how do i unlock my amstrad sky box?

You don't buy them from Sky 't', you purchase them from a company called FreeSat (the number is in telephone numbers option on your sky+ box menu's and sky will allow this obviously - after a year it's your box anyway).
Leaving the card in for atleast 3 days won't 're-activate' it as a freeview card either! - it will give you ch4, 5 and sky3 anyway (even for these aparent 3 days) as you have been a previous subscriber (after 3 days, nothing will change ^^). However, to view aditional channels i.e channel 4+1, Film4, Dave etc you will need a freesat card. Also its about £10 - £15 and the freeview channels are not 'Completely' different, freeview simply has a few more channels you will never watch. Best not to give advice if your not sure..

To enable it to record to Sam - you can organise this through FreeSat I beleive but you need a card in the box as they are paired with each other. i.e if you put your viewing card into your friends sky+ it will not let you record for the same reason. It needs a card and it needs to be paired. I havn't done any of this, I work for sky's repair plan and I was taught it.

Hope this helps someone, I got bored at work and noticed this thread

Inque
September 2009

only bad thing is you can't record if its a sky plus box dont mean to be a queston snatcher but any 1 know how to enable it to record

thanks

sam
January 2009

If you mean Free To Air Channels then you don't need to unlock it just plug it in. If you mean Freeview however, forget it. Freeview is terrestrial TV and has completely different set of channels to satellite.

However, your receiver will receive FTA (BBC & ITV) without you doing anything. However if you want Ch4, Ch5 and Sky 3 you will need a Sky Viewing card. Any old ex-subscription card ought to do it. Leave it in the machine for at least three days and it ought to reactivate as a Freesat from Sky Card. Or you can buy onew from Sky for £20.

t
May 2007