SKY FALL
Sky customers given urgent warning as free upgrade that stops channels disappearing ends in just days
SKY is ending its free upgrade offer to customers still using old satellite-receiving boxes ahead of its final channel switch-off.
Households who have not yet upgraded to a newer Sky box will have their contracts terminated in the next seven days.
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It may already be too late for some customers who want to upgrade their box for a newer model.
SD (standard definition) versions of channels will no longer be available on older SD satellite boxes as Sky changes how it delivers TV services.
In August, some Sky channels such as Sky Cinema, Sky Sports and Sky Max, disappeared from standard definition screens.
The BBC and ITV have already pulled all of their SD channels from the air.
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For customers with satellite receivers, Sky was offering a newer, internet-connected Sky Q box at no extra cost.
The offer made sure customers would continue getting uninterrupted access to their favourite channels.
Sky even waivered its early termination charge, meaning customers could switch to a new TV provider without paying a fee.
The broadcaster has warned of the switch off for months, giving customers ample warning to make the jump over to a new, and notably, free Sky box.
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However, affected viewers who want to benefit from the free upgrade must contact Sky before their October billing date.
Viewers who have already passed their billing date have already missed the deadline.
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From October 31, the offer will be unavailable.
For the vast majority of customers, this shouldn't be a problem, as most people now use a modern box, such as Sky Q.
Why are channels disappearing?
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor 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 satellites for now.
SD broadcasts of other channels will still be available on Freeview for the foreseeable future.
Full list of affected Sky box models
Digibox
- 4F01 to 4F08 (Amstrad)
- 4E01 to 4E05 (Grundig)
- 9F01 to 9F08 and 9F0A (Pace)
- 0F01 to 0F05 (Panasonic)
- 4E06 to 4E08 (Thomson)
Sky+
- 4F2001 to 4F2006 (Amstrad)
- 4F2101 to 4F2118 and 9F2101 to 9F2137 (Amstrad or Pace)
- 9F2001 to 9F2024, PVR2, 9F2201 to 9F2235, 9F2301 to 9F2339 (Pace)
- 4E2101 to 4E2141 (Thomson)
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