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Voice/Picture synchronisation on satellite


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  • 3 weeks later...
Well, I've now bought a Sky digibox from Ebay - Thomson DSI4210 - and installed it. Picture is good, lip-synch is good. Remote is an unbranded/generic, and the "SKY" button doesn't work , but I can get into the service menu by pressing a button on the digibox, so it'll do. (Would a genuine Sky remote solve this problem? Are they common to all digiboxes? If so, I'll keep my eyes open for one......)

BUT......

The Freeview card isn't recognised. System says I have to contact Sky.

From some research on the 'Net, I suspect that card needs to be registered to that box, which Sky will do if I ask them. I'm going back to the UK tomorrow for a few days, so I'll do it from my UK address, just to avoid any possible unpleasantness about non-UK use.

Or, am I barking up the wrong tree, entirely?

Cheers

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What colour is the card?    The current ones are darkish blue with a symbol of a yellow house on them,  the old ones (which no longer work) are a much lighter blue.    Actually sill question,  it's the one you've been using all along isn't it,  so current.

Generally (at the moment at any rate) you can swap free-to-view cards between boxes,   but if this card or box hasn't been used for a while it may be that it's fallen asleep.   In which case it *may* wake up if left in the replacement box long enough.   However,   much better (if the card is in your name of course) to ring Sky from the UK registered address (or think up a reason why you're ringing from a moblie or another number) and ask them to re-pair it to the new box/check/replace/whatever.    Do write down ALL the details from the services menu about box number,  card number,  everything that's there,  before you return to Britain.

Having said that,  is there any point?   It is still likely that ch 5 will go FTA before the end of the year,  which leaves Sky Three (is it?).   We have two FTV cards and I don't think we'd have noticed if they'd not been in the boxes all summer.

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I'm not being 'picky' but it's not a Freeview card you have as they don't exist, it's more likely to be a Freesat from Sky card. Does it have an outline of a yellow house on it? It should have. If it's not been activated,then you will need to do so, normally with the box on so you can read out a load of numbers to the people at Sky. It just may be that if the card has not been in a working box for a while that it's missed it's 'stay alive' signal. What channels are you missing, because a card like this will now only get you Five and it's derivatives and Sky 3 - none of the other 'main' channels require a card.

As far as a Sky remote goes, apart from the Sky plus, and HD boxes, I think they are all the same. If ErnieY is around, I think he had a couple of spare ones.

Regards - Tim

 

Edit - beat me to it Martin - I'll leave it here anyway. Tim

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Martin, Tim, many thanks for the swift response.

Yes, it's one of the latest, dark-blue with yellow house, cards. It came with the box (err, sorry, I meant it was given to me by a friend in the UK), so I've no idea about its history, such as when it was last used. I'll pop it into the box and leave it overnight - if it re-awakens on its own, fine, if not I'll call Sky from the UK. Will note down serial numbers of box and card beforehand, plus anything else that looks relevant. I can't unfortunately call them from here by mobile (which would be good as it's still a UK mobile), as we don't get a signal in the village.

I hear what you say about lack of necessity for Freesat (sorry, Tim, I got confused with all the Frees), but C5 would be nice occasionally, as would some of the secondary channels we might get (UKHistory, etc). So would a digibox that I can program in English (I still say they're anything but intuitive). Plus I needed a new box.

Thanks again, chaps, I knew you'd have the answers

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Well, I'm afraid your card will not get anything extra than the channels we've already mentioned. UKTVhistory is currently one of Mr.Murdoch's pay channels so a Sky subscription would be needed to get that one.

As Martin has said - Channel 5 is expected to join the freesat party sometime soon. As you will have seen Channel 4 and all it's associated channels do not need a card now.

Incidentally, the numbers Sky will need, if you have to get the card activated, are not the serial numbers on the box. They are a set of numbers that have to be read from the system menu on the box. Which is why I said you will need it switched on when you call them. I suppose you could make a note of them all now and have them to hand when, or if, you have to call. It's likely that if you got the card from a friend it will be activated already and may well 'wake up' after a day or so.

Regards - Tim

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You often beat me to it Tim!   And I think you're a lot more up to date with some of the foibles of Sky boxes than I am.  Now the FTV cards are pretty nuch useless to us I don't use them so much.

Three or so weeks and I'll be able to get my hands on a freesat box,  assuming they've restocked!

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