Phone 08702 430604 ?

BarMoo

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Sorry folks its a bit of a whinge and a decent question all in one.

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Anyone with an old (pale blue) FTV SKY card will know this number. A digibox generated message is currently being displayed at an ever alarming and increasing rate.

Question: has anyone phoned this number yet and what exactly do they proffer as a solution to the BBC running-off and doing their own thang?

Do they suggest the obvious?

a. Return to analogue;

b. Continue to fork-out for a TV licence and add a sprinkling of GBP 144.00 for a most basic SKY subscription package;

c. or, do they say "fook you, your abroad - take-up listening to the radio". Radio 2 and 4 available on the WIDE BEAM satellite - er, that transmits to most of europe? Doh!

Oh, such meriment. Arse!

Mark.
 

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you are writing from Berlin so just be grateful that you can access English satellite at all

1) Must carry does not mean must carry for free. This ruling in effect is to prevent cable & satellite operators behaving in an anti competitive way with respect to content distribution and is not (but comonly misunderstood as being so) a manadate to provide free TV
2) No one ever complains to the cable TV suppliers about them providing ITV C4 & 5 FTA
3) Someone has to pay for Solus, do you expect SKY to offer it for free? BBC does not need to pay for it, ITV does not want to pay for it (as they probably will go FTA in the near future,) C4 & 5 cant afford to pay for it
 

rolfw

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Agree with most of that, but all they need to do is make a small charge of £12-15 to cover the cost of the scheme, most people would probably be happy to pay £20.
 

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rolfw said:
Agree with most of that, but all they need to do is make a small charge of £12-15 to cover the cost of the scheme, most people would probably be happy to pay £20.

Can you name me a good reason why they should do that M8?
Or think of it from another point of wiev,for example....put yourself in Murdoch's shoes for a minute & tell me.....would you? O-no
He knows people will complain for a while but eventually end up subscribing if they dont have a choice.
Providers love to include popular channels in their packages,it increases their sales.....
Dont we complain about the rubbish channels that we are made to pay when we subscribe to a package?
If we were given the option of choosing individual channels to pay & watch,do you think they can sell the other rubbish channels to anyone?
I belive SKY will make the most of this situation while it lasts.

iceman
 

rolfw

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It isn't to do with Sky Iceman, although they are the major beneficiary, it is to do with what the British government can pressurise the three remaining players into doing, the one of payment would be a relatively painless solution to what could be yet another major setback to the governments digital plans.
 

BarMoo

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People might notice a change in this post from earlier. I am in a good mood again.

Talc said:
you are writing from Berlin so just be grateful that you can access English satellite at all

Ouch! I don't want to sound righteous, but, I did pay for my mother's licence fee (for the duration).

Talc said:
2) No one ever complains to the cable TV suppliers about them providing ITV C4 & 5 FTA

? That has nothing to do with my original post.

Talc said:
3) Someone has to pay for Solus, do you expect SKY to offer it for free? BBC does not need to pay for it, ITV does not want to pay for it (as they probably will go FTA in the near future,) C4 & 5 cant afford to pay for it

Fact is, until the BBC pulled-out of the Solus card scheme - most of us understood there to be three broadcaster's paying for the scheme. To say that the BBC don't need to pay for it (the card/scheme) is matter of fact; but, why shouldn't they continue to - I still pay for my mother's licence?

The BBC continue to rely 100% on BSKYB technology. Indeed, I understand that without a card in the box, your local BBC won't appear at 101. So, they don't need the card but they'll use it anyway: much like they abuse the proprietory OpenTV technologies of the box for BBCi (applications that will NOT run on a FTA receiver).

IMHO what should have happened is pretty much the bloomin' obvious: that the four broadcaster's (five incl. SKY) should have split the 14Million cost between them. As they ALL benefit from being on the platform - they should ALL pay for it. Albeit, I don't understand why it costs sooo much.

As for 'Must Carry' and 'Must Offer', well, given recent events - I guess that will be 'Must Offer'. On this, Iceman raises some valid points.

That said, has anyone phoned this magic number yet? Else I will later today.

Have Fun,

Mark.
 

athoni

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mljgmljg said:
Sorry folks its a bit of a whinge and a decent question all in one

--------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone with an old (pale blue) FTV SKY card will know this number. A digibox generated message is currently being displayed at an ever alarming and increasing rate..


Is there a quick way of getting rid of this message? I've had to press "back-up" about 50 times before my screen returns to normal,-most irritating if you're in the middle of watching something!
 

zansi

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That said, has anyone phoned this magic number yet? Else I will later today.

Have Fun,

Mark.



The magic number has been phoned, the people at Sky are saying that to receive BBC,ITV,Ch4,Ch5 they need to subscribe @ minimum of £12.50 per month. When challenged regarding BBC being FTA they seem to go into a "non compehend" mode.

Let's hope that a solution is found before too many people are conned by the b*****d Sky Baron ^-J
 

BarMoo

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This is most unsatisfactory; especially given that the new generation Solus cards, issued after Feb 2003, will function for the next three to five years (according to the BBC site); and, those lucky bustards that got a hold of one will larfing.

Yet, unlike OnSquigital, where they went under and left everyone high-and-dry - the BBC and Co. are still fully functioning businesses and could do something about keeping the card alive (whatever that means?).

Frankly, if none of them can be assed to, then they should leave the platform completely.

Credit to Tony Ball. 600,000+ viewers ready for the kill. Masterstroke.

Mark.
 

BarMoo

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One thing on the cable companies.

2) No one ever complains to the cable TV suppliers about them providing ITV C4 & 5 FTA

Unlike DSAT, a cable subscriber will always be as such - a subscriber. As we all know the five main broadcaster's were available to DSAT non-subscriber's until the bbc pulled the plug.

One question could be: Why didn't SKY operate their business like Canal+ in the first place - (i.e., watch the free channels as part of a package) ???

Interesting.

Mark.
 

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Futher news on "the magic number" Sky are now offering a "special deal" on their minimum package, introductory offer of £6.50 p/m a bargain I don't think for Sky 1 and the channel's which were FTV before!! :rolleyes:
 
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billyburger

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I phoned the number yesterday. I also was offered the introductory price of £6.50 per month, reverting to £12.50 per month after the first 12 months.

I explained that I have four digiboxes off a quad LNB so that different channels can be watched in different rooms (I have 3 teenage children) after rubbing their hands together they offered me FOUR subscriptions equating to £600 per year just to receive ITV, CH4 & CH5.

I emailed both the Government and Sky. Sky surprisingly haven't replied. The Government replied today informing me that they are seriously looking into this problem and Tessa Jowell MP is in the process of contacting ITV,CH4,CH5 and BSkyB to find out what their long term proposals are for the future of FTV. The results will be published on this website
www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk
cheers

Bill
 

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I have tried twice to phone and after a 10min wait the second time got a room full of folk taking but unfortunately not to me. If I took up the £6.50p deal I wonder if sky would honour a offer given a couple of years back of a months free viewing for not honouring two contracts to install a system for me. After they made the offer I bought and installed my own at full price but then they said I had to pay for a full 12 month in advance before getting a free month. Just do not trust sky to deal with - is there any alternatives? Terrestrial tv is a no go for digital and will never be a option where I am.
 

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so is the theory now that u pay your 6.50 for a year and then cancel the contract so that you are back to fta and the card will continue to work as it does now, or are they going to tie u in to a continuing contract at full 12.50 for a future period?
 

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The latest scam for obtaining the FTV channels is as follows:

"Order Sky card from Sky, tell them that you already have a box and dish set up and could they send you a direct debit mandate. When the card arrives, activate by using the new installation option in the installers menu and then never send back the direct debit. After around 2 weeks, Sky will cancel your account and turn off the pay channels, but the other channels should still be OK."

Whether this will work for long is not known, Sky will I'm sure get wind of it pretty quickly and I'm sure can turn off cards completely if they so wish.
 

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rolfw said:
The latest scam for obtaining the FTV channels is as follows:

"Order Sky card from Sky, tell them that you already have a box and dish set up and could they send you a direct debit mandate. When the card arrives, activate by using the new installation option in the installers menu and then never send back the direct debit. After around 2 weeks, Sky will cancel your account and turn off the pay channels, but the other channels should still be OK."

Whether this will work for long is not known, Sky will I'm sure get wind of it pretty quickly and I'm sure can turn off cards completely if they so wish.

Hi Rolf. You say that we can activate the card ourselves via the installers menu. I thought that the procedure was to phone Sky on receipt of the card and that they would ask for the decoder reg. no. and card no. etc. before then activating the card. Is that the case?

Thanks Athoni.
 

rolfw

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All cards can be activated on a UK phone line, or with a redirect dialler, by using the new installation option in the hidden installers menu.
 

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rolfw said:
The latest scam for obtaining the FTV channels is as follows:
Whether this will work for long is not known, Sky will I'm sure get wind of it pretty quickly and I'm sure can turn off cards completely if they so wish.

Yes, I am afraid it's only a short term solution as Sky do fully de-activate cards on account problems, the screen then shows "This card is not authorised contact 08702 ******" ^-J
 

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If its just down to a card, why can't we just buy one from SSSL. Simple. A one-off charge of GBP12.00. Great :-righton

When the next card changeover happens, I guess that most would buy another. I understood the Solus and Subscriber cards were different? Fine. Any card bought from SKY would be a 'subscriber enabled' card. With a phone request for a subscription - we could all upgrade easily?

The situation now is that the lecky board have taken out the 100A service fuse and in order to have our electricity re-instated - we have to buy back the service fuse (man will attend) and make a committment to purchase only their electricity for at least a year. 'O'-red

SKY (sic) shouldn't forget that most household's with a sky box have, at some point, had SKY. Fewer of us (well significant thousands) have gone out and had to purchased full-price (proprietary )kit for the sake of the FTV option. But, either way, we have paid our dues to SKY in some form or other.

Any existing card holder (FTV or otherwise) should have had a new generation card sent to them. Only those jumping on the FTV wagon after Feb2003 should have to face the stark option that we are all now having to suffer. Arse!

Thoughts?

Mark.
 

rolfw

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It is obviously in Sky's interest to maintain the status quo, but I'm sure that with a bit of pressure from the government on the other terrestrial TV services, Sky could be forced to operate the one of FTV card charge. It simply requires someone with a bit of clout to shake up the bag or knock a few heads together, perhaps "Two Jabs" would be the man. :)
 
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