Free view Channels available via a Sky Box

I have recently moved over to TalkTalk from Sky after 3-years of the subscriptions creeping up in price and the broadband becoming weaker. Our TV arial was damaged last week with the weather so in the meantime I still wish to access free view channels via the Sky Box. How can I find out which channels I can access via free View? Will my Sky Box become a Freeview Box?
We are mainly interested in the BBC channels including BBC news. Sky are attempting to offer me a basic TV package of £22 per month and I do not think it is value for money, if I can access the channels I require via Freeview. Any advice would be appreciated. When we can afford £100 for a new digital arial the problem will be solved. The idea of switching to TalkTalk was to reduce our outgoing, and we now have to pay for a funuarel for a close family member too.

There's no such thing as a digital aerial, and you shouldn't be paying anything more than £20 for a decent wideband model.

For example: http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-19-element-wideband-aerial-cai-standard/33455

To address this;
Sky boxes are different compared to that of Freeview - it's a satellite based model compared to the aerials used by Freeview. A Sky box that isn't tied to a subscription will effectively be only usable for FTA channels - recording functionality is locked by a £10 paywall.

You mention about BBC channels; all of them, whether SD or HD, are FTA. Most Freeview channels are FTA on Sky, barring Dave and Quest, and the HD versions of some channels including ITV and C4 offshoots.

Hope this helps.

Just be sure you know the difference between Freeview, Freesat and Free Sat from Sky.

Freeview
Received via an aerial.
https://www.freeview.co.uk

Freesat
Received via a satellite dish (an old Sky one will work, it's the same satellite)
http://www.freesat.co.uk

Free Sat from Sky
Sky's almost secret free service that allows you to continue using an old Sky receiver to receive Free to View channels. It's not quite free, as they charge a one off fee for a viewing card.
http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home

There are some differences between the platforms in terms of channel line ups. There's also a difference between Free to Air and Free to View, the latter requiring a viewing card, but no subscription.

Not quite. Sky use satellite (i.e. received through a dish), and Freeview is a terrestrial service (i.e. received through an aerial).

When you stop subscribing to Sky, or remove the card, your Sky box is limited to 'Free-to-Air' channels. All the main terrrestrial channels are there in SD and HD, all BBC HD channels are there, the More4/E4/ITV2/ITV3 etc. are SD only (as C4 and ITV have deals with Sky that mean ITV2-4HD, More4H, E4HD etc. are Pay-TV).

Without a card you'll get ITV Central on 103 I think, and BBC One London on 101. With a viewing card you'll continue to get the regional channels you had previously on 101 and 103.

This is NOT Freeview - it's effectively Freesat from Sky (if you use your old a viewing card)

You won't be able to record (that requires a subscription to Sky channels OR a £10/month Sky+ subscription)



Switch on your old Sky box connected to your dish and see if you get the channels you want. Chances are you will - but without recording.

Give it a few months and Sky will offer you a succession of cheaper deals.

Thank you for all your replies.

As you're with TalkTalk, look into TalkTalk TV which comes down your internet and doesn't need a satellite dish, you can get some Sky channels through it too but you have to be a TalkTalk customer to get their TV and it's fairly modular. It's effectively a Freeview box with extra functionality.

Also remember you may be able to get a semi-decent Freeview signal these days on an indoor aerial. I can, and I get a better signal on my indoor aerial than the communal aerial.