Pop-up message saying "replacement SKY HD box at no extra cost"

newgen2005

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Hi guys,

I have been receiving a pop-up message over the weekend from SKY telling me I can have a replacement SKY HD box at no extra cost. I am guessing that this is because I am using an old Thompson HD (component) box.

To be honest the box is pretty slow and plays up sometimes when recording HD content so a new box would be nice!

Does anyone know what the terms are? are these "replacement" boxes actually free? I know it is best to call them but I tried to avoid calling them as they keep you on the phone forever!

Also I hear some boxes have Wifi or just internet connections, I take it that this is for the on-demand stuff! Is the on-demand stuff free, I am the anytime stuff? or are they charging to watch these re-runs over the internet?

Thanks!
 

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Thommo boxes are being withdrawn - they cant cope with a future encryption change - probably when the next generation of cards is sent out.

Log into your mysky account on the sky website - info should be on there
 

newgen2005

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Thommo boxes are being withdrawn - they cant cope with a future encryption change - probably when the next generation of cards is sent out.

Log into your mysky account on the sky website - info should be on there

Thanks for that! Just logged into my account but don't see anything regarding this! Might have to give them a call!
 

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Apparently the encryption change is next month (IIRC 1st October) and will result in the Thomson HD+ boxes losing the ability to view encrypted HD channels.

It may also affect those using cards in non Sky boxes as I believe it involves the card being paired not only to a box serial number but also a number generated by the Sky box as "Receiver ID" for premium channels (Movies, Sports and encrypted HD )
 
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newgen2005

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I avoided calling Sky until tonight as the message keeps popping up and driving us mad!

Within 5 minutes it was sorted!, the guy said your new box will should with you within 5 days. I asked him why they were giving me a new box for nothing, he said the Thompson boxes are very old not reliable and that they have a new supplier for their boxes! he said I would get one with WiFi! :)
 

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The new one will probably be an Amstrad :D
 

newgen2005

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Other than the new boxes having Wifi, are there any major advantages over the older boxes? what is the actual picture quality like? any improvement?

To be honest I am more than happy with the Thompson picture quality (HD) on my 60" Plasma :rolleyes:, the only thing that lets it down is the lagging on the menu!
 

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Other than the new boxes having Wifi, are there any major advantages over the older boxes? what is the actual picture quality like? any improvement?

To be honest I am more than happy with the Thompson picture quality (HD) on my 60" Plasma :rolleyes:, the only thing that lets it down is the lagging on the menu!

You wont be so impressed when it no longer decrypts the HD pay channels :D
 

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Analoguesat

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Basically Tommo HD boxes are being withdrawn and wont work much longer on the pay HD channels.

Sky are replacing boxes they know about foc.
 
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timo_w2s

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The new wifi boxes don't have a built-in RF modulator, so not so good for those of use who pipe Sky to other rooms and use magic eyes. You can buy an IO Link though that partly fixes the problem.
 

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The new one will probably be an Amstrad :D
Definitely NOT an Amstrad - they haven' made satellite receivers for over 3 years. Sky bought the satellite receiver manufacturing from them and although for over a year boxes were still manufactured with Amstrad labelling (to use up the existing stock of cases) for nearly two years they have all been branded "Sky". From installers build quality is now far superior to all the other makes previously used and replacement rates are considerably lower.
 

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Seems odd they should be replacing HD boxes before SD boxes
 
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Steve Steve

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The new Sky HD boxes ...are not very good at upscaling SD ..via HDMI ..as it upscales to 576 P ..not 576 I.....so I found its better to veiw SD with scart....also there is only one scart..!!......digital Sound output is also ...for some reason very low!!..and cant be ajusted.....HD pic is ok ......but not as good as Humax HD freesat boxes...
 

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Seems odd they should be replacing HD boxes before SD boxes
Hardly - the first encryption changes will only affect the HD channels so will not affect SD boxes.
 

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Hardly - the first encryption changes will only affect the HD channels so will not affect SD boxes.

That suits me then...just wish they would stop killing the sound every 15 minutes meaning changing channels and back again
 

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The Receiver ID pairing procedure has been going on since last Oct 2012, Yet it appears with the volume of old Thompsons still in place and subscribers willing to give them up its taking a lot longer than expected
 

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It must get to a point of ever diminishing returns for Sky trying to get these obsolete boxes changed.

Just make the changes and kill the old Tommos off - any folks still using them will soon make themselves known when the pay HD channels stop working :D
 
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