Using Sky HD for *free* viewing of BBC channel.

[Morningside]

I have been offered a Sky + HD but I dont want it for the subscription but can I still view all the free channels?

ie BBC HD etc. etc.

I asked the bloke but he does not and never used the HD side of it.

[miniman]

You need a Sky free to air / Freesat from Sky viewing card. The recording functionality won't work.

[Morningside]

I do have an old Sky card I can put in it (just to give local channels) but will the HD side work?

Not interested in recording.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Yes, you will get the free to air HD channels

[Morningside]

Brilliant! Will they be 101, 102 etc?

The bloke I am getting it off is a bit thick.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

No, BBC1 HD is channel 143 on Sky.

[matts4]

If you pay Sky a tenner a month, they'll enable the recording part of it too. (for all free channels)

[Morningside]

matts4 said:

If you pay Sky a tenner a month, they'll enable the recording part of it too. (for all free channels)

£20. They dont just allow record on its own (I asked them). I already have Sky Plus but with the repeated crap and way too many adverts they show I dont think its worth £20! Hence using it just as HD.

In time I will buy a Humax box.

I think Sky are missing out on some single one-off payment (£100) to use all their old boxes.

[matts4]

My parents pay £10 per month to use Sky+ only, no extra channels, but that's not HD, so I can only assume they want to charge you ten pounds extra for forcing the other HD channels on to you as well.

[IanA2]

Morningside said:

£20. They dont just allow record on its own (I asked them). I already have Sky Plus but with the repeated crap and way too many adverts they show I dont think its worth £20! Hence using it just as HD.

In time I will buy a Humax box.

I think Sky are missing out on some single one-off payment (£100) to use all their old boxes.

Bought a Humax box a couple of years ago. Does everything the Sky+ box does and for free. So far must have saved the best part of a grand, I think the Humax was about £300. or so.

[Morningside]

^^^^ A friend of ours has a Humax box and I was quite impressed.

matts4 said:

My parents pay £10 per month to use Sky+ only, no extra channels, but that's not HD, so I can only assume they want to charge you ten pounds extra for forcing the other HD channels on to you as well.

No that was standard Sky Plus. TBH I dont really want anything else except the record facility.

I did tell Sky that I was thinking of leaving them and they have reduced the cost to £5 a month for the next 3 months.

Had Sky since about 1991 and the price has gone up and up and ...

[lee st]

I had a letter saying as a cared for customer they wouldn't put my price up. Gee thanks I pay 40 a month brilliant investment. Mate of mine pays 91 a month. I think that's a step too far

[Morningside]

Got the box yesterday and the BBC, Channel 4/5 and ITV1.
I have now swapped my card and subscription over (yeah, I know I was going to 'kill' Sky but I just love their record system).

Anyhow, digging about the net I came accross some info about some group that has reloaded the Sky HD box with a clean version of Linux with intentions of making it a FreeHD box. Not fully working but I understand that they have video playing on it so its a start!

In appears that even Sky will help you to a point for firmware/software.
LEGAL LINK

Cannot show link due to this sites pirate/warez policy but here is the services page showing hacked data