Sky Plus HD Box (without subscription)

Gary_LevineGary_Levine Posts: 90
Forum Member
Does anybody know whether the recording features of a Sky Plus HD Box work without an active subscription.

Once my subscription is cancelled, the viewing card is then a free to air card. Would the recording facilities still work?
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Comments

  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    No it will not work unless you pay Sky £10.50 per month :(
  • ProDaveProDave Posts: 11,398
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    Unless by chance you still have the old blue card left over from the last card swap, you might find that still enables recording of the FTA channels.

    If you still have it, give it a try.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
    Forum Member
    Hi
    How do I enable FTA channels on Sky+ HD?
    I see just "This is the wrong Sky viewing card for this Sky+HD box"
    My box
    http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8464/img0906kx.jpg
    Screen
    http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4992/img0907cm.jpg
    About box
    http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4001/img0908md.jpg


    Please help me
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    Take the card out! you don't need one for FTA channels :)
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    KOLO82 wrote: »
    Hi
    How do I enable FTA channels on Sky+ HD?
    Your image shows channel 101 as RTE1 which is a SUBSCRIPTION channel - and certainly NOT FTA.

    A brand new Sky+ box (without any smartcard at all) has BBC1 London on 101 and ITV West Midlands on 103. I don't know if it is possible to reset a box which has copied some channel data from a smartcard to this default!
  • big_hard_ladbig_hard_lad Posts: 4,077
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    BKM wrote: »
    Your image shows channel 101 as RTE1 which is a SUBSCRIPTION channel - and certainly NOT FTA.

    A brand new Sky+ box (without any smartcard at all) has BBC1 London on 101 and ITV West Midlands on 103. I don't know if it is possible to reset a box which has copied some channel data from a smartcard to this default!

    RTE1 isn't a subscription channel if you're from Clonmel (ROI).

    There's method in the Magners :D
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    RTE1 isn't a subscription channel if you're from Clonmel (ROI).

    There's method in the Magners :D
    It is - sort of:D:D:D

    It is FTV BUT receiving it relies on having some form of current Sky subscription in ROI! There is no Freesat from Sky equivalent available in ROI - so it is a subscription or nothing!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
    Forum Member
    Hi
    Thanks for answers.
    I have 3 HD channels ;)
    But, why i have not Channel4 or E4, E4 +1 and many more? I have 2 another sky boxes (not HD) and I have there more channels!
  • ProDaveProDave Posts: 11,398
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    KOLO82 wrote: »
    Hi
    Thanks for answers.
    I have 3 HD channels ;)
    But, why i have not Channel4 or E4, E4 +1 and many more? I have 2 another sky boxes (not HD) and I have there more channels!

    Because your box must have come from the ROI and have last been used with an ROI subscription.

    Are you trying to use the old subscription card that came with it as a freesat from sky card? if so you would be better off with no card.

    I think there's also a potential problem that a recent version of the software remembers the regionalisation even when the card is removed.
  • CitySlickerCitySlicker Posts: 10,414
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    Has Sky now changed their policy on this? I have just found these two links:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/advice/9302938/Will-my-Sky-box-stop-working-if-I-cancel-my-subscription.html#

    http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/1638398-recording-deactivated-card.html

    From earlier on in the year, but they suggest recording still works on free channels once a card has been cancelled (so long as it is paired with the same box). Reading the comments at the bottom of the Telegraph story say the info is incorrect, and the Sky forums suggest you have to pay the £10.xx fee per month to use record, but the AV forums link suggests it works.
  • davemurgatroyddavemurgatroyd Posts: 13,328
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    Has Sky now changed their policy on this? I have just found these two links:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/advice/9302938/Will-my-Sky-box-stop-working-if-I-cancel-my-subscription.html#

    http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/1638398-recording-deactivated-card.html

    From earlier on in the year, but they suggest recording still works on free channels once a card has been cancelled (so long as it is paired with the same box). Reading the comments at the bottom of the Telegraph story say the info is incorrect, and the Sky forums suggest you have to pay the £10.xx fee per month to use record, but the AV forums link suggests it works.

    Well firstly the Telegraph responder really appears not to know what he is talking about as he refers to BBC1, 2, ITV1, C4 and C5 as FTV channels. Secondly the poster on AV Forums seems to be a one-off error on Sky not switching off Sky+ functions and there have been no further reports since then and my experience of my partner cancelling her Sky subscription is that the Sky+ features no longer work.
  • CitySlickerCitySlicker Posts: 10,414
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    Well firstly the Telegraph responder really appears not to know what he is talking about as he refers to BBC1, 2, ITV1, C4 and C5 as FTV channels. Secondly the poster on AV Forums seems to be a one-off error on Sky not switching off Sky+ functions and there have been no further reports since then and my experience of my partner cancelling her Sky subscription is that the Sky+ features no longer work.

    Good feedback from someone with firsthand experience, thanks.
  • Young TurksYoung Turks Posts: 3,262
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    my experience of my partner cancelling her Sky subscription is that the Sky+ features no longer work.

    Freesat must thank Sky for this as disabling the PVR functions for even free channels help Freesat to sell more Freesat PVRs.
  • television2004television2004 Posts: 2,317
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    With regard to using a Sky HD box without subscription. Can you use BBC i Player?
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    With regard to using a Sky HD box without subscription. Can you use BBC i Player?

    You need the recording features to get OnDemand Catchup (iPlayer etc...), Sky charge £10.50 per month for this.
  • television2004television2004 Posts: 2,317
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    Thanks for that I have a Sky HD box in the Loft. Looks like it will stay there!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 829
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    anniebrion wrote: »
    You need the recording features to get OnDemand Catchup (iPlayer etc...), Sky charge £10.50 per month for this.


    Sky website states you don't need any subscription for iplayer

    http://www.sky.com/products/ways-to-watch/on-demand/
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    Sky website states you don't need any subscription for iplayer

    http://www.sky.com/products/ways-to-watch/on-demand/

    The recording feature is not technically a subscription, its an activation charge, you get no extra channels.
  • chenkschenks Posts: 13,231
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    Sky website states you don't need any subscription for iplayer

    http://www.sky.com/products/ways-to-watch/on-demand/

    it's says a TV subscription is not required
    Sky TV subscription not required for BBC iPlayer content.

    you still need a Sky+ subscription though to enable the HDD recording functions on the box.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 13
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    I there anywhere on the official Sky websites that states the monthly cost of Sky+ activation as I have seen various prices quoted including £10, £10.25, £10.50 & £15.
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    I there anywhere on the official Sky websites that states the monthly cost of Sky+ activation as I have seen various prices quoted including £10, £10.25, £10.50 & £15.

    When VAT increased to 20% the price went from £10 to £10.25 the extra 25p is from the 2.5% increase in VAT, Sky don't advertise this service as they want you to subscribe to the minimum channel package.
  • big_hard_ladbig_hard_lad Posts: 4,077
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    I there anywhere on the official Sky websites that states the monthly cost of Sky+ activation as I have seen various prices quoted including £10, £10.25, £10.50 & £15.

    If you aren't a Sky subscriber, Sky+ costs £10.25 a month (used to be £10 before the VAT increase).

    Why you would do that, I don't know. Personally, a Freesat+ box is a much more economical solution.
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
    Forum Member
    anniebrion wrote: »
    When VAT increased to 20% the price went from £10 to £10.25 the extra 25p is from the 2.5% increase in VAT, Sky don't advertise this service as they want you to subscribe to the minimum channel package.
    This service is also, AFAIK, ONLY available to Sky subscribers when cancelling their entire subscription. You cannot just buy a box and sign-up to it (and as others have said Freesat would be a far better option then anyway!)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 13
    Forum Member
    BKM wrote: »
    This service is also, AFAIK, ONLY available to Sky subscribers when cancelling their entire subscription. You cannot just buy a box and sign-up to it (and as others have said Freesat would be a far better option then anyway!)
    I was under the impression that you could purchase a freesat viewing card at £25 then add the Sky+ activation charge at (what I now know is) £10.25/Mnth providing you agree to pay by direct debit.
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