Have been using freesat with the blue card in Barcelona for a while now and everything fine.

As now have a new HD TV was wondering if it’s possible on my next trip to UK to pick up one of these new HD freesat digiboxes like Humax from Argos and just transfer the old card over? I have a feeling it’s not that simple, not even sure that the new hd digiboxes work with cards any more

Apologies if this has been asked a thousand times over/is a very stupid question

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

Hi dibmania

It is not a stupid question after looking at some posts there is nothing of this sort of post so your the 1st!!!

There is two people (Maybe more!) to ask for that they usally post here. the names bellow

Jurdyr (Moderator of Spain Expat) <<< He works within Digital Tv and Radio so he has a broad range
Satandpcguy <<<< He also works within this field.

If you find them in member list and PM them your question (Ask Nicely) they be very happy to help.

Welcome to forum.

Mac

freesat boxes (sd or hd) do not have the ability to read a sky card.
freesat is for use with free to air channels only, not free to view channels like Fiver and Five USA.

on freesat HD you only get BBC HD and the odd programme on ITV HD
with a sky hd box you get bbchd, itvhd and c4 hd - witha sky card and no monthly payments.

Thanks for info, guys.

So maybe I’m getting my ‘boxes’ confused…if I get a sky hd box from UK can I just plug that in here and use my current blue house sky card and then have what I have already plus HD channels?

on a sky hd box you can watch:

bbc hd (and ITVhd on the enw EPG) without a sky card
above plus C4hd with a freesatfromsky card
above and any subscription hd channels with a sky subscroiption card.

to activate the record and playback functions of the sky hd box you MUST pay sky something per month, either ?10 per month or it is included in any sky subscription deal.

a sky (current!) card can be used in any sky receiver to view the “6 mix” channels.
sky sports and sky movies channels are box specific and will only work in the box that has been “paired” to the card by Sky.
a sky card which has been activated for Sky+ will work in any Sky+ box for free toa ir channels. for it to work on subscription channels again it must be paried to the box.

yes you must go to Argos… but let me think you can book your things online as well yes simply go to Argos site and they will give you 3 to 4 days ...you can easily move to UK and bring your required product

satandpcguy - 08 May 2009 04:31 PM

to activate the record and playback functions of the sky hd box you MUST pay sky something per month, either ?10 per month or it is included in any sky subscription deal.

You have to pay to use the record/playback option that’s built into the box already that you’ve bought ??
Or in a package..?

That’s so not fair :(

DSB.

bealerDSB - 25 June 2009 01:15 PM

You have to pay to use the record/playback option that’s built into the box already that you’ve bought ??
Or in a package..?
That’s so not fair :(
DSB.

not really, but they are a business and you pay to use their software…
cheapest way is to go for a sky subscription with one “mix”....about ?16 per month…

thats not too bad I guess..
everyone’s complaining about not getting their white sky cards from the local/english/spanish vendors right now. Is this an annual occurance that sky “do this”..
I for one will be buying locally from a good vendor - but the card new scheme sound like a nightmare..

DSB.

bealerDSB - 25 June 2009 05:31 PM

thats not too bad I guess..
everyone’s complaining about not getting their white sky cards from the local/english/spanish vendors right now. Is this an annual occurance that sky “do this”..
I for one will be buying locally from a good vendor - but the card new scheme sound like a nightmare..
DSB.

what people do not understand is that sky have to replace somew 12 million card….and it takes time to do this.
until they get an “insert you new card” or “this is the wrong card for this set top box” message on all channels, then their new card has not even been sent out by sky yet. so there is no point in haslting the installers as they cannot make sky issue a specif new card!

secondly, if you are paying a yealy fee for the “maintenance” of the card and iuse of the agents UK address then they should issue the new card to you , via that particular installer, as part of that service. you wil be up “hits” creek if you cannot get incontcat with the instraller….and the agent has no idea who or where to send the card to.

i advise all my clients to use a uk adress they control for the sky card, and not borrow / hire one from their installer…as then you have fuill control over hte account shoudl anything happen to your vendor.

Sky and NDS (the encrytption software firm) do this every 5 years. this card change was scheduled for last year but the lauch of “freesat” delayed that whilst they sorted out whaich channels would be made free to air, which would stay free to view, and whoich would be subscription..

Understood - On all counts.

Thank You 😊
DSB.