# How do I get Sky+ free channels



## shootingstar (11 Jan 2010)

I cut off my Sky+ and I moved house. I was told I can get some free channels without having to pay... Great! Now, trying to actually get them is another thing!

So... I've been told unplug everything, take out the viewing card, leave for 10 minutes & plug back in... free channels readily available. This isnt happening for me. I managed to get 3 channels. I was browsing through the channels to see what was free and wasnt free and one of the channels told me to insert my sky viewing card. I tried it and now i seem to have lost signal & everything. I honestly dont know if thats what caused it but I cant think of anything else

Can anyone please advise me what I need to do?


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## hopalong (11 Jan 2010)

have a search for freesat on this site.


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## manaboutdog (11 Jan 2010)

Plug out the sky box, and disconnect it from your phone line.

Remove the sky card from the front of the box and turn it upside down and re-insert it the wrong way up.

Wait 2 minutes.

Plug power to the box back in, leave the phone line disconnected, you should now have bbc1, bbc2, itv, channel4 etc.


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## shootingstar (11 Jan 2010)

manaboutdog said:


> Plug out the sky box, and disconnect it from your phone line.
> 
> Remove the sky card from the front of the box and turn it upside down and re-insert it the wrong way up.
> 
> ...



wrong way up? are u sure? your not taking the **** now are ya?


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## barry251 (11 Jan 2010)

*leave the phone line disconnected.* I thought the phone line had to be connected to receive the signal


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## shootingstar (11 Jan 2010)

Ive had no phone for over 2 years and my sky worked fine


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## barry251 (11 Jan 2010)

Are you receiving signal through the dish then


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## barry251 (11 Jan 2010)

Try adding new channels here is a link for transponder codes


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## shootingstar (11 Jan 2010)

barry251 said:


> Are you receiving signal through the dish then



I presume so...



barry251 said:


> Try adding new channels here is a link for transponder codes



Thank you for that. I did a signal test and nothing is coming through so its probably a cable problem which Mr SS is going to look at tomorrow for me. Strange because I was able to see the free channels earlier for a few minutes but now theres nothing!!


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## manaboutdog (12 Jan 2010)

shootingstar said:


> wrong way up? are u sure? your not taking the **** now are ya?


no, seriously, this will fool the skybox into thinking it is in the UK and you will get all UK channels by default


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## paulregan (15 Jan 2010)

Putting the card in the wrong way is a coincidence in certain circumstances, by where the box has reverted back to factory settings, this can be easily achieved, by removing the card and unplugging the box, hold the backup button while plugging in, and keep holding the backup button till all the lights light up, less than ten minutes later software is updated and box is reset. RTE1 now becomes BBC1 etc.


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## demoivre (15 Jan 2010)

barry251 said:


> *leave the phone line disconnected.* I thought the phone line had to be connected to receive the signal



I've been a Sky subscriber for years and have never had my Sky system connected to the phone line.


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## Leo (15 Jan 2010)

barry251 said:


> Are you receiving signal through the dish then


 
Ah, yes, the signal comes from the dish, it's setallite TV!! Phone line connection is just so Sky can connect directly to your box for updates or to check that multi-room set-ups are indeed that and not neighbours sharing.


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## SparkRite (15 Jan 2010)

paulregan said:


> this can be easily achieved, by removing the card and unplugging the box, hold the backup button while plugging in, and keep holding the backup button till all the lights light up, less than ten minutes later software is updated and box is reset. RTE1 now becomes BBC1 etc.


 

*DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS!!* This is a method of forcing a firmware update (if one is available) or just overwriting the firmware with the same version if no update is available. Unless you have a strong and stable signal of at least 50% quality (which the OP is not sure of) there is a very real danger that you will corrupt the firmware on the box and render it useless.

Also it is not neccessary, to re-set the box just remove power for approx. 30secs. and then re-boot with card removed.


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## shootingstar (17 Jan 2010)

hi all , ive tried everything. In the end I contacted Sky who told me its not possible to recieve free channells with the sky+ boxes. Its only available to normal sky boxes. She offered me a card that I can purchase for 20quid and it will give me over 260 channels including all bbc and itv channels. 

Has anyone else heard of this?


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## barry251 (18 Jan 2010)

I cancelled my subscription last month and still receive free channels mine is a sky + box.Shooting star have you tried adding new channels BBC ITV Channel 4 etc from the link I gave you previous.


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## HighFlier (18 Jan 2010)

It definitely does work with Sky+.I have it. The card upside down causes a reset to default which is UK (London Regional Settings)

BBC 1,2,3,4 ITV 1,2,3 and the time shifted ITV channels plus channel 4, BBc news, Sky News and loads of kids channels are then absolutely free.

If you want other regional versions e.g. BBC Northern Ireland, UTV you can use the "add channels" facility.

All completely free of charge.

This is perfectly legal.


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## pator (18 Jan 2010)

shootingstar said:


> hi all , ive tried everything. In the end I contacted Sky who told me its not possible to recieve free channells with the sky+ boxes. Its only available to normal sky boxes. She offered me a card that I can purchase for 20quid and it will give me over 260 channels including all bbc and itv channels.
> 
> Has anyone else heard of this?


 
Card usually only available in uk so take it. 

But ya same as previous poster the sky+ box should get you the free channels


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