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Confused about Sky installation


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Having read through all the posts on here about Sky TV my head is now spinning.

Just when I thought I had it sussed I feel totally confued again.

I am going to France at the weekend armed with digibox, cable, dish and viewing card.  I understand that the viewing card therefore needs to be registered and I will do this before I go so that I can telephone from the UK and I can rig it up and give them all the details off the digibox.  ha ha you see I have learned something!  However if I telephone them to activate the card so that I can get ITV (very important as good week for Corry next week) will I have to pay another subscription?  I already have the usual Sky package at home.  What do I say to them?

Thanks in advance (corry fan & technophobe)

 

 

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[quote]Having read through all the posts on here about Sky TV my head is now spinning. Just when I thought I had it sussed I feel totally confued again. I am going to France at the weekend armed with digib...[/quote]

Assuming that you can install the dish, cable, etc. Then your only potential problem is with the viewing card. The obvious thing to do is to register it in your existing box (just by calling Sky) and then transfer it to your French box - if all you are after is a Free to Air (BBC, ITV, C4 etc) sub, then you do not need to pay anyhing more & and authorised card will work in any box.

Under no circumstances tell Sky that you want to take the card abroad.

Other point, where did the 2nd card come from, as it may be authorised already. Try it in your "home" box - you can't do any harm (you may need to leave it in, for up to 24Hrs).

 

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[quote]Assuming that you can install the dish, cable, etc. Then your only potential problem is with the viewing card. The obvious thing to do is to register it in your existing box (just by calling Sky) and ...[/quote]

Thanks Nick

Someone we know will install the bits and pieces for us.

The second card is from ebay but actually came directly from Sky so I know it is not a dodgy one.

If I register it against my existing home sky box though would that not render my existing card useless? Does the card have to be 'married' to the box.

Another thought - I don't watch any premium channels movies, sports etc just BBC, ITV etc - so why do I pay £20 per month when I can just register a card for free and get the same channels.  Or am I completely missing the point now? 

Cheers

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From what you state you wish to watch only Free to Air and Free to View channels. Therefore cancel your subscription with Sky but keep your card as it will allow you to view  ITV, channels 4 and 5. BBC are free to air so no card is neceesary and in fact in due course ITV will follow.

Baz

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[quote]From what you state you wish to watch only Free to Air and Free to View channels. Therefore cancel your subscription with Sky but keep your card as it will allow you to view ITV, channels 4 and 5. BB...[/quote]

Baz is right, if you don't watch Sky 1, Discovery, UK Gold and the like then cancel.

To answer your original Q (5 times, I ask you!), the Premium channels are movies & sport (+ Disney) only these channels are "married" to the box, for all other subs, including your £20 one, the card will work in any box.

 

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[quote]Baz is right, if you don't watch Sky 1, Discovery, UK Gold and the like then cancel. To answer your original Q (5 times, I ask you!), the Premium channels are movies & sport (+ Disney) only these...[/quote]

Cheers for the info.  Don't know how the question managed to appear 5 times - see what I mean about being a technophobe - I can't even post a question on here correctly!!.

I have now activated the card with Sky and understand it more.  So I am ready to go.  The only thing I can't remember is if there is a scart inlet in the television in France.  It is an old portable so we'll have to see.  I supose I'll end up buying a new one unless there is some sort of other lead. 

I just know that it won't be straight forward when we get there.

Sue

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Sue If you click on the edit box on your multiple posts it will give you the option on the right to delete the post

If you buy a new TV in France it will also give you the option of watching French TV, this will be much better for learning the language than endless hours of pap from Sky and the UK

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[quote]Sue If you click on the edit box on your multiple posts it will give you the option on the right to delete the post . If you buy a new TV in France it will also give you the option of watching Frenc...[/quote]

Thanks Ron - I was wondering about that but wasn't quite sure if you could put SKY through a French TV.  That was my next search this dinner time!  My other half would prefer that I think.

Sue

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[quote]Thanks Ron - I was wondering about that but wasn't quite sure if you could put SKY through a French TV. That was my next search this dinner time! My other half would prefer that I think. Sue[/quote]

Sue

If you get a new TV and set it up properly (and with modern TV's it is very easy and will probably give you the instructions in English if you need them), you get French TV through the normal aerial and "SKY UK TV " through the AV or RGB channel. 

If you push the AV button on your TV remote it will take you into SKY on AV or RGB, you then use the sky control to navigate around the UK channels, if you push a channel button on your TV remote it should take you back to the French channels.

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Hi,

Interesting, as we already have freeview in France and want to update at some stage to the basic sky package. However, I thought that the UK & French tv's work on different systems. If this is the case would you be able to buy a French tv to watch UK Sky?

Hope that hasn't put the cat amongst the pigeons!

Paul

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I think that's been answered by Ron and the answer is yes you can have a french tv and watch UK SKY (I suppose as long as it is UK SKY) which is why it has been suggested that we buy a french TV to be able to watch french programmes and SKY

Hope I've not misunderstood. 

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[quote]I think that's been answered by Ron and the answer is yes you can have a french tv and watch UK SKY (I suppose as long as it is UK SKY) which is why it has been suggested that we buy a french TV to be...[/quote]

By UK Sky I meant the UK digital programmes BBC package ITV 3 etcthat are Free to Air.  NOT SKY itself 

Paul, I think you are confusing everything now  you sure you have freview the set top box from the BBC ....  in France, Ithought it did not work in France, do you mean the  Free to Air package using a french or UK digibox and/or a SKy card to get ITV Ch 4 &5 etc? 

You can upgrade to a SKY package but not from a  French address,  look at the multitude of postings about this in this part of the Forum.

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Paul, Sue,

 

The key to this is the infamous SCART lead.

A UK digital decoder will work with a UK TV no matter how you rig them up.  But becuase of different standards a UK decoder will not work down the arial with a continental TV.  Likewaise a continental decoder will not work with a UK TV down the arial.

 

Bring in the SCART lead.  I'm no techie but as I understand it this takes various bits of the signal you receive and sends it to particular poles on the plug.  So sound goes one way, bits of the picture go another and so on.  So irrespective of which standrd your box and TV are they become compatible through the use of the SCART.

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