Audio Description on Sky
How to set up and use audio description on Sky Satellite.
Sighted instructions
Link to unsighted instructions
Activating Audio Description
Look for the 'AD' at the top-right of
programme details on screen, or [AD] at the end of programme details. Follow these instructions to turn
Audio Description on temporarily:
Quick and temporary
- Press the help button.
- Press the down button to go to Audio Description.
- Press the left and right buttons to turn it on or off.
- Press select to save and exit.
If the current channel does not offer audio description, instead of an ON or OFF option, it says UNAVAILABLE.
When you change channel, this change will be lost. To turn Audio Description on permanently, do this:
Permanent setting
- Press services.
- Select SYSTEM SETUP.
- Select LANGUAGE & SUBTITLES.
- Change the Audio Description to turn the audio description on and off.
- Change the Highlighted Programmes to AUDIO DES to see
programmes that are described light up in white on the TV guide.
- Change the Beep on Audio Description to hear a beep when you change to a channel with a described programme.
- Select Save New Settings.
- Press sky to exit.
Note that the TV guide highlighting and the beeping do not work for BBC channels.
Selecting BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4
If you live outside the BBC1 London region, use channel 974 for BBC1.
If you live outside the BBC2 England region, use channel 989 for BBC2.
If you live outside the ITV1 London region, use channel 993 for ITV1.
If you live outside the Channel 4 London region, use channel 994 for Channel 4.
More detailed instructions for unsighted users
Activating Audio Description
There are two ways to turn Audio Description on and off.
First is the quick way
This has a temporary effect, and is forgotten when you change channel.
- Press help. This button is the one on the right of the sixth row up. The bottom four rows are number buttons,
the fifth row is the colour buttons and the sixth has three buttons, of which the middle one is long horizontally.
- Press down to select audio description rather than subtitles. This button is above the long key to the left of the help button.
- Press right to turn audio description on or off. This button is above and to the right of the down button.
- Press select to save the setting. This button is to the left of the down button.
The long way
Follow these instructions carefully using your remote control to set up a box to receive
audio description:
- Press services. This is the right hand button of the two buttons making up the second row down on the remote control.
- Enter 43
- Press red. This is the left hand button of four in the row immediately above the number keys.
- Press down once.
- Press right once.
- Press down three times.
- Press right once.
- Press down once.
- Press select.
- Press sky to exit. This is the central button on the top row.
Selecting BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4
If you live outside the BBC1 London region, use channel 974 for BBC1.
If you live outside the BBC2 England region, use channel 989 for BBC2.
If you live outside the ITV1 London region, use channel 993 for ITV1.
If you live outside the Channel 4 London region, use channel 994 for Channel 4.
Summary of requirements to receive audio description on Sky
Firstly, AUDIO DESCRIPTION must be turned on, either in the LANGUAGE & SUBTITLES SETUP or by using the help button.
For BBC1, use channel 101 if you are in the London region or do not have a viewing card, otherwise use channel 974.
For BBC2, use channel 102 if you are in England or do not have a viewing card, otherwise use channel 989.
For ITV1, use channel 103 if you live in the ITV1 London region, otherwise use channel 993.
For Channel 4, use channel 104 if you live in the Channel 4 London region (try this first), otherwise use channel 994.
For other channels, use the normal channel numbers.
Listings
We offer a rough and ready Sky Audio Description listings.
Further information and assistance
For further information, contact Sky's disabilities page or
ring their disability line on 08705 66 33 33.
Last updated 27 March 2006.
For further information, contact RNIB's Broadcasting team.