# Sky + in new home



## slookie (25 Nov 2008)

Have sky ordered for next thurs 4th Dec. It was a deal that was in the star newspaper a few months back. It is free Sky + box, free installation, free second sky box, Half price multi room viewing, and half price for the full package. I am just after moving into the house and someone just informed me that we need to have a phoneline for all this. Is this true or is there a way around it..Don't want the hassle and expense of getting a landline installed which we don't need.

Any advice appreciated.


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## PaddyBloggit (25 Nov 2008)

You need a phone connection for installation .... get a telephone extension cable reel .... plug it in ... have it close to your box ... installer connects up ... SKY checks that line is connected ..... then ....................... unplug it a few days later .... roll up your cable .... job done. SKY at the end of the day are happy to get your subscription each month ... you only need the phone line plugged in if you want to order movies etc.

I have my SKY a few years now ..... haven't plugged in my box since I plugged out my cable after installation all those years ago (SKY installer/contractor made me wise to it!)


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## gradgrind (25 Nov 2008)

I believe in the case of Sky+ and multiroom the phone line is required. The box keeps checking for it. Sky don't want to allow the second box being used outside the address on the contract, with Sky+/HD the reasoning may be to stop recorded content being viewed at a second address.


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## PaddyBloggit (25 Nov 2008)

gradgrind said:


> I believe in the case of Sky+ and multiroom the phone line is required. The box keeps checking for it. Sky don't want to allow the second box being used outside the address on the contract, with Sky+/HD the reasoning may be to stop recorded content being viewed at a second address.




Just to clarify .... I have the bog standard SKY box .... no + here


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## myate (26 Nov 2008)

Yeah, for multiroom, you need to be connected to landline. For normal or + box you dont...you just wont be able to order box office programmes. Sky may charge extra for not having the phone connected to the normal/+ box...but so far we have managed to not get billed for it! I had a normal box no phoneline...now we have a + box still no phone line....technician never even asked for it when he installed it.


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## ailbhe (26 Nov 2008)

You can pay an additional charge and inform them you have no telephone line. I think it worked out at about €38 extra.


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## Smashbox (26 Nov 2008)

We just had our Sky+ box replaced, the service guy said that a lot of problems arise from people not having the box plugged in, as it updates regularly through a freephone number or something like that!


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## Neadyk (2 Dec 2008)

I had Sky scheduled to install today in a new build and he couldnt do it because he said I needed an additional tv point in the room.  Apparently it is standard to have 2 tv points in the room to activate sky +.  This was news to my builder.  When I booked it with Sky I asked what exactly the technician needed and they said just a TV. Sky guy said he'd have to come back again once it was installed.  Anyone heard of this?


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## MaryBe (2 Dec 2008)

We have Sky 3 years now and got an extention telephone cable for the installation.  We got rid of the lead after a few days and everything is still ok.  I now have a question!!  I believe there is a box available to purchase at approx €400.00 and all sky channels (and more) are available to view.  This apparently is a once off payment and bobs your uncle. I'm fed up paying in excess of €67.00 per month just in case the family want to watch a film or see a soccer match.  Does anybody know of this?


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## Smashbox (2 Dec 2008)

Is it the Freeview box?


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## MaryBe (2 Dec 2008)

Smashbox said:


> Is it the Freeview box?


 
I don't know.  What is the freeview box and can you tell me if it's more or less equal to the sky package.  All I know is that I would prefer to stop paying the monthly fee to Sky on top of TV licence.


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## wheels (2 Dec 2008)

Neadyk said:


> I had Sky scheduled to install today in a new build and he couldnt do it because he said I needed an additional tv point in the room.  Apparently it is standard to have 2 tv points in the room to activate sky +.  This was news to my builder.  When I booked it with Sky I asked what exactly the technician needed and they said just a TV. Sky guy said he'd have to come back again once it was installed.  Anyone heard of this?



Does your new build work off a communal dish with pre-installed Sky points in each house? 

For Sky + you need two feeds directly from the Satellite as there are two tuners in the box, there is no way around it I'm afraid. Many people think that if you simply split it from the wall it will work, but it needs to be two individual feeds. 

Also, with regards to the phoneline. Sky and Sky+ will work without a phoneline, and Sky won't bat an eyelid but if you need multiroom then you are required to have a phone line. They won't even set it up if you don't. I learnt the hard way. If you do manage to get both boxes set up, then they are well within their rights (from the contract) to charge you extra. The reason behind it is that a multiroom subscription could technically be used in another persons house/apartment next door.


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## myate (2 Dec 2008)

We just upgraded when we moved into our new build (semi-d) a couple of weeks ago - now with Sky+. Had one TV point in the sitting room. The sky engineer put up the dish, and then just drilled through wall into living room where box was going. So didn't use the TV point. Sky wire is 2 wires together, for the 2 tuners in the box. Engineer was great, very accommodating with dish outside and wires...unlike a certain phone company.


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## Dubliner28 (5 Dec 2008)

Hi guys quick question again on Sky +

1)If I set to record a programme and leave the box on standby will it record ?
2)If I set to record and power off Sky box will it record ?
)Finally If i have a series link recording and delete 1st eposide after watching will it still record the rest?


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## selfbuilder (5 Dec 2008)

1) Yes
2) No, it must be plugged in
3) Yes.


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## tosullivan (5 Dec 2008)

For sky+ you do not need a phone line but they will charge €38 for you to do it this way

For multi room, you need a phone line


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## Sylvester3 (5 Dec 2008)

myate said:


> We just upgraded when we moved into our new build (semi-d) a couple of weeks ago - now with Sky+. Had one TV point in the sitting room. The sky engineer put up the dish, and then just drilled through wall into living room where box was going. So didn't use the TV point. Sky wire is 2 wires together, for the 2 tuners in the box. Engineer was great, very accommodating with dish outside and wires...unlike a certain phone company.



I was lucky - when I looked behind the TV point I discovered a second cable that was using the same conduit to go to the kitchen. The engineer connected them both to the Sky + cables in the loft and voila - Sky plus without a big hole in the wall.


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## AlbacoreA (7 Jan 2009)

tosullivan said:


> For sky+ you do not need a phone line but they will charge €38 for you to do it this way
> 
> For multi room, you need a phone line


 
Why the charge?

What happens if you have no phone line.


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## dub_nerd (7 Jan 2009)

MaryBM said:


> I don't know. What is the freeview box and can you tell me if it's more or less equal to the sky package. All I know is that I would prefer to stop paying the monthly fee to Sky on top of TV licence.


 
Freeview is an operator of digital terrestrial television in the UK. You canot receive it in Ireland. Freesat is a similar service launched on satellite in May last year. It is a consortium of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and carries a range of other free-to-view channels too. You CANNOT get Sky subscription channels on it. However, it DOES use the same satellites (the Astra 2D constellation I think) as Sky, so if you already have a Sky dish you can get Freesat by replacing your Sky box with a Freesat box. They are sold through a range of consumer electronics shops in the UK and NI, and I'm pretty sure can be ordered online.

I haven't looked into it in complete detail but am toying with the idea of switching ... I find I watch practically none of the Sky subscription channels and would much prefer to just have the BBCs, ITVs, Channel 4s etc. Oh, and BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBeebies etc. are on the Freeview box EPG, unlike the Sky Ireland EPG, so you can get program schedules for them and if you have a PVR you can auto-record them unlike with Sky. Even though you can manually tune these in on Irish Sky, the lack of an EPG for them renders them pretty much useless, IMO.

The one thing you need to know is you WILL NOT GET RTE on Freesat. You'll need to go back to an aerial for that. Last year the Minister for Communications said that RTE would launch a Freesat channel by Paddy's Day this year which would be a mix of the existing terrestrial RTE programming. The name wasn't decided -- perhaps "RTE International" or perhaps "Diaspora TV" (God forbid!). Anyway, I would say don't hold your breath for it. I don't watch RTE much, but having said that an RTE International on Freesat would probably be the clincher for me -- I would definitely switch away from Sky.

One easy way to think about Freesat is: you will receive what you would receive for free on your Sky box anyway if you let your Sky subscription lapse, except you will have an EPG for the extra BBC channels.

More info on freesat:

http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php


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## JMR (15 Jan 2009)

Hi dub_nerd,

Very interesting.....
I'm just about to move into a new house which the previous owners completely refurbished but didn't quite finish (99% finished)
Anyway, there are plenty of TV points, one in each room and 2 in the sitting room.
Question is if I subscribe to SKY (Have never had a SKY subscription before or any digital service for that matter) are these TV points used?

The builder that did the refurbishment told me that all TV points were wired to a central location in the attic. Would that suggest that this would be for connection to a satellite dish?

If I go for a Freeview box do I need one in each room if I want to view channels independently?
Do I still need the standard NTL subscription or can I do away with that altogether?

Thanks in advance for any info....


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