Old Sky equipment

[Deleted User]

I currently have a ten year old Sky Digital mini-dish on the chimney stack of our house. It was fitted by an independent installer because Sky wanted to site the dish on the frontage of the house. We stopped subscribing to Sky some years back and have been using the old Sky+ (version 1!) and a Panasonic Sky set top box to view the free to air channels.
We've just invested in new large screen Smart TVs and I'm afraid the picture from the old standard definition boxes just doesn't cut the mustard anymore.
I therefore want to subscribe to Sky again for High definition services, but I'm worried they won't want to replace the old Dish and cabling because of it's position high up on the roof.
I'm reluctant to employ an independent again because Sky seems to discriminate (no half price offers or free boxes) unfairly towards customers who do this.



So what do money savers suggest is my best option?

Pay an independant to re-install Sky and a new dish and cabling?

Pay an independant to fit a new dish and cabling only and then sign to Sky?

Trust Sky to replace the old dish and cabling and sign me up for high definition as a new customer?

hareng

Why dont you ask Sky but make sure you record the call.

I was one of the very last at digital switchover, home install and wanted to keep my 80cm multi, said fine. Installer came and said its illegal for two sat dishes so replaced just the dish retaining my cabling and routing = nice easy 10 min job for two.

[Deleted User]

hareng wrote: »

Why dont you ask Sky but make sure you record the call.

The problem is that Sky installers don't answer the 'phones at their call centres and all the advisors want to do is sign you up.
Recording the call would seem to involve a lot of work I'm not prepared to do (and is illegal I'm sure).

Any other advice out there?

hareng

You only have to tell them you are recording the call.

Sky sent independant monkey round, the point being it is a condition of sale that the install is carried out to your satisfaction and not for ease of slapping a new dish up.

[Deleted User]

hareng wrote: »

It is a condition of sale that the install is carried out to your satisfaction and not for ease of slapping a new dish up.

Yes.
The dilemma I have is that I went the Sky route last time (ten years ago admittedly) with them agreeing a chimney install in advance and turning up and refusing to fit anything other than a wall install at a height I could almost reach from street level.

I then got an independent installer to fit the dish as I wanted (at a cost, of course) but then had problems with Sky refusing to replace my faulty Sky+ because I had gone through an independent !

jb66

Why don't you get an independent to fit a dish then get sky to install the box?

prowla

You can get the free HD channels if you get a HD box with no subscription.
Even if you do subscribe to HD, not all of the channels are HD.

brewerdave

Why go to Sky? If you have been perfectly happy with the free to air offerings for several years then just buy a Freesat HD+ box such as those made by Humax.

basill

prowla wrote: »

You can get the free HD channels if you get a HD box with no subscription.
Even if you do subscribe to HD, not all of the channels are HD.

I had a similar dilemma to the OP, a new LCD TV with a scart cable connected to an elderly Sky+ resulted in rather disappointing picture quality.

I bought a Sky HD box from Ebay for about £80 including postage and connected it up with a HDMI cable. Standard def broadcasts are very much improved and I have some good free HD channels.

B

spike7451

Sky installers only carry a standard 2 or 3 teir ladder & roof ladders,up till a few years ago (2007 when I worked for them) we didn't carry roof ladders apart from the 'Special Heights' teams.
Sky installers will only work as high as a standard 2 up house,anything over that is special heights or an independant installer.

vale46_2

as suggested if you can manage with the free HD Channels
A SkyHD Box has BBC-HD BBC1-HD CH4-HD CH5-HD NHK-HD ITV-HD
You need a white viewing card to get CH5-HD on a sky box

if your dish has a single feed / wire from it
you can still use that you dont need a new dish
a SkyHD Box can use single feed mode you set up from the secret installers menu

look on ebay, markets,carboots,
I've seen SkyHD Box's in stores like cash converters £35 inc the HD Remote control

i use on for free HD It cost me £25 about 2 years ago and had a white viewing card in it
and the remote