Quick 'Sky+' question
Author
Discussion

lazyitus

Original Poster:

19,931 posts

296 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
Will the card from a standard Sky receiver work in a Sky+ receiver ?

benyeats

12,159 posts

260 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
Yes, but I think you have to 'marry' the card to the box which is done via a secret installer menu (google for how to find this or try forums at www.digitalspy.co.uk / .com can't recall which) something like services, 4,0 select

Ben

tvrbob

11,197 posts

285 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
No

edited to say 'not without configuring'


>> Edited by tvrbob on Thursday 29th September 17:06

buzzsaw

698 posts

299 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
Yes

tvrbob

11,197 posts

285 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
I've just tried it and it doesn't work by just exchanging the card.

nevpugh308

4,454 posts

299 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
As well as registering the card with that particular box (I think you can also ring up Sky to do that ... ?) you have to have a subscription to Sky+ to have the ability to record and wot not. Subscription, or meet their minumum specs of having 2 film packages or 2 sports packages etc. Presume they have to "turn on" something their end to activate that .. ?

scorp

8,783 posts

259 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
Standard card will work on a Sky+ unit but the recording feature will not work.

lazyitus

Original Poster:

19,931 posts

296 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
scorp said:
Standard card will work on a Sky+ unit but the recording feature will not work.


Is that correct?

All I want is to watch normal SKY on my new telly. We had Sky+ installed today but the card hasn't arrived yet.

So can I put my current standard sky card in to watch standard sky?

satman

2,455 posts

276 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
lazyitus said:

scorp said:
Standard card will work on a Sky+ unit but the recording feature will not work.



Is that correct?

All I want is to watch normal SKY on my new telly. We had Sky+ installed today but the card hasn't arrived yet.

So can I put my current standard sky card in to watch standard sky?


Your 'standard' sky card will work on all the channels except the Premium channels (movies and sports), but you will not beable to record anything yet!

Are you 100% sure another card has been arranged for you?...normally your existing card is simply "Paired" to your new Sky+ receiver, and record mode activated.

If you are unsure regarding the 'new' card you can call sky customer services on 08702 40 40 40 or the Sky+ department on 08705 800 800.

...and before someone says how do you know this?...I have been installing Sky for about 15 years...so I should have a pretty good idea!

scorp

8,783 posts

259 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
lazyitus said:

scorp said:
Standard card will work on a Sky+ unit but the recording feature will not work.



Is that correct?

All I want is to watch normal SKY on my new telly. We had Sky+ installed today but the card hasn't arrived yet.

So can I put my current standard sky card in to watch standard sky?


I beleive so, its what i did when i upgraded (had to wait for sky+ card to arrive).

cotty

42,244 posts

314 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
I upgraded from sky to sky+. the guy came round and installed the new box and cable then about an hour after he left I was able to use the sky+ functions. I dont remember anything about a new card

scorp

8,783 posts

259 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
cotty said:
I upgraded from sky to sky+. the guy came round and installed the new box and cable then about an hour after he left I was able to use the sky+ functions. I dont remember anything about a new card



Does need one, i installed my own system and everything works until you try and record, at which point you need the new card. Ended up having to pay for a sky engineer coming round to 'enable' it. £60 for 20 seconds work. As far as i understand they have to upgrade your existing card to allow you to record, a big con if you ask me.


>> Edited by scorp on Thursday 29th September 18:56

cotty

42,244 posts

314 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
scorp said:
Does need one, i installed my own system and everything works until you try and record, at which point you need the new card. Ended up having to pay for a sky engineer coming round to 'enable' it. £60 for 20 seconds work. As far as i understand they have to upgrade your existing card to allow you to record, a big con if you ask me.


That does not sound right unless the my new box came with a new card. I thought they enabled it via the telephone connection

satman said:
normally your existing card is simply "Paired" to your new Sky+ receiver, and record mode activated.

cotty

42,244 posts

314 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
scorp said:
i installed my own system


Perhaps thats the problem. I paid £99 for my box from sky with free instalation, if you didnt pay for the box then they get there money another way

lazyitus

Original Poster:

19,931 posts

296 months

Thursday 29th September 2005
quotequote all
satman said:
Are you 100% sure another card has been arranged for you?...normally your existing card is simply "Paired" to your new Sky+ receiver, and record mode activated.


Yes, because we're keeping the original and having the multi-room.

Thanks for advice everyone.

scorp

8,783 posts

259 months

Friday 30th September 2005
quotequote all
cotty said:

scorp said:
Does need one, i installed my own system and everything works until you try and record, at which point you need the new card. Ended up having to pay for a sky engineer coming round to 'enable' it. £60 for 20 seconds work. As far as i understand they have to upgrade your existing card to allow you to record, a big con if you ask me.



That does not sound right unless the my new box came with a new card. I thought they enabled it via the telephone connection



I had to wait for my card and used my old one in the mean time. Still managed to charge me £60 for "activating" it though, the thieving barstewards .

buzzsaw

698 posts

299 months

Friday 30th September 2005
quotequote all
Normal SKY card with yellow house motif on will DEFINITELY work in SKY+ unit. Had SKY+ installed a few months ago and it was just a case of moving the card from the old unit to the SKY+ unit, then registering the card to the SKY+ unit.

As previously said, you will not be able to record without the correct subscription.

satman

2,455 posts

276 months

Friday 30th September 2005
quotequote all
buzzsaw said:
Normal SKY card with yellow house motif on will DEFINITELY work in SKY+ unit. Had SKY+ installed a few months ago and it was just a case of moving the card from the old unit to the SKY+ unit, then registering the card to the SKY+ unit.

As previously said, you will not be able to record without the correct subscription.


This is correct, as I stated above. The only exception to the rule is the scenario that Lazyitus has, is when the Multiroom option is used, and then I believe Sky issue a new card for the Sky + box, so that the original card will stay with the original box, but beome what Sky call, a "Mirror card", costing a £10 per month for the same Sky channels as the 'main card' that'll be used with the Sky + box.

Lazyitus failed to tell us of the multiroom option in his original post!