test cards + scottish digibox?

alanwaddle72

hi,

what are the so-called "test card" channels you can see listed on eg lyngsat website? it is just that they have started showing sky sports 1 on frequency 12304H, and this used to be a test card? does the fact that they have started showing it mean they will show it there for ever (even though they already have sky sports 1 on 12110H), or is this just some sort of a test that is likely to stop soon?

this is relevant to me because i live in finland and the reception on 12304 is a lot easier than 12110, as it is a north beam...

another thing: i would like to obtain a sky digibox with bbc scotland one on it (to watch scottish footie) - what would be the easiest/cheapest way to do it (it is not possible to move my current digibox address to scotland i think)? even though i would only require the FTA bbc card, would i still have to buy a new full price digibox from someone in scotland, or is there a way round it? is there anyway i could get it at the subsidised 40 quid price and have it sent to me?

thanks for any help in advance!

cheers,
marko

PoloMint

Until recently all you had to do for a Scottish card was get a friend in Scotland to send you a card registered to his address, then call up and marry it to your box. This would work alongside your other card, just swap them over when required. However recently rumour has it the BBC have been asking for serial numbers of all boxes and checking for active sky subs at a different address, rather they are doing this on behalf of Setanta who are not too pleased with them at the moment. Not sure how much truth there is in it, but with the recent RTÈ tighten up there may be some. Still it is worth a shot, it may be noting has changed and it is just an ungrounded rumour, It would be interesting, and useful to see if there has been a change.

As for the channels moving transponders this happens from time to time, however often they move back again as it is for ‘maintenance’ (or so I hear, not quite sure what that means, perhaps someone else can explain it better). You may be lucky – it might stay there.

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'All you need is duck tape and WD40; if it moves and it shouldn't, use duck tape - if it should move and it doesn't, use WD40'

jimbo

This is another of my moans (don't fret I have plenty more). Why is it we can legitimately pull in ITV regions but not those from the BBC. The BRITISH Broadcasting Company doesn't like BRITISH citizens watching anything outside their country of residence, no matter where they hail from. I expect the reason is Marko that if the BBC were to beam Elgin against Montrose to England then the 4 million supporters who usually go to league matches in England would stay at home to watch it and the English clubs would complain.

I'm just being facetious Marko because of the situation. I have nothing against Scottish football and I wish you could see whatever you want.

Jimbo

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Jimbo

PoloMint

The are many reasons,

Firstly say the BBC buys the rights to show a film 3 times. It airs it for the first time on all regions on a Friday night. Supposing BBC1 England news is 5 mins longer than the Scottish news and the Welsh have no news at all (no offence meant, just an example ). That means three start times just tens of minutes apart. If all the BBC regions were available to all that means you could choose to watch it at any of the start times. Wola – the BBC has just ‘spent’ its treble viewing rights. By regionally blocking the channels you can (officially) only watch it in your geographical region, hence it would only count as one viewing. (Yes I know there is analogue terrestrial overspill at region boarders, but that’s the reasoning)

Well that’s one aspect of it, the second being rights to football etc. as you can imagine BBC1 Scot at the moment only has the rights to show the footie in Scotland etc etc.

Thirdly, why do you expect to see all regions? You pay (you are supposed to pay) for a TV licence, this has an address on it, it is that address that you are allowed to use a TV in, so if it is in the south of England why should you be able to see BBC1 Scotland? (Yes I know the licence also covers portable battery powered TV’s and you could take one to Scotland and watch BBC1 Scot there. But you could also take it to Outer Mongolia and (perhaps?) use it there, yet you don’t hear many people calling for Outer Mongolian TV to be freely available in the UK)

On the bright side the BBC has recently said that it is working on all BBC1 regions being available across the UK. On the down side they would be blocked when there were no rights to show the programme in other regions. – so no footie, just Reporting Scotland.

This came out longer than expected for some reason.

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'All you need is duck tape and WD40; if it moves and it shouldn't, use duck tape - if it should move and it doesn't, use WD40'

ShayK

I recently got my BBC Card activated and the following information was requested:-
Card No, Serial No, Version No. All working 25 mins later

jimbo

I understand what you are saying PoloMint but I was talking about the concept of being able to view other BBC regions. Why shouldn't you be able to see BBC Scotland. I don't particularly but there must be a lot of Scots in Engalnd (many here temporarily) who would welcome seeing local news from their region. They are of course denied this by the BBC because it lacks the equipment to do it. As I said ITV regions are available.

I know you were joking about Outer Mongolia but it does have a serious element. Ex pats from other countries can, by purchasing a card, see loads of stuff from their countries of birth. E.g. most in Europe. We in England cannot watch a Scottish or Welsh programme.

As for Scottish football, BskyB have the rights to show league and internationals from there so it's not the leagues blocking it.

No, the truth is that as far as home digital services are concerned (excluding sky) we are not yet up to speed. The BBC is now making an effort but there's a conflict brewing. There are some who think the organisation should not use licence money to develop digital TV and yet the government is trying to set a date when analogue TV should be switched off. What will happen I wonder......

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Jimbo