Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: rikki_essex on 06 April 2010, 15:25:49

Title: Sky
Post by: rikki_essex on 06 April 2010, 15:25:49
Im looking at the sky website and trying to find out if i can just get a sky+ box but i dont want the phone or internet as talk talk aint to bad and is really cheap considering. Would i need to get a sky line installed or could they work off the talk talk one?
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: KW on 06 April 2010, 15:31:47
The Sky box won't care who the phone provider is, but I believe that part of the contract is that the box remains connected to a working telephone line.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Elite Pete on 06 April 2010, 15:36:08
The bloke who installed mine couldn't be arsed to move the telephone connection from the other room so he gave me a piece of telephone cable and told me to plug it in once a month to get updates ::)
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 06 April 2010, 15:54:36
I told my installer if they put one staple in any of my new woodwork or wallpaper I would bill them to do the whole lot.  He chucked me the telephone lead and said I might need it one day,  Dont even like Sky having my phone number, it's just another for of big brother to monitor you.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 06 April 2010, 15:56:52
Getting my updates without the phone line, got the new EPG with out it, it's only there to monitor you Pete.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Kevin Wood on 06 April 2010, 15:59:10
When I got my box (admittedly a while ago!) it was the case that if you didn't pay for the box it had to remain connected to the phone line for the first year.

I just connected it whenever they threatened to disconnect me during the first year and binned the phone connection thereafter.

It certainly hasn't been plugged in since we moved house 5.5 years ago!

Sky+ might be different, however. This is just a basic set top box.

Kevin
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: rikki_essex on 06 April 2010, 16:07:29
i thought so but i could seem to find just the box on the website do you know what im looking to pay for just the sky +
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Banjax on 06 April 2010, 16:18:21
had Sky for years, Sky+ for the last 2 or so - I've never plugged the phone cable in, as the wife didn't want an ugly white cable running round the skirting boards or across the floor

as far as I can recall the guy said something like "i'll leave the cable for you if they ask" doesnt do anything but spy on what you watch to target you for junk mail/spam marketing....a bit  like Tesco's "loyalty" cards - just an information gathering service to sell to other companies  - so leave it unplugged - makes not a jot of difference - i'm sure Tunnie will confirm.... ::)
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Banjax on 06 April 2010, 16:19:50
Quote
i thought so but i could seem to find just the box on the website do you know what im looking to pay for just the sky +

we're just Sky+, no broadband or phone service on it so it is possible - I'd phone them and speak to a human  :y
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: rikki_essex on 06 April 2010, 16:22:44
if you dont mind me asking how much do you pay?
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: henryd on 06 April 2010, 16:43:52
I had sky+ fitted last year and the phone line was only connected while they set it up and has been unplugged ever since,the installer just ran the cable across the floor and took it with him when he left
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 06 April 2010, 17:50:09
Quote
had Sky for years, Sky+ for the last 2 or so - I've never plugged the phone cable in, as the wife didn't want an ugly white cable running round the skirting boards or across the floor

as far as I can recall the guy said something like "i'll leave the cable for you if they ask" doesnt do anything but spy on what you watch to target you for junk mail/spam marketing....a bit  like Tesco's "loyalty" cards - just an information gathering service to sell to other companies  - so leave it unplugged - makes not a jot of difference - i'm sure Tunnie will confirm.... ::)

Well it's certainly not to gain info to create new programs, maybe it's to find out which ones to repeat.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: jonnycool on 06 April 2010, 18:01:34
When I left my sky box unplugged for about a year then plugged it back in again, Sky billed me for 3 films that I'd watched about 10 months before on box office. That was a bit of a surprise >:(
  Also noticed on one basic box I had the 'online' light kept coming on every now and again, hence why I pulled the plug in the first place. Don't trust 'em...
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 06 April 2010, 18:11:37
Quote
When I left my sky box unplugged for about a year then plugged it back in again, Sky billed me for 3 films that I'd watched about 10 months before on box office. That was a bit of a surprise >:(
  Also noticed on one basic box I had the 'online' light kept coming on every now and again, hence why I pulled the plug in the first place. Don't trust 'em...

that was the same with mine, it kept coming on overnight when I was supposted to be asleep.  When I questionted them they reckoned it was to monitir my viewing habbits, makes me wonder what else is montored connected to a phone line. :-/
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: pscocoa on 06 April 2010, 19:03:29
I used the mains wireless telephone socket - i.e you plug in near to mains near telephone socket, connect to telephone socket and then the receiving unit plugs into mains near to sky box.

Has been fine but probably overkill in the light of what others have said - however - no wires running all over the place
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: MadMark73 on 06 April 2010, 20:35:01
I've had sky for god knows how long now and I've never plugged it into the phone socket.
Was told when They fitted the hd box if they tried to send a message to the box from their end and it doesn't connect they send a warning letter and if you get three letters they cut you off.

I've not had a letter in over ten years.
So I wouldn't worry about connecting to the phone line.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 06 April 2010, 21:03:30
Quote
I've had sky for god knows how long now and I've never plugged it into the phone socket.
Was told when They fitted the hd box if they tried to send a message to the box from their end and it doesn't connect they send a warning letter and if you get three letters they cut you off.

I've not had a letter in over ten years.
So I wouldn't worry about connecting to the phone line.

yeah right, average family paying them £20 a month, doubt they are that stupid to cut off an income source.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: STMO999 on 06 April 2010, 21:05:12
I'd forgotton all about mine. Just unplugged it.


Have to plug it back in if I want to bet from the telly though. ;D
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: feeutfo on 06 April 2010, 21:47:51
afaik the phoneline is for interactive services, some tv shows, such as "test the nation" etc have a real time voting service, some interactive games dont work if the phone is unplugged, there is a cost to the service i  believe so most people dont bother, disconect it to stop the kids accidentaly running up a bill, or dont want the inconvinience, if your due a sky visit just plug it in and unplug when he leaves.

Updates are via the dish, these can be forced by unplugging, press and hold the backup button when powering back up until all the coloured lights come on, takes 10 mins or so to complete, 99% sure the update will work reguardless of phone line..,

Sky advertising free sky plus hd boxs iirc, may just be to existing customers though, and there is probably a £35 instalation fee.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: alunonhisown on 06 April 2010, 21:56:59
I would love to have Sky+ HD, but I dunno if my telly is HD ready. Tv was part of the deal when I bought the house. Built in to a false chimney Brest.
I did ask Tunnie a few weeks back if there was any way of telling but he did not know. All I know is it is a 'cheapie' Goodmans X Pro 42''
Any ideas folks?
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: tunnie on 06 April 2010, 22:30:35
Quote
I would love to have Sky+ HD, but I dunno if my telly is HD ready. Tv was part of the deal when I bought the house. Built in to a false chimney Brest.
I did ask Tunnie a few weeks back if there was any way of telling but he did not know. All I know is it is a 'cheapie' Goodmans X Pro 42''
Any ideas folks?

I said you need to provide the model number first, which in your situation with it being wall mounted, is a problem  ;)
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: tunnie on 06 April 2010, 22:34:04
regarding boxes, updates are done via Satellite, phone line is there to ensure communication between box and Sky call centres for activation, its not really needed. If you have a single subscription they are not fussed if its disconnected, if you have multi-room they take more notice to make sure correct number of boxes are being used.

Sky+ is linked to subscription card, even if you get a +box, it won't work unless you get it enabled on your account. (unless you *patch* it)
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: alunonhisown on 06 April 2010, 22:37:02
Quote
regarding boxes, updates are done via Satellite, phone line is there to ensure communication between box and Sky call centres for activation, its not really needed. If you have a single subscription they are not fussed if its disconnected, if you have multi-room they take more notice to make sure correct number of boxes are being used.

Sky+ is linked to subscription card, even if you get a +box, it won't work unless you get it enabled on your account. (unless you *patch* it)

Is this just for the 1st year,whilst in contract.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: tunnie on 06 April 2010, 22:39:55
Quote
Quote
regarding boxes, updates are done via Satellite, phone line is there to ensure communication between box and Sky call centres for activation, its not really needed. If you have a single subscription they are not fussed if its disconnected, if you have multi-room they take more notice to make sure correct number of boxes are being used.

Sky+ is linked to subscription card, even if you get a +box, it won't work unless you get it enabled on your account. (unless you *patch* it)

Is this just for the 1st year,whilst in contract.

Is what?  :-/

Officially phone line must be connected at all times to make account changes, no matter what stage of contract.

After first year box is out of warrently so you can add bigger capacity hard drives.... 
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: alunonhisown on 06 April 2010, 22:43:59
I used to keep getting post from Sky telling me that no phone line is connected. I am on multi-room, and I have not had a letter for at least a year now, so I thought,assumed, maybe incoorrectly that I only needed to be connected to a phoneline for the 1st year of contract.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: Kevin Wood on 07 April 2010, 09:50:26
Quote
I used to keep getting post from Sky telling me that no phone line is connected. I am on multi-room, and I have not had a letter for at least a year now, so I thought,assumed, maybe incoorrectly that I only needed to be connected to a phoneline for the 1st year of contract.

That was certainly the deal when I subscribed.

Kevin
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: tunnie on 07 April 2010, 09:57:42
Quote
Quote
I used to keep getting post from Sky telling me that no phone line is connected. I am on multi-room, and I have not had a letter for at least a year now, so I thought,assumed, maybe incoorrectly that I only needed to be connected to a phoneline for the 1st year of contract.

That was certainly the deal when I subscribed.

Kevin

Still needs to be there if you want to alter your account, say add/remove channels, customer service drone will need to be able to connect to the box.
Title: Re: Sky
Post by: STMO999 on 07 April 2010, 15:47:54
Quote
Quote
Quote
I used to keep getting post from Sky telling me that no phone line is connected. I am on multi-room, and I have not had a letter for at least a year now, so I thought,assumed, maybe incoorrectly that I only needed to be connected to a phoneline for the 1st year of contract.

That was certainly the deal when I subscribed.

Kevin

Still needs to be there if you want to alter your account, say add/remove channels, customer service drone will need to be able to connect to the box.

As far as I can see, there's no way to remove anything.

EDIT: Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant.