EIGHT Sky channels are set to disappear in weeks, as the company moves to end broadcasts to standard-definition (SD) Freesat boxes.
It forms part of a countrywide shutdown of SD channels that began last year, in an effort to free up airwaves in favour of the more popular high-definition (HD) stations.
Older Freesat boxes that don’t support HD channels will lose access to all remaining Sky channels at the end of August.
They will also lose several other channels like DMAX and Quest, as well as their respective +1 channels.
The boxes affected are first-generation Freesat receivers that are roughly more than a decade old.
Most first-gen Freesat SD boxes were bought between 2008 and 2013.
Full list of channels disappearing on 31 August 2024:
The switch-off means viewers with older set-top boxes that are not compatible with HD channels can no longer view the Sky’s SD stations.
Sky is not alone in the SD switch-off, and like other broadcasters, has given customers months of warning.
The biggest phase of Sky’s SD switch-off came in May, when 14 SD channels ceased airing, such as:
It’s important to note that all SD channels have an HD ‘twin’ – the same channel but with a better picture quality.
Viewers will have to upgrade to a newer, HD-supported box to access the HD versions of the channels they love.
The BBC withdrew its support for SD channels last year, and finished its well-reported satellite switch-off in January.
SD channels that disappeared from the BBC include:
ITV followed a similar timeline to the BBC, removing its SD channels ITV3, ITV4 and ITVBe from broadcast in January.
If your Sky or Freesat receiver can’t access the BBC (or RTÉ, VMTV, TG4 on Sky Ireland), then you need to upgrade to a newer box.
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Senior Technology and Science Reporter at The Sun
Don’t panic, your favourite channels aren’t shutting down, it’s just the standard definition versions.
And about time too.
HD TVs are commonplace now – and if you can afford to subscribe to Sky Sports and Sky Cinema, you can surely afford a HD TV too.
Those who aren’t watching via HD are missing out on a far superior experience.
Sky is even offering a free upgrade to Sky Q, which you may as well take up.
Ending SD broadcasts via satellite frees up satellite capacity, which costs companies money to run and ultimately falls on all customers to pay towards – it’s hard to justify this cost when so few are still using them.
Remember, this only affects satellite for now.
SD broadcasts of other channels will still be available on Freeview for the foreseeable future.
