hi im using a thomson sky box just for freeview channel upstairs.
got all the other freeveiw channels except channel 4 and channel 5.
it tell me i need to subscribe
help any idea why
thanks

maw, August 2007

Switch the STB off. After few minute switch it back on. When it says insert Viewing Card do so. Now leave it in there for up to three days. Ch4 and Ch5 will reappear.

t, August 2007

hi thanks for that
i already have a sky card inserted
im getting other channels but just channel 4 and 5 wont come on to view.
i cancelled sky a couple of month ago and just using it upstairs for the free channels

maw, August 2007

First of all it's not Freeview. Freeview is a terrestrial service with its own set of channels.

What you are currently doing is watching the Free To Air (FTA) channels on one of the Astra satellites. Channel Four and Channel Five are not FTA they are Free To View (FTV). This means that although they are encrypted you don't need a subscription to view them BUT you do need a Viewing Card. You can either buy one from Sky for about £20 or use any Sky Viewing card that has an expired subscription. You need to put it in the Viewing Card slot and leave it there for about three days. It will reactivate as a FTV FreeSat From Sky Card and allow you to view Ch4 and Ch5. (You still won't get all of their channels because, as I said earlier, this is NOT Freeview.) BTW the card will be keyed to the post code of where it was used last so local programming will be based on that post code.

t, August 2007