Sky HD without a phone line Possible/Impossible?

jebusmusic

Hi,

I have Sky tv, standard setup, no phone line, works grand except obviously for the lack of interactive stuff.

I've been told over the phone by Sky that HD need a phone line, and wont work without it.

I've also seen threads on boards.ie about sky+ "needing a phone line" but working fine without one.

With HD is the phone line only needed for the Sky+ features of the box, or is it nescessary for the actual installation and operation of the box?

And if I can get it to work without a phone line, is there a freelance installer who will install it (forced i presume), as I'm sure Sky wont!

I have an unactivated phone line, but wouldnt use it were it active, and so dont fancy paying Eircom €25 a month for something I'l never use!

Thanks, Barry.

sundula

i have a similar question/thread - an independant technian told me that Sky + and Sky HD wont function correctly without the phone line - these boxes ring Sky - on a free phone no. - at 4am approx ever day or so. If they dont ring for a certain period of tim ethen Sky cut the signal off- thats what he told me.

watty

Only a mirror sub ABSOLUTELY needs a phone line.

jebusmusic

Pardon my ignorance, but a "mirror sub"?

VroomVroom

I have never had a phone line in the house.

I don't have SkyHD (thinking about it) but I have Sky for over a year at this stage, all the "Red Button" features, etc. work. I can't order Box Office packages without a phone line.

Sky told me they wouldn't install, found a company in based in Westmeath who charged me about €50 for installing without the phone line connected, but that's it. I've never had a problem with it, never had to contact Sky, and it has always worked perfectly for me.

Instead of posting their number here and risking getting Sky annoyed, I'll try call them and see what they say about the phone line. (I don't live in Westmeath and they had no problem coming to me to install dish, etc.)

digiking

I have sky hd and it hasn't been introduced to the phone line - sky plus box wsa responcible for screwing up my broadband

jebusmusic

VroomVroom wrote:

Sky told me they wouldn't install, found a company in based in Westmeath who charged me about €50 for installing without the phone line connected, but that's it. I've never had a problem with it, never had to contact Sky, and it has always worked perfectly for me.

Instead of posting their number here and risking getting Sky annoyed, I'll try call them and see what they say about the phone line. (I don't live in Westmeath and they had no problem coming to me to install dish, etc.)

Sky installed the standard digital tv no problem, they just charged a fee of €35 for doing it without a phone line.

It's just when I tried to order HD over the phone, the woman wouldnt/couldnt let me order it without having a phone line.

Digiking, if I remember correctly you bought a box and did a self install? Is this the only way for me to get HD seeing as sky will insist on the phone line?

Bards

I recently upgraded to Sky HD from Sky+ without a working phone line.. I have NTL Broadband with blueface connected to the old Eircom outlets on the wall so as far as the installers were aware I had an eircom line I Just played dumb to the installers when they queried it (I can make and receive voice calls)

When the box failed to connect they just rang Sky CS and got the card married to the box over the air. The installer insisted that the line was working (as far as he knew anyhow) and told CS that it must be the box..

VroomVroom

I've just got through to that company who installed Standard Sky for me, they say they are not in a position to install Sky HD until September/October.

They did say that you "should really" have a phone line, but if it was "broken" when they went to install SkyHD, they could probably find some sort of a work around!

I'd go with the play dumb option too, it seems to be technically possible although Sky seem to be asking their re-sellers to insist on a phone line.

jebusmusic

Bards wrote:

I recently upgraded to Sky HD from Sky+ without a working phone line.. I have NTL Broadband with blueface connected to the old Eircom outlets on the wall so as far as the installers were aware I had an eircom line I Just played dumb to the installers when they queried it (I can make and receive voice calls)

I have NTL Broadband as well, what's Blueface? I could just do what you did so, it seems that it will work without the phone line, it's just that Sky want to be able to keep tabs on all their customers!

jebusmusic

Actually, just googled blueface. Brilliant stuff, sounds like that should do the job!

You happy with the HD btw?

Bards

jebusmusic wrote:

I have NTL Broadband as well, what's Blueface? I could just do what you did so, it seems that it will work without the phone line, it's just that Sky want to be able to keep tabs on all their customers!

Read all about it here www.blueface.ie.. also see the Comp:Net/Comms/VoIP section of boards.ie

Bards

jebusmusic wrote:

Actually, just googled blueface. Brilliant stuff, sounds like that should do the job!

You happy with the HD btw?

Sure am.. I have A Panasonic TH-42PV500 Plasma Screen/ BBC HD is the biz.. World Cup is fantastic

Tony

sundula wrote:

an independant technian told me that Sky + and Sky HD wont function correctly without the phone line - these boxes ring Sky - on a free phone no. - at 4am approx ever day or so.

One thing is for sure they do not all ring around the same time, makes absolutely no sense.

jebusmusic

Bards wrote:

I have NTL Broadband with blueface connected to the old Eircom outlets on the wall so as far as the installers were aware I had an eircom line I Just played dumb to the installers when they queried it (I can make and receive voice calls)

Just looking at blueface.ie, you connect your phone to the ATA and then that to the PC. How did you have your blueface connected to the old eircom outlets?

digiking

yeah, i did a self install,

Voip is very handy - let you in on a secret - you can use multiroom subs anywhere and sky think its at the same address

[edit]don't talk about that here

jebusmusic

Mentioning second boxes and multiroom is just confusing me now!

So one of your boxes is still connected to a working phone line though?

digiking

yes you can get sky hd without phone line. you have to got to independant retailler - ie not sky themselves

jebusmusic wrote:

Mentioning second boxes and multiroom is just confusing me now!

So one of your boxes is still connected to a working phone line though?

Sorry just ignore all that

jebusmusic

Hehe, cheers man

Bards

jebusmusic wrote:

Just looking at blueface.ie, you connect your phone to the ATA and then that to the PC. How did you have your blueface connected to the old eircom outlets?

I have a Linksys ROuter with two ATA ports. One of these is connected to an Eircom socket which in turn is conncted to the others in the house. From the Eicom box on the side of the house I have disconnect Eircom's lines coming in so have distributed Bluefgace - VoIP to the whole house.

I can then plug in any analogue or Dect handset and make/receive calls in the normal way

jebusmusic

Ok, I'm in an apartment, so I dont think I have access to an Eircom box.

If I set up a Linksys Router like you have, one port to the wall socket and the other to the analog phone, would that convince the Sky installer that I have a regular phone line?

And then I could just play dumb?

Bards

As long as you have disconnected the Eircom lines coming in from the first box then you can try it and see. Try posting this on the VoIP forum... maybe someone might have done this in an appartment setup.

rcunning03

i rang sky about this apparently you only need telephone line if your getting multi room viewing

byte

As per usual, Sky CS giving conflicting advice! :rolleyes:

jebusmusic

Sky definately told me a phone line was needed!

Just to clarify a point, if I had a Sky HD box or even a Sky+ box connected to a phone port on an ATA adapter, which in turn was connected to a broadband connection, would this in theory work like a standard phone line, i.e. allow the box to dial out?

digiking

in theory yes - provided you are using a voip service such as smart076.ie to route your calls to the irish phone network

Bards

Modems don't like VoIP and is near impossible to get to work properly. perfect for voice calls but not so good for data calls.

digiking

yes, but with the right analog telephone adapter and voip service provider.

watty

jebusmusic wrote:

Sky definately told me a phone line was needed!

Just to clarify a point, if I had a Sky HD box or even a Sky+ box connected to a phone port on an ATA adapter, which in turn was connected to a broadband connection, would this in theory work like a standard phone line, i.e. allow the box to dial out?

Yes it will dial but with most VOIP systems it won't connect!

jebusmusic

digiking wrote:

yes, but with the right analog telephone adapter and voip service provider.

What would these be in your opinion?

digiking

i know someone who is using one of these to connect an analogue phone to voip

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1116265541785&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Even if you didn't actually bother setting up the voip on it - it would at least spoof the sky box into thinking that there is a phone line on the site. And if the installer asks just say you were moving phone providers and eircom messed you around and your phone got cut off.and give him your mobile to call them.

Digiking

jebusmusic

Still havent found an installer who's willing to do it without a phone line, or to try it with a voip line!

Bit wary about a self installation incase it wont install properly and I'm left with the HD box and no support from Sky.

Also not sure on booking an install and playing dumb about the line, again in case it backfires and I get in **** with Sky for arranging it knowing I didnt have a "fixed line telephone"!

digiking

can you borrow your neightbours line for the day - eg run a cable from his gaf to the place where your sky is neatly so that sky don't notice it.