Sky Plus box - are they locked to only Sky?

Wed 14 May 2008, 16:53

Is a Sky Plus box locked totally to sky satellite input, or can they be used as general purpose terrestrial broadcast freeview receiver using a standard co-ax lead from a (proper digital) aerial?

We've actually got a satellite dish attached to the side of the house but not being TV watchers (haven't watched TV myself except for half of Dr Who last weekend since about Xmas!! I'm a Radio 3 and 4 bofar ;) have never bothered to do anything with the lead coming into the house.

I'm just tempted by a hard disk recorder rather than messing about with tapes - actually I'd probably use it more for timeshifting radio programs from 3,4 and World Service for the times I'm laid up in bed unable to move much, thus reducing the boredom. I find internet radio unbearable to listen to, it being such low quality bit rates.

And freeview is apparently twice the bitrate for radio broadcast as digital radio - the British have been conned yet again by having radio bitrates half that of say Germany, so the govt. can auction off more channels carrying drivel and trivia. Most people don't realise the digital radio con that has been worked upon us, but will do when they shut off the FM broadcasts!