Free to Air Viewing Card

[markc]

Following my post on For Sale - selling a Sky box & dish, I have been asked by a few people how to get a Free to Air viewing card. Thought the post my be of use to some of you lot so I have copied below....


OK - to get a free to air card you must live in the UK and have a TV licence. Call 08702 438000 and they will send you a card free of charge. This is a service provided by Sky for the government so you will get a Sky branded card. Once you have the card you need to activate it by calling the number on the letter. They will direct you to bring up the seriel number of your digibox on screen. They will then activate your card via sat - it can take upto 24 hours for all the channels to become available and you must leave the box on. Once activiated the card can only be used in that box.

The channels you should receive are as follows - the numbers are Sky channel numbers

Entertainment

101 BBC One FTV
102 BBC Two FTV
103 ITV1 FTV other regions are available on 963 and 964
in some areas or through add channels

104 Channel 4 FTV
105 Channel 5 FTV
160 BBC Choice FTV
161 BBC Four FTV
184 S4C FTV Free Subscription in the UK
193 Channel Health FTA
202 Life TV FTA
208 Showcase FTA
220 Fashion TV FTA
223 Game Network FTA
229 You Tv FTA
235 Avago FTA
238 BEN FTA
241 Reality TV FTA

Movies

247 Classics TV FTA
327 TCM (Turner Classic Movies) FTA

Sports

410 The Racing Channel FTA
414 GoBarkingMad FTA
416 Motors TV FTA
422 Extreme Sports FTA

Music

455 Chart Show TV FTA
665 Chart Shop TV FTA (Shopping Channel but shows a lot of good music)

News

501 Sky News FTA
507 BBC News 24 FTV
508 BBC Parliament FTA
513 CNN FTA
519 S4C2 FTA
525 ITV News FTV Now free to view!
528 EuroNews FTA

Documentaries

579 Simply Nature FTA
580 Simply Nostalgia/einstein.tv FTA

Children

603 Cartoon Network Boomerang FTA
621 CBBC FTV

622 CBeebies FTV

Shopping

630 QVC FTA
634 PIN FTA
635 Ideal World FTA
636 Screenshop FTA
637 Shop America FTA
639 Simply Shopping FTA
640 Best Direct FTA
641 Simply Health FTA

642 Simply Jewellery FTA

643 Simply Holidays FTA

644 Home Shopping Europe FTA

645 Simply Shop+ FTA

646 TV Warehouse FTA

647 Bid-up.tv FTA

649 TellSell FTA

650 Lets go Shopping FTA

651 Auction World FTA

652 Shop on TV FTA

653 Simply Home FTA

654 Simply Music FTA

655 Thane Direct FTA

656 Shop Smart FTA

657 Shop Aid TV FTA

658 Shopping Genie FTA

659 Shop 24/7 FTA

660 Stop + Shop FTA

661 Yes 661 FTA

662 ScreenShop 2 FTA

663 TGH FTA

664 JML Direct FTA

Specialist

683 TV Job Shop FTA
684 The Community Channel FTA
685 The Dating Channel FTA
686 Txt me TV FTA
687 Open Access TV FTA
688 TDC2 (Dating Channel 2) FTA
689 TX1 FTA
801 B4U Music FTA
805 PCNE Chinese FTA
807 mta - muslim tv FTA
824 Abu Dhabi TV FTA
826 Simply Asian FTA
952 CPD Dental TV FTA

Religion

671 GOD Channel FTA
672 GOD 2 FTA

674 TBN Europe FTA

675 Wonderful FTA

202 Vision/Christian Inspiration Channel FTA
Time share with Life TV
Life TV (202) and BEN (238) show a lot of religious programming as well.


Travel

631 TV Travel Shop FTA
632 TV Travel Shop 2 FTA
638 Travel Deals Direct FTA
648 Thomas Cook TV FTA
181 Travel Channel FTA

Radio Channels

851 BBC Radio 1 FTA
852 BBC Radio 2 FTA
853 BBC Radio 3 FTA
854 BBC Radio 4 FM FTA
870 BBC Radio 4 LW FTA
855 BBC Radio 5 Live FTV
856 Classic FM FTA
857 Virgin Radio FTA
859 Classic Gold FTA
860 The Storm FTA
861 Planet Rock FTA
862 Core FTA
863 Capital Gold FTA
864 XFM FTA
865 BBC World Service FTA
866 BBC Radio Scotland FTA
867 BBC Radio Wales FTA
868 BBC Radio Ulster FTA
869 BBC Asian Network FTA
871 Youth FM FTA
872 WRN EuroMax FTA
873 Premier FTA
874 Heart FTA
875 UCB Europe FTA
876 Cross Rhythm FTA
877 One Word FTA
879 Solar Radio FTA
880 Panjab Radio FTA
882 Prime Time FTA
883 Sunrise Radio FTA
884 talkGOSPEL FTA
885 Total Rock FTA
886 UCB Inspirational FTA
887 The Mix FTA
888 TWR FTA
889 LBH Radio FTA
890 UCB Bible FTA
891 UCB Talk FTA
892 RTE Radio 1 FTA
894 SBN FTA
895 Club Asia FTA
896 Real Radio FTA
897 EWTN FTA
900 Sukh Sagar FTA
901 Asian Gold FTA
902 BBC W/S Extra FTA
904 BBC Radio Cymru FTA
905 Relax with a Book Radio FTA
907 BBC 5 Live Sports Extra FTV
908 Gaydar Radio FTA
909 Family Radio FTA
911 BBC Six Music FTA

912 Purple Radio FTA

913 Apna Radio FTA

914 2FM FTA

915 Lyric Fm FTA

916 R na G FTA

917 Jazz FM FTA

918 Akash Radio FTA

919 1xtra BBC FTA

920 BBC Radio nan Gaidheal FTA


Other

960 BBC Two Scotland FTV
961 BBC Two Wales FTV
962 BBC Two Northern Ireland FTV
996 Channel Lineup (Audio) FTA

http://www.geocities.com/jinto100/Jintopics.html

 

[BarryH]

Exactly the reason I wont have skytv. There's enough rubbish on normal TV without that lot!!

 

[tcm]

Sat TV dimbo questions

1. Whats the difference between FTV and FTA?
2. Why does my incredibly overspecced KvH sat TV only get a pic for 10 seconds and then says "bad signal"?
3. How do i gettit to show bbc.

It seems that the "remote" control is so called becos there a very remote chance of the things working...

 

[KevL]

Re: Sat TV dimbo questions

Can you get channel 327 ok?

KevL


--
It may be the early bird that catches the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

 

[VMALLOWS]

Have to agree with your sentiment.......would never have time for the forums (much more interesting). But useful info, didn't realise so much free-to-air these days on digital Sky. I abandoned analogue Sky several years ago when tuner conked out and there were only 3 or 4 very commercial FTA channels.

Personally would not even have a TV licenece (or TV!) if not for SWMBO.

 

[EME]

Answers

1) The V and A are 22 letters apart in the alpahabet
2) Cos your overspecced dish is pointing in the wrong direction?
3) Answer as 2 above.... we have same problem with ITV en France ( yes I know it's illegal)

Try batteries in Remote control /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Learner on 21/11/2002 17:26 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[coliholic]

Cor luvva duck, tcm's got his own TV channel now.

Whatever next?

 

[EME]

Stupid Me...

i confess to once asking TCM if he were anything to do with movies cos of his handle (or with Liz Taylor)....he larfed at me , nuff said.

<font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[tcm]

Re: no! nm

.

 

[tcm]

Not quite that dim

er the sat thingy has a motorised dish thing inside. Even I know that. It whirrs around and the belt inside makes a noise. IN fact, whirring around is what is does best. So, i turn off the tuner thingy and watch DVD. Bit of a waste really.

 

[EME]

Aarrgggh

...obviously me a little thicko...not used to whizzy direction finders..

but seriously all the folks in France that pick up British Sky find that the answer to the weak channels is purely dish size...The Weak channels ?? ITV1 and BBC1...so maybe summat in that?????? no idea about UK of course as no TV here ...spend all time on here..

<font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Learner on 21/11/2002 17:51 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[PerlMac]

Mark - are these all really free??

Mark, we used to have OnDigital and then, when it went bust were, obviously, left with the box of tricks. This now happily receives a few channels on the BBC FreeView system but nothing like the list you have published. Can we actually get all these other channels simply by ringing SKY?? Would particularly like to get the Motors Channel as we can no longer get British Eurosport, on which we watched a lot of Motorbike racing.
Would appreciate further info and tel.number to ring .....or have you already given us that? I will have to re-read your post!

 

[markc]

Re: Mark - are these all really free??

These are on Sky Digital Satellite, not terestrial digital

M

http://www.geocities.com/jinto100/Jintopics.html

 

[boatone]

Re: Aarrgggh

The bigger the dish the more precisely it needs to be pointed to get the strongest siignal. Smaller dishes a tad more tolerant of direction but weaker signal. Also, thingy at focus point of dish - LNB- is critical to performance, the lower the LNB noise figure the better the reception. In my sat tv days usually found most critical adjustment for better perfomance was pointing dish as accurately as possible. You can buy a little meter thingy to help you get macimum signal when youre adjusting direction.
Read all about Astra TV Satellites and coverage/channels etc Excel Spreadsheet!!!

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boatsontheweb.com/galleryframes.html> BoatsOnTheWeb Photo Gallery</A>

 

[EME]

MMMMmmmm

So what does TCM do?? Small internal self-finding, all whizzy??

More accurately didn't work for us in SoF...but Bigger aerial has for:- us, outlaws plus 1 other UK couple...

All teccy stuff way over my comprehension

<font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[boatone]

Re: MMMMmmmm

Should also have said think SoF is on edge of UK beam so weaker signal anyway....at end of day its all down to signal strength ...weaker signal needs bigger aerial cos ...well...stronger reception that way but really weak signal may be no go even with 2 metre aerial which looks bit silly on small yacht!!!
Didnt look at tcm's auto dish but expect programmed with satellite info and input from gps so can calculate satellite direction and elevation so lock dish on to signal but need to know how to use it so prob have to rtfm....?

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boatsontheweb.com/galleryframes.html> BoatsOnTheWeb Photo Gallery</A>

 

[Guest]

Re: Aarrgggh

All a bit mucking futch if you ask me

"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[Guest]

Mark had a look at Jinto on your web site mighty fine looking craft she is too. I take it the hulls by
Berny Olisinnnisskkkii ? Can I ask what made you leave PH and go done to sea was it the obvious
limited cruising available to large flybridge allied to its obvious sea potential.

Would'nt mind a 43/45 for the school boat if I can get a bigger berth. what is the actual LOA
(43ft ?) only my current berth is 12m only about 39ft, so would have to go bigger




"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[markc]

Hi Clive

Moved a couple of years ago - yes river was tooooo slow and restrictive - the Solent has miles more going for it.

The LOA is 14.2 m which is nearly 47', according to MDL's tape measure. It is a great boat and I am well happy with her!

Mark

http://www.geocities.com/jinto100/Jintopics.html

 

[duncan]

if you ever get the answer.....

I can access an old one of these Ondigital boxes - do they need a card at all for the basic channels or not?
As for getting all those other channels it would seem that a mini dish and box plus htis card delivers a pretty good set of services..........