Additional 3 sky boxes and subscription problems.

[freedomrun]

This is my first post here, so if i have put this in the wrong section - sorry about that. Bloke i've done some Electrical work for has asked me to install some Sky equipment for him. He already has SKY (SD) in one room and has basic SKY package, but no movies or sports, he wants SKY (SD) in three other rooms. He wants all 4 SKY boxes to be independant of each other, so no option for MAGIC EYE (i guess ???). I have told him that i will need to upgrade the LNB and run seperate sat coax to each new screened output. Now, i need some advice on the subscription side of things - he wants the same package on the other 3 SKY boxes as the one he has already, will SKY give him another 3 cards the same as the one he has or does he have to pay SKY extra. Only other info i have is that he is taking the 'phone and internet over to SKY also and does not want HD service and does not want SKY PLUS either. Is obtaining some dodgy SKY cards an option maybe - what would be involved with that option? I'm not sure if he would want to do that anyway. I have also been looking at the multiroom option on the SKY site - this could be an idea, but if i'm correct, he will also need a 'phone line installed at each box - and this, i know he will not want to have done, unless sky will put them in for free when he takes the 'phone & internet over to them - any advice on this also please. He specifically wants the same package on all boxes as the one he has currently and does not want only freesat channels. (I have only installed Freesat up to now in addition to my Electrical work (I am a fully qualified electrician by trade) so the SKY subscription side is a mystery to me) Many Thanks in advance.

 

[Lazarus]

He needs to convert his Sub to "Multiroom" - I think the charge is an extra £10 per month per card.

This also requires each subscribed box to be connected to the same phone line (ie One line plus extensions as required, not a separate line) on a permanent basis: this is an "anti-fraud" measure to stop subsidised Cards being used externally.

We would not permit debate here about "dodgy cards".

 

[freedomrun]

Thanks for that advice, had to ask the question but will not raise this topic again - message understood. I Will advise customer to use some 'phone extension leads and request multiroom subscription. Also, the boxes i'm getting are pre-owned and used in good working order - will this be an issue with SKY if used at a different dwelling to that used before??

 

[Lazarus]

No problem with the boxes as once supplied to the first user they are the property of that user and can be sold on. As far as Sky are concerned they are "second-hand" boxes and they don't care much as long as they get the sub. revenue. Serial numbers will, I think, be required for pairing to the Cards they supply. Not 100% sure on that last point if the sub is only basic "mixes". For Sports/Films pairing certainly is needed.

The level of enforcement on phone line connection is such that two warning letters would be received before any substantive action is taken. It also seems a bit hit-and-miss.

Be up front with Sky and there shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Analoguesat]

There wont be any problems with reusing second hand boxes.

Theres no such thing as dodgy cards for Sky - either he pays the multiroom subs or he does without and only has the free channels on the extra boxe(es)

Is he willing to spend an extra 30 quid a month on top of his existing payments? If hes only got the six mix thats a big jump!

 

[smoggy07]

Just a quick note on the phonelines and the need to have them plugged into the sky box

Sky will run extentions to the multiroom boxes only if theyre installing the boxes and only if the house isnt 5 miles wide (if it`s a big job running extention cables everywhere they`ll proberbly charge), sky will not run any extentions or come out to the propperty if you are only requesting cards for second hand boxes

One problem he may have aswell is if there is one master telephone socket and 3 new extentions need to be ran off that master socket, his broadband may suffer quite badly if the extentions use wire that isnt of good quality and if the cable runs are very long, could be an arguing factor when calling sky for multiroom (telling them you cant run 3 extention sockets from the master because the broadband will suffer)

 

[freedomrun]

Any ideas how much SKY charge for a job like this, that is - 3 additional (SD) boxes without sky plus, upgrade to OCTO LNB, coax to the additional boxes. The house is quite large & detached, all cables can be run along outside of the building and into the 3 rooms concerned. I estimate about 20m of cable required in total from LNB to all boxes. Not going to add the 'phone line business into the equation at this time. Thanks for the advice on the reduction in Broadband speed - not even thought of that one. Thanks.

 

[smoggy07]

Any ideas how much SKY charge for a job like this, that is - 3 additional (SD) boxes without sky plus, upgrade to OCTO LNB, coax to the additional boxes. The house is quite large & detached, all cables can be run along outside of the building and into the 3 rooms concerned. I estimate about 20m of cable required in total from LNB to all boxes. Not going to add the 'phone line business into the equation at this time. Thanks for the advice on the reduction in Broadband speed - not even thought of that one. Thanks.

When I subscribed to multiroom they came and installed it free and have me a free box but as far as I know, the first box is free then it`s £49 per extra box on top of that (so you`re looking at £100 before any install charges they want to add if you get sky to do it)

As far as the cabling is concerned, sky can only drill external walls anyway so the cable would need to be routed outside (unless there was holes indoors for the cable to run through) but as long as it`s not a big big job you should get away with no charges at all (unless they charge for the install) - non standard installs cost extra but they dont tell you upfront what non-standard is

again touching on the phone line, if there is already an extention coming off the master socket and it is quite a distance away from the master socket, say, the other side of the house, and the broadband he has now (assuming it comes down a landline) is running fine, you might get away with plugging the boxes into the extention but I wouldnt hold my breath, to be honest though, I have mutiroom and the only time either of my sky boxes have seen a phone line is when the cards where activated and my brother inlaw has been out in spain for a few years now, he has sky and 2 or 3 mutiroom boxes and theyre never plugged into a phone line, not even to activate the cards so you shouldnt even need to plug the boxes in