Sky TV in Valencia. UK TV in Valencia. Satellite TV News and Information
All content used on this site are protected by copyright and should not be used without expressed permission. (C)2003 - 2011 J Worby
Costa Blanca Free Adverts and Business Directory
Sky TV in Valencia. UK TV in Valencia. Satellite TV News and Information
All content used on this site are protected by copyright and should not be used without expressed permission. (C)2003 - 2011 J Worby
Costa Blanca Free Adverts and Business Directory
Sky Viewing Cards Spain
Sky provide its subscribers with subscription viewing cards. These all the viewers to access the pay TV channels that they have subscribed to. They also produce a freesatfromsky viewing card, that allows access to the "free to view" channels like Fiver and Five USA.
The cards are also used to ensure that the sky digiboxes show the correct BBC ITV Channel 4 and FIVE regions on the programme guide and on channels 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.
The cards are also used for Parental Controls, which users can block certain channels being made available to all viewers, especially children. It also allows the users to PIN protect certain movies and channels, again to try and make "adult" programmes not available to children.
There is no Freesat viewing card. Freesat comprises of only TV channels that you can watch for free. You do not require a viewing card for these free TV channels. There is the "Freesatfromsky", sometimes known as a Sky Freesat card, that allows access to those free to view channels like Fiver and Five USA.
You do not need a sky card to view ANY BBC channels such as BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News or BBC Parliament, or most of the ITV1 regions or ITV2, ITV3 or ITV4. You have not needed a viewing card to watch BBC channels for some six years, when the BBC moved its channels to "free to air" and moved over to the Astra 2D satellite frequencies, hence the bigger dishes that are installed.
The use of a Sky card outside the UK and RoI goes against the terms and conditions of the Sky contract. Should Sky find out that the cards is being used in Spain (or France Italy Germany Greece etc) then they will deactivate the card.
However many expats around Europe get a friend or family member to "register" the sky card at their UK address and forward the card onto them to use in Spain. Sky make a few million each year from expat subscribers from this "grey market", Sky cannot actually do much to identify if a card is located outside the UK and RoI.
That is unless unless that card is part of a Sky discounted installation agreement or part or a Sky multiroom contract. For new UK installations Sky receivers and their viewing cards MUST be connected tot he UK phone line for a minimum of 12 months. For a multiroom card then the digibox and card must be connected to the UK phone line for the duration of the multiroom contract. This ensures that the discounted equipment and cards are being used at the correct address. If they are not then the UK address will be contacted, and may be charged for their equipment or full subscription, defeating the object of the extra £10 per month Sky multiroom discount!
Many expats also go through a Sky card agent. These agents provide the expats with a UK address for a Sky card, and will charge upwards of 150 euros a year for the privilege of using the agent UK address.
It is this Sky card agent method that has caused many expats troubles and difficulties during the recent card swap, where Sky have been replacing all the old blue Sky viewing cards with the new white sky cards. Some installers are no longer around in Spain, and so their clients do not know where their replacement Sky card has gone....in many cases the UK agent has the card but does not know where to send it. The client is still paying their subscription for their old blue Sky card, but does not have the new white Sky card. The only thing for the clients to do is contact their bank and cancel the Sky direct debit payment and start a new sky card contract, either using a friend or family members UK address, or bite the bullet and go the agent route again!