Freesat vs Sky: Get the best of both worlds

If you’re looking at ways to save money you might be looking at getting rid of your Sky subscription, but what if you could receive your favourite Sky channels and still get the benefits of a satellite subscription-free service.

Well you can and it involves signing up with Freesat and subscribing to Now (formerly Now TV) 

What is Freesat?

Operating for 12 years as a venture between BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, Freesat is a subscription-free satellite service, offering 170 TV and radio channels, compared to Freeview’s 140.

Being subscription-free means that unlike sky you don’t pay a monthly subscription nor are you tied into a contract.

While it is subscription-free you will need some equipment to get started, some that you might already have, especially if you are coming from Sky. 

What equipment do you need to receive Freesat?

it will probably come as no surprise that to get Freesat you’ll need a satellite dish and possibly a set-top box.

Freesat’s own recordable 4K TV Box enables you to record up to four programmes at the same time so long as it is connected to a wideband LNB satellite dish. These are priced at £229 for a 500GB model, £259 for a 1TB model and £299.99 for a 2TB model.

This initial outlay does sound expensive, but if you consider that the cheapest Sky package is £25 per month this equates to 12 months of a Sky subscription should you choose a model with 2TB of storage.

If this is beyond your budget you can also get cheaper Freesat boxes for as little as £59.00 at Argos.

What if you already have a Freesat enabled TV?

If you already own a smart TV with Freesat built-in, you won’t have to buy a set-top box but you will still need a satellite dish.

Can you use your existing sky dish with Freesat?

Yes.

To use the dish all you have to do is plug in your cables to the set-top box and off you go. 

What are the benefits of satellite TV?

As well as the chance to get more channels, the major advantage of having a satellite service in your home is the fact that you can get service regardless of whether you live in a poor reception area.

Can I record Freesat channels?

Your ability to record Freesat channels will depend on the equipment that you have.

As I mentioned above you can buy set-top boxes that enable you to record TV, but some smart TVs might also enable you to record directly from them

Does a Freesat box need internet?

You don’t necessarily need the internet to watch Freesat, though if you want to benefit from some of the many on-demand services then an internet connection is a must.

What is the difference between Freesat and sky?

Cost

This is probably the biggest factor in differentiating the difference between Freesat and Sky.

The cheapest entertainment package from SKy will set you back £25 per month, but if you’ve got sky you’ll probably have a few added extras onto the package, such as movies, sports, kids channels and maybe an HD package

Contract length

With Freesat, there is no minimum term contract, so if you decide that for whatever reason it’s not for you all you have to do is unplug the device.

Sky will tie you into a minimum of 18 months and might even offer a discounted rate if you enter into a longer-term contract.

Channels

Sky offers several channels that you will only find on the Sky service, including entertainment, music, documentary and children’s channels.

How do you get the best from Sky and satellite TV?

If you’ve got this far you’d have already concluded that it involves having Freesat, but to get the best from Sky you will also need to subscribe to Now, formerly Now TV.

This is a streaming service provided by Sky, which means that you can watch your favourite shows from Sky without being tied into an 18 or 24-month contract.

Pros and cons of Now (Now TV)

Pros

Access to award-winning TV

No contract

Downloadable content

Cons

Shows are available for a limited time

To remove ads and get Full HD you need to pay for Boost

What channels can you get from Now?

What channels you get depends on the package that you subscribe to, there are four currently.

Entertainment

• Atlantic
• Comedy
• Comedy Central
• Crime
• Documentaries
• Gold
• History
• Max 
• MTV
• National Geographic 
• Nature
• Peacock
• Showcase
• SYFY
• Witness

Cinema

Get all the latest films and Sky originals as well as some great classics

Sports

• Action
• Arena
• Cricket
• Football
• Formula 1
• Golf
• Main Event
• Mix
• News
• Premier League
• Racing

Hayu

If it’s reality TV that you’re after then Hayu is what you are going to want to subscribe to.

How much do the Now packages cost?

Entertainment is £9.99 per month

Cinema is £9.99 per month

Sports is £33.99 per month, though you can get 24hr access to Sky Sports for a one-off payment of £11.98

These can be bundled and you can also boost, which is ad-free, Full HD and surround sound on up to 3 devices for an extra £5 per month. 

How do I cancel Sky?

Before you cancel Sky you should make sure that you’re not still in contract otherwise you’ll end up paying a termination fee.

If you are satisfied that you are out of contract you can contact Sky on 03442 414141, just expect the advisor to try and do everything within their power to try and keep you, like adding services or giving you money off your monthly subscription.

You can also email them at [email protected] letting them know you are cancelling.

If you prefer snail mail you can also send a letter to Sky Subscribers Services Ltd, PO Box 43, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 7DD, remember to add details of your account so that they know who you are.

You will want to cancel your subscription in the most efficient way possible as you will need to provide them with 31 days’ notice.

Do I have to return the equipment?

If you have a Sky Q box you’ll also have to return it as you don’t own the equipment. If you own a Sky HD box then this is yours to keep.

Conclusion

To get the best from both satellite and Sky without the subscription you need to have both Freesat and a Now subscription.

This means that you’re not going to be tied into a contract, allowing you to cancel at any time. 

If you’ve given up your contract with Sky and now subscribe to Now, do you regret your decision? Let me know in the comments.