Parental control

shayser

I've all parental control options switched off on a Thompson sky box but I'm still getting prompted for my pin for films and for access to the other channels menu. Sounds like I'm missing something here, but can I get rid of the requirement to enter the pin?

loyatemu

do you have the Adult channels hidden in the EPG? - if so you will be asked for your PIN to get into the "Other Channels" as you can access some adult channels from there as well. Its annoying, but thats the way its setup.

Tipsy Mac

You can't turn it off, its a stupid control Sky have on it so that they can broadcast 15+ films before the watershed, it's highly irritating and will soon result in me cancelling Sky :mad:

Tony

I agree very annoying

shayser

I do have the adult channels hidden on the EPG. What a crude system this is! I had to give my 10-year-old son the pin as he wanted to watch the CBBC channel at 4.30pm. On top of this it is indeed a royal PITA to have to enter a pin for nearly every channel I change to.

wil

Also a major nuisance on a cardless digibox.
You cant enable PIN control without a card in the box.
Sky like to be able to control everything even your ability to control what your kids can see.

conax

wil wrote:

Also a major nuisance on a cardless digibox.
You cant enable PIN control without a card in the box.
Sky like to be able to control everything even your ability to control what your kids can see.

I agree the PIN thing is a total pain, but strictly speaking Sky don't sell their boxes for use without cards.

rondeco

Yes it is very annoying having to enter four digits into a remote. Just like those pesky bank cards.

shayser

rondeco wrote:

Yes it is very annoying having to enter four digits into a remote. Just like those pesky bank cards.

It is VERY annoying having to do this every time the channel is changed. It's also an entirely flawed system when it requires the same pin for both adult and childrens' programs.

loyatemu

rondeco wrote:

Yes it is very annoying having to enter four digits into a remote. Just like those pesky bank cards.

well, for example, to change from BBC3 to BBC4 you have to press

Services
9
Arrow keys
Select
then enter your PIN

if you then want to go to UTV you have to do it all again.

Of course, Sky could largely solve this problem by putting UTV and the BBC channels on the EPG

byte

Well, whatever about BBC3 and 4, it's unlikely that UTV will ever make it to the EPG. It's not from lack of trying on UTV's part, but it would seem TV3 were having none of it, so I guess it'll be along while before UTV can ever get an EPG placement here, unless TV3 lose rights to common programming.

wil

I mentioned this elsewhere but for completeness/relevence included it in this thread.

An old expired Sky card can have one useful function - to enable the Parental controls/PIN restrictions on a digibox.
Without a card there is no way of enabling Parental controls.
An expired but still registering card will allow you to enable PIN restrictions etc- remove Adult channels, set age category.
Oddly setting the lowest age category still does not block the adult channels during the day so I dont know if that function even works.
Restricting channels certainly works though.

The one major drawback is that it also (if it is an Irish card) reinstalls the Irish epg without ITV which is a silly nuisance.
An expired UK card is a better option. (It may even allow C4.)

I am not sure about this but it is possible that only recent (yellow house) cards may function. I have 2 older (blue/white) cards and neither register as present so of no use at all. I guess it is possible for Sky to completely deactivate a card.