Getting rid of sky, switching to freesat

[L3nny]

I currently have Sky TV but hardly watch any of the channels so was thinking of getting rid of it. I have tried to pick up freeview from the areiel on my house and its not much good so was thinking of getting freesat.

If I cancel my contract with Sky will I have to give back the box and dish (been with them for 3 years) or could I just get a freesat viewing card from them and keep the hardware?

At the moment I have broadband with them as well but this has got really slow recently.

I really don't want to go back to Virgin as they were rubbish when I was with them before, but it could save me £20 a months as I wont need a BT line. Does anyone use Virgin, have they got any better recently?

Use your skybox without a card. Simples.

you don't even need to take out the card, just cancel your subscription with sky and you will still get all the freeview channels using the sky box and dish.

[Old Git]

Ditched Sky 18 months ago, go get a freeview box from Argos, about £15-£20, try it at home if no good take it back under the 30 day trial!
Digital signal is currently turned down so it don't interfer with the analog while most peeps are still on the old system.
As each area becomes more digital dominant, the analog signal will go anyway, think whole country has to be changed over by 2012???
Your ariel needs to be pointing at the best transmitter, could be more than one in your area, I did it ages ago, you can google where your nearest one is, get the compass reading for it & move the ariel around to the right compass reading.
We do not miss the sky at all, and er-in-doors is a sport nut, will watch anything football, cricket, tennis, winter olympics whatever, while I go do some cooking or reading.
Save the cash for fuel !!!!!!!

[L3nny]

I have built in freeview on my TV and connecting it to the ariel doesnt pick up any signal so I will need a new ariel, even then where I am I wont be able to get all the freeview channels.

Main question is, if I get rid of sky do I need to give them the dish back.

Not if you have had it for three years.

[L3nny]

Cool

Just need to decide if saving £20 a months is really worth all the extra hasstle of having to deal with Virgin

[Biker Biggles]

For personal reasons I will never knowingly buy anything that has Murdoch behind it but having said that I think all these mega companies are as bad as each other to deal with.They are too big,too arogant and cant even pronounce customer service never mind deliver it.

You're probably best off getting the freesat card for your existing sky box for the free-to-view channels. You won't have to give back the box or dish.

[L3nny]

To be fair to Sky on the rare occasion I have had to call their customer service department they have been excellent.

Virgin on the other hand. When I was with them before (when they were called NTL) they were the worst company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. 2 Hours on hold is not uncommon and their TV service was patchy at best. Which is why I am reluctant to go back to them, but when I don't use the BT landline Sky force me to have for broadband and I watch about 6 out of the 800+ channels they give me I feel I am wasting money.

Suppose I could always go back to Sky when Virgin inevitably cause me to lose my rag and cancel.