Disconnectinga Sky Tv Box

[hypercat]

I have cancelled my sky subscription but am having trouble disconnecting my sky box from my tv. There are a number of cables at the back plus 2 scart leads. Do I just find the ariel and put it in my tv instead of the box or do I need to disconnect everything. I do want to view freeview after. Can you please reply in words of 1 syllable as I am very untechy! Thanks.

[Zacs-Master]

Do you have any other boxes (DVD player etc)? Is your free view built in?

[Zacs-Master]

Welcome to AnswerBank by the way.

[Togo]

Why would you want to disconnect the sky box? It will still provide the Free To View channels ( BBC1, 2, ITV, C4, etc.) and record them. The box and satellite receiver are yours.

[Togo]

If you do not use the sky box and satellite dish you will need to have, or to fit, an alternative signal source.

[Togo]

//When you cancel your subscription your Sky+ box will still work and using your now deactivated viewing card you will still be able to receive a handful of unencrypted free-to-view (FTV) channels, including BBC1, 2, ITV1, C4 and C5. The recording and playback functions will also continue to work but again only on the FTV channels. Old recordings made on those channels will replay but previously made recordings of subscription channels won’t play as a valid viewing card is needed to decrypt them. //

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/advice/9302938/Will-my-Sky-box-stop-working-if-I-cancel-my-subscription.html

[ichkeria]

I don’t think you need to disconnect anything in theory. You will need your aerial plugged in the back : it’ll go in a different socket to the sky cable.
Then change the input source on your tv using the remote from whatever your Sky was - HDMI or EXT to digital tv

[ichkeria]

If using tv via digital aerial you might need to retune the receiver using the setup on your tv

[Buenchico]

If you leave your Skybox connected to your TV (without a subscription) you'll still be able to receive all of the channels listed here via your satellite dish:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

Since almost everything which is available on Freeview is in that list, that's probably all you need to do (or, rather, not do).

However if you'd rather switch to Freeview, then you simply need to plug a terrestrial aerial into the relevant socket on the back of your TV set. (It's irrelevant as to whether you disconnect your Sky box or not. You can use both means of receiving TV signals if you want to).

Then you simply need to change the 'Source' setting on your TV from 'HDMI1' (or similar) to 'DTV' (or similar) by using the TV's remote control.

The 'Source' button is often marked by a rounded rectangle, with an arrow pointing into it. 'DTV' might also be shown as 'Aerial', 'Ae', 'Ant', 'RF' or something else.

Note that if your TV set hasn't previously been tuned to receive terrestrial signals you'll also need to go into the Settings menu to scan for channels. (That's best left until tomorrow though because lots of channels are moving about then).

[Guilbert53]

>>>The box and satellite receiver are yours.

This is true for older Sky box (and I assume this poster has old Sky boxes as they mention scart)

However note it is not true with Sky Q boxes (the newer Sky boxes).

These are owned by Sky and they will come out and fix them or replace them for free if they go wrong.

However it means you DONT get to keep them when you cancel Sky, and you cant sell them on ebay or whatever.

Also if you do buy a second hand Sky Q box from ebay or other web site and try to connect it to your Sky dish it almost certainly wont work.

[hypercat]

Thanks very much for your replies everyone. I don't think I made myself very clear but will now.
Everything was working fine until I kept getting no satelite signal so I couldn't use my tv at all. Eventually I rang sky and they told me it sounds like it is the Sky box which is faulty which they will replace free of charge. However they want to charge £65 for coming out. I have decided to cancel my subscription instead but haven't done it yet. Meanwhile I still can't use my tv and just want to be able to watch it. If it is the Sky box then if I put the ariel into the tv instead the tv should work shouldn't it? That's what I need to do first and what I am asking how to do please. I do not have any other devices attached like a dvd box or games. My Sky box is around 7 plus years old. I hope it's clearer now, Thank you.

[mikey4444]

Togo is correct....your Sky dish, plus box will still work, albeit that you will have Sky's version of Freeview. You won't be able to use the Red Button and you will lose some channels, although you will retain most.

Welcome to the world of completely free SKY TV !

[Zacs-Master]

Her Sky box doesn’t work Mikey, that’s the whole problem.

[mikey4444]

Just seen you later post !

It might just be the card...

Power down the Sky box.

Take the card out, clean it with a dry cloth, wait 3 mins, and then put it back in again.

Switch Sky box back on and then recheck

If it still doesn't work, then the box could indeed be beggered.

Have you connected your roof-top Ariel into your TV ?

Have you indeed got a roof-top Ariel ?

[Zacs-Master]

Hypercat, exactly how is it faulty? Many issues can be resolved by turning it off for 2 mins and turning it back on (or disconnecting the screw in dish lead and re attaching).

[bhg481]

The aerial for your satellite dish is completely different from an aerial for terrestial TV so you can't just take the aerial out of the Sky box and plug it into the TV; in any case the connector is different.
If you don't have an aerial you'll have to get one if you can't get the Sky box to work after trying the suggestions of Mikey and Zacs.

[Togo]

Read through this Hypercat. Have you done the obvious and checked that the dish is still where it should be? ie. not obviously hanging off the wall or damaged?

https://www.surewise.com/appliance-insurance/articles/quick-fixes-sky-digital-box-no-signal/

[barney4444]

I think you will find when you tell sky that you are leaving the 65 pound charge will be cancelled. that`s our experience anyway..

[hypercat]

Thanks everyone for your time and your answers. They are all different so am totally confused now but I do appreciate you all trying to help. I did take the card out of the sky box and did what one of you suggested and it didn't work.

I have decided it is easier to pay the money and get sky in to fix it. I think I will need a new digital telly as mine is around 10 years old before I can sort it. When my telly finally goes I will get the new one set up without the sky and ring up to cancel my plan. That seems the easiest way round it at the moment.

Thanks again and I really appreciate all your replies. x

[netibiza]

Just to say that 2nd sky box will work with anyone's dish. I have bought several sky boxes in car boot sales and yes they work perfectly for freesat viewing!