FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

i have Sky+ and want to get the Sky+HD box (since it is the standard now) , i have no multiroom, just sky on main TV.

If i rang them up and said i want to change my Sky+ box to a Sky+HD box with no HD pack, would they allow it and how much would it cost for the box?

I assume my sub would stay the same as im not taking the HD pack.

but i would get the free HD channels (BBC,ITV and Lux)

i assume also its pretty easy to set up as all the leads are there from Sky+.Would i need to ring sky and get our viewing card 'married' so to speak with the new box?

any help would be great!

EDIT
Spoke to Sky, 259 quid, no way jose

eh2010 wrote: »

Hi I just have a few questions regarding satelite tv. Firstly I have the standard sky digital package, but im going to have to cancel it due to financial issues. What I want to know is:

1 What channels will I have if I cancel my sky subscription?

2 Ive heard i'll still have some free channels on sky if I cancel what channels will they be?

3 Ive hear about being able to pick up free sattelite channels by getting a satelite installed and a once off payment for instillation, but I also heard that the sattelite moves every 6 months or so and I will have to get the installer back to get it re-aligned.

4. Is that true- needing to get it realigned? Could I do it myself with the necessary Info needed to do it?

5 . basically Im just looking for a decent channel package for free without having to go back to being stuck with the Irish channels only.

You will receive over 300 channels and there will be a couple more new ones by the middle of the month. 80% of the free channels are pure crap though. For information on installing or realigning your dish go to www.dishpointer.com and www.techtir.ie For channel line ups go to www.lyngsat.com One only needs to usually realign the skew of the lnb after stormy weather. Some unscrupulous installers under tighten the fittings on purpose in order to earn more money for extra call outs. Take out your card and switch off your box and turn it on again within a minute. Lots of other extra channels can be added in the other channels section of Sky boxes manually which aren't on the Sky epg. I have never owned a Sky box, Humax make good HD Freesat boxes which have their own epg's and allow one to record, pause and rewind and have series link.

Damomanye wrote: »

i have Sky+ and want to get the Sky+HD box (since it is the standard now) , i have no multiroom, just sky on main TV.

If i rang them up and said i want to change my Sky+ box to a Sky+HD box with no HD pack, would they allow it and how much would it cost for the box?

I assume my sub would stay the same as im not taking the HD pack.

but i would get the free HD channels (BBC,ITV and Lux)

i assume also its pretty easy to set up as all the leads are there from Sky+.Would i need to ring sky and get our viewing card 'married' so to speak with the new box?

any help would be great!

EDIT
Spoke to Sky, 259 quid, no way jose

Sky tried to charge me something ridiculous as well when i first enquired about changing to HD. (I wasn't even on SKY+, still on the old system)

I left it about 2 weeks then called up the cancellation department. Lo and behold I ended up getting full installation for nothing and 6 months free HD pack.

I used the old "I'm moving to Freesat cos you won't give me a good deal" but as long as the threat to cancel is there they'll nearly always offer some incentive to stay

Is there any connections that I can get (not multiroom) which will allow me to connect the sky tv from the living room to the bedroom.
Even if i have to change the channels in the living room, all i need is a cable which will allow me to watch it upstairs??

thank you

How much does the sky bonus pack cost, the basic pack without any extras?

I have a question, I got a new HD ready tv that supports mpeg4. I have it plugged into a typical non amplified rabbit ears on the top floor of a building in Dublin city. The auto store finds 7 digital channels but the signal strength varies from 45->0 so the channels are unwatchable.

Any recommendation on how I can get these digital channels properly?

Thanks

I will be looking at getting a Satellite PVR. Most possibly getting a freesat hd+ machine. Currently have one coax cable going to roof.

Is there a switch or such device that I can take two cables from the dish, convert into one cable, and then divide into 2 again to connect to the tuners of the STB?

Thanks.

Hi folks,

I currently have Sky+ in one room.

I have been offered a spare Sky box from a mate.
Is it possible to set up this spare box in another room to receive the fta channels only, off the current setup?
Is it possible to watch fta channels in one room & watch a non-fta channel in the other room at the same time?

Thanks.

muffler wrote: »

Basically you need 2 cables coming from the dish to the sky+ box and then you will need a third cable to run from the dish to the spare box in order to watch free/subbed channels on 2 separate TVs.

Assuming its just a basic LNB you have on the dish you can either change it to a quad LNB capable of running 4 cables from it or simply split the signal to the sky+ box which will only allow you to view the same channels on both sets.

Thanks muffler. I don't know what LNB is on the dish, but I'd assume it's standard.
Is it straight forward enough to change the LNB?

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

Is there any connections that I can get (not multiroom) which will allow me to connect the sky tv from the living room to the bedroom.
Even if i have to change the channels in the living room, all i need is a cable which will allow me to watch it upstairs??

thank you

norbert64 wrote: »

There should be 2 rf out connections on your sky box. Get whatever length of cable you need to run a line from said connection to your bedroom and bobs your uncle.
You will of course be restricted to watching whatever channel you're viewing in the living room though.

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Yep. You can even get a little gadget that will allow you to change the channels on the box from the 2nd room. Should be able to get it in any TV/electronics shop or even dinky hardware shops.

This is it:




You might be able to buy it alone or you might have to buy it with a remote. There is some fiddling around the settings to use this tihng but ain't very difficult.

Thanks for this info
I picked one of these bad boys up today and currently have the program that's on downstairs, showing upstairs
Where I'm going wrong is in changing the channel. There is no light on on the wee 'adaptor/box' thing in the image above, should there be?? Where have I went wrong with regards to changing the channel upstairs??

I don't know if this part makes a difference now that I can actually see a program, although still can't change upstairs. The instructions say about finding RF OUTLETS on the sky + hd box, but when i go to sky + setup (services > setup) then press 0, then 1, it takes me to picture; but no option (as it says on instrucions) to highlight RF OUTPUT POWER SUPPLY, and then turn it ON. The only option it gives on there is to change picture size, 16:9, 4:3 or 4:3l.
This is the instruction manual
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/Philex/MXSLXLINK.pdf

Thanks again

Flashdean wrote: »

I have 2 probs..First one is i got SkyHD plus this morning and i cant live pause or record.... Ny Ideas??????

Im no expert but it looks as if you have only one active cable fro the dish. Check that both cables are in the back of the box.

Flashdean wrote: »

Secondly the sky plus box was put upstairs and when i go onto ext 1 i can hear the sound but cant get a picture..ive messed around wiv scarts and connections but no joy??

Check the input via the menu on the TV remote and ensure its not set at "TV" - should be AV1 or the likes.

Quick question lads, i have been offered a Sky+ HD Box. Could I use this with a Sky dish with no sky sibscription i.e. just to view the freeview channels.

Thanks watty. Would you recommend going with a specific fta receiver or with the sky box? See ad in my sig, its a swap deal so no impact cost wise. I would prefer having a customisable epg, i.e. only the channels i want / have access to.