Getting Sky set up for the first time??

JustAnotherSaver

Just wondering what's involved in getting Sky installed for the first time?

I know i know - a guy comes out & before you know it you now have Sky. But i want to know what they'll be doing exactly. Fixing what where, drilling what where etc.

The house does have a Sky dish with i think 4 ports.

Our living room is a long term project & wont be getting used so we were considering Sky in the bedroom as our main TV for the time being until the living room is sorted later in the year & then move Sky down in to the living room when it's ready.

But then i thought doesn't it also need to be connected to the phone line?

So i wasn't sure about more wires trailing god knows where, especially after new carpet has been laid in the bedroom & the furniture is now in place.



So next came the thought of just having it installed in the living room anyway as we don't watch a massive amount of TV. When the living room is worked on we'll just do without & then put it all back right when the living room is sorted.
The phone master socket if it matters is in the hall next to the living room.




1) So like i say, what's involved in the installation?
2) Do Sky install on weekends? Without this we'll have to take a day off work & hope that they turn up on that day & do the job (unlike BT when they were booked in!).

Thanks.

macman

If there is already a working dish with a quad feed then they'll use that. It'll simply be a matter of plugging in the box and connecting it to the dish feed and TV (and phone line), and pairing the viewing card.
The phone connection is a contractual requirement for the first 12m, but many Sky installers are not remotely bothered about that, you can if you wish simply unplug it when they've gone.
PS: why are you paying for a Sky subscription of at least £21.50pm if you 'don't watch a massive amount of TV'? Since you already have a dish and LNB, you can simply plug in a Freesat PVR and get all the Freesat channels for no ongoing cost.

brewerdave

....I thought that the requirement to connect the Sky box to phone line had been dropped for standard installations..only applies for multiroom set ups ??
Also, if you already have a Sky dish, where are the cables currently running ?? If not currently to the bedroom the installer would have to run new cables and drill from exterior - furthermore ,if the bedroom is on the other side of the house the installer will prob. just want to throw the cable over the ridge tiles to connect -they won't go in a loft to run cables and seem unwilling to run cables tidily round the soffits /bargeboards!!
Finally, how old is the existing Sky dish ?? I would definitely want a totally new install if its much over 5 years old.

macman

You may well be correct on no phone requirement for standard installs, maybe someone can advise.
If it's a quad LNB and fully cabled, then I'm guessing that the feeds already run to 2 separate rooms...OP needs to give more info.

duchy

Yes it has.
I had a single box new install done this weekend (phone and BB still with Virgin) and the phone line wasn't even mentioned (phone point is in an entirely different part of the house).

The first 12 months connected to phone line thing stopped in December 2013 .

macman wrote: »

You may well be correct on no phone requirement for standard installs, maybe someone can advise.
If it's a quad LNB and fully cabled, then I'm guessing that the feeds already run to 2 separate rooms...OP needs to give more info.

teddysmum

My Sky dish was ancient, so I got a new one. After Sky, we had Virgin's forerunner for broadband ,so the engineer , at my request, plumbed Sky through the neat box left behind.


I have Sky phone and broadband, but the only tv connection with these is via wi-fi for the On Demand service, so no wires.

Moneymaker

Since the introduction of the wireless Sky Digibox, a phone connection has not been a requirement.

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks for the replies.

It's been some time since we had Sky installed at my mums so the telephone requirement was just me going off memory. I didn't know it had changed so that's good.

macman wrote: »

PS: why are you paying for a Sky subscription of at least £21.50pm if you 'don't watch a massive amount of TV'? Since you already have a dish and LNB, you can simply plug in a Freesat PVR and get all the Freesat channels for no ongoing cost.

I discussed this with my wife.

I wanted to know if she was wanting Sky because 'that's what people do' or did she require Sky for something (I watch even less TV than her).

She said that of a Saturday (I work most of them) she watches channels such as National Geographic & History a lot as well as Discovery channel.


So she got looking about & found that BT do a deal where these 'extras' only cost £5 per month.
NOTE: I am already a BT Infinity broadband customer.


So basically the requirement is these channels but it is also a MUST that a record feature is available (I know it is with the BT deal).


Is there anything else out there worth looking at or for £5 a month & what we require, is this BT deal really just a steal?


I assume it comes through an ariel & not a satellite dish? I'd probably just leave the dish in place really.

Pincher

Had a Sky install a week ago. No phone line required.


There's an FAQ type page that came in the Viewing card envelope.


"Do I need to keep my phone line connected to my Sky box?"


"No. However, if you have taken Sky Multiscreen you need to keep any internet capable boxes connected to your broadband/home network (e.g. via a wifi connection) if you have network access at home and we have supplied the equipment you need to connect.


...Please disregard the parts of your contract booklet that state that a phone line is required in the sections 'Interactive Discount Contract' and 'Free Sky Box and Minidish Offer' and any future correspondence that asks you to connect your box to a phone line."

macman

BT services are delivered via an aerial or (in the case of on-demand services) via your broadband service. If you want certain channels that are only delivered on subscription, then fine (though it's an expensive way to watch TV on one day a week), but you do not need a subscription to get a recording facility. A Humax Freeview PVR will give you that for a one-off investment that is far less than a year's Sky sub.

JustAnotherSaver

I'm curious as to why you say it's an expensive way to watch one day a week?

Aside from the fact i'm just wondering where you got the 1 day from i'm wondering why you're seeing BT as expensive?

If i've missed something (perhaps i have?) i see it's only £5 per month. That's pretty cheap i'd have thought?