Installing used hd box

L_Bonn

Ok, Ive bought a used Sky HD box. I have a basic sky subscription and currently have sky+.

So what HD channels can I get without paying a HD additional subscription. I believe channel 143 (bbc hd) should be available without paying the HD subscription. Any more?
Also, do I need to call sky to tell them the serial number of the box in order to get everything working?

Thanks

lawhec

Did the same as yourself a few weeks ago (albeit for a Northern Irish subscription). Yes, you will need to call Sky to get the card paired to the receiver, otherwise some channels may be blocked out, and the Sky+ features won't work. This is fairly painless though, the call will only take a few minutes once you get through to an operator, and my pairing was done before I even hung up (though they say it could take up to four hours).

As I understand it, BBC1 HD is not on the Rep. Ireland Sky+ HD EPG, and BBC HD won't be either. You will be able to tune into these channels via "Other Channels" along with ITV HD, but you won't be able to record these channels or use the live pause feature. I'm not sure about Channel 4 HD (it's on 140 up here), Five has a HD channel but might not be available as Five's SD channel isn't on the Rep. Ireland EPG. There's Luxury Homes available in HD (somewhere in the upper 200's) but that's a niche channel that you might/might not be interested in. Can't recall any other HD channels available either FTA or FTV.

BArra

bbcHD is on the irish EPG

bbc1HD is not on the irish epg (accessed by other channels)

L_Bonn

Thanks.

One other quick question. My mate is finishing his sky contract and he has a HD box. How do you reset it to the uk system i.e. bbc on 101 etc. I thought he only had to switch it off and on without a card in the slot but this doesnt seem to be working

BArra

i would also like to find out how, it seems sky may have tinkered it so you can no longer do it

can anyone in the know advise?

Andy454

Couple of things you can try,

Pull the card out and press the red button on sky news - ususally causes a reset with 101 on bbc

try a forced system download with the card removed (pull the power cord, hold down backup and plug in - keep the backup button on the reciever pressed until all 4 lights come on - make sure u have a signal going into the reciever -it takes 10mins to update.)

Most default to the english epg by just pulling the card out and plugging the box back in after 5mins.

L_Bonn

We have tried this and while ive known this to work on sky & sky+ boves, its not working on his HD box. Sky must have changed something to stop this.
As a result, he can now get only a few channels. When the boxes revert to uk EPG, channel 4 & E4 etc are available whereas when stuck on the irish system and without the card, there is little available other than news channels and bbc.
So if its stuck like this, would buying a freesat card from ebay allow all the free channels to be viewed?

fat-tony

I have read that, following various downloads in the past year, the HD box now caches EPG information on the hard disk. I would surmise that the localised info for Ireland is on the hard disk and that is what is preventing the box reverting to the UK channel line-up. I wonder if a "new install" would clear the cache and revert the box back to some default state? I'm just thinking out loud here - not encouraging anyone to reset the box:eek: Maybe someone else has experience of this? Maybe someone who has installed a new hard disk in the box recently?

watty

not eBay. Likely to be disabled, and that is stolen goods.
You have to get one direct.

Does the pull card out while in Interactive on 501 work?

L_Bonn

watty wrote: »

Does the pull card out while in Interactive on 501 work?

Nope

crownhill

Try this it worked for me


The installer menu can be accessed by pressing 'Services 0 0 1 Select':

fat-tony

That's not the HD box menu.

BArra

does it not work the same for the hd box though to get to installer menu?

Kristopherus

crownhill wrote: »

Try this it worked for me


The installer menu can be accessed by pressing 'Services 0 0 1 Select':

Is it Services 0,0,1, Select for the HD box? Not Services, 4,0,1, Select?

snaps

A FTV card will work, giving you BBC HD, BBC 1 HD, ITV HD, CH4 HD, Five HD all on the epg. You wont be able to record. Possibly the best 20£ spent!!

BArra

where can you pick one up though?

L_Bonn

BArra wrote: »

where can you pick one up though?

Good question.

NewHillel

L_Bonn wrote: »

Good question.

They sometimes come up on Adverts.ie.

L_Bonn

Can we take it from this thread so that the HD boxes definitely cannot be switched onto the uk epg if previously use in ireland?

norbert64

L_Bonn wrote: »

Can we take it from this thread so that the HD boxes definitely cannot be switched onto the uk epg if previously use in ireland?

Well I'll be, it is actually true. :eek:

Just tried it there with my new slimline Amstrad Sky+HD box, and RTE1,2 etc pop up instead of the usual bbcs and ITVs.

Just tested on my older Thomson box though and it's still on the b33b system.
I guess this new geolock restriciton must only apply to the new generation of boxes.

watty

It's likely just remembering the last card used.

watty

BArra wrote: »

where can you pick one up though?

You order it from Sky to a UK (inc N.I.) Post Code Address. They belong to NDS/Sky thus "Buying" one from Adverts.ie, eBay or anyplace else is receiving stolen goods. eBay always pull the sales if they spot them.

A better solution is to buy a Freesat HD PVR. Then you can record too.

fat-tony

watty wrote: »

It's likely just remembering the last card used.

The software in the HD boxes seems to be caching EPG and other info on disk, which is why I'm surmising that it's not reverting to the GB EPG when you remove the card. I had asked if anyone had done a full "re-install" from the engineer/technician menu to see if that would revert it to GB, but no definitive responses yet.

excuse me

hi lads i was looking for some help with sky+ hd box.
how do i get the viewing card number with the remote? i dont have the box its in the mother in laws house and i need to ring sky for her.
any info would be great

BArra

surely there must be a way to get the hd box to go back to factory settings and forgetting its had an irish card in it...

L_Bonn

fat-tony wrote: »

I had asked if anyone had done a full "re-install" from the engineer/technician menu to see if that would revert it to GB, but no definitive responses yet.

Ive tried everything. Im not overly worried about damaging it tbh. I did a full reset from the installer menu and also did the holding the back up button and letting it do its thing. Still stuck on irish setup

fat-tony

Thanks for that.
Short of taking the hard drive out and re-formatting it in a PC, I can't think of anything else. I'm not encouraging you to do this!