BBC Channel 4 and 5

[Newbie1001]

Is there anyway to obtain BBC Channel 4 and 5 on a standard (non Sky) Satellite receiver?

I have two CI slots but do not know if there is anything available to purchase. I read Sky have a card for £ 20.

This sky link answers the question:-

"I already have digital satellite equipment - what else do I need?
All you need to get access to the free channels available on the digital satellite platform is a freesat viewing card which costs just £20." http://www.freesatfromsky.com/?pID=6

Does this mean I can buy some sort of CAM plus this card and get Sky to activate it somehow?

Newbie.

[Analoguesat]

The only way to do it in a none sky box is with a dragon cam. This wioll give you C4 & C5 & Sky 3. You dont need any cards for BBC or ITV channels

HOWEVER

1) you will need a sky box to authorise the card

2) you will need to put the card in a sky box every 3-4 weeks to pass the "stay alive" signals to the card.

To be honest the easiest solution is a sky box for 28E and a proper receiver for any other satellites you want to play with.

[Jimdefruit]

A dreambox will read the card without any cam and will also update the card without returning it to a digibox every month.

However, a digibox is a lot cheaper but wont get you other satellites.

[Newbie1001]

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

The only way to do it in a none sky box is with a dragon cam. This will give you C4 & C5 & Sky 3. You dont need any cards for BBC or ITV channels

HOWEVER
1) you will need a sky box to authorise the card
2) you will need to put the card in a sky box every 3-4 weeks to pass the "stay alive" signals to the card.

Could you clarify what you mean by "You gon't need any card..." and "you will need to authorise the card"!

Are you saying for BBC Channel 4 and FIVE, I just need a Dragon Cam?
The Dragon 4.1 at around 85 poungs is all I need, right? Its just plug in and works, right? I am confused by things like loader cards and how to use them.

All the other BBC and ITV stuff I can get already. I was just asking about BBC Channel 4 and FIVE only.

[Mickha]

Hi Newbie1001,
channel 4 and channel 5 are FTV, Free to View, so you need either a Sky card or a Free to View card, for which you pay the cost of the card, about £20, and the cost of a digibox, if you haven't got one. BBC Channels are FTA, free to air, as are most of the channels, including ITV, Film Four, Horror Channel, Bonanza etc.. and so are available without the freeview card.
You can view all the FTA channels on most satellite receivers, without the need for a card. Check here for a full list of available channels, all the ones with F by them are Free to Air.
_http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html

[Analoguesat]

BBC, ITV, the shopping channels and all the dating rubbish channels are transmitted in the clear (what we call fta). No card is required at all for any of these services.

As for the card. When Sky send a card out its not active. It has to be "authorised" (turned on) so it decrypts the set of channels you have paid for. Then once a month or so it has to receive "stay alive" signals, otherwise it automatically goes dormant again. A basic 20 quid card ONLY gives you C4 C5 and Sky 3. Nothing else at all.

[Analoguesat]

Originally Posted by Newbie1001

All the other BBC and ITV stuff I can get already. I was just asking about BBC Channel 4 and FIVE only.

BBC Channel 4 ?? No such thing - which is what is confusing the issue somewhat.

[BGonaSTICK]

There is no such channel as 'BBC channel 4', rather BBC Four and the independent 'Channel Four'. There is also Film 4, a channel that was encrypted but has recently become FTA.

Here's the big picture:

All BBC - Free to Air - no card required regardless of platform. This includes 'BBC Four'.

All ITV channels - Free to Air - no card required regardless of platform.

Channel Four and FIVE - encrypted in NDS but decoded by the FreesatFromSky £20 card you mentioned.

The above restrictions apply i.e. no problem in a Sky digibox or Dreambox, but the Dragon CAM requires the periodic use of a Sky digibox to keep the card 'alive'.

'Authorising the card' is the one-time operation that you have to go through when you first 'activate' your £20 card and start your Channel Four and FIVE viewing.

A Sky card left out of a capable receiver (i.e Dreambox or digibox) will miss the signals sent by Sky via satellite targeted specifically at YOUR card to keep it in the activated or 'authorised' state.

If a card does not receive these 'updates' it will fall into a state of 'deactivation' if left long enough. In fact there are at least two levels of 'deactivated', one of which the card will recover from in placed back in the receiver and left for a while, and one which is more permanent.

You will need to program your Dragon CAM with a loader card to get it to do the Channel Four and FIVE decryption, because these are 'unofficial' capabilities. You will also need a basic programmer. The Dragon CAM is NOT licensed to decrypt NDS transmissions. It's a bit fiddly, but very do-able. We can help you achieve this if you chose this route.

Hope this helps.

[BGonaSTICK]

LOL, I've just realised that there were three posts in between me reading and replying.

My typing really is sh!t slow! :roflmao:

Sorry guys

[Newbie1001]

You experts got my head really spinning now! I apologise for confusion - I mean Ch 4 and FIVE, which is how they are listed in my Radio Times magazine. You know the ones that cannot be got without sky stuff.

OK, I decided to have a go to get myself on the next level of this maze. If I understand y'all correctly:-

1) I buy the Dragon 4.01 Cam with loader card 85 quid, right?
2) I buy (perhaps) Infinity WB_Electronics Smartmouse USB 26 quid, right?
3) I buy the Sky card 20 quid, right.
4) I go somewhere and download some software for Smartmouse to write to the loader card ,
5) I instal loader card s/w into the dragon cam, then insert Sky card.
6) I ring Sky and ask for the Card to be authorised and wait 2/3 days.
7) If all goes well my wife stops complaining about missing Ch 4 & FIVE.

If it don't work I shoot myself.

Originally Posted by BGonaSTICK

It's a bit fiddly, but very do-able. We can help you achieve this if you chose this route.