Sky Digital - FAQ

 
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Sky Digital FAQ

This is an information  page which needs changed from time to time and as such will be updated regularly, if you have any content or suggestions feel free to contact us and we will consider it for this site.  Additional special pages are detailed in the links below. Information is provided as-is and no responsibility is assumed for any damage caused if you follow this guide, - should you wish servicing or upgrades performed by ourselves then naturally our work is warranted.

We are not related to sky, and we are not authorised as a sky repairer, our advice is based on years of experience. We do not offer service or maintenance plans. We can offer independent repairs and advice but such repairs or actions might invalidate your warranty, if you are still covered by warranty then our primary advice is to follow the guidance of either sky, the manufacter or retailer. If your equipment is out of warranty or you are willing and understand the risks then you can continue.

As with any electrical appliance you should take proper care to connect and disconnect from the mains as per the manufacturers instructions, if you are disconnecting from the mains, you should isolate the supply properly before removing the rear connector. In reverse you should not connect the mains power until all connections have been properly made in accordance with the user guide.

Sky Digital Remote Control Codes and Programming.
The sky remote is a versatile remote based upon one4all technology.

  

Can I receive UK SKY TV outside Europe?
Generally not easily. UK SKY TV is broadcast in a tightly focused beam aimed at the UK, it is possible to receive Sky Digital in nearby Europe and with a very large dish some parts of North Africa bordering the Mediterranean. We have an unconfirmed report that some channels have been received in Riyadh Saudi Arabia using a 5 meter dish, we know for a fact that this will not include BBC or ITV channels.

In some parts of Morocco we have reception reports of Astra 2D with good quality BBC signals using only a 2.4m dish. We do know of one user in Lagos, Nigeria using a 6m dish for the premium sky channels. Dish size alone is not the only factor, you have to be able to 'see' the satellite, if it is below the horizon or obstacles are obstructing the view then it won't matter what you do or wat you buy you will not e able to receive the signals.

Lastly the satellites broadcast official coverage area is known as a footprint, official footprints can be used to determine the necessary dish size, if you are outside the footprint but can still see the satellite you might be able to pick up some or all of the broadcasted signals, over time unofficial footprints and reports have been built up about the reception possibilities and often this is referred to as 'fringe reception', if you are in a fringe area you might need a really large dish, you might not be able to receive all channels and other odd behaviour such as fades/drops may occur at varying hours during the day. We have provided a guidance footprint for Astra 2D covering the BBC and other FTA channels available around Europe, see the appropriate link in the menu for more information.

How do I determine if I can 'see' the satellite?
SES Astra the satellite operator provide a tool for this, it not only covers Astra at 28.2E but others such as Astra at 19.2E. To go to the dish installation assistant click here.    {Opens a new window.}

I have a problem with my Sky+ box. Older recordings have been automatically deleting. The box does not record properly, is there anythig I can do without calling sky?
Perform a system restore.
===================
Press 'services' on your Sky plus remote, then select option 4. Next press 0, 1, select - you should now see the engineer's menu. Choose option 8, 'Full System Reset'. The box will now take a few minutes to reset itself. Try pausing or recording again, and if the problem persists disconnect the digibox from the mains power.

Press and hold the 'left' and 'right' navigation buttons on the front of the digibox whilst you reconnect the mains power. Continue holding the buttons in for about 20 seconds, and when the ring of light on the front comes on, press the 'select' button on the front of the digibox (between the left and right buttons you were holding).

The Sky+ recording logo lights will spin backwards and this will "clear the hard drive".

Once this is done, disconnect the digibox from the mains power again and this time press and hold the 'back up' button whilst you reconnect the mains power. Continue holding it for about 15 seconds until 3 lights on the front of the box come on and you get a full-screen message saying "Updating system software. Do not disconnect mains supply or satellite dish." Leave the digibox doing its thing for about 10 minutes and it should be fixed! Try pausing and recording things again if this does not work you may need to replace the hard drive or have other servicing/repair work carried out....

How to upgrade the hard-drive of a sky plus box?
If you are technically minded, this is relatively simple else leave it to a dealer, or contact us for assistance. What you need additionally is a torx security bit size T-10,( to open the pace units), other units may require other sizes. You need to ensure that you use an anti-static wrist band and take all electrical safety precautions, and you should also be aware that changing the drive will invalidate any warranty. It has been reported to us that drive sizes of up to 250Gb can be used, but there can be write problems if you use a disk greater than 128Gb. So first ensure you have the latest software installed to the box.

You need a fast power up time for the drive or there can be problems for the system to read from it, the disk must be at full speed in under 8 seconds, if it not the system presumes it is not their. Drives which we know that work are  the Maxtor 4K080K4 80Gb, Maxtor 6L200P0 200 Gb, Maxtor 5A250J0 250Gb, Maxtor 6Y160P0 160 Gb, Maxtor 6Y120L0 120 Gb, Samsung SV1204H 120 Gb, Samsung SP1203N Gb, Maxtor 6Y080L0 Gb, and Samsung SV0813H Gb.

You then simply change the drive as you would inside your PC making a note of how it is mounted etc, so that assembly is reverse of disassembly. The drive does not normally need any preparation such as formatting and once fitted you can bring it online by powering up the box, waiting two minutes and then performing a full system reset", this is done by selecting services 4,0,1, select, 8 housekeeping. The task can take up to 45 minutes to complete for the largest drives. After completion test for correct operation.

Not withstanding the 128Gb problem which does occur from time to time, there is one other "fault"which can occur, a "full system reset"may cause an onscreen message to be displayed along the lines of "no playback or recording possible please contact sky on 0870... ".When this occurs you should remove the drive and perform a low level format using the bios from your PC. Note that the timing when this message occurs is important, if it appears after a period of operation then the drive is suspect, if you have this message with a brand new box it's more likely the recording facility has not been activated by sky.

How to setup the TVLink?
The TV Link is a relatively simple device which carries the sky remote control signals over a coaxial cable, information on setting this up can be found by following the link in the button below. Providing your second TV is a UK Pal TV or UK Pal compatible you should have little problems, we will provide more information on other formats in due course. The TV-Link needs the power switched on on the 2nd RF output to enable functionality.

Are all Sky Digital boxes the same?
No, Whilst they all operate the same way using the same Sky remote there are a number of variations. All have their own distinctive style, some digiboxes contain faster processors for quicker access to channels, others provide better threshold facilities which are ideal for use in weaker signal areas. The new Thomsons as example are good in fringe areas, but picture quality could be better.

Why does Sky Need a phone line?
Sky need a phone line because some of the interactive services such as PPV and games are billed or ordered in real-time from the telephone line. If you have a multi-room or subsidised subscription then the phone line is also used to ensure that you are complying with the contract terms and conditions - for example with the multi-room subscription Sky want to check that all assigned boxes are at the one registered address. With the subsidised boxes, statistical viewing data and information about viewing habits may be collected. If you don't have a multiroom discount contract and you've had Sky for more than one year there is no reason or obligation to connect to the phone line. If you are a new subscriber and have purchased an unsubsidised box and do not benefit from any multi room discounts again there is no reason or obligation to connect the box to the phone line. The main reason most people will connect a box to the phone line is to use the interactive services such as betting or PPV, or to oblige with the contractual obligations where they apply.

How to force a software update?
Take care, if the upgrade is interrupted or the dish is not correctly aligned you can cause your box to become completely unusable. The procedure is as follows, whilst applying mains power to the digibox press and hold the backup button until the front panel LED'S all light up, the screen should now display a warning telling you it is downloading new software and will remain like this until the update completes. It is very important not to interrupt the download and equally important not to update unless absolutely necessary.

If I start as a free-to-view customer, can I take up pay-TV services later?
Yes, however,  we would have to exchange the card for you.

Can sky plus be activated on it's own without the subscription packages?
Yes, but it is an arduous process, you need to request this from sky customer services via a supervisor, they will setup an account for you then cancel it and leave only the sky plus facility - you'd pay the first months viewing package for one month then after only the sky plus fee, due to the way we setup our cards we cannot offer this for our clients.

Will sky anytime work outside the UK?
In our experience, not properly, you can register and make some basic changes but overall a vast proportion of the services will be blocked for non UK users.

Is it legal to receive Sky outside the UK?
Technically yes, however Sky Tv has acquired the broadcasting rights to transmit it's services (movies etc.) via satellite to the UK and Ireland only and therefore sky does not permit subscribers outside this area. There is nothing to stop you using a sky box for the FTA channels. If Sky Tv became aware that you are using your viewing card outside the UK they would deactivate it because it would breach their own terms, sending viewing cards outside the UK is legal but using them is a breach of the subscription terms. This is contrary to the freedom and movement of goods and services in the EU legislation which says that there should be free movement of goods and services, it's an area which should be addressed because both sets of rules contradict each other, there is no logical reason why distribution rights is not paid for on the basis of real audience, which in the case of subscription channels is easily established.

It would be in the broadcasters interest, as they would be paying on the basis of their actual subscriber base, rather than the theoretical national market, and they could thus easily expand their target to the greater European market. Assuming that the channels actually have a net income on each new subscriber, this could only be to their interest (the British channels would also have less to fear from the pirate card market, which would be severly undercut if legal cards were available throughout the continent). The consumer gains, because he gets a wider choice, as well as real competition between different satellite companies, rather than today's national monopolies: With such a regime, it would be easier - not easy, but easier - to set up "independent" channels on a pan-European or local scale.

The most applicable EU directive merely states that member states must not block FTA transmissions from any other member. It gives members the right to block their own transmissions to other states and allows pay-tv broadcasters to restrict reception of their channels within their own territories, BBC and ITV achieve this by broadcasting from a satellite that has a tight broadcast footprint on the British Isles (hence why one will need a larger dish outside the UK).

I can't get BBC, ITV, and some other Channels,
Probably you have one of the following problems:
- your dish is too small or is incorrectly aligned
- you have an incorrect type of lnb or your lnb is damaged or misaligned
- you are outside the Astra 2D footprint

What are the connections on the back?
All boxes have mains input, dish input (F-type), TV SCART (composite video out, RGB out), VCR SCART (composite video in/out, RGB loop-through in), Telephone line (RJ11), Aerial in, RF out 1, RF out
2, Audio out (2 phonos), RS-232 (apparently disabled), Digital interface (for which nothing exists yet). Sony digiboxes and the Sky+ also have a digital output, which carries sound data only. This is fully functional, despite anything you may have seen from Sky, Sony or on the newsgroups though only the Sky+ model supports DD 5.1 
Grundig model /2 and 3000 series boxes have an S-Video mini-DIN output plug, as does the Sky+

How do I access the installer menu? 
Services - 4 - 0 - 1 - select. Be careful what you change. Be sure you
know what you're doing. You can ruin your box. Take care. etc. 

My Sky Plus or Sky HD box keeps displaying a 'please wait' mesage when I go into the planner - what can I do?
On the remote... (without looking at the menu selections because you are going into a 'hidden' menu) press the following:-
Services
4
0
1
Select
That gets you to the installation menu.
now select,
7) SKY+ Planner Rebuild
While the Planner Rebuild shouldn't wipe any existing recordings it may be wise just to watch anything really important (if possible). Things do not always go as planned and as ever you do this at your own risk.

Many recordings are failed and some cut off unexpectedly what can I do?
The following is provided as is and any actions performed are done so at your own risk, things can go wrong and the advice here is aimed at technically competent people. If you have any doubts contact sky first they may or may not be able to assist, they may charge for their services.

It is possible that your sky box hard disk has become extremely fragmented. If this is the case, first try a planner rebuild as described above, it probably will not work in the situation described but it is worth a try - because following this there are a couple of options but they will resut in the loss of any recordings. 1st, follow the instructions above and do the sky+ planner rebuild, if this doesn't work, repeat the procedure but this time select:
8) Full System Reset
If this works fine, no further action required. If it does not work then now you have to try to force a reformat of the hard disk using the front panel control buttons.

Disconnect the digibox from the mains power using a switch or the mains socket if it is not switched but not the power connector where it goes into the box.

Press and hold the 'left' and 'right' navigation buttons on the front of the digibox whilst you reconnect the mains power. Continue holding the buttons in for about 20 seconds, and when the ring of light on the front comes on, press the 'select' button on the front of the digibox (between the left and right buttons you were holding).

The Sky+ recording logo lights will spin backwards and this will "clear the hard drive". Once this is done, disconnect the digibox from the mains power again and this time press and hold the 'back up' button whilst you reconnect the mains power.
Continue holding it for about 15 seconds until 3 lights on the front of the box come on and you get a full-screen message saying "Updating system software. Do not disconnect mains supply or satellite dish." Leave the digibox doing its thing for about 10 minutes and it should be fixed! Try pausing and recording things again.

If this does not work, try removing the hard drive and performing a low level format on the disk, if this does not work then the hard drive is likely damaged and needing replaced.

My box was switched off at the mains and now the TV-link does not work. What can I do?
Sometimes the digibox also reports that the RF2 power is switched on when in fact it has been disabled automatically by protection circuitry - to overcome this, go back into the installer menu and switch the RF power off, save the settings, then return switch it on again and save the settings.

I'm considering buying a sky gnome from ebay -I heard you need to turn on the power for RF output 2, how do I do this? 
You do this from the installer menu, Services, System Setup, key sequence 0,1 select, now select RF Outlets, check the RF Outlets screen and select using the arrows ON in the setting RF Outlet Power Supply, then scroll down and save settings.

Will the sky gnome work with all sky digiboxes? 
It should do, but boxes older than 4 years may have problems recognising external devices, this applies to Amstrad, Grundig and Panasonic digiboxes only (not Sky Plus), check the version number under services>system setup>system details, if it's  Amstrad: 4F0101 Panasonic: 0F0101, 0F01012 or 0F0103  or Grundig: 4E0101, 4E0102 or 4E0103 press Sky, now you are on a TV channel, so press 9,9 backup,9,9 backup - you won't see anything happen but the sky box should switch off and back on again and the Gnome should now work.

Can I receive other channels than those in the EPG?
yes, The channels in the Sky line-up all come from the Astra satellites at 28.2 east and Eurobird at 28.5 east. Apart from those channels with numbers on the Electronic Programme Guide, or Skyguide, there are various test transmissions and other channels that you can access through manual tuning of your receiver. Many other channels including free ones, are also available from other broadcasters via other satellites, the sky receiver is however not designed for this purpose and without a  you would only yield limited results. If you really want to look for other channels and at other satellites then you ideally need another dish with a DiSEqc motor and a good DVB CI or FTA receiver. 

Why can I not record some ppv movies?
With the sky+ pvr box it should be possible to record and replay ppv movies however most  ppv movies are protected with Macrovision and a Macrovision decoder would be required to overcome this problem, however some very old video recorders are not affected by Macrovision.

What is the difference between a subsidised digibox and an unsubsidised digibox?
There is no technical difference between the two, however A subsidised digibox is sold at a much lower price than a subsidised one both are shipped to the Sky appointed wholesalers (of which there are only a handful). The wholesaler then supplies the satellite trade with those digiboxes. Only Sky Approved Dealers are allowed to buy the subsidised digiboxes from the wholesalers and those boxes are supplied to clients who are taking advantage of a cheap or free deal. In return for this the customer agrees to have his digibox connected to a phone line for at least 12 months. When the Sky Dealer has installed a subsidised digibox, he receives a commission for signing up the customer to a Sky viewing package. Effectively the installer receives the digibox for nothing and gets a small commission plus whatever he charges for the installation. The Sky Minidish is issued free of charge to that approved Sky Dealer. So you can say that this digibox is subsidised to the point where is is virtually supplied free to the approved Sky Dealer who in turn should be fitting it to a telephone line.

If a customer doesn't want, or can't have, a telephone connection then he can't have a free digibox. In this case, he would be supplied with an unsubsidised digibox. The dealer will have had to purchase this from the approved wholesaler and he can't be re-imbursed for it. He would have to apply a normal profit mark up to this box and so the customer will end up paying a lot more.

Why would a customer choose an unsubsidised box?
Some boxes work better in fringe areas, you cannot choose which subsidised box you receive and naturally subsidised boxes are not delivered outside the UK, some dealers will sell subsidised boxes outside the UK but because the terms of the Sky Digital contract may not be met the subscription is at risk, a digidialler fulfils the technical requirements of connection to a telephone line but a digidialler cannot currently be used for the multiroom discount offers.

Can you tell if a box is a subsidised box or not?
You can't tell the difference between unsubsidised and subsidised digiboxes by looking at them. The exception is the Amstrad, Amstrad boxes are not supplied to wholesalers, but directly to Sky themselves. Dealers therefore cannot sell new Amstrad boxes if they are doing so it is most likely they are stolen. There are however many old second hand Amstrad models on the market and many of these do not function well in fringe areas.

Can the RF output be used with Euro televisions? 
The RF output is PAL I UK standard, or PAL GB, if you use this on a European set, then your set must have this option in its programming, otherwise you need to use the SCART or AV outputs, or an RF Modulator or a video sender with SCART input and RF output for Europe - we can supply this equipment although it is not yet listed, we will update this information shortly. The difference between the UK Pal standard and the European standard is the carrier frequency for the sound channels, unless your European TV can decode UK PAL you will not hear any sound, many mid-priced European TV's do however include UK Pal - consult your TV manual for more information and check back on this site for compatible converter units which are being added soon.

I live in the Alicante region of Spain, what size dish do I need, for BBC and Freeview can you provide dishes?
We are looking at the possibility of shipping 2.4 meter dishes for use in some areas of Spain, around Alicante you are going to need around 2.4m dish minimum. Because there are hotspots and cold spots of the footprint for Astra2D around Spain, we will provide a dedicated link for Sky Digital reception in Spain shortly. If you wish an English speaking installer we can arrange this with dish installation costs from 300 Euro.

Do you supply Sky HD boxes?
Yes, they are listed as a sub page of our digibox page in our online store - currently have a wait period of up to two weeks before dispatch. More information will be displayed on the HD digibox page.

Sky+ and signal strength, - if the signal strength is not good enough, example in inclement weather - you might not be able to view previously recorded programmes. This is not true in all cases.

Can the digidialler be used to swop digiboxes?
No, amongst many services the digidialler can be used to activate new Sky subscriptions and report new installations but it cannot be used to replace a digibox - the pairing (matching) of the boxes still needs to be updated in the normal manner. Once paired, if you want to do upgrade your digibox you need to contact sky to match the new card.

Can the digidialler be used for sky multiroom?
No - the digidialler provides a means of connecting the digibox to foreign telephone lines, but cannot be used for multiroom subscriptions,

Can the digidialler be used for ROI subscriptions?
No

My sky plus box is stuck in standby what can it be?
A variety of faults can cause this, a complete failure of the hard drive is just one such example. Without checking it we cannot be sure that we have given you a correct diagnosis you should consider returning the receiver for repair. 

The cards you supply for Sky, can I choose the ITV region?
No they are all supplied for the ITV Granada region and we cannot request this to be changed.

Can I change my ITV region?
No the ITV regional information is stored on the actual sky subscription card, you cannot change this region, you can add other ITV channels in the 'other 'channels list but that's about it, if you move home or change address to another region in the UK then Sky can update your card for you, you naturally have to contact them to do this. You can however select ITV London region on channel 993.

Can you supply ROI subscription cards?
Yes

My local installer says I needed a smaller dish than you recommended, why?
Your local installer probably has intimate knowledge of the local area, we use publicly information which is for guidance, by using the dish size we recommend you should have no problems with reception of BBC and ITV channels. Some areas have local quirks and hot spots which are not reflected in our tables this can mean you don't necessarily need to have such a large dish - we know of customers using a 2.4m dish in Morocco where the diagram reflects it could be 3m, we also know in Algarve Portugal as example that a 1.5m dish is sufficient where the diagram reflects 1.8m, we try to store this information and will develop over time a better diagram or display such supplementary information as it becomes available, if however you needed further advice you can always contact us to see if the information we hold differs from that displayed within our pages. Some receivers perform better than others, so a larger dish could overcome problems with the receiver. A good quality installation using a professional installer with a spectrum analyser will usually always perform much better than a DIY installation with a sat beeper. Other reported dish sizes include 1.25m in Gibraltar, 1.5m along most of Costa-del-Sol Spain.

I want to install my own sky dish, how can I find the positions for a dish?
We would naturally advise you to choose a good reputable local installer for a dish setup but understand that there are many good capable DIY enthusiasts who like to do such installs for themselves -
If you're comfortable with all of the following :- power tools, working at heights, roof safety, electrical safety and can assure that your handiwork is of a good enough standard and that the dish is not going to come away from it's mountings in high winds, and  that you have suitable mounting bolts, know how to use them then ok maybe it's for you, you'll need to prove your work was of good standard if you ever get involved in a 3rd party liability claim  -but  if you're still happy with all this have a look at our reception advice pages. 

If you need more information or information you are trying to find is not displayed - please  contact us. Some questions cannot be answered but we'll do our best, as example one question we had was how can I change my viewing card serial number - we cannot and will not answer any questions on modifying cards. We can also supply Hard Drives and DIY kits for installation upgrades of sky plus.