Get FREE ITV CHANNELS from your SKY DIGIBOX

Do you sometimes feel that you would like to watch ITV channels being broadcast to other areas of the  UK?

• Fed up with Gaelic programs and can't follow the subtitles?
• Want to check the local news in Yorkshire, Northern Ireland, or elsewhere.
• Get the local Sport and other programmes?
• Occasionally see 'Corrie' at a different time?

IF YOU FIND ERRORS or wish to advise changes to the contents of this page please send email..

Updated on date at foot of page.

Sky EPG / Channel numbers altered on 28th February 2006.

You need a digital satellite system which uses a SKY Digibox you can probably add many extra ITV channels. It depends what you equipment you have and I cannot guarantee it will work for you. If you already pay a SKY subscription then it should work. Originally I paid a SKY subscription but now I have an old Sky Free-to-view Card (NOT Freeview!) from the time when such was available.  Since the BBC no longer required this card to be used to access their channels the card has ceased to be officially used but mine is still in the box.  I suspect it still must contain some regional information as SKY EPG  channels 101 and 102 are BBC-TV 1 and BBC-TV 2 respectively.  Without any card all BBC 1 - 2 channels are from EPG 941 onwards. You likely already know that all these can be viewed with no card or the process described below.

Sky now provide 'FREESAT' which is either all the kit AND viewing card (around £170.00), or if you have the kit only £20.00 for the card. Nearly all the channels available with the card are already available FTA but the EPG operates properly.

ALL BBC Channels for ALL regions are available to Digibox users with no payment or extra equipment.

Sometimes the local ITV-1 station appears as EPG 103, but most times it does not.  In such cases the procedure detailed below provides access to these all ITV 1 regional variation channels.

Other ITV channels and C4. etc may appear in the EPG but are encrypted.

Have a look at Satellite TV Magazines you can "ADD EXTRA CHANNELS" to view with your SKY Digibox using settings you can find there, but very limited - sport and music is the same in any language :^)

You may still be able to see some channels, the unnamed ones.)

Here's how - it's easy!

Use your SKY remote control, pointing it at your Digibox, to carry out the following stages.

1. Press the green SERVICES button

2. Press the number 4 button (SYSTEM SETUP)

3. Press the number 4 button again (ADD CHANNELS)

5. You will see a grid something like this with the default entries as shown-

6. For the free extra channels available you need to enter the appropriate numbers or change the entries as shown in the grid above.

The top line will already be highlighted in yellow, simply type the numbers (as below) on your remote keypad (ignore the point).

Use the green down-arrow to move to the next line - now move either L or R green arrow to change V to H.

Move down to next line and use the L or R green arrow to change 27.5 to 22.0

Again, move down and use the L or R green arrow to change FEC from 2/3 to 5/6

Move down to the next line 'Find Channels', press your SELECT button and wait a few moments.

7. A list of available channels will be displayed and you simply follow the onscreen instructions - press the yellow key, move down, yellow key again, move down, etc. until all the channels (you will recognise at least some of the names) are marked with a 'tick'.

Now press your SELECT button to save the channels.

8a. At THIS STAGE repeat items 6 and 7 again for the following Frequency.

8b. Again, repeat items 6 and 7 again BUT you will need to change the Frequency AND the Polarity to V for the following.

8c. and yet again, repeat items 6 and 7 again BUT change the Frequency AND the Polarity.

(Detail kindly supplied by Alan in February 2006.)

Follow onscreen instructions to exit. (The default settings will appear if you start the process again from scratch.)

To gain access to these channels -

1. Press the green SERVICES button

2. Press the number 6 button (Other Channels)

Scroll through the available list and SELECT the channel you wish.

It is also possible to add more channels if you select the data from the satellite operators websites - Hotbird and Astra at about 22 degrees East.

These are likely to be Polish TV and Radio channels..

Are you aware of FREEVIEW?  FREE-TO-AIR TV and RADIO channels in the UK from your existing (good reception) aerial.

Read HERE about an INSTALLATION FAULT for the Freecom DVB-T USB2 stick

Press HERE to continue.