Sky's Prime TV installation - does UHF need a digibox?

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neilinnz

165 posts

Master Geek

#31781 30-Mar-2009 15:07

We live in an area where Prime TV is available over UHF but we have no aerial on the house at all - we watch tv through a FreeView box attached to a Sky dish on the roof.
I rang and asked for Prime to install a UHF aerial so we can watch Prime TV (and other non-Freeview channels available on UHF in Nelson). I also want to pre-emt any Freeview-HD coming to the Nelson region by having a UHF aerial ready (although that might never happen). Having a Freeview digibox already I didn't want another one just for one channel taking up a socket and a TV input.

I got a call from Sky tv about my pending install and they say even for me to have Prime through a UHF aerial I will also need a digibox to watch it. Is this true??? I can get a snowy picture using rabbit ears sat on top of the TV and tuned in on the TVs tuner. No matter how many times I explained I can get an almost-decent picture already without a digibox she insisted I would definitely need another digibox if they installed a UHF aerial.

If Prime/Sky install a UHF aerial do they add something to the set up to prevent any other channels being viewed and forcing you to use a digibox even on UHF?

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#204206 30-Mar-2009 15:13

I'm assuming you are not paying for a Sky Subscription, as you would then get Prime off the Sky satellite feed,

IF you are asking Prime/Sky to install things they tend to bill you for the privilege,

I suspect that you may have inadvertently signed up for Sky's UHF 3 channel service + Prime,
(which would mean you would get a new digibox to decode the sky channels)

neilinnz

165 posts

Master Geek

#204207 30-Mar-2009 15:15

I haven't signed up for anything, I cancelled the installation.
I guess I won't be watching Prime TV!

Spyware

3761 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#204209 30-Mar-2009 15:20

Simply let them install an obsolete analog UHF box and then toss the box after the installer has left. As you thought, Prime does not require a decoder of any sort.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

tkr001

416 posts

Ultimate Geek

#204573 31-Mar-2009 23:17

neilinnz: We live in an area where Prime TV is available over UHF but we have no aerial on the house at all - we watch tv through a FreeView box attached to a Sky dish on the roof.

I rang and asked for Prime to install a UHF aerial so we can watch Prime TV (and other non-Freeview channels available on UHF in Nelson). I also want to pre-emt any Freeview-HD coming to the Nelson region by having a UHF aerial ready (although that might never happen). Having a Freeview digibox already I didn't want another one just for one channel taking up a socket and a TV input.

I got a call from Sky tv about my pending install and they say even for me to have Prime through a UHF aerial I will also need a digibox to watch it. Is this true??? I can get a snowy picture using rabbit ears sat on top of the TV and tuned in on the TVs tuner. No matter how many times I explained I can get an almost-decent picture already without a digibox she insisted I would definitely need another digibox if they installed a UHF aerial.

If Prime/Sky install a UHF aerial do they add something to the set up to prevent any other channels being viewed and forcing you to use a digibox even on UHF?

No you don't need a digibox, its a free to air analogue unencrypted channel on UHF. Read this page, especially point 9

http://skytv.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/skytv.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=213

Lurch

1061 posts

Uber Geek

#204679 1-Apr-2009 14:02

Install your own UHF aerial or just get someone out of the yellow pages to install one. I wouldnt bother ringing sky/prime they'll just want to charge you the earth.

neilinnz

165 posts

Master Geek

#205598 6-Apr-2009 17:44

We got a guy at Nelson TV & Video services to install a UHF aerial and all is well now (cost less than Prime/Sky too)
We get all the channels including one, two, three, Prime, Maori etc. with just the UHF.
All ready too for when Nelson gets FreeviewHD over UHF, bit early I know, probably won't happen till 2020.