Sky Plus - Box only

[RobbiGee]

Hey all,

New poster. Just wandering whether anyone here had bought their box from ebay or the like. Is ebay the cheapest place to get a box only ?

I've just moved into a new flat and all the sat connections are in place already so my plan was to just source a box from the net and ring SKY up and get them to send me a viewing card thus avoiding installation charges etc

Anyone see any issues with this or recommend somewhere cheaper than ebay to source a Sky + box from ?

Also, if I rang Sky and got them to come install a normal digi box, would that box be of any use to me elsewhere if I then swapped it for a Sky + box ?

Cheers

Robbi Gee

 

[PoloMint]

One problem you might run into is that Sky+ needs two satellite inputs, does your new flat have 2 connections or just 1? If it just has one you will need to contact whoever installed the system and find out how much they would charge to run another line from the switch box things (assuming it is a communal shared installation rather than your own dish, if it is your own dish then it is much more straight forward).

If you get a subsidised standard box from Sky then you will sign a contract agreeing to subscribe to Sky and keep the box connected to a phone line for a year, you could use it elsewhere in your house but selling it when it is still under contract it not a good idea.

 

[RobbiGee]

Hi Polo,

Thanks for the input. There is a Sat panel in the wall that has the two connections there already so no worries there.

If I source my own box does that mean that when they send me my card they wont ask me to sign up for 12 months ??

Cheers

RG

 

[PoloMint]

As far as I know a Sky sub always has a minimum contract of 12 months, even if you buy your own box. But you should probably wait for someone who knows for sure to confirm or correct that.

Did you request the two satellite connections (if this is a newly built flat) or is that standard? Things must be progressing (if that’s what you would call it) when Sky+ ready becomes the normal for a new flat.

 

[Leee]

Argos will sell you a Sky+ box brand new as will www.simplydigital.co.uk (with quad LNB for £179). I guess you can ebay the LNB ;)

 

[flyinhaggis]

you can get a thing called a second hand contract which means you dont have to connect to a phone line but it also means unless you call sky up and sweet talk an operator into increasing you credit limit on your card you wont have the ability to have pay per view movies
as for buying a sky + box well unless you subscribe to a premium channel package it costs £10 per month for the record feature to be activated well unless while activating it they accidentaly select lifetime free subscription which is next to the sub's monthly one ;)