Sky Broadband Connect - any comments?

[Captain Gadget]

Good morning all

I am considering switching my ISP to Sky Broadband Connect. This is not due to any dissatisfaction with the service from my current provider (fast.co.uk) - far from it, in fact - but rather due to the fact that we have just replaced our 20-year-old telly with a new flat-screen LCD digital job but have found that in our neck of the woods many of the Freeview digital channels (including most of the 'mainstream' ones) will not be available until switchover in 2011: we are therefore looking at the possiblility of a Sky combined TV/phone/broadband package as a solution. It would have to be Connect since this is the only service available in our area.

The cost of the package (£26 per month) would be not much more than we are currently paying for 8MB broadband alone (4-5MB in reality at our distance from the exchange), so from that point of view it looks reasonable.

Any PPRuNers out there care to comment on the Sky Connect service? Oh yes, and I currently use a third party email domain - does Sky support that?

Gadget :ok:

Apologies if this has been covered before (and I'm sure it has) but the PPRuNe search facility will not recognise the word 'Sky' as a search term (less than 4 letters) and 'BSkyB' returns gobbleaduke...

[west lakes]

Just gone live on the Sky 8MB package last night, so far seems Ok apart from couldn't set email up as their web site was down.

Just keep track of time, got the router etc but no letter to give a go live date, rang last night to be told it had been available from 7th Dec.

[airborne_artist]

Doesn't answer your Q, but most of Freeview is rubbish. We watch News 24 a bit, and very little else. One channel seems to broadcast Friends 24/7.

[west lakes]

Keeping to the slight drift local area is the first to go fully digital, missing 15 of the feeeview channels! Broadcasters don't want to pay to broadcast them to a "limited" population.
So even when the country does go to digital don't bet on having all the available channels.

[Captain Gadget]

AA

Doesn't answer your Q, but most of Freeview is rubbish.

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately we seem to be able to get most of the rubbish channels - but I was hoping that (in order to avoid what might turn out to be a costly aerial upgrade (because it is mounted in the loft rather than - as recommended - on the rooftop), we might get the 'mainstream' ones plus a couple of extras like UKTV History and CBBC Channel (for Gadget junior) fairly cheaply via satellite sooner than the local digital switchover in 2011 - apart from BBC Four we can't currently get any of those, not even ITV 1/2/3/4 - which the Freeview website says that we should definitely receive.

However, I've just had a reply to my query from Sky which says that they do indeed employ port blocking on port 25 (among others) and so the service is incompatible with my domain server. As far as I am concerned this knocks the TV/Phone/ISP package idea firmly on the head, although I might still consider a TV package at some point.

Thanks for your replies though...

Gadget :ugh:

[frostbite]

In my experience Freeview is certainly not worth chasing with large cash investments. Lost Film4 some time ago (not that brilliant anyway), never seen BBC4.

Best thing from my pov is Four+1 which gives the opportunity to sometimes avoid clashes.

If you want to see what you're 'missing', download the excellent Digiguide program which gives you a month's free trial (worth a subscription IMO) and will list as many channels as you wish.

[spannersatcx]

pop to your local Currys and you can get Sky+ for £29 + £30 installation. And if they say you need to buy a TV they are lying.

This is from a Currys employee on another forum.
1. The offer of Sky+ for £29 + £30 installation is for ALL customers, and there is no need to buy anything from store, including a TV.

2. The boxes are NOT refurbs. If you receive a refurb, this is something to take up with Sky as they are using old boxes to do installations with. The box you receive should be brand new.

3. The offer is for NEW and EXISTING customers.

4. Existing customers do not need to change their current package at all and have no obligation to take Sky Talk or Sky Broadband.

5. The offer ends on 24/12/07.

6. A failed installation due to it being down as a relocation at Sky's end is a problem with Sky's booking service. There is only one way this offer can be booked in in-store and it should go through as an upgrade for new customers or a new install for new customers.

7. The Sky+ box on www.currys.co.uk has nothing to do with this offer and is not the box you will receive.

8. You can not walk into Currys, sign up for the offer and walk away with a box to install yourself. Sky send an installer.

9. If you have paperwork telling you that you have to pay £10 per month for the Sky+ subscription, this is because the silly store rep has not chosen the 'replace current box' (only applies to EXISTING customers) option on the system. Choosing this option during the order removes the £10 charge and is a bug in the order process. You can either go back to Currys and tell them what I have said, or call Sky and the £10 monthly payment will be sorted out.

10. Installation dates are typically available from 3 business days after you sign up. You give your preferred date and Sky will contact you if they can't make it then. If Sky are able to meet your date, they will contact you by post a few days before your install with information.

[Captain Gadget]

Spanners

Does that offer apply only at the large, 'mainstream' Currys stores, or also at Currys.digital (wot used to be Dixons)? We have both near where we live, but Currys.digital is much nearer.

Also, what is the minimum contract term and monthly subscription for this offer? Actually sounds not too bad on the face of it, but we would have to move fast...

On another tack, is it possible to network a Sky+ box (preferably via wireless) to a DVD burner-equipped PC to burn those 'must keep' recordings to DVD, or is a DVD recorder required as well?

Cheers

Gadget :ok:

[Whirlygig]

Freesat doesn't have as many channels as Freeview, for example, Freesat doesn't have UKTV History (much to my annoyance) so it's best to check which channels are available on which package.

Cheers

Whirls

[west lakes]

Going back to sky broadband, after 2 nights playing it's finally about sorted.
Email was a nightmare as their website is u/s so took 2 attempts last night to sort it, the tech help was poor on the first attempt (suspect the agent didn't know what he was doing) the second attempt sorted it:ok:

Then had problems downloading Adobe Flash 9 - kept getting Network errors. Finally used my old dial up - which is still active & got it that way

[spannersatcx]

Gadget, sorry don't know, I saw it in a large Currys store, normally for new customers it is a 12 month contract like most things these days, monthly would be anything in the Sky mix thing, from around £16/month I believe. But as said earlier I think you can get the lot for £26/month. Probably best talking to them. Sky+ really is a good thing if you/family like tv.

[green granite]

Why do you want all these channels ? you can only watch one at a time. :E

[west lakes]

Chuffed I am even got the wireless working to YWL's laptop:ok: