Activating FTV Card in Ireland

Niall1234

Hi all.

I have an FTV card but it is not activated. Obviously, I need to be in the UK to ring the number to activate the card.

Now, here is my question. Can I just pop the card in a box in the ROI (with no telephone line in the box) and have someone in the UK ring Sky with the details of the viewing card. Sky shouldn't be able to tell exactly where the box is ?

Do they require a telephone line be plugged into the box for the card to be activated ?

watty

no phone line needed.

Without a phone line they can't even tell if the box exists.

Niall1234

Excellent. I'm guessing so that registration is just to decide on which local variants to put on the EPG for BBC and ITV ? Can I decide on which local variation I want or does it have to be the address where the card was originally sent ?

I hope they won't ask too many difficult questions for the person I'll have ringing up in the UK ?

Thanks for all the info.

Niall

denis1501

Unless you know the original name and address of the person who received this card in the UK I very much doubt you'll succeed in having it activated.
One question, does the message on screen say 'call the broadcaster to upgrade' or 'this card is not activated'??
If it's the former just leave the card in the box for 24hrs and the channels (Ch.4, 5 etc) will come back on by themselves.
regards
D.

Niall1234

Fine there Denis. Good friend of mine. I even have the envelope which was sent to him from Sky with his address and all.

It is saying

"This viewing card is not authorised. Call the broadcaster for assistance".


I quickly tried calling the number using 0044, int code, but I'm afraid this might give the game away.

Another small problem. My friend doesn't actually have Sky or a Sky Digibox at his UK address. Is it true that Sky will request The Sky Digibox number. If I give them the number off my digibox it would also prob give the game away as it is located in Ireland.

norbert64

some useful info here perhaps
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=240045

Niall1234

Thanks for the thread norbert.

Does anyone know do Sky keep details of who owns and where certain Sky boxes are located.

I'm really worried that my cover will be blown if they request the boxes serial number. I mean, would they know that the box is owned by so and so and is located in Ireland ?

scart

Nial1234 just call them yourself, but make sure you hide your telephone number by dialing 141(if calling from a landline) before the number. Have the card number and box serial number at hand. You will have no problems...they cannot know the box is located outside the UK by its serial number.
Just be confident & polite when speaking to the operator and let him/her ask the relevant questions.

steveon

Just leave the card in the box overnite it will usually activate itself....no need to call anybody..

watty

Niall1234 wrote: »

Thanks for the thread norbert.

Does anyone know do Sky keep details of who owns and where certain Sky boxes are located.

I'm really worried that my cover will be blown if they request the boxes serial number. I mean, would they know that the box is owned by so and so and is located in Ireland ?

a) I don't think they really care where you are unless you insist on telling them, there are 1000's of UK subs in Spain, activated in Spain.

b) Due to Data Protection laws the Subscription database can't be used to look up a serial number when activating a FTV card.

c) Many people in Mainland Europe and Ireland and even UK have a Irish Subscription card and FTV card on same Digibox

d) It may activate itself in 24hrs approx if left in box. If it doesn't then you can ring them on Mobile with box details.

They have two databases:
1) Subscribers. Box details are on it. But the important thing to Sky is who pays the bill.

2)FTV card users. Box details are on it. But the important thing to Sky is who to send a replacement card to if they suddenly change the cards.

For multiroom all they care is that the boxes are at the SAME location, proved by phone line very simply, works by fact that boxes are told to phone home AT the same time and different times. 1st must fail and 2nd succeed to prove they are connected and on same line. Usually they do read CLI too, but it only has to be in original country. That can be done too from France, Spain etc. Only Subscriptions are multiroom.

Niall1234

Watty, great information as usual. I'll leave the card in the box overnight. I'll ring after that.

byte

If you've Skype, use that, as there will be no phonenumber to detect!

craichoe

Block your caller ID

The card will work with the Free to air channels, you only get Sky 3 and one other channel i think when pairing it to the box.

Going to get an Irish subsriction on my box here in the netherlands

byte

When the card is paired, it'll open Sky 3, Channel 4, Channel4 +1, Channel4 HD (if you've a SkyHD box) five, five US (+1), five Life (+1).

craichoe

byte wrote: »

When the card is paired, it'll open Sky 3, Channel 4, Channel4 +1, Channel4 HD (if you've a SkyHD box) five, five US (+1), five Life (+1).

Isn't five gone now ?

John mac

nope

norbert64

byte wrote: »

When the card is paired, it'll open Sky 3, Channel 4, Channel4 +1, Channel4 HD (if you've a SkyHD box) five, five US (+1), five Life (+1).

so it isn't just a simple case of sticking an ex sky card in your extra unused digibox then?

lol, in all my time perusing the satellite forum here, that's the first time I ever heard of this little hiccup for FTV.

byte

norbert64 wrote: »

so it isn't just a simple case of sticking an ex sky card in your extra unused digibox then?

lol, in all my time perusing the satellite forum here, that's the first time I ever heard of this little hiccup for FTV.

Uhm, bad wording on my part. I used the word "paired" to refer to the user getting his new card activated. I should've used the word "activated"

So, yeah, any UK ex-sub card, or already activated UK card (provided it's the "blue house" type) will get the forementioned channels. The encyrption isn't tied to the one box, like Sky Sports for example is, where you'd get the message "This is the wrong card for this settop box"

norbert64

I'm still a little confussled, lol.

Is it the same for Ireland then?

Say Eragon gets himself an Irish ex-sub card on ebay, will he get ''Sky 3, Channel 4, Channel4 +1, Channel4 HD, five, five US (+1), five Life (+1)'' straight off, or does he have to ring SKY and do all that digibox pairing malarkey for FTV use.

byte

norbert64 wrote: »

I'm still a little confussled, lol.

Is it the same for Ireland then?

Say Eragon gets himself an Irish ex-sub card on ebay, will he get ''Sky 3, Channel 4, Channel4 +1, Channel4 HD, five, five US (+1), five Life (+1)'' straight off, or does he have to ring SKY and do all that digibox pairing malarkey for FTV use.

Well, an Irish ex-sub card will be useless.

He would need a UK ex-sub card to avail of the channels you list. A UK ex-sub card acts as a FTV card when the subscription is cancelled - ie. it'll still receive C4, five, etc.

854654

Stick it in the digibox and leave it for 12 to 18 hours and it should self activate have done this twice.:D

byte

854654 wrote: »

Stick it in the digibox and leave it for 12 to 18 hours and it should self activate have done this twice.:D

On a brand new card that was never activated before?

854654

Have Done It With One New Card (english) And It Worked Plan On Getting Another One Next Week As Neighbour Gave Me Another Old Digibox As He Upgraded To +