# FTV Sky card



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

I am considering buying a uk FTV sky card from an ad in Buy and Sell. How long will these work for and how do I know when it will expire. What other questions if any should I ask the seller. All opions welcome


----------



## DrMoriarty (20 Jun 2007)

The only accurate answer to your two questions is that there's no guarantee (and obviously no comeback, if you buy privately). I don't know what your Buy&Seller is asking for the card, but if you know someone in the UK, you could get them to buy one for £20, activate it in their Sky box and post it over to you.

You do know that the only thing this will add to your lineup is Channel 4, Sky 3 and Five? The BBC/ITV channels 1-4 are already free to view.

http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview.htm


----------



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

He wants 49 euro for it. I dont have any contacts in the UK. I fully understand what channels I will get with it but I think having ITV on the epg would be worth the money alone provided its a once off payment. Going to other channels is a real pain


----------



## DrMoriarty (20 Jun 2007)

Why not just add them to your 'favourites'?  

FWIW, I bought a card about two years ago and it's still working fine...


----------



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

Yeah thats a good idea never thought of that thanks. Another problem is mrs silvermints wants to keep channel 4 cant think why


----------



## tallpaul (20 Jun 2007)

silvermints said:


> Yeah thats a good idea never thought of that thanks. Another problem is mrs silvermints wants to keep channel 4 cant think why


 
Channel 4 is already on the Irish EPG... (Channel 140)


----------



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

Hi Dr Moriarty

How do I add Channels from 'other channels' to favourites


----------



## DrMoriarty (20 Jun 2007)

On a standard Sky remote, I think you find the channel in the listings and then press the yellow button? (or maybe it's blue? Whichever colour appears at the bottom of the listings screen, next to 'Add to favourites'...)


----------



## CCOVICH (20 Jun 2007)

I didn't think you could add 'Other Channels' (where ITV, BBC3 etc. reside) to Favourites?


----------



## DrMoriarty (20 Jun 2007)

I'm pretty sure I have. I'll check when I get home.

Maybe it depends on the brand of Sky box? (mine's a Grundig...)


----------



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

It seems to me ccovich is right you can only add channels from the EPG to favourites. So thats that idea out pity it seemed a good idea


----------



## CCOVICH (20 Jun 2007)

DrMoriarty said:


> I'm pretty sure I have. I'll check when I get home.
> 
> Maybe it depends on the brand of Sky box? (mine's a Grundig...)


 
Thomson for me (a HD box).


----------



## silvermints (20 Jun 2007)

My box is a panasonic. To Tallpaul.. I know that channel 4 is available in Ireland now but I have cancelled my subscription


----------



## bond-007 (20 Jun 2007)

tallpaul said:


> Channel 4 is already on the Irish EPG... (Channel 140)


A severely edited version is what you get.


----------



## gordongekko (20 Jun 2007)

Make sure you confirm from the seller that the card is active. if it is not active you will have a problem making it active from Ireland.


----------



## tallpaul (21 Jun 2007)

bond-007 said:


> A severely edited version is what you get.


 
I haven't really noticed. I would generally only be tuning in during the evening and all of the programmes are shown. I think it is only the crappy American sitcoms (like Friends etc.) that get blocked.


----------



## Philip2005 (21 Jun 2007)

An exsubsription uk sky card or freesat sky card gives you a uk epg. You get
channel 4, channel 5, channel 5 us , channel 5 life (i think it's called that), bbc 1,2,3,4, itv 1,2,3,4, utv can be added on other channels. other channels can't be added to favorites. 

if you are buying a sky card make sure it's a navy one with a yellow house ( same as current card). There are older ones out there that will not work. I think the cards were changed about 2 years ago. 

Channel 4 can't show certain programs/ films because of rights. 

in 2008 rte,tv3 and channel 4's contracts are finished with sky. It will be interesting if they will sign new contracts or got free to view like bbc and itv.


----------



## DrMoriarty (21 Jun 2007)

Philip2005 said:


> ...other channels can't be added to favorites.


Update (as mentioned above) — I can definitely do this on my old (_c. _2001) Grundig box; it must be specific to this particular digibox or something. When I scroll through the channel listings (not the EPG, just the list of channels from 1 to 999), pressing the yellow button adds/removes up to 20 channels to/from my Favourites. Thereafter, pressing the blue button on the Sky remote cycles me through the favourites stored. This is the case whether or not the Sky card is inserted.


----------



## gotsomenow (21 Jun 2007)

I bought a FTV card from Ebay for a tenner.  Worked as described, got all the additional channels, but this was before they put Channel 4 on Irish Sky.  I have since given it to my Dad.  The only problem is that you have to change over cards if you want to switch from subscription to FTV and this can take some time to load, sometimes switching the power off works, but not guaranteed.  You get the message 'No signal is being received'.  It's a pain.

I can get the codes/instructions for UTV, ITV2 and how to tune them in if anyone needs them.  I have them stored somewhere.

G


----------



## silvermints (25 Jun 2007)

I spoke to someone over the weekend who said sky are due to change their cards again in the near future. Would this render any FTV card bought privately now useless


----------



## gordongekko (27 Jun 2007)

probably.but what is the source of this information?


----------

