Sky without a landline

[BargeeSpud]

Hiya,

 

When I finally do get aboard (hurry up with that effing management pack, you *£$&%*!!!), I'm undecided about whether to keep my Sky subscrition going or not. If I were to opt to keep Sky, I would register my account with a land address, but I will obviously not be hooked up to a landline on the boat so I'm wondering what effect that will have on my viewing experience.

 

I should imagine I'll lose interactive facilities across the board, but what about text & Sky +?

 

How could my subscrition or Ts &Cs be affected?

 

And the ubiquitous anything else I need to be aware of?

 

I've tried contacting Sky & have come across another fine example of their customer service in that they haven't answered the question as asked & turned my enquiry into something totally different.

 

OK, I know! I should've come to you lot first. We all make mistakes & with my experience on that front I should be a chuffin' genius!

 

Over to you.

 

Ta.

[Guest]

Hiya,

 

When I finally do get aboard (hurry up with that effing management pack, you *£$&%*!!!), I'm undecided about whether to keep my Sky subscrition going or not. If I were to opt to keep Sky, I would register my account with a land address, but I will obviously not be hooked up to a landline on the boat so I'm wondering what effect that will have on my viewing experience.

 

I should imagine I'll lose interactive facilities across the board, but what about text & Sky +?

 

How could my subscrition or Ts &Cs be affected?

 

And the ubiquitous anything else I need to be aware of?

 

I've tried contacting Sky & have come across another fine example of their customer service in that they haven't answered the question as asked & turned my enquiry into something totally different.

 

OK, I know! I should've come to you lot first. We all make mistakes & with my experience on that front I should be a chuffin' genius!

 

Over to you.

 

Ta.

 

Sky+ will still work.

 

Some (?all) interactive services will not. I'm pretty sure you lose Sky box office too eventually as it uses the phone line to send purchase information.

 

I think they only actually stipulate you have a connected phone line for the first year after that you can do what you wish.

 

(Even then I have known a relly have Sky installed without a phone line (she uses mobile only) . Technically they can refuse if you haven't got one but she just told the engineer she was getting one installed and he carried on)

 

Ed. more from their T&C's

 

If before the end of the Minimum Term, you disconnect your Box from your telephone line and fail to reconnect it after being notified by us that you need to do so, you must reimburse us for an amount equal to the Interactive Discount we paid for the free supply of your Digital Satellite System. This amount shall not exceed £25. If you become liable to pay this amount, we shall notify you in writing

 

The minimum term of a sky subscription is normally 12 months so the worst they could do is charge you £25 if you disconnected within the 12 month period. It also implies you can pay the £25 at the outset and not connect a phone line anyway.

Edited October 9, 2013 by The Dog House

[Colin North]

FWIW - We have had Sky in the past and never had a phone line connected. When asked by the Sky operator why they cannot see the Sky box's phone line we just said it was because it was behind a switchboard (yes, we have a telephone switchboard in our house) and they were completely happy with that. We have never used any of the facilities that required a phone line though.

3 years ago we ditched Sky in favour of FreeSat and never looked back.

 

Colin

[Bobbybass]

I have had Sky for about 8 years with no phone line.

 

When I took out the subscription..I told them it was for boat in the summer...and an unknown land address in winter..and they were happy with that.

Sometimes..if I'm abroad for a while and not used it..the box will 'switch off' but a quick call to Sky and they send an unlock signal. They usually say it takes 24 hours..but I find it on again within the hour.

 

A friend who is Sky HO..told me that the main use of the landline is to gather data about what you watch.

They apportion amounts of your subscription (roughly) to each of the companies that use Sky. If you observe your box..you will see there are sudden little 'bursts' of data from it during the night. It gives them quite an accurate breakdown of wethere a channel is failing or not.

After the first year..they have an 'average' of your viewing pattern..and so landline is not so critical..but if you tell them that you have no line to start with..they will soon take your money !

They allow me a discounted rate...and also tell me...that if I'm abroad for a time and want it suspended..they will allow that...and I just have to call them to restart.

 

Now...'extra' sky services are different.

You can't use the interactive services without a landline...so you can't vote in 'things'

I have purchased movies by phoning up and giving them the digits of my viewing card. They then transmit a data signal to the box to unlock it for that movie (via the satellite signal)

 

These days..I don't go for all the fancy Sky channels any more.

I use my card in an old Pace 1000 (12 volt) box on the boat and then remove the card and use it in a normal box at home. The Pace 1000 does not have programming to verify the card...so it does not 'lock' to the box..and I can use it between two boxes without phoning Sky.

 

Other people will be along to give extra help...

Edited October 9, 2013 by Bobbybass

[Ex- Member]

We continued with sky for several months, they weren't bothered about the phone connection as we had been customers for well over the year, We carried on our subscription as normal able to access all the interactive services such as pause live tv playback record etc etc

 

We packed it in though as the basic package with HD was costing £35pm and we really only wanted it for the Grand Prix.

 

We had lots of films we recorded free via Sky but lost them when we unsubscribed, we thought they were saved in the sky box, clearly not though LOL

[loubyscooby]

Hi Spuds

 

I have Sky installed on the boat in July. It was a bit of a hassle to order only because the sales team kept saying that it couldnt be done so you need to talk to the technical department. I got the casic package which was discounted by 50% so its only £10.75 per month, a new Sky +HD box and a dish. The only problem was that I had to put the marina address down to book the engineer but asked them to send the card to the postal address I use so the card went to the marina and got lost. No real issue the resent the card and the engineer put it all together. I didnt need the dish but I had it anyway and gave it to a fellow boater.

 

As others have said you can't use the interactive buttons but I can record and as BobbyBass said you can still order paid for events/films etc.

 

Hope that helps

Louise

[Guest]

Just on ordering movies by phone, yes you can but Sky charge an extra quid to cover additional admin. costs incurred by not using their interactive service.

 

It's also worth mentioning that using a multi room service (not usually applicable to boats but it avoids any misunderstanding regards sky at home) does require a telephone connection.

 

They occasionally check (using the phone line) if other receivers are at the address they are supposed to be in order to avoid a secondary receiver intended for use in another room being used smuggled off to another user at another address.

 

They police this more stringently for obvious reasons

[john6767]

I have had Sky for about 8 years with no phone line.

 

When I took out the subscription..I told them it was for boat in the summer...and an unknown land address in winter..and they were happy with that.

Sometimes..if I'm abroad for a while and not used it..the box will 'switch off' but a quick call to Sky and they send an unlock signal. They usually say it takes 24 hours..but I find it on again within the hour.

 

A friend who is Sky HO..told me that the main use of the landline is to gather data about what you watch.

They apportion amounts of your subscription (roughly) to each of the companies that use Sky. If you observe your box..you will see there are sudden little 'bursts' of data from it during the night. It gives them quite an accurate breakdown of wethere a channel is failing or not.

After the first year..they have an 'average' of your viewing pattern..and so landline is not so critical..but if you tell them that you have no line to start with..they will soon take your money !

They allow me a discounted rate...and also tell me...that if I'm abroad for a time and want it suspended..they will allow that...and I just have to call them to restart.

 

Now...'extra' sky services are different.

You can't use the interactive services without a landline...so you can't vote in 'things'

I have purchased movies by phoning up and giving them the digits of my viewing card. They then transmit a data signal to the box to unlock it for that movie (via the satellite signal)

 

These days..I don't go for all the fancy Sky channels any more.

I use my card in an old Pace 1000 (12 volt) box on the boat and then remove the card and use it in a normal box at home. The Pace 1000 does not have programming to verify the card...so it does not 'lock' to the box..and I can use it between two boxes without phoning Sky.

 

Other people will be along to give extra help...

Tell me more about this!!! I have a free to air satellite box on the boat and sky at home. I don't often use the satellite box on the boat as you can get all the free stuff I want to Freeview. But if I could take the sky card to the boat and put it in a box there without having to re-register that does have an attraction. Is it just the Pace 1000 bax that does not check if the card is registered to the box?

[Bobbybass]

Tell me more about this!!! I have a free to air satellite box on the boat and sky at home. I don't often use the satellite box on the boat as you can get all the free stuff I want to Freeview. But if I could take the sky card to the boat and put it in a box there without having to re-register that does have an attraction. Is it just the Pace 1000 bax that does not check if the card is registered to the box?

As far as I know..yes..its only the '1000'..and they are old and rare these days.

They are 12 volt...with a plug in 240 volt 'wall wart'

Watch for them on Ebay...but they are sought after and tend to fetch £65-£80

Edited October 9, 2013 by Bobbybass

[john6767]

As far as I know..yes..its only the '1000'..and they are old and rare these days.

They are 12 volt...with a plug in 240 volt 'wall wart'

I have just had a google as you do, and it seems to say that putting a card in anther box will give you the non premium channels, but not sports and movies. Is the what you have found. There are some Pace 1000's on ebay, so you can acquire them.

[comfortably numb]

When we moved on board to live we took our sky+ box with us. I can confirm what others have said in that if you can't get a signal you won't be able to watch anything you've saved to the HDD either. We just periodically transfer stuff from the sky box to our DVD recorder so we've always something to watch if we want to.

 

The main issue we have with our Sky tv is the difficulty getting a signal when out and about on the cut. No matter how hard we try to find and unobstructed line to the satellite we often can't get a signal. Is Freeview or the like any better at getting a signal more often? And does it use a dish or an ariel?

[Guest]

Freeview uses an aerial.

 

Freesat uses a dish just like Sky.

 

We have ditched trying to align a dish each time we moor and just put the aerial up, sometimes I don't even bother doing that and just leave it on the boat roof on its side and see still get a signal.

 

To pause,rewind,fast,forward,record on either you need + as in Freesat + or Freeview +

 

Freesat + also needs two feeds into the receiver from the LNB on the dish, Freeview + doesn't it combines both feeds down a single lead which is an advantage on a boat.

Edited October 9, 2013 by The Dog House

[john6767]

When we moved on board to live we took our sky+ box with us. I can confirm what others have said in that if you can't get a signal you won't be able to watch anything you've saved to the HDD either. We just periodically transfer stuff from the sky box to our DVD recorder so we've always something to watch if we want to.

 

The main issue we have with our Sky tv is the difficulty getting a signal when out and about on the cut. No matter how hard we try to find and unobstructed line to the satellite we often can't get a signal. Is Freeview or the like any better at getting a signal more often? And does it use a dish or an ariel?

Freeview is digital TV through an aerial, of course the is no analogue TV broadcast any more. On satellite, there is Freesat, which is a packaged free to air satellite service. Also you can just use generic free to air satellite receivers to get all the unencrypted channels from a number of satellites that you can point the dish at, although much will not be in English. If you point the dish at Astra 28.2 deg East, then you are on the same satellite constellation that Sky uses and are receiving that exact same channels, except that you will not be able to actually view the encrypted ones. So pointing the dish for Freesat/free to air/Sky is exactly the same, you are looking for 28.2 E.

[Bobbybass]

Maybe this isn't relevant..but here it is anyway...

 

Having spent time in Spain recently...I was told something was being 'done' to the Astra satellite.

I was told that it was like a 'power' reduction...to stop people in Southern Europe watching Sky...

 

Expats...were installing much larger dishes...

[john6767]

Maybe this isn't relevant..but here it is anyway...

 

Having spent time in Spain recently...I was told something was being 'done' to the Astra satellite.

I was told that it was like a 'power' reduction...to stop people in Southern Europe watching Sky...

 

Expats...were installing much larger dishes...

The different transponders are focused on different areas, so the UK specific ones are focused on the UK, hence to get the signal in Spain you probably need a bigger dish. This page shows one example of that focus.

[Bobbybass]

The different transponders are focused on different areas, so the UK specific ones are focused on the UK, hence to get the signal in Spain you probably need a bigger dish. This page shows one example of that focus.

Hi..

 

Yup..I know you need a bigger dish..but this year...they are having to have even bigger dishes...

 

Just found this...Maybe this explains it a bit.

Wonder if this has 'weakened' our own signal ?

 

http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/skytv_reception_europe.htm

Edited October 9, 2013 by Bobbybass

[IainW]

if you're still in contract, can you get someone else to take it on and you can use sky+?

 

we have a friend's sky+ log in and my computer is one of his three devices. Works a treat, although i probably do miss on some features i don't know about...

[BargeeSpud]

Thanks everyone, after giving Sky a bit of a blast & simplifying my request so it refered to a house rather than a boat, they came up with the answer that confirms my original assumption. I will not be able to access interactive services.

 

Your other comments have been most useful & definately worth bearing in mind.

 

I do have to say that I'm leaning more towards dumping Sky. Like Julynian, I only really have it for the Skysports channels, football in particular & even then I'm only interested in watching my team play. No the only thing I'll really miss is the sports text service & I can't see a logical reason to keep paying £47 + a month for it.

[Offcumden]

The main issue we have with our Sky tv is the difficulty getting a signal when out and about on the cut. No matter how hard we try to find and unobstructed line to the satellite we often can't get a signal. Is Freeview or the like any better at getting a signal more often? And does it use a dish or an ariel?

In six years cc we have tried freeview, freesat and now Sky.

The main problem with satellite reception being dish alignment. It is essential that the pole that the dish swivels round is setup completely square in both planes vertical and horizontal, using a spirit level, so that when the dish rotates you do not lose the correct alignment angles.

 

Once you have achieved this this and have line of sight you will find the signal very quickly , especially if using a Sky box as it only gets the signal from its own satellite unlike freesat boxes which in my experience picked up many different satellite transmissions.

[comfortably numb]

Thanks for all your very useful advice. I do have a 'satfinder' device thingy which does help in getting it aligned more easily but despite this we more often than not cannot get a signal where we moor. And besides, it's a hassle trying to find a mooring spot with a clear line to the satellite.

 

So it looks as if Freeview stands a better chance of getting a signal so I will consider changing. We only want the basic channels anyway, and certainly the sport has no appeal because I'm a Birmingham City fan, LOL.

 

When we're in the marina in the winter months it isn't a problem. It's just when we are out and about cruising. We enjoy reading and other stuff but it would be nice to occasionally have tv to watch.

[OldGoat]

Thanks for all your very useful advice. I do have a 'satfinder' device thingy which does help in getting it aligned more easily but despite this we more often than not cannot get a signal where we moor. And besides, it's a hassle trying to find a mooring spot with a clear line to the satellite.

 

So it looks as if Freeview stands a better chance of getting a signal so I will consider changing. We only want the basic channels anyway, and certainly the sport has no appeal because I'm a Birmingham City fan, LOL.

 

When we're in the marina in the winter months it isn't a problem. It's just when we are out and about cruising. We enjoy reading and other stuff but it would be nice to occasionally have tv to watch.

 

It's impossible to generalise; it all depends where you are, as to what signal you can receive.

Satellite is easy (!) stop where you can get a clear view of 28.2deg. E (I have a SatNav with a compass).

Freeview is more difficult as you have to know where the local transmitter is and do your best to find a mooring without any trees betwixt you and the transmitter. Fine if your cruising area is small and you know where to look.

 

So I have both as The Management will often say STOP NOW and I have to make the best of our evening's entertainment......

 

Sky boxes hacked or otherwise as the EPG is better than the competition, but you can't watch recorded programmes without a connection. So we've swapped to Humax recorder boxes which aren't quite as nice to use but are available at good prices.

[BargeeSpud]

Thanks for all your very useful advice. I do have a 'satfinder' device thingy which does help in getting it aligned more easily but despite this we more often than not cannot get a signal where we moor. And besides, it's a hassle trying to find a mooring spot with a clear line to the satellite.

 

So it looks as if Freeview stands a better chance of getting a signal so I will consider changing. We only want the basic channels anyway, and certainly the sport has no appeal because I'm a Birmingham City fan, LOL.

 

When we're in the marina in the winter months it isn't a problem. It's just when we are out and about cruising. We enjoy reading and other stuff but it would be nice to occasionally have tv to watch.

 

It's also a hassle getting far enough away so your steam powered compass isn't affected by the steel of the boat to get your ball park bearing reading!

 

Oh, regarding my highlight in your post, sorry for my team relegating your team on the last day of the season in May 2011.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Spuds

[by'eck]

Hiya,

 

When I finally do get aboard (hurry up with that effing management pack, you *£$&%*!!!), I'm undecided about whether to keep my Sky subscrition going or not. If I were to opt to keep Sky, I would register my account with a land address, but I will obviously not be hooked up to a landline on the boat so I'm wondering what effect that will have on my viewing experience.

 

I should imagine I'll lose interactive facilities across the board, but what about text & Sky +?

 

How could my subscrition or Ts &Cs be affected?

 

And the ubiquitous anything else I need to be aware of?

 

I've tried contacting Sky & have come across another fine example of their customer service in that they haven't answered the question as asked & turned my enquiry into something totally different.

 

OK, I know! I should've come to you lot first. We all make mistakes & with my experience on that front I should be a chuffin' genius!

 

Over to you.

 

Ta.

 

Managed it about 10 years ago in southern Spain. Got a basic Sky card then initialised system manually over a mobile phone. Needed a 1 metre dish from memory as slightly outside the satellite footprint.

[BargeeSpud]

 

It's impossible to generalise; it all depends where you are, as to what signal you can receive.

Satellite is easy (!) stop where you can get a clear view of 28.2deg. E (I have a SatNav with a compass).

Freeview is more difficult as you have to know where the local transmitter is and do your best to find a mooring without any trees betwixt you and the transmitter. Fine if your cruising area is small and you know where to look.

 

So I have both as The Management will often say STOP NOW and I have to make the best of our evening's entertainment......

 

Sky boxes hacked or otherwise as the EPG is better than the competition, but you can't watch recorded programmes without a connection. So we've swapped to Humax recorder boxes which aren't quite as nice to use but are available at good prices.

 

I came across this on OFCOM. Unfortunately the PDFs seem to be from 2009, but they might be useful to download.

[comfortably numb]

Don't worry Spuds, we deserved it due to our manager's highly negative tactics. Your lot 'had a go' and succeeded.

 

So it seems that a Freeview ariel has just the same problems getting a signal as a Sky dish does then? If that is the case I might as well stick with the Sky dish and when I can't get a signal just do more reading and perhaps even chat to the wife in the evenings !!