Quick SKY+ HD Box Question

[hugepiece]

Just a quickie, I have done a search but cant find what confirmation on this. I currently have SKY+, can I just go on ebay and buy a SKY+ HD box, plug it in and expect it to work without doing anything else? Then if I choose to cancel my subscription will the box/card then automatically revert to freesat. i'm in my 1st year contract still and don't think I can upgrade without paying through the nose for a box and then another 10quid a month.

has anyone done this?

[dave_s13]

Yes it will work just like your existing box, I'm 99% sure of it.

That 1% of uncertainty makes my answer useless doesn't it?

[hugepiece]

hmmmm well a bit I suppose but appreciate the response anyway. Then again if lots of people have the same view then its often right :-)

[Vee]

Presumably you won't get the SKY HD channels until you pay the £10 per month and set up cost.
Similar to movies . . . . if you don't have the package you cannot receive them.

HD should still work with the freestuff, although not sure about the record facility.
Also I don't think SKY will let you cancel until the 12 months is up (they discount the box only when you commit to 12 months and have it connected to a phone line).

Edited by Vee on Wednesday 12th November 12:16

[hugepiece]

I assumed as such, it was mainly for the FreeSat channels really, if I can get those ontop of the normal ones SD ones I pay SKY for then I will be happy.

I'm happy to plug in a new box and keep my contract going as long as recording and other features all still work as they did before. I have seen the boxes on EBAY for 150new then could get someting back from selling my old box.

Has anyone actually done this and can confirm for sure before I go spent the money?????

Edited by hugepiece on Wednesday 12th November 12:18

[russ_a]

I think you would only get BBC HD for free (if you didn't pay for £10 a month)

ITV HD (Champions League etc) is only available on Freesat

[Plotloss]

You need to get the existing card bonded to the new box via customer services but it can be done

[Hughesie]

hugepiece said:

I have seen the boxes on EBAY for 150new then could get someting back from selling my old box.

HP,
I'm just about to get rid of one of mine, its boxed up and about a year old, i'm having HD installed at our new place next week so will get a new HD box

Its yours for £150 inc packaging, or i can drop it off on my way home one evening (work in Greenwich - live in Bucks so i use the M11/25)

Drop me a PM if you are interested.

Hughesie

[Morningside]

I am sure that you cannot playback your recorded programmes once the subscription ends.

Edited by Morningside on Wednesday 12th November 13:48

[Hughesie]

Morningside said:

I am sure that you cannot playback your recorded programmes once the subscription ends.

Edited by Morningside on Wednesday 12th November 13:48

You cant, the subscription enables and disables the playback function.

[oobster]

I thought Sky were doing HD for £75 + £30 installation at the moment, that might be just for new customers though.

AV Forum & the Digital Spy one are quite good for advice - http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd/

[Hughesie]

oobster said:

I thought Sky were doing HD for £75 + £30 installation at the moment, that might be just for new customers though.

£75 HD box
£0 installation, £15 credit if you order on line, M&S Vouchers if you recommend a friend - but its minimum 12 months subscription for new subscribers.

Different rates for existing customers.

[hugepiece]

Hughesie said:

hugepiece said:

I have seen the boxes on EBAY for 150new then could get someting back from selling my old box.

HP,
I'm just about to get rid of one of mine, its boxed up and about a year old, i'm having HD installed at our new place next week so will get a new HD box

Its yours for £150 inc packaging, or i can drop it off on my way home one evening (work in Greenwich - live in Bucks so i use the M11/25)

Drop me a PM if you are interested.

Hughesie

Hi, thanks for the offer mate. But these boxes are on ebay NEW for 150quid including 500gb drive upgrades. I need to check what spec they are though but I think they are the latest offering that SKY give new customers

[Vee]

Hughesie said:

hugepiece said:

I have seen the boxes on EBAY for 150new then could get someting back from selling my old box.

HP,
I'm just about to get rid of one of mine, its boxed up and about a year old, i'm having HD installed at our new place next week so will get a new HD box

Its yours for £150 inc packaging, or i can drop it off on my way home one evening (work in Greenwich - live in Bucks so i use the M11/25)

Drop me a PM if you are interested.

Hughesie

Bargain - a used on for the price of a new, warrantied one from SKY !

[Hughesie]

hugepiece said:

Hi, thanks for the offer mate. But these boxes are on ebay NEW for 150quid including 500gb drive upgrades. I need to check what spec they are though but I think they are the latest offering that SKY give new customers

No worries - i've seen 500gb at £300 and 1000 gb for £430, havent seen new ones for £150 though - BOL

JH

[surfymark]

You can buy one from eBay, hook it up and it will work. You will NOT be able to see any HD channels at all (even the free ones) unless you take up a 12 month HD subscription at £10/month.

You will need to call them to hook the box up to your card if you want to use the Sky+ functions but this will be free.

Personally I would get one from Sky. I am on my third box. They are not very reliable and I would want the warranty if it was me!

HTH
M

[trooperiziz]

surfymark said:

You can buy one from eBay, hook it up and it will work. You will NOT be able to see any HD channels at all (even the free ones) unless you take up a 12 month HD subscription at £10/month.

You will need to call them to hook the box up to your card if you want to use the Sky+ functions but this will be free.

Personally I would get one from Sky. I am on my third box. They are not very reliable and I would want the warranty if it was me!

HTH
M

I'm pretty sure you are wrong. You don't need to take the £10/month sub to get some HD channels, you do need to hook your card up to the box though. Once you have done that you should get BBC HD plus a couple of others.

[hugepiece]

Maybe I kind of wrongly assumed that I would get all the "freesat" ones as I assumed that it would work like a standard skybox where all the free to air channels would work even out of contract kind of like freeview.

I have only been back in contract with sky for 3 or 4 months so i reckon they will try and charge me a fortune for a box upgrade. I'm happy to pay the 10quid a month but not so much for having to pay 150quid for a box as well. I'll call them up and see how much they want for a box.

[surfymark]

Doubt they will charge you much.

I know people who have cancelled their HD subscription and they lost all HD channels including the "free" ones. I also asked Sky about this and that is what they said would happen. They said the HD subscription is payable for watching HD channels in general, not just the Sky ones.

M

[trooperiziz]

surfymark said:

Doubt they will charge you much.

I know people who have cancelled their HD subscription and they lost all HD channels including the "free" ones. I also asked Sky about this and that is what they said would happen. They said the HD subscription is payable for watching HD channels in general, not just the Sky ones.

M

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-hd/20638-sky-hd-without-sub.html