Sky box phone line use?

bungeecork

I guess the phoneline is mostly for 'buy now' and gambling/betting services, but how does it all work? Here are some questions that have been bugging me...

1) I assume all the data flowing through the dish is one way, so does that mean voting in a Sky News poll with the Sky remote causes the Sky box to dial a phone number and tie-up the phoneline?

2) Does it dial a local or STD (or yikes - international) number?

3) Is there the usual ISP style dial-up modem delay of 20-30 seconds before a connection is made?

4) If 3) is a 'yes', then how then do the poll results come in so quickly - or is that just a television 'illusion' where they tell people to "vote now", wait a few seconds and then show the result from earlier on?

5) Does not having a phoneline connected mean you can't use any of the truly interactive options (not including the 'press the red button to see a menu of other channels' options)

6) When you initiate a phone connection by voting in a poll - is any other information collected by Sky (what channels you've watched - how long you have watched them etc.)

7) Can/do Sky call up boxes without people knowing about it to collect this type of information? Do people go to make a phone call and hear modem noise on their phoneline because Sky have connected?

8) If you do vote in a poll, what signals the Sky box to disconnect the phoneline? What if it stays on for ages without you knowing about it - who would pay the phonebill?

Sorry for all these questions, but returning to Ireland after 14 years is a bit like landing on an a new planet. These things may seem obvious to you all but I haven't got a clue about all this :rolleyes:

JohnDigital

1. You presume right
2. Freephone number usually, you are always advised on screen of the type of call that will be made for different interactive services
3. Yes modem delay when connecting
4. All poles I have noticed have been running the duration or a good portion of the show not instant
5. No phone line means you cant do anything that requires feedback from you, but things like Sky News Active, Text and most red button actions are all there for you to use
6. Not sure, contract is not exactly clear, I don’t think anyone here really knows everything that is collected - but data protection act protects sharing of that information. Any viewing or personal info I’m sure will be responsibly used by Sky
7. Light illuminates on front of box when box is online
8. It always disconnects, most anyway are freephone

I’m sure a few others will add more info as well.

bungeecork

Thanks JohnDigital, and thanks too for such a quick reply.

This board is great !!!!