Can anyone tell me, that has sky, do you get any free channels, so if you dont pay for say the movies, can you still get the bbc channels or any other channels,
why I ask is , if I buy a spanish box, will I be able to get a installer in the Uk to set it up so I can get any free spanish channels. ie TVE , Quatro, Cinco, ect ect.
thanks

Cue The Guy...

BBC ITV C4 and Five all have free to air versions - that do not require a sky card or subscription to view and are nothing to do with Sky at all.

BBC has been free to air and has not needed a sky card to view their channels for over 7 years now.

Even BBC HD, and ITVHD are available for free.

These free to air channels can be received on just about ANY digital satellite receiver, either Sky, Freesat or generic free to air receviers.

There are approximately 250 free to air channels on the UK TV satellites - including news, sports, music, movies (OK true movies, movies24, movies4men and a few others!) - although reception of them in SPain will be determined by your dish size.

Along with these free to air channels there are free to view channels.
These include Fiver Fiver USA 8 ITV1 regions and irish channels 4's. they are available with a freesatfromsky card - available for a one off payemtnt of £20-£25 in the UK - good for the next 5 or so years.

Then there are the Sky subscription channels, like Sky One, Dave, Sky SPorts, Sky Movies and lots more. You get these with a monthly subscription -anything from £18 per month to £55 per month.

Re Spanish TV - depends what you mean by "Spanish box"?

Some of the main Spanish channels are encrypted on satellite and are only available as part of the D+ (Spain satellite services) pay package. Other channels that are on TDT (Spains Freeview equivilent) are not even available on a D+ package on satellite.

Otherwise, for free (ie no subscription) via satellite in the UK you will only get a handful of Spanish channels - TVEInternational, and some local channel like TV Madrid and TV Canarias.

And just like you cannot get Freeview (UK TV digital terrestrial systems) in Spain you will not get TDT (Spains digital terrestrial system) in the UK. They are land based (hence terrestrial) systems and transmitted from the land based transmitters - UK transmitters dont reach Spain and Spanish transmitters dont reach the UK!


Hope this helps.

thanks for your advise guy, Like you said in spain you get the free channels like bbc 1, 2 ect.
so the same cant be said for the spanish channels in the UK, with the popular spanish sat system that most of the spanish use.
can you see what Im trying to find out.
Id like as many free to air spanish channels using a spanish sat box and dish. set up in the UK , pointing at the spanish sat. which a uk installer could set up if I gave him the sat position.
Or Have I just repeated everrything I said again, and your reply will be the same. if so sorry for waisting your time.
thanks.

Guy
You seem to know what you're talking about , I wonder if you can help.
I have a Sky box (Pace) and invested in a Freesat card about 3 years ago. I used to get Ch4; 5; Fiver(s) etc (strength 9 or 10!). Now I only get Ch4. I understand that Sky did a massive recarding exercise and they now say that they have no control over Five/Fiver(s) etc. Why? Do I need to replace my Freesat card?
I am reluctant to shell out for a replacement card if it won't work anyway.
Your advice would be welcome. Many thanks in anticipation.

Type Sky viewing card into the search this forum box, there are lots of threads on how to renew and activate from Spain.

here is a list of the free to air channels available via satellite and the satellites they are on
http://www.flysat.com/tv-sp.php
the main channels you mention ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE on satellite.
They are only available via Digital+ subscription satellite service (which is the "the popular spanish sat system that most of the spanish use" you mention) and are encrypted and are not free to air - unlike the UK channels like BBC that are free to air - or via the TDT SPanish terrestrial service.

see the link for the free to air spanish tv channels
http://www.flysat.com/tv-sp.php

not much choice ' and TVEI has moved from Astra 1!

Old blue yellow house sky cards were deactivated in March 2010..
Depending on your dish size there are free to air versions of BBC ITV C4 and Five.
These free to air versions are used by Sky and Freesat.
But reception of these FTA versions is limited - ie BBC2 and Five are on the same weak transponder and may not be availane 24/7.

With a freesatfromsky card (20or25GBP - approx 80€ in spain) you can get
Five, Fiver, Five USA and timeshifts, 8 ITV1 regions, Irish C4s Sky 3 and Liverpool FC TV - many of which can be receive on an 80cm dish in most of Spain! So if you want these channels you will need a new card.

There is no such thing as a Freesat card. Only a Freesatfromsky card.
Freesat and Freesatfromsky are two different systems.
Freesat only allows access to the free to air channels - just like a sky box with no card - basically what you are getting now with your deactivated card still in the box!

Five is nothing to do with Sky they are two seperate companies. If Five want to use SKys encrpyition for their channels then thats Fives decision not Skys - although I am sure SKy tempts them with exclsuivity in their contracts! Same with the ITV1 regions - ITVs decision not Skys...

Sky are contractually bound by their encryption company to change their cards every 5 or so years. (NDS Skys encryption compnay is part owned by News Corp - who also currently only own 40% of Sky - see Murdoch does not yet own all of Sky only a aprt of it - but is trying to buy it all)

And in reply to the next question here are the frequencies for ITV1 C4 and Five on a small dish -
http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/extr...annels_sky.php

and thats it in a nutshell....

Thanks for the link to the frequencies Guy, was successfull with itv1 and C5 but C4 has not worked for me. I have a sky box and 80cm dish and using sky £18 per month package.

I know I won't get BBC with that size dish in the Oliva area but C4 would have been a good addition.

As long as you have a working white sky card - even a freesatfromsky card it is available.
If you have a Sky subscription card you can also save the E4 and More4 channels on the same frequency.

C4 is possible in your area with an 80cm dish - i have a few already in the oliva / font carros area that get it OK.

Maybe the dish needs a slight realignment, or the LNB needs replacing to a newer one, or may be you have a really bad sky box (there are quiet a few makes and models and just like cars (and women !!) they dont all perform the same!) that just do not like them C4 frequencies!

I am only down the road from you should you need me......

[QUOTE=
I am only down the road from you should you need me......[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the quick reply, Channel 4 that would be great, just think of the cricket I've been missing.

Well the only thing I can tell you about the sky box is that it is a Pace and got from uk about 2yrs ago.

Will give you a call, thanks again.

Dont think C4 ahve any cricket these days...do they..?

Hope you have not got a Pace 440 or 445 - not the best for C4 on small dishes i am afraid....

As far as I can make out Guy it's a DS430N - does that make sense?

that should be OK for getting C4....so maybe either LNB or dish needs a tweak...

Thanks Guy, will give you a ring tomorrow Tues. sometime