Why get a Freesat box and not a standard free-to-air satellite box?
While a free-to-air box is very similar to a Freesat box, it’s lacking one major thing. Most don’t contain the access codes required for channels such as Channel 4 and 5, which are encrypted on the Astra satellites (the ones that both Sky and Freesat use). This is the different between free to air and free to view – free to air channels are unprotected, while free to view ones have some protection on them. Freesat boxes have the permissions required to access the protected channels like Channel 4 and 5 (completley legally and with their approval!). Also, Freesat boxes are generally aimed much more at the mass market, meaning they’re usually made by much bigger manufacturers with better technical support and easier-to-use interfaces.
