sky box doesnt pick up c4 or c5

[Mattk]

we do not pay a monthly subby for one of our sky boxes so do not expect to receive most of the channels but surely we should receive these two?
recently the box was playing up by not listing them at all and had moved us from dorset to the midlands for itv and to london for bbc!
yesterday i solved our location problem by removing the sky card, unplugging the box and then starting up again and altho it now lists the missing channels it wont let me watch them.
does this sound right?

[Buenchico]

A Sky box, without a valid viewing card, will only receive the unencrypted 'Free to Air' channels. These include BBC1, BBC2 and ITV1 but not C4 and C5.

C4 and C5 are 'Free to View' channels, which means that they're encrypted but they don't require payment of a subscription. However, you do need a 'FreeSat' card, which you must purchase from Sky for a one-off payment of �20. My guess is that you've got an old Sky subscription card in the slot, rather than a FreeSat one, so you're only receiving FTA channels and not FTV ones.

To view a list of Free to Air channels, see those marked 'FTA' in this list:
http://www.wickonline.com/fta.htm

For a list of the channels you should receive with a FreeSat card, use the scroll bar here:
http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/?pID=3
(Ignore the reference, on that page, to a one-off payment of �150. That only applies to people who haven't already got a Sky dish and receiver).

To purchase a FreeSat card, phone Sky on 0870 240 5651.

Chris

[pug100]

Yes, thats right if you use a Sky sat box with no card C4 & C5 will not be received. This is to do with the agreements signed between thes channels when they started broadcasting on Sky. The BBC renegotiated its agreement in 2002 and is no longer encrypted.
Your option is to contact Sky and ask for a freesat viewing card for �20 which will then give you these channels.

http://www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/

[Mattk]

well go figure! never wouldve thought that 2 channels that can be received thru standard ariel would fall foul of that.

thanks guys.