This article is within the scope of WikiProject Television, a collaborative effort to develop and improve Wikipedia articles about
television programs. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page where you can
join the discussion.
To improve this article, please refer to the
style guidelines for the type of work.TelevisionWikipedia:WikiProject TelevisionTemplate:WikiProject Televisiontelevision articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Cryptography, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of
Cryptography on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join
the discussion and see a list of open tasks.CryptographyWikipedia:WikiProject CryptographyTemplate:WikiProject CryptographyCryptography articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Telecommunications, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of
Telecommunications on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join
the discussion and see a list of open tasks.TelecommunicationsWikipedia:WikiProject TelecommunicationsTemplate:WikiProject TelecommunicationsTelecommunications articles
This article is part of WikiProject Electronics, an attempt to provide a standard approach to writing articles about
electronics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page, or visit the
project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Leave messages at the
project talk pageElectronicsWikipedia:WikiProject ElectronicsTemplate:WikiProject Electronicselectronic articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Computing, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of
computers,
computing, and
information technology on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join
the discussion and see a list of open tasks.ComputingWikipedia:WikiProject ComputingTemplate:WikiProject ComputingComputing articles
top box without smart card to see free to air channel
can i use the set top box without smart card to see free to air channel
Yes. But several free channels (such as Channel 4 and Five on Sky Digital) are "free to view" not "free to air" meaning you still need to decrypt them and therefore need a smart card.
Confusion
I'm glad to have found this article... I was recently trying to get my head around which CAM I need to watch Sky digital programs, and emailed the shop which I would probably be buying from asking which CAM would be suitable.
Their response was that the only CAM which works with Sky is one called the "T-Rex", which also happens to be the most expensive CAM they sell.
Can someone please explain what is the difference between "Dragon / T-Rex with loader", "Dragon 4.1 with programmer" "T-Rex / Dragon CAM" and "T-Rex CAM with programmer"? I can't find anything explaining what a loader/programmer is (presumably for installing software on the CAM, but what's the difference?)
If someone knowledgeable could expand on this wiki entry to explain how CAMs work, and which bits a newbie like me would need just to receive Sky, I'm sure it would be useful to many people.
Theres a far cheaper way to watch Sky Digital, its a
Sky Digibox... And you -need- one to use a CAM on a VideoGuard card because you need a box serial number and also need the actual box to do card updates. I'd recommend you ask somewhere like Alsat (google for it) about whats the difference, if any, between those packages; and adding information like that to this article would be unwise as the way a normal, every day CAM works is "put CAM in CI slot, put card in CAM"; only dodgy or actually illegal activities involve loaders, etc. --
Kiand 09:15, 17 May 2006 (UTC)reply
Like the previous answer, I suggest you go to the forums at www.alsat.co.uk
a Dragon is a cam
a T-Rex is what they call the Dragon cam now
4.1 is the version that the cam has been upgraded to
a loader is a card that goes into the cam to upgrade it
a programmer puts the upgrade onto the loader card
You can record TV to your computer without the expense of a CAM or a SKY+ subscription. I use a product called Dazzle made by Pinnacle systems. (There may be other hardware manufacturers I am not aware of)
If you have a dual or quad LNB you might consider buying a second-hand digibox solely for recording.
This is useful for people outside the UK who are unable to subscribe to Sky+.