MySky HD set-top box

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SteveFari

108 posts

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#23319 25-Jun-2008 14:32

Hi all,

I have been trying to find a solution to the question, is it possible to use an HDTV set-top box supplied from another country for use with SkyTv in New Zealand?

I am a current subscriber to sky digital and will more than likely sign up to the new HD service and just thought about what if you bought another model from the US or somewhere, would it accept your sky card ?

A Sky CSR said that she has heard of decoders being used that sky hasn't supplied but Sky cannot support them if anything goes wrong or if they don't work....which makes sense.

Thank you,
SteveFari.

cyril7

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#140472 25-Jun-2008 15:24

Hi Steve, I would be very surprised, with the latter issues of NDS VideoGuard the card and box are married in a DB on the Sky network, so it is very unlikely that you could get Sky to marry the two. Beyond that there are issues of what firmware the box has, if you get a box from say Dish or DirectTV or Foxtel that uses VideoGuard, it will have firmware onboard that is specific to the bouqet setup for that network, when it boots it will be looking for a particular home transponder that will have an hypactive stream on NIT/PAT and other table that tell the box how to boot. There is a 100% chance its different to Sky NZs system. If its a FTA box then to get a NDS/videoguard CAM to go withit is not possible as they are simply not made as VideoGuard will only work with specifically enabled boxs, its a tight setup to prevent exactly what you want to do.

The only box I know that can be used on the SkyNZ network orther than theres is the various DreamBoxs which use a softcam that supports NDS/VideoGuard, however you still need a valid subscription card, and you still need to get around the box marrige that latter versions of the cards require.

Further to this I should make you aware that GZ quite rightly does not in anyway support or condone any form of activites that are clearly in contradiction to SkyNZ's T&C's

Cheers
Cyril

PS. DishTV does not use VideoGuard, so would not contain or have enabled the required builtin hardware to complete the CAM, DirecTV does use VideoGuard, but is not DVB but DSS, similar but differnt enough for it to be too hard to convert.

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#140498 25-Jun-2008 16:51

Hi Cyril,

Thanks for the indepth reply. I did think, after what I've read, that the software would not talk and to be honest I'm not fussed about having to use a Sky box, it was more a passing thought than anything.
I was merely thinking if it was possible, therefore might be able to pick one up cheaper than the $599 that Sky "sell" them for and just pay the HD subscription cost per month...on top of the normal subscription.

You've basically answered the question enough for me to think that even if it is possible it's not worth the effort involved to find the combination that works.

Thanks!
Steve.

cyril7

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#140503 25-Jun-2008 16:57

Hi, there has always been a lot of discussion regarding the oneoff fee model that sky have applied to the MySky, both the current verion and the soon to be released HDi. However dont forget you never own the box, it still remains Skys property, however for your $599 you get use of the box forever or until you decide to stop paying the monthly subscription. If it breaks they replace it, once its passed its use by date (comes up quite fast with PVRs that contain spinning harddiscs) they replace it with a new one. Which when viewed from that perspective is not such a bad deal, some I know disagree.

Cyril