On 31 Jul 2003 08:30:26 -0700, (Steve
Wilson) wrote:

I'm thinking about getting Sky + (the PVR box), but the Sky website
isn't very informative and, if experience is anything to go by,
phoning them up won't shed much light either, so hopefully somebody
out there will know more. My questions a

1. What is the telephone connection used for? Is this to download the
TV schedules (essential), or just to allow access to the "interactive"
services, which I'm not interested in anyway? If the latter, is there
any reason why the box won't work if not connected to the telephone?
Reading the terms and conditions on the Sky website, it's actually a
condition that the box is kept connected to a phone line for the first
12 months. Why?

The program guide is delivered digitally over the satellite - it
doesn't need the phone.

The phone connection is used during initial registration to pair the
viewing card with the box (although that can be done separately), for
interctive services (where they make money) and for upload of data
from the receiver for marketing purposes. It's also used for
pay-per-view services. Urban legend has it that they can upload
details on your viewing habits but Sky do not confirm or deny it
AFAIK.

The contract for reduced price receiver and/or service requires you to
have the box connected to a phone line for the first year, and yes
they do check periodically, and will bill you if you break the
agreement. Periodically the box will dial out using an 800 number.

After the year you can do what you like if you don't want interactive
or PPV service.



2. The room I want to put the box in doesn't have a phone socket (well
it does, but it's not connected up). Given all the phone extensions I
already have elsewhere in the house, I'm not keen to wire in another.
Is there a wireless solution?

The typical solution is to use a phone-over-mains adaptor, but they
are pretty expensive (£80).

http://www.finchdata.biz/acatalog/Automation.html

is one I found at random.


Thx
Steve

..andy

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