Cancelling Sky TV

[cookie_monster]

Hi all, I'm thinking about cancelling my Sky TV as all I watch is endless reruns of Star Trek TOS and occasional River Monsters sort of stuff

I'm wondering if someone can answer a couple of questions that might have been down this path.

 

1. Once you cancel your Sky subscription do you loose the ability to record using Sky+, can you view programs only from then on?

2. Will I loose access to all the already recorded content on the box?

 

Cheers all.

 

 

C. Monster

[TechMonkey]

As far as I am aware you can carry on using record but you will obviously only be able to record the free channels.

 

Not so sure about 2, my first thought would be that you have it recorded locally so you should be all right, but I seem to think there is some DRM at work so it may look to your card and block you.

[Tesla]

From what i remember from when i helped a family friend out, once you cancel your subscription, you do lose access to what you've recorded

 

I'm basing this on the fact they had problems with their card, and while they had this problem, they couldn't view anything on the Recorded section either. (any paid for service anyway) Channels like BBC ITV and some other 'Basic' ones still work IIRC.

[Achandler]

Yeah you lose access to everything recorded (that you no longer have access too, i.e BBC1 recording should be fine).

 

Your also apparently barred from taking up sky in your house in your name for a year!

 

But seriosuly cancel Sky, then wait and wait and wait, usually they will ring you and give you an offer you can't refuse. My brother got all Sky TV free for 6 months then 6 months half price on a 12 month contract.

[cookie_monster]

So we ''think'' I'll still be able to record free channels?

 

I think I'll watch what I've got recorded then cancel Sky and see what they ring back with

 

Thanks peeps

[featured_spectre]

1: You lose the ability to record anything beyond standard freeview (remember, sky add their own set of free channels, which you cannot record unless you have a basic sky sub)

2: You will lose the ability to watch anything recorded from a channel you no longer have access too. Say for example you record Phineas and Ferb from disney channel, and you cancel the sub, you can't watch it any more as disney isn't on the freeview.

 

Worth a note, once you cancel, you cannot retake a sky sub for 1 year, so it might be worth going to retentions and haggling for a better deal.

[adhutton]

Once you cancel Sky you could buy a Freesat+ box and plug it into the satellite feeds from your Sky dish.

 

It will work out-of-the box with your Sky dish and allow you to record, pause live TV etc. for no subscription charges.

 

You only get the Freesat (Freeview) channels, but there are quite a few good ones and some in HD.

 

Andrew

[abillybob]

I couldn't we cancelled sky and lost all recorded TV Shows. Instead I set-up a XBMC Frontend with a DVBViewer backend this is so much better than the sky package we had as we only bought the standard channels. We get 100's of channels now, plus we can record TV, Rewind and Pause all works flawlessly! Plus it also means the HTPC is now a DVB Viewer server meaning any computer connected to our local network can stream live TV from it so we have sky TV all round the house. It's well worth looking into a solution like this if you're cancelling sky!

 

Edit: We didn't even get standard freeview when we cancelled sky only BBC One, Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Five nothing else worked!

Edited January 30, 2014 by abillybob

[Nibiru]

You wont be able to record at all once you cancel - the recording function is tied to part of the subscription.

 

If you are keen to ditch sky - and with todays prices who isnt looking at saving some money - have a look at a Freesat or Freetime box. (Freetime just being the newest generation of Freesat receiver with added functionality from the internet connection

 

Freesat give you full recording capability with no subscription and a reasonable selection of entertainment channels.

[cookie_monster]

I couldn't we cancelled sky and lost all recorded TV Shows. Instead I set-up a XBMC Frontend with a DVBViewer backend this is so much better than the sky package we had as we only bought the standard channels. We get 100's of channels now, plus we can record TV, Rewind and Pause all works flawlessly! Plus it also means the HTPC is now a DVB Viewer server meaning any computer connected to our local network can stream live TV from it so we have sky TV all round the house. It's well worth looking into a solution like this if you're cancelling sky!

 

Edit: We didn't even get standard freeview when we cancelled sky only BBC One, Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Five nothing else worked!

 

 

I was thinking along these lines but I've got a babay on the way next month and just haven't got time to play with it at the mo. It's one for the future though

[cookie_monster]

You wont be able to record at all once you cancel - the recording function is tied to part of the subscription.

 

If you are keen to ditch sky - and with todays prices who isnt looking at saving some money - have a look at a Freesat or Freetime box. (Freetime just being the newest generation of Freesat receiver with added functionality from the internet connection

 

Freesat give you full recording capability with no subscription and a reasonable selection of entertainment channels.

 

 

Thought that might be the case. I might look into a freeview box as over the year I'll save over Sky anyway, are the boxes all the same like sky of are there a selection of brands with different features?

[Rawns]

Hi all, I'm thinking about cancelling my Sky TV as all I watch is endless reruns of Star Trek TOS and occasional River Monsters sort of stuff

I'm wondering if someone can answer a couple of questions that might have been down this path.

 

1. Once you cancel your Sky subscription do you loose the ability to record using Sky+, can you view programs only from then on?

2. Will I loose access to all the already recorded content on the box?

 

Cheers all.

 

 

C. Monster

 

Re point 2, you will loose recorded material for any channels you no longer get once your sub is cancelled. The Mrs subscribed to the Christmas movies channel last year and recorded a load of films. She then decided to cancel it as she was not watching them that often. A couple of weeks later, she wanted to watch a film again but all of them had been deleted.

[abillybob]

I was thinking along these lines but I've got a babay on the way next month and just haven't got time to play with it at the mo. It's one for the future though

Congratulations! But yes will take a week or so to get it set up perfectly! Though I love it as we have 4 TV's in the house with a raspberry pi with OpenElec on them all so we all have Satellite TV around the house not to mention the extra channels you get rather than just going with Freesat. If you are going to attempt this then use DVBViewer I tried some other free ones and there was no EPG setting on most of them and it was a right faff so for £15 buy DVBViewer!

[unixman_again]

I have FreeSat and it's brill! Loads of Star Trek TOS on The Horror Channel, home to those well known "horror" series Xena, Wonder Woman, Dark Angel, Ange, etc and CBS Action, which is great for Hawaii Five-O (the real ones), Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The High Chapperal. Recently FilmOn.tv has popped up on channel 101. This is home to they bizarre program BattleCam.

[Nibiru]

Thought that might be the case. I might look into a freeview box as over the year I'll save over Sky anyway, are the boxes all the same like sky of are there a selection of brands with different features?

 

Freeview = through the aerial

 

Freesat = Sky without the subscription element

 

Both have pvr models available

 

For the Freesat boxes avoid the cheaper end of the market eg Bush models. They are cheaply made and can be problematical. The Humax HDR boxes from 2-3 years ago have a good reputation and if you care to can have modified firmware applied so you can tinker more fully with the box.

 

Freetime is new and as far as Im aware only one manufacturer atm. All Freetime adss really is on demand stuff.

 

Joinfreesat.co.uk has a decent selection of reviews on it.

[plexer]

Whilst sky may say you cannot resubscribe as a new customer for 12 months if they ring you after you have cancelled and offer you something that's a different story.

 

Also consider a nowtv box we have some for movies as it's £8.99 a month with multiple boxes in the house.

 

Ben

[Pyroman]

I couldn't we cancelled sky and lost all recorded TV Shows. Instead I set-up a XBMC Frontend with a DVBViewer backend this is so much better than the sky package we had as we only bought the standard channels. We get 100's of channels now, plus we can record TV, Rewind and Pause all works flawlessly! Plus it also means the HTPC is now a DVB Viewer server meaning any computer connected to our local network can stream live TV from it so we have sky TV all round the house. It's well worth looking into a solution like this if you're cancelling sky!

 

Edit: We didn't even get standard freeview when we cancelled sky only BBC One, Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Five nothing else worked!

 

I don't understand. How can you get the sky channels without a subscription, are they broadcast online and they're hacked into with DVBviewer?

[JJonas]

I was under the impression that for recording to work you needed an active Sky account?

 

also River Monsters is on Netflix and if you go down the NowTV route side load Plex on to it.

[abillybob]

@Pyroman We only get Freesat channels although I have found that with DVB Viewer it picks up free channels from around the globe so say for instance USA gets Disney Channel for free we receive USA's Disney channel we also get from other places like Iraq etc... But we don't understand the language so we get rid of these. There are also unlockable codes if you do some searching online so that you can get paid british channels for free. Though I didn't do this I have 480 Channels as it is I don't need any more. Really cool setup you should try it!

 

Edit: Some channels we get include all of CBS Channels, Fox, Disney Channel, Comedy Central, just off the top of my head

Edited January 31, 2014 by abillybob

[siqveland]

I am hoping to set up a htpc with twin satellite feeds, pvr and of course xbmc.

 

How do you find the pvr function integrates with the satellite? Can you schedule recordings? series link? Can the pc hibernate when not being used and start up for recordings??

[Alkaline]

Edit: I have just noticed this thread is old, oh well its info for anyone that wants to know.

 

There are too many posts to read, but if you cancel Sky, all the recording functions on your Sky box will be switched off. You will not be able to play back any recording content or live pause.

 

If you want to keep the recording functions without a Sky subscription you have to pay £11.15 per month.

 

There was a time when you could switch off the box before cancelling and leave it off for a few months, the box would then miss the "turn off recordings" signal, but those days are long gone with the new firmware and cards.

 

It is apparently against EU law to brick the box so it cannot record, but Sky allegedly use a loop hole to bypass this law.

 

You can cancel and then go back to Sky at any time. There is no year limit as others have said.

 

Sorry if this has already been said.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Alkaline

[cookie_monster]

What's the loophole?

[Arthur]

It is apparently against EU law to brick the box so it cannot record, but Sky allegedly use a loop hole to bypass this law.

The viewing cards expire don't they? Is that the loophole?

 

http:// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freesat_from_Sky#Viewing_card

[plexer]

To be honest I don't see why Sky would need to "brick" the box as when something is bricked it's unuseable they have granular control over what services are available to their subscriber depending on the subscription so I don't see that as a loophole it's their business model?

 

Ben

[cookie_monster]

An expired viewing card shouldn't stop you recording free channels though.