Freesat from Sky - ...
 

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[Closed] Freesat from Sky - more ditching Sky sub + channels

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Following on from this thread (closed)...

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/tell-me-about-freesat-from-sky/

... any definitive and current list of channels you do actually get, and especially the HD channels?

There are various sites with listings but many seem to be old and a bit confusing to work out the full list of HD channels included. e.g. some I see no C4 HD and others say you do. Can't see Dave HD but just Dave. Likewise no Sky News HD?

Very little I watch other than background noise and filler. Tends to be BBC stuff, Dave, Sky/BBC News, ITV 2 for Family Guy (not HD on freesat?).

I really don't need to be paying the £44 a month to Sky that I do! Old subscription with F1 HD channel... that I don't watch.

If I drop to Freesat from Sky I know I'll lose the ability to record and playback recordings (all, or only those from subscription channels?). I rarely record stuff now, and can make do with using iPlayer etc. Have got Amazon Fire TV with Prime also and all the on demand stuff on there. I assume I'd lose the on demand stuff on the Sky HD box?

Or I bin the Sky HD box and go with something else. My Samsung TV has satellite input, not that I've ever tried it. Only one feed in. Supposedly it can record to a connected USB drive if I really needed to record something.

Biggest hassle is going through the retentions bollocks from Sky. Just want out really.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 10:35 am
 Drac
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Channel 4 have dropped HD for contract reasons.

I use my Samsung TV Freesat and it works very well, I plugged in a USB drive but to be honest it’s not really used so I’ll probably remove it.

Just tell Sky you want out not matter what, I’m still getting offers by post after about 6 months but they just get binned.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 10:42 am
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New telly with Freeview Plus?

Can record, some HD etc.

We've just gone with Virgin, after years of appalling service from Talk Talk.

Fast, V6 box is very good and customer service is excellent.

More HD channels than Freeview and the picture quality is brilliant for films and sport.

Works out cheaper than anyone else too.

Genuinely surprised and happy with the whole thing.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 10:45 am
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I use a HD Freesat box. Cost of the box was £100, I use that to rec programmes I want you watch and in conjunction with Netflix and you tube (app on the box so it plays both through the tv). My TV habits have changed dramatically in the last two years since getting it.

I also have a amazon fire stick (rarely used) and now box which are on a 2nd TV - but other than GOT and westworld it gets mainly used for Netflix .

The setup is much better than sky, although the controls for the Freesat box are a bit clunky. It's much cheaper for the same content that I watch.

I would prefer to be on Virgin over-the Freesat box- but living rurally that's not possible (and more expensive )


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 10:48 am
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Freeview requires faff with an aerial. Haven't had one of those for 20 years.

Freesat in the TV may work, but think the channel choice is different to Freesat from Sky. At least what's on the EPG.

C4 HD can perhaps get with on demand. To be fair I can never remember the HD channel number on Sky anyway, and there's not much I watch on C4.

Virgin - cable does come into the house and used to have when they were NTL. There's a very good reason why I don't any more and never will return to them. Not that it worked anyway. Cable infrastructure in the street was shafted.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 10:51 am
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Just plugged the sat cable into the TV. It's very limited on the HD channels. Was hoping many of the free to air channels that are in HD would be available in HD but most are not.

Also no go for me using the TV anyway as enabling DD audio over HDMI to amp it's got loads of dropped audio. Works in PCM but that's 2.0 only. Had similar with the Amazon app on the TV which is why I ended up with Amazon Fire TV instead. Oddly though Plex app never had issues.

So looks like Sky HD box downgraded to Freesat from Sky. I just need to know what channels you actually get, including HD. Some sites link to Sky to get the latest channel list but Sky no longer tell you what those channel are.

HD is the key bit. While I don't watch much live TV, when flicking through I want it in HD. SD channels look so crappy these days on a big HD telly.

But then I suppose I can get my mindset out of the whole live TV concept. As I say it's mainly just for background noise and filler anyway. On demand is a bit more faff having to switch between different apps.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 12:22 pm
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AFAIK the sky box channels will just be the same as your TVs when it comes to Freesat. Your subscription pays for the HD channels that are free to view otherwise.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 1:08 pm
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Freesat from Sky claim more channels than Freesat though.

Just found this one, though think it's old. Lists C4 HD which as above isn't available it seems anymore (definitely not there in Freesat on my TV). Freesat from Sky is 'Sky no Card' in this list.

https://ukfree.tv/channels/all

Edit: ah and they have a bit on C4 HD. Sudden recent thing it seems.

https://ukfree.tv/article/1107052544/Channel_4_abandons_Freesat_HD_in_TWO_DAYS_

Interesting comments that it's still broadcast free to air on satellite. That suggests it's just that it's pulled from the EPG. Should be able to manually tune it in then.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 2:09 pm
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I have no contract with Sky and use the free channels only occasionally. I’ve just checked, the HD channels I can get include:

101 BBC1 HD

105 CH5 HD

115 BBC 2 hd

134 S4C HD

227 C4 HD

any others you are interested in? I’ll keep looking.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 2:43 pm
 Drac
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Sky Freeat allows you to record for £10 or whatever the amount is.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 2:47 pm
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Okay these HD channels are also available

503 bbc news

505 nhk world

512 rt

613 cbbc

614 CBeebies

690 airrang

951 bbc1 wales

953 bbc ni

976 bbc1


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 3:00 pm
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Interesting C4 HD is on there @gauss1777

Others, mainly Dave HD, Film 4 HD, E4 HD, ITV 2, 3 etc HD, but pretty much guessing no to those.

Sky News HD?

And yeah, the £10 to record stuff, no thanks Sky. I can do without recording. Though I guess that also means no pausing live TV. Again though, rarely I'd do that.


 
Posted : 24/03/2018 3:03 pm

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