Skys New White Cards

[makum101]

I was not aware that mating of the card was necessary just to give FTV channels, when did this change take place?

Me neither. I just bought a FTV card and rang to activate (while in my UK house) the asked for the sky box serial number. I gave them one from an old Plus Receiver. I then took the card and tried it in my current sky plus box (different one) and all the FTV instantly worked.

 

[pajo100]

Me neither. I just bought a FTV card and rang to activate (while in my UK house) the asked for the sky box serial number. I gave them one from an old Plus Receiver. I then took the card and tried it in my current sky plus box (different one) and all the FTV instantly worked.

So does this mean the new white freesat card will work in any receiver as before or am I missing something here and does this also apply to the dragon cam as well.
Ta

 

[milestone 11]

Are these new white cards smarter than before? I have lost television reception today And Sky has told my provider that the card is being used outside of the U.K. and as a consequence, has switched it off. If I am able to source another card, will it ever get switched on. As Sky quite clearly know my box serial number, will they in fact just block the box. Hopefully it's not now a question of sourcing another box as well, for it appears that after the middle of next year, it's doubtful we'll be able to recieve anything at all.

 

[PaulR]

I suspect that they are a little smarter and more tightly tied to the original box they were activated in.

I have no absolute proof but I have a couple of S/H expired subscription white cards. One works perfectly from box to box, the other gives me the message that it's the wrong card when I try to view any of the channels that are still FTV encrypted (Five, Fiver, etc). My theory is that this card is an expired premium card and that the pairing of the premium channels has paired the entire card.

Anyone care to comment?

 

[milestone 11]

My card is still decoding encrypted channels that are otherwise free to air. Without card, for instance, 5 is not available
so it appears the card is still live in some respects. I suppose my biggest concern is whether my box is in effect now useless.

 

[timo_w2s]

Are these new white cards smarter than before? I have lost television reception today And Sky has told my provider that the card is being used outside of the U.K. and as a consequence, has switched it off. If I am able to source another card, will it ever get switched on. As Sky quite clearly know my box serial number, will they in fact just block the box. Hopefully it's not now a question of sourcing another box as well, for it appears that after the middle of next year, it's doubtful we'll be able to recieve anything at all.

I always thought if a card was suspected of being used outside of the UK it was killed totally, not demoted to FTV. Doesn't make sense to let it decode some channels.

Don't know about the serial number of the box being blocked, what if you sold it to someone in the UK?

What makes you think you won't be able to pick anything up next year?

Unless you have contacted Sky from a foreign phone I can't see how they'd know where you where, these new cards certainly don't contain GPS devices or something. (Now there's a scary thought) ;) However, a while ago I did read (and don't know how true it is) that Sky have been randomly switching off cards from well known Sky Europe providers. Perhaps you where just unlucky.

 

[milestone 11]

I always thought if a card was suspected of being used outside of the UK it was killed totally, not demoted to FTV. Doesn't make sense to let it decode some channels.

Don't know about the serial number of the box being blocked, what if you sold it to someone in the UK?

What makes you think you won't be able to pick anything up next year?

Unless you have contacted Sky from a foreign phone I can't see how they'd know where you where, these new cards certainly don't contain GPS devices or something. (Now there's a scary thought) ;) However, a while ago I did read (and don't know how true it is) that Sky have been randomly switching off cards from well known Sky Europe providers. Perhaps you where just unlucky.

I must confess that I found that strange myself, nevertheless, this is what I'm being told. As far as next year is concerned, possibly I've interpreted it incorrectly, but I understood a satellite was being launched which would enable Sky to "spot beam", making reception here almost
impossible without possibly a 3m dish.
If and when I get a new card, albeit Sky continue to take money from me, it will be interesting to see if the card gets switched on when pairing
it to my box. Hopefully, as you suggest, maybe I was just unlucky. Seems strange though that I've had no problem for five years
but this happens within weeks of changing to the new white card.

 

[timo_w2s]

The new satellites will have some new spot beams but Astra 2A/2B/Eurobird still have some life in them and even the new satellites have Europe wide beams as well as the spot beams.

 

[ceetee]

I always thought if a card was suspected of being used outside of the UK it was killed totally, not demoted to FTV. Doesn't make sense to let it decode some channels.

Don't know about the serial number of the box being blocked, what if you sold it to someone in the UK?

What makes you think you won't be able to pick anything up next year?

Unless you have contacted Sky from a foreign phone I can't see how they'd know where you where, these new cards certainly don't contain GPS devices or something. (Now there's a scary thought) ;) However, a while ago I did read (and don't know how true it is) that Sky have been randomly switching off cards from well known Sky Europe providers. Perhaps you where just unlucky.

They must have had some evidence you were using the card outside of the UK. If you buy a card from one of the SKY Europe providers it seems you take a risk maybe?? Only safe way is have a UK address where the card is registered and where it is sent o by SKY. Then bring it out overseas or have it posted out by recorded delivery; I use a courier service like DHL or FEDEX, costly but safe and sure!
Ceetee.

 

[pajo100]

From what I can gather from contacts in Spain the cards being targeted are being used by TV providers in Spain and France who are supplying slys channels to 100s of people and only paying one sub in the U.K. which is totally illegal within the E.U. .How they know which cards are a mystery but somebody got the details and passed them on to sky.
The individual cards matched to serial nos. are not being targeted at this time in just one box (they don't want to lose that revenue) but this could change with the rumoured software changes coming down the line which will lock the card to one box as they are losing a fortune in revenue.

 

[pajo100]

I spoke to a software engineer in the know over the weekend and he says sly have developed in conjunction with NDS a system where each individual subbed card can be locked to a specific box with the corresponding match of software both in the box (ota) and in the card.This will allow them to target suspect scams like C/S and redistributing through communal systems. He suspects they can even tell where the boxes are!! sounds very scary like big brother is watching us!

 

[rolfw]

I'm sure they're working on lots of counter measures, but unless the box is connected to a phone line, there is absolutely no way that Sky can tell where a box is, (unless that is, they have installed GPS modules in them). ;)

 

[DishDick]

I brought 3 cards over from the UK. One was in its matched HD box and switched on after about 3 days. the other two have been in boxes for about 3 weeks but are not working at all. Have tried various HD boxes and a standard SD box. No luck. Any ideas? Looks like only the matched box can turn back on cards where the keys have lapsed.

 

[PaulR]

I spoke to a software engineer in the know over the weekend and he says sly have developed in conjunction with NDS a system where each individual subbed card can be locked to a specific box with the corresponding match of software both in the box (ota) and in the card.

That sounds not a million miles like my theory!

He suspects they can even tell where the boxes are!! sounds very scary like big brother is watching us!

As Rolf says, the telephone line has to be connected to do this. The boxes have always been able to send information back this way, they're just extending the information gathering area.

 

[timo_w2s]

I'm sure they're working on lots of counter measures, but unless the box is connected to a phone line, there is absolutely no way that Sky can tell where a box is, (unless that is, they have installed GPS modules in them). ;)

They'd also need a return path, so a mini GSM module too. ;)

 

[Dan Dan]

if i remember from years ago when a hotel got found out in torquay where i lived ,sky had a machine which plugged into the rf signal in a hotel room,that could read off screen info,like a sort of teletext and that would give the card and or box number to the sky spy who was in that hotel room via his sceen...i think sky can take any sky picture and know how to secretly read their info off an rf feed

 

[satelliteman]

if i remember from years ago when a hotel got found out in torquay where i lived ,sky had a machine which plugged into the rf signal in a hotel room,that could read off screen info,like a sort of teletext and that would give the card and or box number to the sky spy who was in that hotel room via his sceen...i think sky can take any sky picture and know how to secretly read their info off an rf feed

?? Not sure that's correct

 

[timo_w2s]

?? Not sure that's correct

But I suppose technically not too difficult to implement. Quite cool if true...

 

[andymo]

How can i get hold of free view free subscription?

 

[PaulR]

Freeview is terrestrial, the cards are only needed for Freesat-from-$ly. They cost £20 from:-

_www.freesatfromsky.co.uk/