How is everybody getting around this ****ed freeview card renewal? FREVIEW??? WTF!! What a scam,making all the freeview cards not freview

Hi local.... by Freeview .. do you mean Sky Freesat?... the card you have in your Sky Digibox?

yes, that's the one!! Keeps flashing a warning that I am about to lose several of the programmes unless I get a new card
I rarely watch TV, but I am afraid my wife has become a soap addict Hmmmm...(thinks)..might not be so bad after all

OK... here's your options.

1). Stay as you are. You will lose these channels : ITV1, Channel 4 HD, Five, Sky3, FiveUSA (& +1), Fiver.
And you will forever get the pesky msg will which tells you at least once a day your card has run out.
2). Go to MediaMart and buy one of many generic satellite receivers for around 50 euros. They will connect to your dish at its current position (Astra 28.2e) and get you 100's of channels including all the normal Freesat channels usually on Sky. No digicard required. The EPG's are sometimes a little sketchy and you will have to put your favorite channels in order. Sky and Freesat are pre-programmed.
3). Next time you are in the UK go to Argos and buy a Freesat digibox for around £50. More expensive ones available with HD (HD LCD or Plasma required) and PVR's (internal hard disk for TV recording like Sky+ but NO CHARGE). It has its own EPG like Sky and does not need a digicard... so it wont run out.
4). Buy a new Sky Freesat card for about £20. Google it and you will get many suppliers but it must be delivered to a UK address. Remember it maybe replaced one day and you will never get Sky+ without subscription but you will get the nice Sky front end EPG.

Personally.... I would put in a twin LNB on your dish. Run a second cable back to maybe your bedroom or second lounge. I would ditch Sky and get myself Freesat with a PVR for my main TV and a generic receiver for my bedroom/wherever so I could watch the footy when the wife is glued to Corrie

otherwise come see me in tescos get a new HD box and all the loveley sky channels for 58.95 per mth oh and have a uk address for the subs (a SKY tv Agent )

Or watch the football down the pub like all good men and buy the films off the looky looky men.
You will save yourself at least £50 per month and make sure Murdoch's monopoly does not get any bigger

OK! Thanks for all the tips and advice!
First off...I haven't seen ANYTHING on TV that is worth nearly sixty quid a month to watch .
Secondly, don't drink, we live too far away to frequent a Bar to watch TV...and never watch football at ALL anyway. Prefer Rugby, to be honest
AV Kid..can you clarify something for me please? The freesat digibox from Argos..does that still get the programmes I will lose, if I stick with this one? WHEN will I lose them?
Does the digibox with a hard drive recorder need to be initialised in the UK, and be required for it to be connected to a phone line there for a year?
And does the unit bought from Media Markt get all, the programmes such as ITV etc, or just the same as the one I have now, but without the pop-up reminder?
Thanks for your great help!

AV REPLIES IN CAPS
First off...I haven't seen ANYTHING on TV that is worth nearly sixty quid a month to watch.
I AGREE. RIP OFF FROM SKY BUT WHO BLAMES THEM. THEY HAVE NO COMPETITION.

Secondly, don't drink, we live too far away to frequent a Bar to watch TV...and never watch football at ALL anyway. Prefer Rugby, to be honest.
AHA... SORRY. TARRED YOU WITH THE FOOTY BRUSH.

AV Kid..can you clarify something for me please? The freesat digibox from Argos..does that still get the programmes I will lose, if I stick with this one?
THE ARGOS BOX WILL GET BBC1, BBC2/3/4, ITV1/2/3/4, CH4, FIVE, SKY NEWS, SKY3 AND A LOAD OF OTHERS.... NO DIGICARD, NO EXPIRY. SEE http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=whatson.Main&PHPSESSID=pdg5tr3oh84j9e7uro8g0i6mh4
IN FACT I CAN ONLY SEE YOU UPGRADING WHEN HD BECOMES THE NORM. SOME YEARS OFF YET... AND I THINK 3D TV MAY COME ON THE SCENE SOON TO MAKE CHOICE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING.

When will I lose them?
I HAVE ALREADY LOST ITV, CH4 AND FIVE ON MY SKY DIGIBOX. BUT ON ANOTHER I STILL HAVE THEM. WHO KNOWS WHAT AND WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN BUT SOON... MAYBE?????

Does the digibox with a hard drive recorder need to be initialised in the UK, and be required for it to be connected to a phone line there for a year?
NO. YOU CAN INITIALISE IT IN SPAIN. IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE YOUR ARE. WHEN PURCHASING THE BOX FROM ARGOS THEY WILL ASK FOR A UK ADDRESS. ANYONE WILL DO AS LONG IT IS VALID. ITS FOR BBC LICENSE CHECKING SO DONT DROP ANY OF YOUR RELATIVES IN THE SH**. YOU WILL HAVE TO INPUT A POST CODE INTO THE BOX ON FIRST CONNECTION. THIS IS NOT FOR BIG BROTHER JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE CORRECT REGIONAL PROGRAMS... E.G. ITV CENTRAL, ETC, ETC.

And does the unit bought from Media Markt get all, the programmes such as ITV etc, or just the same as the one I have now, but without the pop-up reminder?
YES.. ITV, CH4, FIVE ETC... BUT THE EPG IS SOMEWHAT BASIC AND CHANNELS WILL NOT APPEAR ON THE BOX IN THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS E.G. BBC1 - POSITION 1, ITV1 - POSITION 3. THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE SO YOU WILL NEED TO SPEND AN HOUR OR SO PROGRAMMING THE BOX WITH ALL OF YOUR FAVORITES... AND THEN A MONTH LATER DO IT AGAIN CUZ YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR MIND. HO, HO. NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS FREESAT. SO IF PUSHED I WOULD GET AN ARGOS BOX FOR MY MAIN TV... AND HAVE A MEDIAMART BOX FOR MY BEDROOM!

IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT GET THE PVR VERSION. RECORDING PROGRAMS HAS NEVER BEEN SO EASY. ITS LIKE THE PAY MONTHLY SKY & V+ UK SERVICES. ONCE YOU HAVE MOVED TO SKY+ OR EVEN BETTER VIRGIN+ YOU WILL WONDER HOW YOU EVER MANAGED WITHOUT IT!!!

That was a fantastic reply. Thanks so much for taking the time to list everything so thoroughly. If only Sky was equally as assiduous
I will see if I an get one picked up from Argos for me..then we can record all the programmes she misses during the season (IF we have a season, that is )
Thanks VERY much again!

argos online now delivers to spain so you should get your free sat box that way

I know that Next have started to do Spanish deliveries but I cannot find it on Argos.
Delivery instructions seem to ignore anything other than a UK address.
Point me in the right direction please. Thanks

Can't see any satellite systems unfortunately

Found the website... but no Freesat. It does not surprise me as Freesat is supposed to be only for UK viewing... the same as Sky.

The wesbite does not have any TV's for sale either... probably as they all come with Freeview. The UK freeview receiver will not work in Spain as the DVB-T signals are not compatible.

Learn summat new everyday ... eh!

I know Stuart has a number of freesat boxes here in Salou. Give him a call on 677 715507

buy a uk tv with built in freeview and hook it up to a sattelite dish ?

The receiver on UK Freeview whether it be in a TV or in an external digibox conforms to Digital Video Broadcast - Terrestial or DVB-T for short.
It is specifically designed to decode a signal via an aerial and is not campatible with a satellite.
DVB-T signal frequency ranges also vary from country to country so a UK DVB-T receiver cannot be used or converted to receive a Spanish signal through an aerial

nooo please buy super sky+ hd uk address req but i promis i wont tell sky you are bringing it to spain the hd box is 3D ready i have a family to feed

Bloody Hell... Mad Murdoch in Salou.

Dont give him your money...
1). Too expensive
2). Ego bigger than Gordon Ramsey in a Veggie Convention
3). Get down to your local to watch the football

Ho, Ho

BUT... and a big BUT.... the range of Freesat Panasonic's are way, way over priced.
Good make & name, however the premium for this and both combined in the same LCD is too much.
Also you are stuck with the one TV... e.g you cannot split the output from a Freesat box into 2 TV's

HAHAHAHA,, NICE ONE..!! FUNNY AS HELL..

PORSCHE OWNER.. HAHAHAHA..

Help AV Kid!!! So...I bought a Skymaster DK 14. Took it home. Checked on the Sky box that signal was good (65%/50%). Turned it all off, connected the Skymaster, did a satellite search...came up with 402 tv channels. Selected all the ones my wife likes, set them up in favourites, ran through them...worked fine. This mrning, turned it on...NO SIGNAL Swapped boxes again...signal strength/quality as before...still no channels!! WTF??Any tips, or should I just take it back and get my dosh back?
Ta for any advice

Forgot to say...when I reconnected the Sky Digibox, all the channels were still there. Don't understand why one picks them up, and the other can't. Cheapo Chinese Cwap