What is the benefit of a sky box if you do not have a subscription

[PaddyW]

I have a property in Spain (Murcia) and I now want to get television as I am fed up with DVDs on the laptop. I do not have SKY in the UK - I just use freeview. I am thinking of getting a 1.4m high gain Famaval dish installed. My friends suggested a Sky plus HD box as one of them has one spare which I can have cheap. I liked the idea of being able to record as my wife and I can can rarely watch programmes when they are broadcast live. I have a Samsung Smart TV in the UK and I was thinking of getting one for Spain.

My queries are as follows:-
1) Is it true that I could not record programmes in Spain unless I have a SKY subscription? Is there any way round this?
2) If I have a digital tv, do I need a box at all?
3) Is there any benefit in having a SKY plus HD box with 250g hard drive if I cannot record? Is there any benefit in getting my freeview channels via the SKY satellite?
4) If I do want to be able to record I was told that the Humax system is best. Is this correct? If I receive programme through this box what would the reception be like compared to the SKY box - better, worse or no different.
5) Can you also get Spanish TV through this system. I cannot speak Spanish but this could be a good way to learn.
6) Would the Smart facilities on my Samsung TV work in Spain? For example I can access BBC Iplayer tec without using the internet.

I don't expect one person to be able to answer all my questions and any responses welcomed. Any other advice on getting British TV in Spain would be also welcomed and much appreciated.

Many thanks
PaddyW

[satandpcguy]

Hi and welcome,

1) Is it true that I could not record programmes in Spain unless I have a SKY subscription? Is there any way round this?

Yes. To activate the recording functions on a Sky+ or Sky+HD box, you must have a Sky subscription. You can (currently) get a £10 per month subscription that gets you the recording functions only, but then for an extra £10 per month, you can get the Sky Entertainment pakcage channels also.

If you want to record "free to air" channels without a subscription, then a Freesat HD+ box is better. This gets the same channels as a Sky box without a subscrition, and recording is free.


2) If I have a digital tv, do I need a box at all?
Depends on the TV.
If the TV has a built in satellite tuner, then no additional satellite box is required.
If you want Spanish Digital TV, then you will get these via the TV if it has a terrestrial digital tuner built in. If no built in digital tuner, then a seperate terrestrial box for spanish tv will be required.



3) Is there any benefit in having a SKY plus HD box with 250g hard drive if I cannot record? Is there any benefit in getting my freeview channels via the SKY satellite?

Some channel on Freeview, require a Sky subscription when you want to watch them on satellites (channels like Dave and Watch).
BBC ITV C4 and Fives are all available "free to air", with no subscription, and so can be recieved on a Sky box (with no card) and a Freesat box.

A Sky HD box with no subscription will get BBC1HD BBC2HD ITV1HD C4HD and NHKWorld HD.
A Freesat HD box with no subscription will get BBC1HD BBC2HD ITV1HD C4HD and NHKWorld HD.



4) If I do want to be able to record I was told that the Humax system is best. Is this correct? If I receive programme through this box what would the reception be like compared to the SKY box - better, worse or no different.
Humax are one of a number of manufatcurers of Freesat boxes.
Humax, Grundig, Manhatten all prodice Freesat boxes.
Reception between Freesat boxes and Sky boxes will be the same, as they all use the same signals and the same satellites for their channels.


So it is Sky or Freesat...subscription or nonsubscription...and if Freesat offers the chanensl you want, or if some of those channels require a Sky subscription...



5) Can you also get Spanish TV through this system. I cannot speak Spanish but this could be a good way to learn.
No.
Spanish TV requires a TV aerial aligned to the nearest TV transmitter.
And a digital terrestrial tuner (either built in to a tv or as a s seperate set top box).


6) Would the Smart facilities on my Samsung TV work in Spain? For example I can access BBC Iplayer tec without using the internet.

Yes, Smart TV work in Spain.
The content available to them will depend on your internet IP address.
If this is a Spanish IP address, then the content offered will be Spanish (and UK IPlayer content wil be blocked as you are seen to be not in the UK)
If you subscribe to a VPN service, that offers a UK IP Address, then you will get UK content.

BBC IPlayer content is only available via the internet - no other way.


Hope that helps.