Sky+

[sea-sider]

I have recently moved into a house that is already wired up for sky+. I have bought, from a guy at work a sky+HD box and need to know what is the best way to get this working. Also I dont want to subscribe to HD so will this box work for sky + only?

Any help appreciated. Thankyou!

[wishy123]

If you don't want HD, Sky would sell you a brand new Sky+ box for �49 these days. I don't know whether Sky will allow you to use this second hand HD box (assuming it's kosher and not one that fell off the back of a lorry) but to get their TV legally you'll have to pay at least a standard �30 installation fee plus the monthly subscription for at least 12 months.

If you don't want to pay this, there is probably a knock-off nigel out there somewhere who will sell you an illegal (cloned or stolen) viewing card but the clue is in the 'illegal' and if Sky find out you are watching their programmes without paying for them they will take you to the cleaners. Beware because Sky are in the process of reissuing all their viewing cards at present and I suspect that if you get your hands on one of the older versions it will probably stop working altogether sooner rather than later.

If you want free Sky you'd be better off talking to some bloke in a pub or dropping subtle hints to a local freelance satellite TV installer rather than posting on this kind of forum.

The HD box will receive non-HD signals (given that most Sky channels are not yet broadcast in HD) but you will have to get a viewing card from somewhere, which will mean either paying Sky a subscription or paying somebody else a backhander. If you ask in one of the shops that unlocks mobile phones 'no questions asked' they probably know someone who can 'adapt' the box to do this, but you'd have to take the chance that it wouldn't (a) get you arrested or (b) catch fire and burn your house down..

Your final option would be to buy a Freesat box (these are coming down in price all the time) that will use the existing wiring and dish to give you subscription free satellite TV. However this will not give you the full range of Sky programmes.

T

[Hammer]

Unlike wishy, I assume you are not looking for anything dodgy, just that you have acquired an old HD box and live in a house with a dish and two feeds from it already.

1. You can can use it as it is with no card, but you won't get all the channels and the recording features won't work. But it will confirm that everything works and that you don't need a professional installation.

2. You can subscribe to a Sky package and get whichever channels you like. And yes, you can get a regular, non-HD subscription even with an HD box

Look here for a bit more detail
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread. php?t=683213

[sea-sider]

Hammer - Thanks for your help. I have since had a reply from sky and they have told me I can upgrade easily by giving them the box details.

Wishy - Not so helpful and slightly worrying that you know so much about 'knock-offs' and dodgy dealers!!! I would never buy a box off 'the back of a lorry' .....I work for the Police.