Sky HD Box for HD Freesat/Freeview Issues

Alty · 2 Apr 2015 at 10:44

Heya Peeps,

Just wondered if anyone else has come across this... have purchased a new sky HD box off ebay (DXR595) and a used sky HD freeview card also from ebay due to the extra HD freeview channels available over normal freesat.

I called sky and was put through to 3 different people before being told after a combined wait on hold for around 40 mins that it appears that I cannot pair the card with the box due to not being the original card's account holder and as such Sky want me to purchase another freeview card from them for £25.

I currently have the basic freeview channels but, for example, not their HD equivalents such as E4 HD, More4 HD, Channel 5 HD, etc...

Has anyone else fallen foul of this? I contacted the card seller on ebay and he mentioned that the card would simply pair with the box after around 72 hours automatically altho I must say this sounds dubious.

Jez · 2 Apr 2015 at 11:04

http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/what-can-i-watch/

It doesnt list that you should get those channels anyway? The HD list is only 11 channels long.... :confused:

Alty · 2 Apr 2015 at 12:14

Ignore me, it'll teach me not to read into things more! There was some ambiguity in the card listing that implied that there would be more HD channels over normal freeview by using the sky HD card. I just can't see what benefit there would be to buy a freeview card from Sky for £25 and what extra freeview channels it would allow over what I am currently getting.....

neil_g · 2 Apr 2015 at 12:44

without a sky freeview card there will be (or at least should be) some missing freeview channels. you should only get the basics. have you tried a few?

Alty · 2 Apr 2015 at 12:51

I'm currently at work so will have to try tonight but off the top of my head we pretty much had all the freeview channels including the 11 HD channels mentioned by Jez but the following stood out as not being available: dave/dave ja vu, quest/+1, channel 5 (I think?)....

Jez · 2 Apr 2015 at 12:53

You wont get Dave or Quest, they are not included with Sky Freesat. Channel 5 standard def should be there....

neil_g · 2 Apr 2015 at 13:46

ch5 HD went "premium" (ala not freeview) a little while ago. didnt even get that on the standard non HD sky subscription.

Alty · 2 Apr 2015 at 13:55

still curious tho as to what you do get with the £25 viewing card above the norm then.....

neil_g · 2 Apr 2015 at 14:05

Alty said:
still curious tho as to what you do get with the £25 viewing card above the norm then.....

im pretty sure i dont get all of the freeview channels now my sky sub has expired (without a FV card). the MIL runs a sky box with no card either and she gets hardly anything.

i'll check tonight.

edit: thinking about it, the MIL gets less than we do but she has no viewing card at all. we've got our old subscription card in the box still. wonder if that makes a difference.