sky+ upgrade

km79

hi couple of queries thinking about upgrading to sky+ box and getting sky multiroom in as well. rang sky to register they sent email saying it will take up to 3 months!!!!! should i go thru one of local satellite installers?
second question is regarding phone line - i dont have one (never had )
will this be a problem . when i initially installed sky the guy who did it for me worked around this problem

ScrubsfanChris

Won't be a problem for Sky+, but you will need a phone line for multiroom.
Not sure if you can get around that.

km79

thanks for reply .
why is phone line needed fo multi room?

Wizard007

Go to a local installer.

No phone line = no multiroom.

If you do manage to get the second box activated, sky will ping the boxes to make sure they are on the same premises via phone line. If they can not do this successfully you will get a warning letter telling you to connect phone line, warning letter number 2 and letter number 3 to let you know you'll be paying full package on both boxes from your future direct debits.

km79

oh right that is diappointing had hoped to get multiroom as well as sky+ but no chance of that now so:mad:

Wizard007

You could always use a digital link or "magic eye" - http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/copy_of_Sky_Digital_TV_Link.html

It will allow you to watch tv in another room. All you need is a coax cable run from the Sky+ box to the tv in the other room.

km79

thanks for the reply wizard
the room is upstairs so dont think the coaxial cable idea is a runner?
at the moment we are using a philips digital sender with magic eye and it is hit and miss quality wise

ScrubsfanChris

km79 wrote: »

thanks for the reply wizard
the room is upstairs so dont think the coaxial cable idea is a runner?
at the moment we are using a philips digital sender with magic eye and it is hit and miss quality wise

The digital senders can be tricky alright, I used to use one but I had to turn off the wireless router because it caused too much interference.
You could get a freesat reciever for BBC, ITV, CH4 and so on insted of the second Sky box.
Or when you get your Sky+ reciever installed, keep the old Sky reciever and hook it up in the other room to get all the FTA channels.
Its what I am currently doing and its pretty easy to set up yourself, it only cost 18 euro for the cable and two connectors, and with a bit of help from some of the nice people on here.

Hope that helps, some links for you:
Freesat Info: http://www.freesat.co.uk/
FTA channels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_channels_on_Freesat

km79

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

The digital senders can be tricky alright, I used to use one but I had to turn off the wireless router because it caused too much interference.
You could get a freesat reciever for BBC, ITV, CH4 and so on insted of the second Sky box.
Or when you get your Sky+ reciever installed, keep the old Sky reciever and hook it up in the other room to get all the FTA channels.
Its what I am currently doing and its pretty easy to set up yourself, it only cost 18 euro for the cable and two connectors, and with a bit of help from some of the nice people on here.

Hope that helps, some links for you:
Freesat Info: http://www.freesat.co.uk/
FTA channels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_channels_on_Freesat

same as that have to switch off router to lessen interference would not have a clue though how to hook up old sky box but maybe the lad installing might.

jondon

i have sky multiroom 2 and half years never needed phone line , a local sky fella connected i gave him my work number and he managed to do the rest, a year later ordered sky plus from sky, they sent same fella out and he sorted it out , for a score he set up in the kitchen with magic eye sky plus remote and full tuning best value every, i have sky plus and one normal sky and have got a phone line a year ago but never connected it to the sky box,

Wizard007

Km79, he surely would. These guys do this type of work all the time

Wizard007

You're one of the lucky ones Jordon. They usually heavily penalise people with Multi and no land line.

ScrubsfanChris

Wizard007 wrote: »

Km79, he surely would. These guys do this type of work all the time

Yes, is you ask him nicely he might send a wire to the room for you.
Just tell him you are thinking of getting multiroom in the near future

Wizard007

I think it might take a tiny little bit more than asking him nicely. Euros would have to change hands I think :eek:

If you go to a local installer for your Sky+ Upgrade you'll have more chance of getting it done and also you'll have direct contact if you have any problems.

km79

rang one of the sky installers from paper he said to chance getting multiroom in without the landline that they will never check????

Tony

km79 wrote: »

rang one of the sky installers from paper he said to chance getting multiroom in without the landline that they will never check????

I'm afraid hes lying to get a sale.

Wizard007

Did he tell you how he is going to get your cards activated? Or warn you about the multiple payments?

km79

regarding activating cards there is a 25euro surcharge as there was when i set up sky 5/6 years ago without phone line cant remember how it was done exactly but it can be. when i asked about the multiple payments he said they wont check.........

Wizard007

All we can really do on here is advise you re the set up you want. A charge does exist for manual activation of a single box - €37.50. ( Sometimes Sky do not charge it as part of a special offer )

If you are going to go ahead and have multiple boxes installed without a landline, just be really careful. What happens if he has the wiring done all over your house for several boxes and then can not activate the cards? He could turn around and say he has to be paid for the work done and you'll have no Sky. That's just one example of what could go wrong.

Sky do a call back ( call home / ping ) to the Sky boxes in say two months time. The call back doesn't hit your boxes via phone line and you end up being billed for the package on each individual box.

Sky do allow two seperate accounts on the one premises where there is no land line available but it's an expensive way of doing things.

Tony

km79 wrote: »

when i asked about the multiple payments he said they wont check.........

And how could he posibly know that ?

km79

yeah probably too risky so . getting back to something mentioned earlier if i move box upstairs and remove card will i still get some channels?

ScrubsfanChris

km79 wrote: »

yeah probably too risky so . getting back to something mentioned earlier if i move box upstairs and remove card will i still get some channels?

Yes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28E

Except RTE1/2, TV3 and TG4.

km79

oh right pity the irish channels are not available. so basically run another line from satellite to the old receiver in the upstairs room which has a tv point in the wall?

Wizard007

That's it exactly. Make sure the cable going into the tv point is connected to the dish. When you get your Sky+ Upgrade, you will be given a quad lnb which will have two spare outputs. One of these can be used for your old Sky box.

km79

sound ill do that so. only problem is they are quoting me 209 for the upgrae now without multiroom!!! im just going to tell them im moving to ntl unless they give me the new customer price ill let ye know how that goes!!!

Wizard007

Ok. Best of luck

km79

after running up my mobile phone bill due to Sky's SHOCKING customer service:mad: too many things to go into in detail but at the moment i am waiting for phone call from the cancellations department as i am now genuinely thinking about closing down account altogether after my recent dealings with them

Wizard007

Was it Cork or the UK you were on to? The managers in the UK office are easier to haggle with. If / when they ring you back, ask to speak to a manager and put your case to him / her.

km79

was onto UK lady first in customer service who was helpful enough to be fair then put through to an Irish girl in sales who was ABSOLUTELY USELESS

Wizard007

Try to UK office and ask for a manager. See how you go. Best of luck, again!

km79

if i get no joy with that would the following work . cancel current subscription which has always been in wives name only and take out new one in my name

Wizard007

Well see how you get on first. I can not encourage what you're suggesting, but if that's what you want to do, do it with Sky Direct and not a local agent. Sky tend to lose the head a small bit over what they call "turn-arounds" and several local agents have lost their ASA ( Retailer number ) because of it.