Sky + Freeview

[Nodrog87]

Hi there does anyone know if an old sky + box can be used as a freeview box. My folks have bought a holiday home which has previously had sky so has a dish and cabling. They dont have an ariel so wondered if they can connect their old sky + box to access Freeview through it without having a sky subscription for that address.

[GD1 · Accepted solution]

@Nodrog87  No sky boxes can be used as a freeview box as they are two different systems.  It can be used as a Freesat box using an existing Satellite dish.

Freeview needs an aerial.

[Mark39]

Not Freeview - that's delivered via a TV aerial, but they can receive the free to air Freesat channels using a Sky+ box. No recording, of course, without a subscription.

[Nodrog87]

Thank you very much for getting back to me. Thats great thanks. Do you know what I'd need to use it as a Free Sat box.

[GD1]

@Nodrog87  Nothing other than the cables from the dish being plugged into the back of your Sky + box and connected to a TV by HDMI

[Mark39]

@Nodrog87 just a note of caution - if the previous owners had Sky Q, a Sky+ box may not work, as the LNB (on the arm of the dish) is changed for Sky Q.

[Nodrog87]

Thank you.

[Nodrog87]

Would it require a viewing card

[GD1]

@Nodrog87  Only for the likes of Channel 4HD & Channel 5HD I believe, if they are not fussed with HD, then all the normal SD channels such as BBC,1, 2, 4, ITV, Ch4, Ch5 and few other channels are freely receivable without one

[Annie+UK]

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@Nodrog87 wrote:

Hi there does anyone know if an old sky + box can be used as a freeview box. My folks have bought a holiday home which has previously had sky so has a dish and cabling. They dont have an ariel so wondered if they can connect their old sky + box to access Freeview through it without having a sky subscription for that address.

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Freeview requires an aerial and not a dish, a sky box can be used to pickup  FreeSAT without the need of a viewing card

[Lindal0u]

In the past I've bought a Sky Freesat card for approximately £25 which gives you free sat and some additional channels. Works the same way as a subscription card, has to be linked to the box you install it in.  

[Annie+UK]

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@Lindal0u wrote:

In the past I've bought a Sky Freesat card for approximately £25 which gives you free sat and some additional channels. Works the same way as a subscription card, has to be linked to the box you install it in.  

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AFAIK this service has been phased out

[Zarinq]

What should I do if  the previous owners did have a sky q box and I want to view freesat on the sky+ box? Thanks in advance

[Annie+UK]

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@Zarinq wrote:

What should I do if  the previous owners did have a sky q box and I want to view freesat on the sky+ box? Thanks in advance

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You would need to have either the LNB on the dish downgraded or changed for a Hybrid LNB

[Zarinq]

Thanks you for your reply. 
The situation is like this,

My household had sky q with multiroom. The multiroom has been cancelled due to finances but I want to watch free view or free sat in the multiroom using a sky+ box. (The multiroom sky q box has been returned to sky). The main sky q box is sill active in the living room. What do I need to do to make that work or is there a better work around?