Why I’m switching away from Sky TV to Freesat

By MoneyhighStreet Staff. Published on August 8, 2008 This post currently has no comments.

I’ve decided to switch away from Sky TV to Freesat, and this is why.

Freesat is a newish satellite TV service that provides free access to it’s programs. There is no monthly subscription, it works with an existing Sky satellite dish.

All you have to pay for is a once only purchase of a Freesat decoder box, which is rather like a Sky TV decoder box.

Family watching Freesat TV

I have been subscribing to the Sky pix and mix selection which costs £21 per month (£252 per year), but as my 12 month contract period is coming to an end, I decided to look at what Freesat offers, as an alternative.

Sky TV are increasing their prices on 1st September, so my subscription package is going to increase to £22 per month. Most of the Sky TV packages are going to increase by £2 per month.

I like the idea of watching High Definition programmes, when they become more available, so I decided to buy a Humax High Definition Freesat receiver for £149.99 from Comet.

I chose the Humax receiver because it has a surround sound connection into a home cinema system and both RGB and HDMI high definition video outputs, which is important as my TV only has one HDMI input, that is currently being used.

Setting up and connecting Freesat

I unconnected the Sky TV receiver, plugged the satellite cable into the Freesat box, connected it to the TV using a supplied SC ART socket (I will need an RGB lead to display high Definition video), and then started the setup process.

Once the system had found the satellite signal, which it did straight away using the existing Sky TV satellite dish, auto installed the latest software, it then automatically setup the TV and radio channels.

The whole installation and setup process took me no more than 15 minutes.

Programme availability

Freesat is as easy to use as Sky TV, so you should have no trouble using the service. You will notice a lack of programmes compared to Sky TV though, and this may be an issue for many people.

Freesat will be adding more and more programmes in the future, but if the current Freesat programme listings suit your needs, then you should really consider saving money with Freesat.

Personally, I have found that I watch very few TV programmes that are only available on Sky, so saving the monthly Sky TV subscription certainly makes sense for me.

So if you like the idea of watching High Definition TV, particularly when it becomes more available, receive surround sound, have access to a wide range of programmes (but not as many as Sky) all for a one of cost of £150 with no monthly subscription, then you should consider switching to Freesat too.

If your contract with Sky has already exceeded 12 months, then you only need give them 30 days notice to stop your subscriptions and receive the benefits of digital TV for free.

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