Big Brother SKY watching you?

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  • ML11ML11 Posts: 888
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    Can SKY tell which programmes you, watch, record or play from Anytime?

    Either per customer or anonymous infomation?

    6 years on they do, especially if you stay connected for on-demand services. So if you try to cancel and call their bluff they will be able to call up your database of tv shows watched. In my case they will find I hardly watched any of what I was paying for. I am in cancellation.
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    Where u plug sky into a phoneline, the possibility exists, and of course they know for any Internet services ........
  • Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,924
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    Sky boxes haven't used the phone line for years, in fact the latest boxes don't even have a dial-up modem in them.
    I very much doubt if even the old legacy SD boxes still use it.
    :)
  • derek500derek500 Posts: 24,887
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    At the heart of Sky AdVance is data – Sky Media has expanded its TV audience measurement capabilities to now gather data from 3 million households, providing second by second viewing data. This massive scale allows insights from the Sky platform covering over 500 TV channels, providing programme, spot and sponsorship viewing as well as recency and frequency data. This combined TV, online and mobile knowledge opens the door to advanced cross-platform understanding and delivery.

    https://www.skymedia.co.uk/sky-advance/
  • giannigianni Posts: 1,224
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    Dave-H wrote: »
    Sky boxes haven't used the phone line for years
    :)

    With respect this is incorrect.

    A few days ago the phone connected light popped up on my front panel; I checked and assuredly the phone line was in use.
  • ArtfulDodger_ArtfulDodger_ Posts: 3,808
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    If your Sky box is connected to the internet, then yes, its possible.

    Sky have stated on their forums viewing data is not collected.
  • Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,924
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    gianni wrote: »
    With respect this is incorrect.
    A few days ago the phone connected light popped up on my front panel; I checked and assuredly the phone line was in use.
    I stand corrected, but I'm very surprised.
    As I said, the latest generation of boxes don't even have a modem in them!
    Is your box connected to the internet?
    :)
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    gianni wrote: »
    With respect this is incorrect.

    A few days ago the phone connected light popped up on my front panel; I checked and assuredly the phone line was in use.

    Sorry, but that means nothing :D - and why on earth is your box connected to a phoneline?.

    I'm presuming you don't have multiroom, if you do it 'may' still be required for old installations, as all multiroom boxes used to have to be connected to prove they were in the same house.

    This requirement was dropped a while back, but only for installs post-dating the changes - although if you ask they will remove the phone requirement for you anyway.
  • derek500derek500 Posts: 24,887
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    If your Sky box is connected to the internet, then yes, its possible.

    Sky have stated on their forums viewing data is not collected.


    ....except from the 3m homes that they do.
  • Auntie ClimaxAuntie Climax Posts: 917
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    I'm sure Sky don't particularly care on a person by person level what you're watching. The retention team do not have access to your viewing information except for box office and store information including adult content. They do not know if you have watched anything else so that will not affect your cancellation.
  • giannigianni Posts: 1,224
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    I'm presuming you don't have multiroom, if you do it 'may' still be required for old installations, as all multiroom boxes used to have to be connected to prove they were in the same house.

    This requirement was dropped a while back, but only for installs post-dating the changes - although if you ask they will remove the phone requirement for you anyway.

    I have multiroom.

    It was installed before the requirement was dropped.

    Both my boxes are connected to phone lines and to active internet connections. I have no problem with this as it was a requirement I knew about and understood before I took out the contract.

    The wiring is in place and would take effort to remove - to what end? The best that can happen is status quo; the worst is that Sky detect the loss of connection and disable something so I have to go through the getting it fixed process - more waste of time.

    So I stand by my statement (based on empirtcal observation) that Sky still poll boxes via the phone-line but happily acknowledge that may be only for old multi-room installations.
  • teletvteletv Posts: 1,743
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    I do know that SkyQ can be remotely monitored and connected to remotely by sky as the installer who fitted the system told me this, but does it monitor viewing habits?
    I dont know... its possible i guess.
  • OrbitalzoneOrbitalzone Posts: 12,627
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    gianni wrote: »
    I have multiroom.

    It was installed before the requirement was dropped.

    Both my boxes are connected to phone lines and to active internet connections. I have no problem with this as it was a requirement I knew about and understood before I took out the contract.

    The wiring is in place and would take effort to remove - to what end? The best that can happen is status quo; the worst is that Sky detect the loss of connection and disable something so I have to go through the getting it fixed process - more waste of time.

    So I stand by my statement (based on empirtcal observation) that Sky still poll boxes via the phone-line but happily acknowledge that may be only for old multi-room installations.

    I'd disconnect the phone line as it's an entry point for power spikes, during a thunderstorm you could get a pulse down the phoneline and damage the box. If there's no need for the connection then why bother leaving it plugged in?
  • rscottrscott Posts: 6,771
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    teletv wrote: »
    I do know that SkyQ can be remotely monitored and connected to remotely by sky as the installer who fitted the system told me this, but does it monitor viewing habits?
    I dont know... its possible i guess.

    How else would My Q work if they didn't monitor what you watch and suggest similar content?
    Each box reports back everything watched and viewed every day..
  • Daryl_SlinnDaryl_Slinn Posts: 176
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    Damn... I better stop watching Babestation...
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    gianni wrote: »

    So I stand by my statement (based on empirtcal observation) that Sky still poll boxes via the phone-line but happily acknowledge that may be only for old multi-room installations.

    Yes, it's because you have an old mulitroom installation - where it's still required that you have phone connections to all boxes.

    If you didn't want that any more?, simply disconnect one of them from the phone and wait and see if Sky contact you. They won't do anything to stop it working, and may well now simply cancel the requirement automatically.

    If they do contact you?, simply ring them and explain the modem has failed in one of the boxes, and if they would like to send on installer out (free of charge) to change the box they are welcome to do so. At this point they mark your account as 'no phone connection required' :D

    But if you're happy with the phone connection, then leave it 'as is' - my main concern is the high numbers of Sky boxes destroyed by lightning up the phone wires :D
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    ML11 wrote: »
    6 years on they do, especially if you stay connected for on-demand services. So if you try to cancel and call their bluff they will be able to call up your database of tv shows watched. In my case they will find I hardly watched any of what I was paying for. I am in cancellation.

    It is the way things are, if you are worried about Sky monitoring your viewing, then disconnect the box from the net or phone line if it is still connected.

    I use Now Tv and Netflix, so no doubt that is sending back info of what I watch, it got to as they both give suggestions of what I may want to watch. Not that bothered, but it would be nice to be able to turn suggestions off.

    If you are that worried then go for Freesat or Freeview and do not connect the box to any online service.
  • Mark AMark A Posts: 7,687
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    If you download something on Catch-Up then the servers certainly know exactly when and where it was dispatched to, else they wouldn't know where to send it. Each box has a unique network card number and Sky knows who it registered to.
  • giannigianni Posts: 1,224
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    my main concern is the high numbers of Sky boxes destroyed by lightning up the phone wires :D

    That is why my dish is mounted in the loft alongside my TV and FM aerials :D
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,329
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    gianni wrote: »
    That is why my dish is mounted in the loft alongside my TV and FM aerials :D

    And how does that stop lightning up the phone line? :p

    Presumably you have a loft window pointing in the right direction for the dish to work?.
  • Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,924
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    I suspect gianni may well have been joking there!
    :D
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