Sky doesn't want you to use the old black Sky box any longer??

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#3343294 16-Feb-2025 11:14

I think the last time I had Sky I had one of their (satellite) black decoders, but I don't remember what brand - it was before My Sky though. Can't seem to find a picture of it to confirm.

Dingbatt

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#3343361 16-Feb-2025 13:12

I was just looking at the SkyNZ website. So a question for any GZers that have the new box.
The table on the website says the new Sky Box requires Sat AND internet. Part of our use case at the moment is to be able to take the decoder to our beach bach, where there is no broadband internet.

Now I understand that there isn’t any streaming app access without internet, but will the satellite portion still work without it? Or does it need to “phone home” to be able to operate at all?

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#3344021 17-Feb-2025 22:32

Dingbatt:

I was just looking at the SkyNZ website. So a question for any GZers that have the new box.
The table on the website says the new Sky Box requires Sat AND internet. Part of our use case at the moment is to be able to take the decoder to our beach bach, where there is no broadband internet.

Now I understand that there isn’t any streaming app access without internet, but will the satellite portion still work without it? Or does it need to “phone home” to be able to operate at all?

I have the opposite problem, I want to unplug the cable and take it upstairs and watch upstairs over the Internet. I am seething they want to charge me $25 a month for a $100 puck to watch my Sky (one channel at a time) in a second room.

I think I have reached the end of the line with Sky, despite preferring NZ commentary, being locked to a single room when I am the only sky consumer in my household, isn't going to be justfiied much longer.

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#3344022 17-Feb-2025 22:33

vexxxboy:

They work but ,like most things on the white box, on a very basic level. it just gets frustrating that it is not as easy as the black box.

Could you be more specific?

vexxxboy

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#3344068 18-Feb-2025 08:37

networkn:

vexxxboy:

They work but ,like most things on the white box, on a very basic level. it just gets frustrating that it is not as easy as the black box.

Could you be more specific?

im not sure these are still true but most of the problems with the white box are to do with recording and watching recordings mainly with live sport. you couldnt set the time eg you recorded a rugby game and you dont want to watch all the build up. with the black box you could enter say 60 minutes and it would start 60 minutes in , with the white box you had to fast forward 60 minutes. if you watched a recording on the white box and say watched only half the match, stopped it and came back to it, 80%of the time it would start at the beginning and you would have to fast forward and if it is 3-4 hours that is really annoying.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

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#3344101 18-Feb-2025 11:07

vexxxboy:

im not sure these are still true but most of the problems with the white box are to do with recording and watching recordings mainly with live sport. you couldnt set the time eg you recorded a rugby game and you dont want to watch all the build up. with the black box you could enter say 60 minutes and it would start 60 minutes in , with the white box you had to fast forward 60 minutes. if you watched a recording on the white box and say watched only half the match, stopped it and came back to it, 80%of the time it would start at the beginning and you would have to fast forward and if it is 3-4 hours that is really annoying.

Interesting. I use episode record, and FFWD through. At 30x it takes but a couple of minutes and occasionally if I see someone I want to hear being interviewed I stop and listen then carry on.

Stan has a cool feature where it allows you to skip right to the start of the game and skip half time.

suthland

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#3344131 18-Feb-2025 12:29

White box fast forwards @ 4x, 16x, 32x, & 64x (not sure what happened to 8x) you can monitor picture at all speeds but 32 & 64 are a bit of a flash and i only use the time counter to monitor them. I find 16 & 4 best to skip ads.

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JPNZ

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#3353369 13-Mar-2025 09:48

I had my first case of not being able to use on demand on my black box over the weekend. Wanted to see the highlights of Hurricanes v Moana. Just used youtube instead..

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#3353374 13-Mar-2025 09:58

JPNZ:

I had my first case of not being able to use on demand on my black box over the weekend. Wanted to see the highlights of Hurricanes v Moana. Just used youtube instead..

I just go to Sky Go when I want "on demand" options.

I don't think I have used my Sky Box for on demand stuff for years

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#3353380 13-Mar-2025 10:43

Handsomedan:

JPNZ:

I had my first case of not being able to use on demand on my black box over the weekend. Wanted to see the highlights of Hurricanes v Moana. Just used youtube instead..

I just go to Sky Go when I want "on demand" options.

I don't think I have used my Sky Box for on demand stuff for years

Good point, can try that too

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TAKid

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#3356947 24-Mar-2025 17:11

Haven't been able to access Sky Go all day??

Dingbatt

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#3356951 24-Mar-2025 17:24

Just tried mine.

Skygo working on my iPad as normal.

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TAKid

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#3357558 26-Mar-2025 17:25

Works on Chrome but can't record anything on normal Sky after 1st April, and nothing on Sky Go program guide after that date.

tcabw

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#3357625 26-Mar-2025 22:25

We've had the old decoders for close to 20 years now at a location that has no FM radio reception. The decoder is tuned to RNZ all day. Either that, or one of the Music channels which do not exist on the white box. Radio stations on the white box can only be obtained through an APP which is a pain when you want to change stations.
While the black box exists, we'll be keeping it. (We do have a white one as a multi-room, but the missus refuses to use it!)

quickymart

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#3357631 26-Mar-2025 23:24

tcabw:

a location that has no FM radio reception. The decoder is tuned to RNZ all day.

Interesting. As a radio buff, where is this?

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