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Mazan

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Posts posted by Mazan

  1. >Can receive
    >Channel 4 and Channel 5
    >OK plus lots of other
    >free channels - Discovery, UK
    >Gold etc.

    Those last two are not free. You must be using a subscription card.


    > The
    >message "No satellite signal being
    >received" comes up when trying
    >to select these channels.

    That message indicates that there is a signal problem. If you didn't use a meter to align the dish then you should do so. Then you will need to adjust the LNB skew. If none of that makes any difference then you have a band switching problem that may be caused by a faulty LNB, or a faulty or incorrectly adjusted digibox or some other reason. Try your box on a dish that is known to be correctly aligned to test it all.
  2. >This morning I was told, by
    >one of the local satellite
    >receiver sellers (who kindly phoned
    >me back after I sent
    >an email), that this
    >card system had stopped at
    >the end of Dec 2003?

    FTV card replacement and new card issue is extended to the end of Jan 2004, at least. The cards of course will work for several years after that time. They are guaranteed to work for two years.


    >However, I also understand the sky
    >digibox is a good way
    >of finding out whats onthrough
    >the programme guide

    It is indeed.


    >So as I said, it would
    >have been easier to go
    >straight to the sky digibox
    >in the first place

    Yes. For UK channels you just can't beat a Sky digibox.


    > If
    >anyone can answer if the
    >cards are still valid

    All series 2 cards should continue to decode the FTV channels until the next card change. This would normally be many years away. The first issue of cards lasted 5 years.
  3. >>Does anyone know if there would
    >be any problem with me
    >taking my UK Digibox over
    >with me, getting a dish
    >installed for it and then
    >just taking the Digibox back
    >and forward every time I
    >go over for a visit.
    > By doing this, would
    >I be able to get
    >the full range of channels
    >that my current card allows?

    This will work perfectly and you will get all channels. If you get a spare remote, a scart lead and a French power lead then all you will need to move about is the box itself.
  4. Given that you can get 60Gb of reliable webhosting for just 15 per year I can't see the point of running a server oneself with all the risks it entails. I suppose that you are hoping to use an ADSL connection for this? For starters domestic ADSL isn't very reliable and the cost for a fixed IP address may be high.

    However, if you want to do this then most registrars will suit. Joker and Gandi certainly will. Or try Tera-byte who have an associated redirection service at Redirection.net
  5. Your box was probably running an old version of the software. New cards aren't recognised by software versions under V3.

    Remove the card. Reboot the box. Check the software version (services menu). It probably wouldn't hurt to reload the software and you will find descriptions of how to do this in the archives.

    If you are sure that you have V3 then you can insert the card.

    From what you describe I suspect that your box updated itself when you made the various resets and a reload will ensure that the software is properly loaded. Unfortunately new software sometimes upsets digiboxes and can lead to the problems you describe.

    What you don't say is whether your card is a new one or a replacement one. New ones need activating.
  6. There is no particular problem with Outlook (which just uses the Outlook Express motor for email anyway) and Wanadoo. However, the Wanadoo POP email server is not very reliable and is often down.
    Also whatever you do, don't install the Wanadoo dialler which is one of the worst bits of software I have ever seen: just set up the connection and email account manually. It's easy.
    This link explains how: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-lavie/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=130
  7. These sat based internet services are not as good as they seem. The cheap ones are only one way and still require the phone connection for the outgoing data, so no real advantage there. The expensive ones that also transmit via satellite are really very expensive indeed. And all these services seem to cap the amount and speed of data transfer.

    For just 13 extra per month to FT and 25 or less to an ISP just about anyone in France can get a reliable and cheap ISDN line if they can't get ADSL.
  8. This is only half the story, isn't it?

    You say that they have a subscription: in that case they would never have had to buy an FTV card (only these cost 23.50). So are they subscription or free to view?

    The only time that I have ever heard of Sky writing to people about use at the registered address is in relation to so-called "mirror" subscriptions whereby for an extra 10 you get a second card with an identical sub, both cards to be used solely at the same address and both boxes connected to the same phone line on a permanent basis. Besides which Sky should never write to people in connection with FTV cards as they are not issued by Sky and in theory Sky do not have access to the FTV card database anyway.

    Rest assured that without the phone connection it is totally impossible for Sky to know where cards and boxes are being used. And by totally impossible I really mean totally impossible.
  9. To record one sat channel whilst watching another requires two tuners though they will run off one dish, with modifications.

    You can get two tuners either by having two digiboxes or by using a Sky+, which has two tuners built-in. The Sky+ also has a hard drive and it will record two things at the same time and play them back later. If you already have a Sky subscription of 30 or more then using the Sky+ is free of extra charge, otherwise it is 10 per month. You do need to buy it though (200) and the dish will need a 50 modification and a second cable run.

    If you have a Sky digibox and a valid card then chs 998 and 999 explain more about the Sky+.
  10. >I am looking to buy a
    >DVD player for our apartment
    >in France. We have a
    >basic french TV which is
    >secam only. Will a basic
    >unit from the UK work
    >or do I have to
    >buy in France?

    If your TV is really only Secam (and they haven't made Secam only TVs for more than ten years) then it may not play back from a PAL source in colour even if you use a scart lead. It may be possible to set the DVD player and the TV to use an RGB scart connection though.
    It is more likely that your TV is really PAL/Secam and if it isn't then it's time you bought a new one anyway!
  11. It's true that some boxes aren't as good for some channels in the far reaches of Spain however you should still be able to get some channels with any box. If no channels work then your box may be faulty and with some Grundigs the power supply can be a problem, as mentioned. Can you test it on another local dish?

    For anyone worried: all models and brands of Sky box are fine for use anywhere in France.
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