GBP 23.50 is a fraud

[BarMoo]

SKY warned you, ITV didn't tell you - now its happened.

What? Well, switch-off, stupid!

Any user wishing to watch ITV/CHa4/five will now have to phone 08700 541800 for a new (sic) FTV card - at an abitrarily priced GBP 23.50 - that's 23.50 for those slow off the FTV starting blocks this morning.

On top of the License Fee for gee's sake! Read my signature.

Listen, we are talking about commercially funded; i.e., 4 ad breaks per hour - commercial funded - full of commercials commercial stations.

Ooking Cheeek.

Really, from the BBC paying GBP 12.00 for each card (on our behalf and from our fee) - how, exactly, can that literally fictious price blossom to 23.50 - in less than sixth months?

(sic) AND I'm sure that their new card scheme will be sponsored by Vodaphone, Claims Direct - or worse, SKY+

The whole thing is foooked-up. Digital TV, 100Hz TV sets, SD w/s - urghhh - it is all turning into a 'Lord of the Flies' (fools politics) kind of thing and too confusing for even me to comprehend or be interested in.

All I have now on SKY is GOD, SHOPPING, TCM and THE MURDOCH FAMILY CHANNEL. I wish my German and Italian was better - I would swing round my dish to 13° for free.

Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[methos_de]

Any user wishing to watch ITV/CHa4/five will now have to phone 08700 541800 for a new (sic) FTV card - at an abitrarily priced GBP 23.50 - that's 23.50 for those slow off the FTV starting blocks this morning.

On top of the License Fee for gee's sake! Read my signature.

what license fee would that be? Apparently you live in Berlin ;)

Really, from the BBC paying GBP 12.00 for each card (on our behalf and from our fee) - how, exactly, can that literally fictious price blossom to 23.50 - in less than sixth months?

its obviously nearly the double but it still isnt really that much. arent the cards guaranteed to work for the next 3-4 years? thats then a price of GBP 6-8 a year which isnt really that much.
If you dont want to pay, then dont. just watch it over antenne. or isnt that possible in berlin :-righton

Methos.

 

[Razor]

I cancelled my SKY sub a few weeks ago…thinking that I would still get RTE, TV3, NETWORK 2 , and TNG.

But when they turned off my card they turned off everything leaving me alone with only GOD to look at also.

As you can see I live in Ireland and GOD is a BIG SHOOT here, but not in my house.

 

[cjgall]

mljgmljg: Think yourself luck its only 23.50 quid for 3-4 years, the Dutch equivalent to the new Sky FTV card costs about 80 Euros. On top of that you have to pay a further 15 Euro's or phone a 70 Eurocent per minute number once a year to keep the card activated. Not that I am complaining, other than the card being a bit on the expensive side I think its good value.

Don't forget that we are not supposed to be watching Sky abroad at all, and for many people living in the UK there is always freeview. We have to pay about 6 quid a month for the Dutch equivalent of 'freeview' and extra boxes means extra subscriptions.

Having said that I do think that ITV1&2, Channel 4 and Five should be FTA on al platforms including satellite, that would probably mean that they would have to be moved onto Astra 2D though...

 

[denis1501]

My sympathies Razor.
It's a disgrace that these channels are switched off when you stop subscribing and that there's no Free to view cards for RTE, Net.2 etc.
How a British broadcaster can have this kind of control in Ireland.....well to me it's just incredible.
Shame on RTE and the Irish Government for allowing this to happen.
regards
D.

 

[BarMoo]

To all responding to my 'don't like early starts & SKY messages' rambles this morning - thank you for your rich and varied input

@methos_de: re: license fee - credibility sometimes involves blatant un-truths :-righton

As for those in Ireland, clearly the equivalent of Ofcom should get on top of that one. If you pay a license fee there should be platform neutrality.

As for this new card - I guess 23.50 is okay: its better than nowt and cheaper than in Holland.

Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[BarMoo]

well I have just phoned and coff'd-up 23.50 for my new TFV card.

Thank the lord that I am not requesting a card for a business.

Indeed, my friends, a card for a business will set you back GBP 105.75

Um, Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[easysat]

I favour the c***-up theory. Someone at ITV and Ch 5 should have asked how viewers were going to decrypt their programmes on BSkyB before handing over the millions to Sky for encrypting their services. Now Sky is making the viewer pay as well when everything should really be included in the charges to broadcasters.

I wish my German and Italian was better - I would swing round my dish to 13° for free.

Well it's a funny thing but I got my French back up to scratch in part by watching satellite TV. "Le Juste Prix" (The Price is Right) is ideal for practicing numbers for example.

 

[BarMoo]

I think you have an idea there. Thanks :-righton

Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[Speedbird]

Can anyone confirm if FTV replacement cards are actually matched to a specific box. i.e the one the original card was in ???
What is different with the first time cards that need to be activated by phone, are they matched to a specific box and need one be connecct to a phone line when phoning to activate.
Thanks

 

[rolfw]

The new card needs to be paired to a box, but the phone line doesn't need to be connected, once activated, they will work in any box.

 

[RogerP]

what license fee would that be? Apparently you live in Berlin ;)



its obviously nearly the double but it still isnt really that much. arent the cards guaranteed to work for the next 3-4 years? thats then a price of GBP 6-8 a year which isnt really that much.
If you dont want to pay, then dont. just watch it over antenne. or isnt that possible in berlin :-righton

Methos.

Actually they are only guaranteed to work till the end of December 05, thats 2 years. They will work in any box but you get the stupid message that "This is not the correct card for this box" if it is not the one it is registered to.

 

[BarMoo]

They will work in any box but you get the stupid message that "This is not the correct card for this box" if it is not the one it is registered to.

Are you saying that once paired to one box, the card becomes totally monogamous; i.e., he-ho to other insertions?

This will be interesting, as I didn't reveal the identity of my box to the person impatiently waiting for my Lloyds Bank Debit Card Details O-st I guess I'll have to insert my new FTV member's card into someone else's slot to confirm this

STOP. I am sure I read (here) that those new gen cards happily sleep around between boxes - can anyone confirm this ?

Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[PoloMint]

Once activated the card will show all FTV channels in any box, with no messages about being in the wrong box.

However if you go to a premium subscription channel, on the box the card is married to you will get a message telling you about all the exciting things you are missing on that channel and how to subscribe to it. If you go to a premium channel on a box the card is not married to you will get the ‘incorrect set top box for card’ message.

So you only get the wrong box message on premium pay channels. (when, of course, even if the card was married to the box you wouldn’t get the channel anyway, just an ‘how to upgrade’ message)

 

[ameolive]

Once activated the card will show all FTV channels in any box, with no messages about being in the wrong box.


I've just gone through the Freetoview on-line procedure, I gave the data of the P1 card in my possession and the address of my wife's mother in Britain wher to send it, I gave also my credit card (Italian ) data and apparently it seemed that everything was ok as I received the message that the replacement would be sent in 10 working days.

I preferred the on-line procedure because I understand that I could not call them directly from Italy without raising problems on the other hand it would have been too complicated to ask my mother's wife in Britain to call the Freetoview number for a new card ( it takes already enough time explainig her what a digibox actually is... )

The point is that I'm pretty sure that my current P1 card is not mated to the digibox ( I bought everything on e-Bay a couple of years ago ) and reading this thread I have now the impression that the replacement card will be activated ( or self-activated ) only on the box to which was originally mated the old P1 card.

....I'm now assaulted by the terrible doubt that I may have wasted my money with the on-line procedure.
Can anyone of you confirm if this is true ?

Thanks a lot


Ameolive

 

[BarMoo]

.... I may have wasted my money with the on-line procedure.
Ameolive

I cannot provide you with an answer now, but, it might be of interest to add in to the thread that I have used both the on-line and phone methods to purchase two cards.

Both were 'paid for' using a UK debit card and both cards will end up at the same UK address.

If SKY is anything to go by - i.e., you have handed-over some cash - then I am sure you will get your card too :-righton

When, and if, I have success I shall report back.

Have Fun,

Mark.

 

[denis1501]

Once activated the card will show all FTV channels in any box, with no messages about being in the wrong box.


I've just gone through the Freetoview on-line procedure, I gave the data of the P1 card in my possession and the address of my wife's mother in Britain wher to send it, I gave also my credit card (Italian ) data and apparently it seemed that everything was ok as I received the message that the replacement would be sent in 10 working days.

I preferred the on-line procedure because I understand that I could not call them directly from Italy without raising problems on the other hand it would have been too complicated to ask my mother's wife in Britain to call the Freetoview number for a new card ( it takes already enough time explainig her what a digibox actually is... )

The point is that I'm pretty sure that my current P1 card is not mated to the digibox ( I bought everything on e-Bay a couple of years ago ) and reading this thread I have now the impression that the replacement card will be activated ( or self-activated ) only on the box to which was originally mated the old P1 card.

....I'm now assaulted by the terrible doubt that I may have wasted my money with the on-line procedure.
Can anyone of you confirm if this is true ?

Thanks a lot


Ameolive

Buona Sera Ameolive,
I think you'll be ok. The card will be matched to a different box, yes, but ITV, Ch.4 and Ch.5 should work on any box.
At least this is what I think, having read the many different threads on different boards over the last few weeks.
It would be a different matter if it was a new customer and new card, ie a person that had never had a P1 card. That person would then have to ring up giving box details to have the card activated.
In bocca al lupo!
Denis.

 

[BarMoo]

It would be a different matter if it was a new customer and new card ... That person would then have to ring up giving box details to have the card activated.

Denis.

Hi Denis,

Its my understanding that the new FTV card will marry itself to the box that it is first inserted into. The card will also work in any other digibox to watch FTV channels.

A phonecall to anyone should not be necessary - whether a new or old customer.

Mark.

 

[ameolive]

Many thanks for the replies

I will let you know as soon as I get the replacement card ( if ever I manage to receive it ..)

If worse come to worse I will try to call Freetoview from Italy, as last ditch tentative, and see if I can obtain a new card.

Thankfully here in Rome even with a 80 cm dish I can receive 11778 V ( the EPG signal ) so activation of the card should not be a problem ( unless they have decided to send the signal from ASTRA 2D transponders !!).

Ciao

Ameolive .

 

[denis1501]

Hi Denis,

Its my understanding that the new FTV card will marry itself to the box that it is first inserted into. The card will also work in any other digibox to watch FTV channels.

A phonecall to anyone should not be necessary - whether a new or old customer.

Mark.

Mark,
I sincerely hope you are correct. However, I have seen some posts around where people have said that they get a message like 'This card has not been activated. Please call the broadcaster for assistance'. But I guess this could be for Sky subscription cards. Can anyone confirm?? Is a phone call needed to activate the new Solus cards??? Or is it as Mark says, just put it in any box and it will activate?
regards
D.