# Swap normal Sky for Sky HD



## adiep (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi Guys, sorry if this has been asked before, but Im using a community disk and can get all the free sky channels, if I buy a sky HD box and just swap the box will I get all the free channels in HD and do I not need to change anything on the sat dish -- because I cant access that.

Anyone know how it works?


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

adiep said:


> Hi Guys, sorry if this has been asked before, but Im using a community disk and can get all the free sky channels, if I buy a sky HD box and just swap the box will I get all the free channels in HD and do I not need to change anything on the sat dish -- because I cant access that.
> 
> Anyone know how it works?


BBC HD and ITVHD are available for free with no subscription and viewing card (you dont even need a Sky HD receivcer, and FTA HD receiver will do)

A really strong ITV HD region, C4HD and Five HD require a viewing card - either freesatfromksy or subscription.

To use the hard disk recording features of the Sky HD box then you need a Sky subscription. 

Or look at a Freesat HD PVR where thye HDD recording featuires are available for free. (But you cannot use a sky card on a Freesat box so you will not get your free eto view channels - Fiver, Five USA etc)


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We have Sky and have been considering getting HD for ages -we have a HD ready tv etc. - but every time I see HD on someone else's TV I wonder if it's that much better, tbh.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> We have Sky and have been considering getting HD for ages -we have a HD ready tv etc. - but every time I see HD on someone else's TV I wonder if it's that much better, tbh.



HD is much much better .... Ive been considering it myself but its the cost of the box, then plus the extra £10 a month that puts me off


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> HD is much much better .... Ive been considering it myself but its the cost of the box, then plus the extra £10 a month that puts me off


This may sound daft but......could the quality of the HD pictures I've seen depend on the signal strength i.e. reception area?
I was thinking of swapping our ESPN subscription for HD as it's the same monthly fee but can't make my mind up....
You can get a free box if you've got a UK address for your Sky subs...or you could a short while back.
It may have been a special offer....


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> This may sound daft but......could the quality of the HD pictures I've seen depend on the signal strength i.e. reception area?
> I was thinking of swapping our ESPN subscription for HD as it's the same monthly fee but can't make my mind up....
> You can get a free box if you've got a UK address for your Sky subs...or you could a short while back.
> It may have been a special offer....


To be able to see the best of HD you must watch a true HD programme.
Channel 4 have a HD channel and show 10year old Simpsons - so it will not be in True HD, but upscaled - ie its resolution imporved.
In fact when ITV launched its ITV1 HD channel earlier this year, you had to wait about a week before they showed a ITV made HD programme!

Reception of ANY channel SD or HD depends on signal strength and reception.
On satellite, in sopme cases the HD reception is way better than SD - for example, C4HD can be received on an 80cm dish, yet the free to air C4 (ie on 104) goes off even on a 2.4m dish!

Re boxes: In the UK, yes you can get free / cheap HD installations - a new installation is part of a Sky discounted installation agreement, subscribe for 12 omnths, with the £10 HD charge, - and as part of that agreement you MUST have the phonline connected to the Sky box for a minimum of 12 months - as during that time the box still "belongs" to Sky, due to its discounting of the installation, as per that agreements T&Cs. If you disconnect, Sky can, if they want to, charge you the full and correct price for that instalaltion, as you have broken the T&Cs.
(Although not heavily policed for standard installs, it is policed very well for Sky Multiroom contracts, but even then there are ways around it)
Boxes sold in Spain are non subsidesed


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## maxdog008 (Aug 4, 2010)

*sky HD*



adiep said:


> Hi Guys, sorry if this has been asked before, but Im using a community disk and can get all the free sky channels, if I buy a sky HD box and just swap the box will I get all the free channels in HD and do I not need to change anything on the sat dish -- because I cant access that.
> 
> Anyone know how it works?


It wont make any difference at all changing your box to HD
the only way youll receive sky in HD is to pay for it
the cost is £10 a month.
unless the comunal dish is already receiveng it, which is doubtful lol!


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

maxdog008 said:


> It wont make any difference at all changing your box to HD
> the only way youll receive sky in HD is to pay for it
> the cost is £10 a month.
> unless the comunal dish is already receiveng it, which is doubtful lol!


The communal dish is already receiving everything that the satellites are outputting including all sports, cinema, adult content, HD content - everything. Whether or not your setup is capable of making use of it is an entirely different matter.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

And like I said, BBC HD (soon BBC1 HD), ITV HD, C4 HD and Five HD are either free to air or free to view and do not require ANY subscription to Sky at all (Free to view do require a sky card tho - like a one off payment freesatfromsky card). So soon you will be able to get all five main UK channels in HD with no subscription to Sky.

But yes - if you want the Sky pay channels in HD then you will have to subscribe.


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## steven1975 (Aug 11, 2009)

adiep said:


> Hi Guys, sorry if this has been asked before, but Im using a community disk and can get all the free sky channels, if I buy a sky HD box and just swap the box will I get all the free channels in HD and do I not need to change anything on the sat dish -- because I cant access that.
> 
> Anyone know how it works?


Another thing worth checking is if you have 2 feeds from the system, if you only have 1 you will only be able to record what you're currently watching, you will also need to put the box into single feed mode accessed through the installer menu (0 then 0 then 1 then select) otherwise it will show as no signal being received.

If you have an address in the UK, you can now take advantage of no phone line option (not available on Multi Room), you have to pay an extra £25 to the one of fee, but the box does not need connected to a phone line, so can be used anywhere.


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