klyne Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 If this is a silly question please forgive me! I have a FTA receiver which I got with all my other satellite kit. I have also acquired from one of my sons a Sky Box. I use the FTA one as its more compact. What I wanted to know is. When you use the Sky box does it only tune into Sky Channels? With my FTA box I can get any number of foreign programmes come up before I eventually get the the UK ones. It crossed my mind that the Sky Box might be easier to use if it could only get Sky programmes. David Quote David - Milton Keynes Bailey Alliance 66-2 Motorhome for holidays and a Kia Venga for home. Caravan Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meister Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 You will find that the Sky box will only let you view "Freesat from Sky" channels as shown in its EPG (electronic programme guide) without a viewing card. Dont confuse this with Freesat which is a different (and in my opinion better) thing. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Surfer Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Viewing card is a one off £20 payment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbilly Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Viewing card is a one off £20 payment. Do Sky have to 'pair' the viewing card with the specific box or will it just work when inserted ? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Surfer Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Do Sky have to 'pair' the viewing card with the specific box or will it just work when inserted ? Bill Once you insert the card it will work however you can't watch the prreium channels unless you pair them up. Although we normally use our Sky card from home just in case we forget it, we have the other £20 viewing card as a back up. At least with satellite you know which way to point the dish and once you have done it a few times, it becomes a total doddle. For a more informed view click on http://www. satelliteforcaravans. co. uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klyne Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 I should have added I do have a Sky card. David Quote David - Milton Keynes Bailey Alliance 66-2 Motorhome for holidays and a Kia Venga for home. Caravan Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I should have added I do have a Sky card. David the sky card still need to be configured to the box, althouth you will still receive sky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigdrinks Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Just to clear up the usual ambiguities about sky cards, pairing, etc. Any 'Yellow House' sky card will work in ANY Sky Digibox without the need to 'pair' it. That includes all the free to view channels and, if you're a Sky subscriber, all the channels you subscribe to EXCEPT premium channels ! A yellow house sky card that's not been used for any length of time (for example if you leave a box and card in the caravan) is easily re-juvenated within a few hours of setting up your Sky dish and connecting everything together ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Surfer Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 the sky card still need to be configured to the box, althouth you will still receive sky. I am sorry but this is incorrect unless you want to receive the premium channels which means that when you get back home it has to be re-configured back to the box at home. As we do not subscribe to the movie or sport channels this is not an issue for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 If this is a silly question please forgive me! I have a FTA receiver which I got with all my other satellite kit. I have also acquired from one of my sons a Sky Box. I use the FTA one as its more compact. What I wanted to know is. When you use the Sky box does it only tune into Sky Channels? With my FTA box I can get any number of foreign programmes come up before I eventually get the the UK ones. It crossed my mind that the Sky Box might be easier to use if it could only get Sky programmes. David David, I have a FTA box and I don,t know if its the same as yours but it is also quite compact. It came as part of a kit from Aldi. Its a pain going through all the channels so I just set up all the channels we want to watch in favourites. We then just scan through the ones we watch. Is yours able to do this ? Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyandrob Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I am sorry but this is incorrect unless you want to receive the premium channels which means that when you get back home it has to be re-configured back to the box at home. As we do not subscribe to the movie or sport channels this is not an issue for us. Surfer, seeing as tho. you sound like a sat/vanning expert. When I changed from sky digi to sky plus I kept the digi box but I use the same card. Would I still have to re-configure the card if I was to use the digi box in the van and then put it back in the plus box when at home. I have the full package(sky i mean ). Can't live without my footie. Quote LANDY DISCO TD5(2003) ADRIA ADORA 532 UK(2005) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I had a bog standard Sky receiver and then upgraded to an HD box which I assume my card was paired to on installation. I have the old receiver in the caravan and just take my card with me when we go away - works no problem. I then thought that it might be a good idea to sling the old box and get a Sky+ box off eBay to put in the van and then we could record the odd program when we were out. Borrowed a test Sky+ box from a mate and although all of the channels I could watch at home were available on it (excluding the HD channels of course), the recording facility would not work at all. Apparently I would need to get my card 'paired' to the Sky+ box each time I went away and then paired back again to my HD box when I got back home which apparently Sky soon latch on to. Gave up on that one. Don't really want to take my HD box away each time just in case it gets damaged in transit. Quote Living the dream, well more of a nightmare ~ Griff Wheels at the front ~ Discovery 4 Towing Machine Wheels at the back ~ 4 of ‘em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watson(JohnG) Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) I just take the box from home as HRH wants to watch the football on Sky and Satanta and Sky would get tired of pairing it to a spare digi box and then re=pairing it to the home box every time we went away Does this help? http://www. ftasat. co. uk/ Edited February 23, 2009 by Watson(JohnG) Quote BMW X3 X Drive and Swift Challenger 580SE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I had a bog standard Sky receiver and then upgraded to an HD box which I assume my card was paired to on installation. I have the old receiver in the caravan and just take my card with me when we go away - works no problem. I then thought that it might be a good idea to sling the old box and get a Sky+ box off eBay to put in the van and then we could record the odd program when we were out. Borrowed a test Sky+ box from a mate and although all of the channels I could watch at home were available on it (excluding the HD channels of course), the recording facility would not work at all. Apparently I would need to get my card 'paired' to the Sky+ box each time I went away and then paired back again to my HD box when I got back home which apparently Sky soon latch on to. Gave up on that one. Don't really want to take my HD box away each time just in case it gets damaged in transit. Hi griff, I had a chat with a Sky engineer about the robustness of the Sky HD box, as we're about to change, and he told me that they're as robust as any Sky+ box and they are handled no differently so ours will go with us, Regards, Ian. Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Surfer Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I had a bog standard Sky receiver and then upgraded to an HD box which I assume my card was paired to on installation. I have the old receiver in the caravan and just take my card with me when we go away - works no problem. I then thought that it might be a good idea to sling the old box and get a Sky+ box off eBay to put in the van and then we could record the odd program when we were out. Borrowed a test Sky+ box from a mate and although all of the channels I could watch at home were available on it (excluding the HD channels of course), the recording facility would not work at all. Apparently I would need to get my card 'paired' to the Sky+ box each time I went away and then paired back again to my HD box when I got back home which apparently Sky soon latch on to. Gave up on that one. Don't really want to take my HD box away each time just in case it gets damaged in transit. Did you have to set up the dish with twin LNBs? I suppose taking the HD box along is only worthwhile if you are going away for 2 or 3 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Did you have to set up the dish with twin LNBs? I suppose taking the HD box along is only worthwhile if you are going away for 2 or 3 weeks. Hi Surfer, I didn't think that setting up a HD box was any different to setting up any other? Can anybody confirm this? TIA, Ian. Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watson(JohnG) Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hi Surfer,I didn't think that setting up a HD box was any different to setting up any other? Can anybody confirm this? TIA, Ian. Its just the same as setting up Sky+ 2 LNB leads and point it at the satellite Quote BMW X3 X Drive and Swift Challenger 580SE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Its just the same as setting up Sky+2 LNB leads and point it at the satellite Hi John, Thank you for the information, I would have looked foolish if it was any different , regards, Ian. Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 (edited) If this is a silly question please forgive me! I have a FTA receiver which I got with all my other satellite kit. I have also acquired from one of my sons a Sky Box. I use the FTA one as its more compact. What I wanted to know is. When you use the Sky box does it only tune into Sky Channels? With my FTA box I can get any number of foreign programmes come up before I eventually get the the UK ones. It crossed my mind that the Sky Box might be easier to use if it could only get Sky programmes. David David, If you only want "Sky" delete all the other satellites from the receiver and just leave Astra 28 E. They can be restored later, if necessary, by the "factory reset" option in the menu. This can be done on all Free to Air receivers. Edited February 24, 2009 by beejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan J Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I have the Pace Javelin with Sky free to air card which I had to have paired according to Sky which was no big deal as I only use that one in the caravan. I once went away for 10 days and forgot to take the card which still works but you always get London channels as your card has your post code as part of the pairing so that you get your local channels. I find the 65cm Maxview dish much better than my Lidl small suitcase dish particularly when touring Europe. I also used to use my Sky+ card but you will not get the premium channels (if you are signed up for them) unless the card is paired with the box in use. I gave Sky the boot because it was costing far too much and Freesat gives you all you need for free. Have just purchased the new Freesat Humax HD PVR with 320gb hard disk which is splendid. Busy recording everything worth watching so that when away in Europe for 3 months can still have some entertainment (if needed) in the evenings when out of Satellite footprint when in Poland. Humax uses the same Astra 28. 2 satellite cluster as Sky so no difference there. Will work on single LNB just not record one channel whilst watching another. The instructions indicate that you can put a "loop" in the back of the box which partially allows this (if you need it). Quote Alan JBailey Pageant S6 Bordeaux Tow Car BMW X5 3. 0D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Busy recording everything worth watching so that when away in Europe for 3 months can still have some entertainment (if needed) in the evenings when out of Satellite footprint when in Poland. Humax uses the same Astra 28. 2 satellite cluster as Sky so no difference there. The Freesat system also uses Eutelsat at 28. 5°E for the EPG so dish size and setting at the extreme edges of reception is more critical as, presumably, the EPG is needed to pre-programme recordings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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