Sky June Deadline.

[Dan]

Is it true that Sky have announced that it intends to cease broadcasting Sky Analogue in June 2001 if so where does this leave us all with analogue motorised satellite systems with built in sky videocrypt decoders ? So for me to continue receiving Sky after the June 2001 deadline I'll need to upgrade to Sky Digital and then be restricted to the channels available via the sky minidish. I can't even upgrade my motorised receive because Sky don't make a cam available to us. What will sky do in June 2001 if there are still subscribers that have not moved over to Sky digital, will they just turn off analogue.

Regards
Dan

 

[2old4this]

LAST EDITED ON 19-Aug-00 AT 12:24 PM (GMT)Yes, they have negotiated an even earlier end to their transponder rentals on Astra1. So they are now intending to stop analogue services mid-2001.

To continue receiving any Sky channels after that date you *must* switch to Sky digital.

However, that doesn't mean you need to lose your "other" channels. There's no requirement to give up your old dish or receiver. You can even (if your old dish is big enough) fit an offset LNB for Astra2 and use the single fixed dish for both sats (but your old dish needs to be quite large - say 90cm - in view of the large angular separation of those sats meaning that the offset signals are weaker). In fact, there are special multi-profile dishes (like two parabolas in one - eg the Triax dishes) that rather more easily pick up signals from multiple satellites.

But you say you have a motorised system. So why can't you use that? The digibox can be connected to your existing receiver through a smart-priority switch. I used to have my Nokia 9200 & a digibox running like this off a single motorised dish with standard universal LNB.

The only absolute requirement is that you get a digibox since that's the only receiver on the market with the capability to decrypt Videoguard (the system used by Sky digital).

2old

 

[briansc]

Alternatively get a mini dish fitted for sky digi and continue to use your moving dish for the remaining analogue stations. Strictly speaking one can't have 2 dishes on the same site but the mini dish is so small that i'm told by the sat fitters that it is common.

Another bonus is that a lot of ppl find the digital picture better, I do, and you also get more channels for the same money.

Thje downside is yet another box in the room, wives aren't impressed , lol.