Sky+ITV+C4

breandan · 23-09-2005 12:53am #1

Im finding it hard to get my head around this.......................

1.If I get a subscription to Sky I can buy a card on Ebay that will also give me Channel4 and ITV 1?

2.Whats the catch?

Many thanks.

Mossy Monk · 23-09-2005 1:03am

no catch, you dont even need a Sky subscription
but ITV will be available soon to everyone anyway

Pal · 23-09-2005 11:46am

the ebay card will give you Channel FIVE and ITV2 as well.

pH · 23-09-2005 11:59am

The catches :

You can't have both cards in at the same time, so you can't channel hop between C4 and RTE.

The card readers aren't designed to have the card put in and out 20 times a day.

When changing cards you need to be on a channel available to both cards (sky news) otherwise you might need to reboot the box. Sometimes the EPG gets confused at to which channels you have!

If you leave a card out too long it won't have the current codes and will not decode straight away (may take up to 24 hours to come back)

If your box is connected to a phone line (contract reasons or box office ordering etc) there are reports that Sky detect the use of the UK card and will turn it off.

Pal · 23-09-2005 12:06pm

pH wrote:

You can't have both cards in at the same time, so you can't channel hop between C4 and RTE.
.

twin common interface and two dragons would sort that for you

WizZard · 23-09-2005 12:09pm

Pal wrote:

twin common interface and two dragons would sort that for you

or

two digiboxes to two tv scarts........

Can you explain the first bit please?

Pal · 23-09-2005 12:13pm

with SKY, most people use the SKY digibox receiver.
It only takes one card.

There are other receivers out there that take two.

you also need to buy two of these things to stick the cards into.

flanzer · 23-09-2005 12:21pm

no catch, you dont even need a Sky subscription
but ITV will be available soon to everyone anyway

I must have missed something here. When is this gonna happen? I presume you mean 'available to the family pack subscription' I have with Sky. I'm getting excited now!

Pal · 23-09-2005 12:23pm

can we get an ITV sticky at the top page please ? :mad:

pH · 23-09-2005 12:39pm

Pal wrote:

with SKY, most people use the SKY digibox receiver.
It only takes one card.

There are other receivers out there that take two.

you also need to buy two of these things to stick the cards into.

Yes but there is no guarantee that it will continue to work. In fact the developers have said they won't get into an arms race with Sky/NDS. So for a Sat enthusiast it's a lot of fun, and a bonus while it lasts. I don't think that anyone would recomend someone purchasing a receiver and a pair of Dragons as a way for a non enthusiast to watch sky.

I agree that a 2nd digibox is one way to go but there are hassles that way too.

You really need a dual/quad lnb fitted with a 2nd cable. This wouldn't have been done on a basic sky install.

You have remote problems as both digiboxes respond to the same remote codes.

Get a Sky+ install, pay the installer to throw down a 3rd cable, buy a 2nd digibox/FreeSat card ...

23-09-2005 12:44pm

Pal wrote:

can we get an ITV sticky at the top page please ? :mad:

No* and why are you mad?

* I'd rather not untill the situation re itv is firmed up.

23-09-2005 12:46pm

pH wrote:

Get a Sky+ install, pay the installer to throw down a 3rd cable, buy a 2nd digibox/FreeSat card ...

And get both digiboxes rf tuners wired into a distribution amplifier and then use remote control extenders.
There are other ways also.

Pal · 23-09-2005 12:57pm

Just being pedantic.

the guy said you cannot channel hop. Fact is you can (yes I know it's expensive).

I'm not mad :mad: as in angry either Earthman.

We just seem to be getting a lot of questions about ITV on different threads and maybe a sticky might redirect newbies.

flanzer · 23-09-2005 1:24pm

Hear Hear! That ITV thing has been around for the last 2 years. It all speculation as far as I can see. I'll have a lot more gray hairs by the time there is a definitive announcement anyway. FTV card it is for now

L1011 · 23-09-2005 1:34pm

Pal wrote:

with SKY, most people use the SKY digibox receiver.
It only takes one card.

There are other receivers out there that take two.

you also need to buy two of these things to stick the cards into.

Theres a <s>slight</s> sodding MAJOR problem with using a Dragon

The card doesn't get keep alive signals.

Oh, and ITV -have- made a firm announcement, just no date. They'd never announced anything before.

breandan · 23-09-2005 3:14pm

More confused than ever now!

But thanks everyone for your input anyways.

watty · 23-09-2005 3:17pm

Yes the ITV _ALL_ FTA is real.... sometime btween now and Jan/Feb.

Its as definate as BBC FTA.

Really once BBC sorted out "hollywood" it was inevitable.

The USA providers are NOT the only barrier to FTA satellite of FTV or terrestrial channels, but they are the the main barrier to FTA TV by NED, France, Scandinavia, Ireland.
The Germans get away with it by (a) Everything dubbed to German. (b) Ignoring the the problem (which occasionally causes blanks screens without notice on sporting events).

Also perhaps RTE will stop wasting money by US TV available from UK since about 70% had UK TV in ireland BEFORE Satellite, and now anyone that wants can have it, this appliing to BBC even before they where FTA.

Hence sillyness of RTE reaction when BBC went FTA.

And a lot of Dublin had BBC & ITV before RTE existed!
1955 - 1962

watty · 23-09-2005 3:29pm

But you DO need a subscrpition for Sky TV itself (not worth the Money IMO), or the Discovery Channels, or UK Drama, Hallmark, UK Gold, Nat Geographic, MTV UK etc.

Sparky · 23-09-2005 6:07pm

what i done to solve the whole card swapping issue was to have two boxes
the sky+ with my full subscription...connected to scart 1
and the pace box with freesat.......connected to scart 2

all that involves me switching between two is switching off one box and the tv pops bact to scart2 or scart1.

got a box and freesat card new off ebay for €200 euros, no bother.

Sky+ITV+C4

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