Help!

Badbear

I live between London and Ireland but mostly live in Ireland. My problem is that to get BBC programmes and better reception I subcribed to Sky (Jan 2003) not realising that Irish subscription was limited. I had not bothered with Sky in the Uk but only watched terrestial TV so was unaware of any differences in subcription.
After just over a year my Digibox will not work, according to Sky we are receiving the signal to the dish but there is a problem with the box which will need an expensive callout and very likely a new box! If I cancel our Sky subcription here in Ireland and resubscribe to Sky from my UK address can I use the card here to receive BBC etc.?
Also if I buy a new Digibox here in Ireland will it work with a UK issued card?

thecivvie

My father lives in England and he brings his box over and has a dish mounted here and that works okay. I think that you will get BBC etc but will not get the movies and other premium channels as they are tied to the oritignal box

ShaneOC

Badbear,

When you say the box is not working can you be a bit more specific? It may be something that we have heard about and can advise you on.

Regarding getting a digibox in the UK and using it over here, there is no problem with that (once you don't tell Sky). If you get a subsidised box though you are required to keep it connected to an active phone line, so getting one second hand may be the best way to go.

If it is just the BBC channels that you want then you do not need to subscribe to Sky at all as the BBC channels are free to air (i.e. they do not need a card or subscription to work).

Hope that helps.

Badbear

I have managed to get the box working again by following advice on the forum by disconnecting the leads, waiting and reconnecting. This has done the trick and at the moment it is working fine.
I do not have very good terrestial reception here (Kinsale, Cork) so Sky is necessary for clear viewing, but I would prefer to get BBC London and not BBC NI hence wanting to change my subscription to UK address. If I do that will I still be able to view the Sky package that I pay for in the UK in Ireland (Sky Premier etc) and also Sky Box office.

Thanks for your help and prompt reply to what must seem very basic questions.

wizard1

Hi There Badbear,
you dont need a UK sub anymore to get BBC London, or any other BBC Channel. Follow this link , then follow the instructions. BBC Fta Channels, How to Add

Hope this helps.

thecivvie

Originally posted by wizard1
Hi There Badbear,
you dont need a UK sub anymore to get BBC London, or any other BBC Channel. Follow this link , then follow the instructions. BBC Fta Channels, How to Add

Hope this helps.

Let's hope that ITV do the same

Sean

Badbear

Thanks for that wizard link. I will give it a go and see how I get on.

Badbear

Badbear

Thanks Wizard
I followed your link and success... I now have BBC london! I am so pleased... thanks for all your advice.
Do you know how I can get Channel 4? We are not receiving it through our aerial (although we used have until a few months ago) and I am not sure how to add it through Sky. Is there any link to follow like the BBC?

ShaneOC

Unfortunately you cannot add it through the Sky box. It is still using Sky's encryption so is currently unavailable in Ireland.

However, you should be able to pick up a resonable Channel4 signal using an aerial in Kinsale. Check with the neighbours to see what kind of picture they are getting and what kind of aerial they are using.

The only thing is that it might be the analogue S4C that you get. I am not sure. However they show most of the Ch4 programmes either at the same time or delayed.

Badbear

I've checked with a neighbour and although he doesn't have Channel4 he says that if we diconnect RTE from our aerial (as the transmitter is very close to us) it might boost our signal.
Anyway thanks to everybody for your help it has been invaluable.

ShaneOC

It may be a matter of moving the aerial to point to the South Coast(*) transmitter. There may be some houses around the area with two aerials, one would be for RTÉ and the other would be the South Coast one.

South Coast retransmit the 4 main UK channels through certain areas of Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

Badbear

That's very helpful. We will crawl into the attic and see what is up there. I don't know if there are two aerials...if not we will get an aerial enstaller.
Thanks again from
Badbear