Buying a Sky Plus box

[chris watton]

Is it possible to buy a Thompson Sky Plus box, slot your viewing card in, and it would work, or is it not that simple? If so, where would one buy one (Not from Sky obviously)

I ask because a ‘neighbour’ of mine (We are in Italy, but the neighbour still has a UK home and pays for the SKY by monthly DD, but they bring the box to Italy when they stay) said that because it has snowed heavily over the past few days, and the electricity has been coming on and off intermittently, which seems to have done the box no good at all, the hard disk isn’t working at all. (Cannot record, bookmark shows etc).

[Onzlouk]

I upgraded to sky HD by buying a HD box from ebay running in new dual cable asdding a quad lnb to the dish and using my original viewing card, i just rang up and they took me through the on screen process to get the picture on, quite simple really.

[chris watton]

Onzlouk said:

I upgraded to sky HD by buying a HD box from ebay running in new dual cable asdding a quad lnb to the dish and using my original viewing card, i just rang up and they took me through the on screen process to get the picture on, quite simple really.

Ah, Cheers, sounds quite easy then - I assumed a Sky 'Engineer' would have to come are do something with the box to get the viewing card to work - and I suspect they won't come to Italy to do it!

[cjs]

Yes you can buy a Sky+ box "subscription Free". Cost £150-£200 new. You then need to authorise or "mate" the box with the card, it will not work otherwise. This needs to be done by Sky as a download via the satellite , usually they require the box to be plugged into a UK phone line to do this. If you try it from Italy they may not authorise the Card to the Box.

[davemac250]

I have it abroad.

It doesn't need to be plugged into a phone line. Simply tell Sky that teh box interferes with you computer line so you do not plug it in. As long as you have a UK address you can pay via Sky do not care as long as the money arrives!

Any Italian Sat TV installer will be able to connect the system, they use the same box and operating system across europe. Most European supermarkets (Auchan, Cora etc) eill seel you eveything you need.

I did my own set up by following internet instructions and buying a free standing frame, really not difficult.

[chris watton]

We, I mean, the neighbours did get an Italian Sky installer to set up the dish (although they only put a single LNB on the dish to start with, for a Sky Plus box - I, I mean my neighbour, ended up buying a twin LNB and installing it themselves.

Thankfully, the Sky Plus box is now working as normal, and the hard drive seems OK (must have taken a while longer to kick into life). When it's not working, and you realise you may have stick with the exceptionally dire Italian TV (by UK standards), you scramble around for contingency plans....

(We just had 40cm of snow in six hours!)

[sjj84]

You know you can just replace the hard drive don't you? Rather than buying a whole new box, can put a larger capacity in as well if you require.

[surfymark]

I am about to sell a Sky HD + box. Looking for around £180 (+postage) for it if anyone is interested. These have twice the size disk of a normal Sky+ box and also do HD.

cheers
Mark