MySky - Buy or Rent

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#382481 20-Sep-2010 21:58

So if you own the box, what are you going to do when you leave sky? NZ doesn't have any other providers comparable with sky (not that I know of anyway) and by that time everyone will probably be using internet based TV and your box will be obsolete. You'll be stuck with it and I doubt anyone will buy it from you on trademe. Go with the rent option. Thats how I see it anyway. You could be doing really well financially so you might have this kind of money to throw around? haha.

sbiddle

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#382482 20-Sep-2010 22:00

steve98: I'm confused by this vu+duo thing. The website linked to above makes it sound like it's a Freeview box -- how is it a solution for MySkyHDi functionality?

It has a CI module so will work with smart cards.

Kyanar

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#382502 20-Sep-2010 22:30

tardtasticx: So if you own the box, what are you going to do when you leave sky? NZ doesn't have any other providers comparable with sky (not that I know of anyway) and by that time everyone will probably be using internet based TV and your box will be obsolete. You'll be stuck with it and I doubt anyone will buy it from you on trademe. Go with the rent option. Thats how I see it anyway. You could be doing really well financially so you might have this kind of money to throw around? haha.

You never own a Sky decoder, even if you pay the $599. So when you leave Sky, you need to give them back their decoder. Consider the $599 more of an "advance lease fee".

Handle9

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#382508 20-Sep-2010 22:39

Kyanar:
tardtasticx: So if you own the box, what are you going to do when you leave sky? NZ doesn't have any other providers comparable with sky (not that I know of anyway) and by that time everyone will probably be using internet based TV and your box will be obsolete. You'll be stuck with it and I doubt anyone will buy it from you on trademe. Go with the rent option. Thats how I see it anyway. You could be doing really well financially so you might have this kind of money to throw around? haha.

You never own a Sky decoder, even if you pay the $599. So when you leave Sky, you need to give them back their decoder. Consider the $599 more of an "advance lease fee".

Personally I'd put the sweet spot at around 4 years. If you are pretty sure you're going to stay with Sky for that long - which generally means you are into sport - then buy it. If you aren't sure and/or have another use for the cashflow then rent.

Personally I rented for a year and then realised I wasn't watching much of Sky cause I was recording largely free to air TV and then bought a MagicTV.

The other thing to bear in mind is I wouldn't bank on a PVR you bought lasting much more than 4 years. Some will obviously last a lot longer, some a bit less. I would consider 4 years to be as long as I would expect a consumer device with a hard drive to last. If you get MySky and it blows up then they have to replace it at their cost. If you buy another device and it fails then you're up for another device.

Either way you won't regret the change to a PVR - it's one of the few lifestyle changing pieces of consumer electronics you can get.

tardtasticx

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#382513 20-Sep-2010 22:45

Thats unreal that you don't own the decoder. I'd go for the rent option. Because since you need to be with them for that long before its even worth it, it sucks being tied down. Spend that money on a TiVo if you have a Telecom landline. They're $360 and I love our one.

clevedon

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#382560 21-Sep-2010 07:25

tardtasticx: Spend that money on a TiVo if you have a Telecom landline. They're $360 and I love our one.

TiVo doesn't get you the Sky programming though.

steve98

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#382568 21-Sep-2010 08:01

tardtasticx: Thats unreal that you don't own the decoder. I'd go for the rent option. Because since you need to be with them for that long before its even worth it, it sucks being tied down. Spend that money on a TiVo if you have a Telecom landline. They're $360 and I love our one.

The OP said he already has a TiVo in the very first post ("I already have a NZ Tivo and really do like the convenience") -- he is now looking for a *Sky* solution. Fed up of seeing TiVo / Freeview being suggested as solutions when people have clearly said they are wanting Sky.

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steve98

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#382569 21-Sep-2010 08:07

sbiddle:
steve98: I'm confused by this vu+duo thing. The website linked to above makes it sound like it's a Freeview box -- how is it a solution for MySkyHDi functionality?

It has a CI module so will work with smart cards.

OK but you wouldn't get the HD feeds from Sky using this method as the HD feeds are only activated on your account when you have a MySkyHDi box associated with it...

I'm also guessing you wouldn't receive Sky's EPG and how about recording two Sky channels while watching a third?

bfginger

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#382574 21-Sep-2010 08:23

I would consider 4 years to be as long as I would expect a consumer device with a hard drive to last.

Luckily the HDD is an independent component. If it fails, it is easy to replace.

tkr001

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#382623 21-Sep-2010 11:23

sbiddle:
steve98: I'm confused by this vu+duo thing. The website linked to above makes it sound like it's a Freeview box -- how is it a solution for MySkyHDi functionality?

It has a CI module so will work with smart cards.

I have a Vu+ Duo. It works fine with the blue sky cards. The only issue is no 8 day epg for HD channels (non HD is fine) only current, next.

graemeh

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#382649 21-Sep-2010 12:33

clevedon:
tardtasticx: Spend that money on a TiVo if you have a Telecom landline. They're $360 and I love our one.

TiVo doesn't get you the Sky programming though.

Tivo Series 1 does

You just need a sky decoder to feed it.

bazzer

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#382666 21-Sep-2010 13:27

Handle9: Personally I'd put the sweet spot at around 4 years.

Based on what? As I pointed out earlier in the thread, financially you're better off after 3 years (assuming 6% interest). Under the same assumption, 4 years of $15 works out to about $640 in today's money (compared to an extra $500 cost for the "buy" option).

You'd need to be making 20% interest on your money for the sweet spot to be around 4 years. Actually, maybe that isn't so far fetched if you also have credit card debt you could clear instead.

Handle9

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#382670 21-Sep-2010 13:37

bazzer:
Handle9: Personally I'd put the sweet spot at around 4 years.

Based on what? As I pointed out earlier in the thread, financially you're better off after 3 years (assuming 6% interest). Under the same assumption, 4 years of $15 works out to about $640 in today's money (compared to an extra $500 cost for the "buy" option).

You'd need to be making 20% interest on your money for the sweet spot to be around 4 years. Actually, maybe that isn't so far fetched if you also have credit card debt you could clear instead.

Based on that you could loose your job, crash your car etc etc etc and have to give up Sky which could mean that your $699 is a sunk cost, which you get no benefit out of.

Time value of money calculations are all very well but they don't take into account possible change of circumstances.

To me flexibility is worth an extra couple of hundred dollars over 4 years. Obviously if you're in a very stable situation where you're sure you won't be giving up Sky then it's a different story. For us mere mortgage slaves however...

steve98

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#382689 21-Sep-2010 14:12

Handle9:
bazzer:
Handle9: Personally I'd put the sweet spot at around 4 years.

Based on what? As I pointed out earlier in the thread, financially you're better off after 3 years (assuming 6% interest). Under the same assumption, 4 years of $15 works out to about $640 in today's money (compared to an extra $500 cost for the "buy" option).

You'd need to be making 20% interest on your money for the sweet spot to be around 4 years. Actually, maybe that isn't so far fetched if you also have credit card debt you could clear instead.

Based on that you could loose your job, crash your car etc etc etc and have to give up Sky which could mean that your $699 is a sunk cost, which you get no benefit out of.

Time value of money calculations are all very well but they don't take into account possible change of circumstances.

To me flexibility is worth an extra couple of hundred dollars over 4 years. Obviously if you're in a very stable situation where you're sure you won't be giving up Sky then it's a different story. For us mere mortgage slaves however...

I would give up food and water before I give up Sky or broadband! :p

bazzer

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#382696 21-Sep-2010 14:21

Handle9:
bazzer:
Handle9: Personally I'd put the sweet spot at around 4 years.

Based on what? As I pointed out earlier in the thread, financially you're better off after 3 years (assuming 6% interest). Under the same assumption, 4 years of $15 works out to about $640 in today's money (compared to an extra $500 cost for the "buy" option).

You'd need to be making 20% interest on your money for the sweet spot to be around 4 years. Actually, maybe that isn't so far fetched if you also have credit card debt you could clear instead.

Based on that you could loose your job, crash your car etc etc etc and have to give up Sky which could mean that your $699 is a sunk cost, which you get no benefit out of.

Time value of money calculations are all very well but they don't take into account possible change of circumstances.

To me flexibility is worth an extra couple of hundred dollars over 4 years. Obviously if you're in a very stable situation where you're sure you won't be giving up Sky then it's a different story. For us mere mortgage slaves however...

I just didn't know where you got the 4 years from? Your idea is perfectly fine, sure you may lseo your job etc. Why would the sweet spot be 4 years? That doesn't make any sense.

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