Many people are getting a message on their SKY boxes informing them of the Sky card change.  If you have a Sky subscription then Sky will send you a new white card to your registered address (which will be one in the UK).

If you only have the free channels then you either need to buy a new card or contact Sky for a replacement.  You can check what you need to do on their website here:
https://mysky.sky.com/replacecard/index.jsp

If you don't replace your card then you will lose some, but not all, channels.
DO NOT ring Sky from Spain unless you have a phone service that presents a UK CLID as you are not allowed to receive UK TV in Spain.

Tha alternative, if you don't want to buy a new card or contact Sky and don't want to lose channels is to change to a Freesat box.  At the moment FIVE USA, FIVE USA +1, FIVER and FIVER +1 are not on freesat but may come soon. Basic freesat boxes cost between 70 and 100 euros and there are also versions that have both Satellite and Terrestrial TV option (for those who want to view Spanish terrestrial TV).  There are also freesat boxes that have recording capability - as per the Sky+ boxes.

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

We don't subscribe to any Sky packages but do have a card in order to view 4 and 5 etc.  If we swap to the Freesat option from the current Sky box (when these 'extra' channels go off line), can I assume that there is no alteration to the dish/LNB arrangement?  Simply swap one box for another and tune in and watch?  The swap is tempting for us as we don't want to be at Sky's mercy again some time in the future, though I appreciate we would, by definition, be at Freesat's mercy.  Look on the bright side we didn't have Setanta Sports!

There is no need to change anything on the dish/lnb - the signal still comes from Astra 2A.  The only down side of the freesat boxes is that the EPG (electronic program guide) isn't as good as the Sky one. The advantage is you get more channels and all the BBC and ITV regions without having to add them in (as you do on a Sky box) so if you start losing your picture due to adverse weather you can change to a different region and will hopefully still be able to view the program.

Nigel

You sure you don't mean Astra 2D for all the Freesat stuff ?

Freesat as a company transmit from Astra 2D but all the free channels (God/shopping/foreign language etc.) and SKY channels all come from a cluster of satellites at 28.8 degrees, Astra 2A, 2B, 2D and Eurobird 1.  Astra 2C was originally also at 28.8 but was mover to 31.5 degrees in March this year to take over from Astra 5C (formerly known as Sirius 2) which failed in January.  Astra 2C will probably be moved back to 28.8 some time early next year.

The moving of Astra 2C caused some channels to disappear on Freesat boxes as their frequency was changed when they were moved to a different satellite.  A re-scan of the satellite(s) should have recovered the missing channels.  SKY boxes wouldn't have been affected.

Nigel

Don't know if I'm missing the point but I don't have a SKY box at all.  I have an el cheapo receiver (a la Lidl) and I get all the Freesat channels without any form of card or subscription.  I assume that any Sky box (with or without card) can do the same so it would seem to me that if you only want the freesat channels there's no panic about having or changing cards.

Exactly - it only affects people that have Sky boxes, those with freesat (I also have a Lidl box) won't notice any difference at all.

Glad we got that sorted   :o