# Sky Box used for FTA channels - May go back to Sky later on



## Conshine (8 Oct 2010)

I had Sky for one year in one room and then I cancelled it and was happy with the free to air channels.

I got a local guy to wire up a new box in the back room, so I now have the two boxes coming from the one sat dish.
If in a years time or so, I want to go back to Sky, is it a matter of getting them to just reconect the service, or send me a new card to put into the box?

Or would I need to pay the what seems a fixed installation charge, even though I have all the equipment?
Also, if I were to go back tpo them, can I take the card out of one box and put it into the other, so I can see the restricted channels in either room?

Thanks!


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## PaddyBloggit (8 Oct 2010)

Pull out your Sky card ... and you'll see what's free.

No subscription ... no recording and all you have saved/recorded will disappear ... you'll have no access if you give up your subscription.


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## Conshine (8 Oct 2010)

But if you cancel the subscription and then change your mind 6 months later, is it just a matter of somebody reactivating your account and away you go?
Or do you need to pay "installation" again etc


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## venice (8 Oct 2010)

When you cancel your subscription you will have about 3 channels, one of then is Sky news.Hit the red button for interactive and then pull out the sky card. This will default it to British Sky view and you should have all the free channels then, BBC 1/2/3/4, UTV 1/2/3/4 Channel 4 etc., etc.

Then buy a TV that supports mpeg4 and you will have the Irish free channels RTE etc


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## Sandals (9 Oct 2010)

Then buy a TV that supports mpeg4 and you will have the Irish free channels RTE etc[/QUOTE]

Ok we noticed our sky went the euro again this year sfter eight years with sky and are thinking about cancelling sky.

Husband had one sky box on bedroom tv and four other tvs with eyes in other rooms so can change channel no matter what room your in. Booster box in attic. 

what is a mpeg4 (will google it), it there any other option for us as husband not want to go down the route of buying an aeriel extra. Cheers.


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## venice (9 Oct 2010)

You can read about DTT here.

[broken link removed]

You will need a TV that support mbeg4 which should be most new TV's but check before buying and also a standard aerial, rabbits hears type...


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## Staples (11 Oct 2010)

This might be relevant to the discussion.

[broken link removed]

Does it mean you could get RTE on free-to-view through your Sky box without going through the Mpeg4 route?


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## jpd (11 Oct 2010)

No, you will need a separate box and aerial. The Sky box only processes satellite signals - DTT is a different signal and is broadcast from terrestial aeriels eg Kippure, Mt Leinster, etc


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## Staples (13 Oct 2010)

jpd said:


> No, you will need a separate box and aerial. The Sky box only processes satellite signals - DTT is a different signal and is broadcast from terrestial aeriels eg Kippure, Mt Leinster, etc


 
Okay, thanks.  The more I learn about this stuff, the more confused I get.


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## lightswitch (13 Oct 2010)

Staples said:


> Okay, thanks. The more I learn about this stuff, the more confused I get.


 
It sounds a lot more complicated than it is. 

Step 1, take out your Sky viewing card, turn your box/es off and back on and they will scan for free channels.  BBC's ITV's, C4, and loads of others.

Step 2, Get an ariel / Rabbits ears ( Most places you can buy a TV in will have them) and plug into the back of your TV. Use your TV remote control to scan for the Irish Channels. Its that simple. Then you can decide if you have all you want before you cancel.  You won't have Sky + which a lot of people seem to love.  I never had it so don't miss it.

Re them taking you back if you change your mind, I would imagine they would take your hand off for the business. There wont be an installation charge as you already have all the equipement installed. In fact it probably wont take them long to start calling you with better deals.

I had consistent over billing charges from them over several years and they kept cutting me off as they apparently couldn't get a signal over my land line. They actually "accused" me of not having a land line even though they were calling me on it. After our last conversation a couple of years ago, in my case, they won't be calling me back


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