[Heinz]

I've had a Sky susbcription for years but have never taken the Sky+ plunge (preferring my own PVR).

I'm now considering Sky+ though so emailed asking if I needed to do anything apart from (obviously) pairing my card with the Sky+ box once I had installed it.

As ever, Sky answered another question completely at first and, when I persisted, told me how to pair the card (despite the fact that I'd told them I was aware of the need to do that and how to do it) and also said:

If you are adding a Sky+ box to your account I would like to tell you that you need to add a Sky+ subscription and you will be bound with a 12 months contract.

The word 'subscription' there suggests an extra payment but it was my understanding that any Sky subscription enabled the Sky+ recording functionality.

The 12 month contract part is a little odd too.

Anyone know?

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Heinz

I've had a Sky susbcription for years but have never taken the Sky+ plunge (preferring my own PVR).

I'm now considering Sky+ though so emailed asking if I needed to do anything apart from (obviously) pairing my card with the Sky+ box once I had installed it.

As ever, Sky answered another question completely at first and, when I persisted, told me how to pair the card (despite the fact that I'd told them I was aware of the need to do that and how to do it) and also said:The word 'subscription' there suggests an extra payment but it was my understanding that any Sky subscription enabled the Sky+ recording functionality.

The 12 month contract part is a little odd too.

Anyone know?

You need to add the Sky+ 'subscription to your account, in your case (as you subscribe) it won't cost anything more, it's included free with any subscription.

However, it is a minimum 12 month subscription, which means you can't cancel for 12 months.

[Heinz]

Thanks Nigel. The strange grammar ("I would like to tell you" and "bound with a 12 months contract") made me think the reply came from India and was 'confused'. It appears I was wrong, at least on that last part.

[BKM]

Originally Posted by Heinz

As ever, Sky answered another question completely at first and, when I persisted, told me how to pair the card (despite the fact that I'd told them I was aware of the need to do that and how to do it) and also said:The word 'subscription' there suggests an extra payment but it was my understanding that any Sky subscription enabled the Sky+ recording functionality.

The 12 month contract part is a little odd too.

Sky are perfectly correct! As well as pairing the smartcard they would need to "enable Sky+ features" on it - or recording and playback will not work. Sky+ is a 12 month minimum contract which will be billed as £0.00/month - as long as you continue to subscribe to any Sky TV channels.

[Heinz]

Originally Posted by BKM

Sky are perfectly correct! As well as pairing the smartcard they would need to "enable Sky+ features" on it - or recording and playback will not work. Sky+ is a 12 month minimum contract which will be billed as £0.00/month - as long as you continue to subscribe to any Sky TV channels.

The annoying thing is that was exactly my original email (I've given up phoning them now) question to them.

IIRC, my wording was, "Apart (obviously) from pairing my card to the new Sky+ box, is there anything else that needs to be done to enable the recording functionality?"

Why they always have to try to answer with (inadequate) cut and paste scripted answers instead of simply reading and answering the question(s) posed is beyond me.

[PudpullerTM]

Originally Posted by Heinz

The annoying thing is that was exactly my original email (I've given up phoning them now) question to them.

IIRC, my wording was, "Apart (obviously) from pairing my card to the new Sky+ box, is there anything else that needs to be done to enable the recording functionality?"

Why they always have to try to answer with (inadequate) cut and paste scripted answers instead of simply reading and answering the question(s) posed is beyond me.

Also heinz you would need to replace your LNB and cable with a quad LNB and 2 cables 1 for each tuner on the new box

[Heinz]

Originally Posted by PudpullerTM

Also heinz you would need to replace your LNB and cable with a quad LNB and 2 cables 1 for each tuner on the new box

Yes, that's in hand thanks (cable already run and now laying behind the TV ready).

I'm thinking of a zone 2 dish too to avoid loss of signals in heavy rain (although we're well south of the Wash, I noticed a neighbour's new Sky+ installation a couple of weeks ago was a zone 2 dish).