replaced it with a Freesat one.

Now we can't get Sky News on our Freeview set. I don't understand how (or, indeed, whether) removing the Sky box could have affected what we get on Freeview. After all, the signal comes from two different sources - the aeria and the dish.

Two questions, therefore, for the technical among you:

1) Could the removal of the Sky box have had an effect on the Freeview channels we get.
2) How can we get Sky News on our Freeview set. (I'd also like to get Dave on that, but it's not available to us, it seems).

I have done a retune of the TV this morning, but that hasn't helped.

Thanks, in advance, for any advice.

[Frank97]

I don't have freesat, so not sure, but does this help?
http://howopia.co.uk/...news-your-freesat-box

[aelmpvw]

I thought sky news was a subscription channel but dave should be available

[Frank97]

I get Skynews on Freeview without having to pay a subscription.

[vulcan]

freesat and freeview are not the same thing.Some programmes are available on one and not the other.I can get for example, Dave, Quest and Sky news on freeview but my son who has freesat, cannot. He can, however get a lot of channels I can't.

[Frank97]

Seems Dave isn't available on Freesat.
As far as I am aware Dave is not available on any free platform except Freeview, as on Sky its encrypted and can only be received as part of a Sky package

[Buenchico]

Any generic satellite receiver (taking its feed from a dish pointed at the group of satellites used by Sky) can receive all of the FTA ('free to air') channels, listed here:
http://en.wikipedia.o...channels_at_28%C2%B0E

A Sky box without a valid subscription acts as such a generic receiver. (Having the card in it means that it's also capable of decrypting any encrypted channels which Sky might choose to broadcast on an FTV ['free to view'] basis but there currently aren't many, if any, of those).

However a Freesat receiver doesn't function as a generic satellite receiver. It's a product which has been licensed by the BBC and ITV (who jointly own Freesat) to receive ONLY those programmes where the broadcaster has paid them for inclusion in their EPG ('electronic programme guide'). Sky News hasn't paid for inclusion, so they're excluded from the list of channels available.

Dave isn't available on any free satellite service. It's owners (including the BBC,who've got a 50% stake in UKTV) don't believe that it would make commercial sense.

Freeview is a completely separate (terrestrial-only) service, jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, BSkyB and the transmitter company.

Chris

[Giggsie]

I also cancelled our sky but still use sky freesat we get a lot more programs on that, than we do on freeview suggest you should stick with your sky box and buy a recorder

[Tefler]

Thanks for all the answers. We've gone for a Freesat box with Humax.