Sky Viewing Cards History
Sky TV provide its subscribers with viewing cards. These all the viewers to access the pay TV channels that they have subscribed to.
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 Sky 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.
Over the years Sky have produced a number of viewing cards. They are required to change these (as are many pay TV providers around the world) by their encryption company. This means that every 5 or so years, Sky go through a viewing card replacement process. This ensures that their encryption is kept up to date, and tries to make it hard for people to hack into the Sky system and watch their channels for free, or share their “viewing card” over card sharing networks.
There are no Freesat viewing cards. 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.
How to replace your Sky viewing card with a new Sky viewing card.
This guide will show you how to replace your Sky viewing card when you receive a new replacement Sky viewing card.
Sky Viewing Cards History in Pictures.
A history or Sky Digital viewing cards.
The first Sky Digital viewing card issued when Sky Digital launched on 1st October 1998.
The second Sky Digital viewing card started to be issued from 2000, that incorporated the new Sky digital brand logo.
The old Blue Yellow house Sky viewing cards – issued by Sky 2003.
The white Sky viewing cards – issued by Sky from April 2009 (more information on this Sky Viewing Card swap)
The red Sky Viewing Cards – started to be issued by Sky UK from 2015 ( more information on this new Sky Viewing card)
