# Sky TV question



## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

If you have a standard sky box and wanted to terminate the contract, but still receive freesat channels, I understand you have to call Sky for a viewing card that costs about £20 is that correct?

And if you go down this route, will you be able to watch Sky Sports News? If not, is there another way of having a non subscription service that includes Sky Sports News?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

lynn said:


> If you have a standard sky box and wanted to terminate the contract, but still receive freesat channels, I understand you have to call Sky for a viewing card that costs about £20 is that correct?
> 
> And if you go down this route, will you be able to watch Sky Sports News? If not, is there another way of having a non subscription service that includes Sky Sports News?


If you can't get sky sports you can get teledeporte on the normal telly channels.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

lynn said:


> If you have a standard sky box and wanted to terminate the contract, but still receive freesat channels, I understand you have to call Sky for a viewing card that costs about £20 is that correct?
> 
> And if you go down this route, will you be able to watch Sky Sports News? If not, is there another way of having a non subscription service that includes Sky Sports News?


Freesat receivers are free to air receivers that allow you to watch the free to air channels - ie the channels that require no sky card.

You can watch the same freesat FTA channels on a sky box - just remove the sky card from your sky box.

You do need a freesatfromsky card to receive the Free to View channels on satellite - which are Five Fiver Five USA, Sky 3, Viva, Liverpool FC TV, and a few ITV1 regions and a irish version of channel 4.

You do not need a viewing card for all UK BBC channels, many ITV1,2,3,4 channels, all UK versions of C4.
(you have not needed a viewing card for BBC channels for at least 6 years now!)

Sky Sports News on satellite is only available with a sky "news and events" subscription. There is no other way via satllite to receive it for free as it is a subscription Tv channel.

Sky Sports News is, however, free to air, on the UK Freeview service. Freeview is only available in the UK as it is transmitted form the land based TV mast like Emly Moor and Crystal Palace. You cannot get Freeview in Spain.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

sat said:


> Freesat receivers are free to air receivers that allow you to watch the free to air channels - ie the channels that require no sky card.
> 
> You can watch the same freesat FTA channels on a sky box - just remove the sky card from your sky box.
> 
> ...


Thank you Sat for the detailed answer! It sounds like subscription is the only way to go. However, getting Sky to downgrade a package is proving difficult without calling them. We're going to have to get someone in the UK to pretend to be the account holder to get it changed (you can upgrade online no problem surprise, surprise!)


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

if you do not already have SSNews, note that SSnews is on a north beam frequency, and may not be available all day.

If all you want SSnews for is the football on saturday, remeber that he BBC do their own version of soccer saturday (without the personality!).
Go to a BBC Channel on saturday afternoon and press red and go to the sports multiscreen option...and you will have their "Score" service.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

sat said:


> if you do not already have SSNews, note that SSnews is on a north beam frequency, and may not be available all day.
> 
> If all you want SSnews for is the football on saturday, remeber that he BBC do their own version of soccer saturday (without the personality!).
> Go to a BBC Channel on saturday afternoon and press red and go to the sports multiscreen option...and you will have their "Score" service.


Thanks for the info. I'm finding out this for my Dad, and he is positive that he wants Sky Sports News. So I'm afraid he will have to pay quite dearly for it! Still, he will be downgrading from the Sky Sports package and Films, so will make some considerable saving on what he is presently paying.


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