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The SwitchHelp Site was designed for the 2012 Switchover. The Switchover is not complete, so this site is no longer maintained. We keep it live as it still may contacin some useful historial information. See SwitchHelp Index for a list of all pages. |
Free satellite TV
Old Sky box:
Mary Boys asks: “I have a sky box that I don’t use for Sky. Can I use it to pick up free channels?”
If you have a Sky dish and a Sky set-top box, you can use this to pick up over 200 “free-to-air” satellite TV channels without a subscription – see the list of free-to-view channels.
You’ll need to connect your old Sky box to a satellite dish, and ensure the dish is pointing in the direction of Sky’s satellites. More on our Satellite TV page
Freesat , Free Sat , Freeview, Free-to-view?
Yes – confusing we know. Here’s some guidance:
- “Freeview” – This service is delivered via a TV aerial, not a dish. What is Freeview?
- “Freesat” – This is a satellite service from the BBC and ITV. Nothing to do with Sky, and not as many channels as Sky. More on Freesat
- Free-to-view – On the satellite used for Sky, there are over 200 channels that can be watched without subscription or a subscription card – see the list of free-to-view channels – you can get these with a dish pointing at the Sky satellites and a decoder (including an old Sky box).
More information:
- Satellite TV Information: Satellite TV
- Sky Digital Information: Sky Digital
- Freesat from the BBC and ITV: Freesat
- A more detailed technical coverage predictor: Wolfbane
