Newbie question Sky+

WalkOn

Help.

i have a dilemma, i have an existing Sky Digi box, no subs just a FTV card and the usual tat that they transmit.

I want to purchase Sky+, will i be able to use my FTV card in the new Sky+ box?
Do i get free sky+ if i sub to Sky sports package?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

YNWA

Couch Potato

Originally posted by WalkOn
Help.

i have a dilemma, i have an existing Sky Digi box, no subs just a FTV card and the usual tat that they transmit.

I want to purchase Sky+, will i be able to use my FTV card in the new Sky+ box?

Do i get free sky+ if i sub to Sky sports package?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

YNWA

Yes - you can use your FTA card in a Sky+ box BUT you will not have any of the recording features as this is tied to a subscription card which MUST include 2 premium channels (eg. Sky Sports 1 and 2 or Sky Movies 1 and 2).

just to confuse you further - even if you have subscription card and you swap with FTA card in the Sky+ box you do not have any of the Sky+ features enabled which means that the card and box are paired together.

Hope that helps ....
So basically to go for Sky+ and all its features you will need a subscription card and sub

WalkOn

Cheers Couch potato..

So do Sky wave the Sky+ sub €15 if i subscribe to the Sky Sports package..

sceptre

Originally posted by WalkOn
So do Sky wave the Sky+ sub €15 if i subscribe to the Sky Sports package..

They waive it if you subscribe to any two premium channels (which is a bit artificial the way they bundle channels together with "free" extras).

From your point of view, you won't have to pay the €15 if you subscribe to Sky Sports World.

WalkOn

Thanks chaps.
Finally a MB where you get answers.

So i think i may take the plunge this weekend and get SKY+.
Any ideas on the best way to purchase.

Cheers

mickeyboymel

I got mine HERE very fast delivery and they also do installations.

eoinm1

Take a look at this post it has a list of a number of online retailers od Sat. equpment.

digitaldr

I kept my old Sky box after getting Sky+. For a small extra fee satellite.ie hooked it up to the dish (as well as the Sky+ box), It's really handy not having to card swap and the two remotes (ie Sky and Sky+) don't interfere with each other.

WalkOn

Cheers chaps.

I think that I may buy the Quad LNB and SKY+ box and install myself. Has anyone tried this is it easy, is there any software configuration that has to take place??

Charles Slane

Originally posted by WalkOn
I think that I may buy the Quad LNB and SKY+ box and install myself. Has anyone tried this is it easy, is there any software configuration that has to take place??

I already had a Quad LNB so I bought the Sky+ box and did the instal myself. It's really very easy apart from any "physical" difficulties ie. is the dish easy enough to access?, will you have to drill a bigger hole in the wall to get the cables through? will you need to have a head for heights?

I guess it's really down to whether or not you'd enjoy the challenge, or if the price for the install is an issue.

I was happy to know I could do the job.

WalkOn

Cheers charles.

I already have a mini-disk installed on my house, for FTV viewing. So all I should have to do would be to replace the LNB with the quad LNB supplied and run 2 extra cables to the Sky+ box correct?

How do I go about getting a new Sky+ card for the Sky+ box, and do i have to connect the Sky+ box to the telephone line.


Many thanks...

mickeyboymel

I too installed my Sky+, upgrading from an "in contract" digibox with no problems at all.

Walkon, if you have no Sky sub at present, you will need to ring Sky and set up a contract, direct drbit or credit card payment facility, sign and return the contract, and they will issue you with a card.

Those who already have an existing subscription, you just swap the card over and they will activate the Sky+ features on it.

If applying for a mirror sub for the old box, it is a good idea to order a card from Sky in advance, so you can activate everything at once.

As it is a new subscription, As far as I know, you will need a phoneline connected for twelve months.

Those who are upgrading from a previous (active) subscription which does not have a phoneline connected (IE: Older than twelve months),os a "Secondhand Subscripton", can get away without the line, as the card is swapped over,but all new subs now require a line.

(See this thread http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=151490)

I never mentioned anything to Sky about installing it myself, just said I had ordered a new box, and when they asked had an installation been arranged I just said yes.

You can set up your old box with the FTV card, side by side with the new Sky+ box, and both remotes work independantly of each other.I tend to set autoview stuff on my FTV box, and it switches over (both on same scart input to tv) even if watching Sky+, so you can then record what you were watching on plus and view your FTV.....its great.

WalkOn

Cheers Mickey.

Just rang Sky and they said total price is €314. Install €15. think i will go with them.

Thanks for the help and info...

digitaldr

Do some installers take issue with someone having a FTA card eg inform Sky?

WalkOn

I told Sky that I use a non sub digi-box to watch FTA, not ITV C4 etc, and they were okay.

I will remove the FTV card that i have when the installer comes to install sky+ :-)

mickeyboymel

Originally posted by WalkOn
Cheers Mickey.

Just rang Sky and they said total price is €314. Install €15. think i will go with them.

Thanks for the help and info...

This is the best option now that they have actually reduced the price of installation. It was still high when I did my own installation a few months ago.