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Taking Your Sky Box and Card


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Having read through a lot of the posts on here relating to receiving Sky in France, I am a bit confused as to how you can manage to 'do a runner' with your Sky box and card.

I have been subscribing to Sky for some 4 years now, only taking a '4 mix', no sports or films. Obviously it is not legal to receive the Sky signal in France, but it seems that they turn a blind eye, knowing that it goes on. When we move, I can switch my UK address as far as Sky are concerned to my parents address, who do not subscribe to Sky, and still maintain payment to Sky through my UK bank account. Does this mean that when the nice man from Sky turns up at my parents address, will he expect to find my existing box and card for him to connect to the new dish, that he would have to errect to receive the Sky signal? Or will he do a completely new installation, then I 'do a runner' with the new box and card.

Does anybody have any experience at 'beating the system', if so your views would be gratefully received.

[Www]

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I did exactly that, I phoned when I was still in UK and gave them a change of address to my parents, told them I was fitting the dish myself and keeping the exisiting equipment. No problems at all for more than 5 yrs now.

If I need to change something I ring them when back in UK, never from France.

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[quote user="Grecian"]

Having read through a lot of the posts on here relating to receiving Sky in France, I am a bit confused as to how you can manage to 'do a runner' with your Sky box and card.

I have been subscribing to Sky for some 4 years now, only taking a '4 mix', no sports or films. Obviously it is not legal to receive the Sky signal in France, but it seems that they turn a blind eye, knowing that it goes on. When we move, I can switch my UK address as far as Sky are concerned to my parents address, who do not subscribe to Sky, and still maintain payment to Sky through my UK bank account. Does this mean that when the nice man from Sky turns up at my parents address, will he expect to find my existing box and card for him to connect to the new dish, that he would have to errect to receive the Sky signal? Or will he do a completely new installation, then I 'do a runner' with the new box and card.

Does anybody have any experience at 'beating the system', if so your views would be gratefully received.

[Www]

[/quote]

To the best of my knowledge, the only legal requirement is for the box to be connected to the telephone line for 12 months. When the 12 months are up, disconnect the phone line and they have no way of tracing the box. Sky have no nice men and none will turn up on your parents' doorstep. If Sky feel so minded they can disable your card using the satellite signal.

It is perfectly legal for you to receive a satellite signal in France, what is not legal (for copyright and territorial rights reasons) is for Sky to send a signal to you in France. It is the responsibility of the broadcaster to prevent you from receiving transmissions, it is not your responsibility not to watch them.

 

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expat paul/Clarkkent two excellent answers, both very informative, and have set out a way for me to maintain my Sky TV in France. I have whipped my telephone connection to Sky out of the socket this afternoon, so they won't know where I am. [;-)]

Just one more point expat paul, you say that if you need to change anything you always ring when back in the UK, which I know makes sense, because if you phone from France, Sky block you right away. But what would happen if you box packed-up, do Sky just send you a replacement at your parents address? Obviously if they renew your viewing card it would be sent to the UK address, and then can be forwarded on by your parents.

 

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Your digibox warranty only lasts for 1 year, after that you have to pay for a replacement, you then get a re-conditioned box and 3 months warranty.  It is cheaper to buy another digibox from a dealer.

Regards

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[quote user="Grecian"]

But what would happen if you box packed-up, do Sky just send you a replacement at your parents address? Obviously if they renew your viewing card it would be sent to the UK address, and then can be forwarded on by your parents.

 

[/quote]

I was referring to the quote from Grecian.

Expat Paul - you have been very fortunate, I have had to replace 4 digiboxes (admittedly Sky+)

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Thanks tel for that info, obviously a digibox is like anything else you purchase after the warranty runs out. Not sure if I have my wires crossed here, but has the viewing card got to be paired with the original digibox, or will it work in any newly purchased digibox, that is not purchased from Sky?

Paul I hope I haven't put the 'kiss of death' on your digibox!!!

 

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I have to say I have phoned SKY from France numerous times, and when one considers that your going into a huge call centre to be answered, I cannot see how, or why, they would trace the call. I've never had a problem, and even had one chap explaining to me how to beat the system! When we returning home from visits to the UK we sometimes have poor reception, or have lost channels. I just call up, explain that we are restoring the house and the SKY box is no where near a phone line to plug it in, and they do it all over the dish. I suspect all the time your paying, they really don't care!!

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That is right. Our friends up the road brought their box from Ireland, and ITV3 is the Irish version, whereas we moved ours from Brighton, Sussex, to France, and our ITV is the Meridian, we cannot swap cards (he asked me because of a football match!). You can get CH4 and % on Freeview, you replace the Skycard and it's basic package, subscription £15 per month, for a one off payment FTV card that is about £20

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You guys are correct - the cards are 'paired' to the box when subscribing to the pay channels. If you are just using the card as a 'Free to view' card, there is no need for them to be paired.

There is no Irish equilavent to Freesat, so the cards have to be 'paired' and cannot, therefore, be swapped, although your Freesat card should work in your Irish neighbours box I would have thought - never tried it though.

Tim

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[quote user="Grecian"]

Thanks tel for that info, obviously a digibox is like anything else you purchase after the warranty runs out. Not sure if I have my wires crossed here, but has the viewing card got to be paired with the original digibox, or will it work in any newly purchased digibox, that is not purchased from Sky?

Paul I hope I haven't put the 'kiss of death' on your digibox!!!

 

[/quote]

So do I !!!!!!

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[quote user="Clarkkent"]

It is perfectly legal for you to receive a satellite signal in France, what is not legal (for copyright and territorial rights reasons) is for Sky to send a signal to you in France. It is the responsibility of the broadcaster to prevent you from receiving transmissions, it is not your responsibility not to watch them.

[/quote]

Don't know if there is the equivalent of the UK wireless telegraphy act in France. But theoretically in the UK it is an offence to make use of any transmission which is not intended for your reception. If the same applied in France then obviously the Sky transmission is not intended to be received in France.

OK, I am a pedant.

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[quote user="Northender"]Sky viewing cards seem to be compatible with any box for viewing Free to Air channels.(Ch.4 and 5 need the card) However it seems that pay channels are different and the viewing card is unique to that box.[/quote]

Almost. Cards are paired to boxes only for the premium channels (movies & sport) - a sub card with ordinary subscription channels (Sky 1, discovery, etc) will work in any box.

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Does this mean that if you take your premium channel card from the UK to a different box in France you will be able to get the basic sky package but not the premium rate one, or will none of the channels work.
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[quote user="Heller"]Does this mean that if you take your premium channel card from the UK to a different box in France you will be able to get the basic sky package but not the premium rate one, or will none of the channels work.[/quote]

Yes, or rather you will get all of the channels you subscribe to, less the premium ones.

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