Sky Digital FAQ - updated 6/11/2005

Sky Digital FAQ

Summary: This article answers questions about the UK digital
television satellite system "Sky Digital": the equipment needed for
reception, and channels and services carried. This FAQ primarily
describes the Sky Digital package as provided to UK residents.
Residents of the ROI may not have full access to all the features or
channels, nor may the purchase subsidy or its UK requirements
necessarily be applicable to them. Residents of other countries should
be aware that much of the Sky Digital service is supposedly restricted
to people with the use of a UK or ROI address.

These are the questions that are answered he

1 This problem just started with my digibox ......
2 How do I find a list of extra frequencies and channels?
3 Where are the foreign channels?
4 Can I get BBC 1's Scottish/Welsh/N Ireland version, instead of the
English version, or vice-versa?
5 Is it true you can't record Box Office movies?
6 What's all this Freeview/Freesat business?
7 I don't want to subscribe, I don't have a card or my card is old -
what about me?
8 What channels can I get?
9 Why doesn't Skyview, the subscriber magazine, list all the
programmes available?
10 Which is the best box?
11 What connections are there on the back?
12 How much do they cost?
13 What are those letter codes in the programme information banner?
14 Do I get a choice of box?
15 How do I get an extra remote control?
16 My remote control doesn't do all of my television features.
17 I have a One-4-All replacement remote. How do I programme it?
18 How can I watch Sky throughout the house?
19 How can I watch two different channels in two rooms?
20 I've installed my TV Link but it doesn't work.
21 Can I use my card in another box?
22 What's with this phone connection?
23 Do Sky telephone the box?
24 Will the telephone connection mess up my internet?
25 Where is the timer and programme planner?
26 My signal strength seems a bit low - is this a problem?
27 Is the picture affected by weather?
28 But my picture freezes even when it's not raining
29 My box is dead/not responding/freezing etc. What can I do?
30 My box works but I can't get ITV/BBC
31 How do I force a software download?
32 Can I change the output channel that my digibox broadcasts on?
33 I can't get rid of reminders or favourites in the EPG.
34 How do I access the installer menu?
35 Can I change the preset channel numbers?
36 How does it all connect up?
37 PAL or RGB?
38 When I go into RGB mode, the picture jumps to the left. How can I
stop this?
39 What's in widescreen?
40 Why do I have vertical black bars on my widescreen television?
41 Why do I have bars at the top and bottom on my widescreen
television?
42 Is standard teletext still available?
43 But I can't get analogue teletext on any channel...
44 What about Sky+ and HD?
45 What is interactive? What's "Sky Active"? What's "PlayJam"?
46 That interactive red button drives me mad. What can I do?
47 Can I surf the internet? E-mail?
48 When do I get my interactive card?
49 I'm moving. What about my dish?
50 How can I get Sky outside the UK?
51 Where can I discuss SkyDigital further?
52 Where can I learn more about satellite and Sky Digital?
53 This FAQ is rubbish. What can I do?

And here is where the answers start:

1
This problem just started with my digibox .......
The very first thing to try if your box is doing strange things is to
reset it.
Remove your card. Put the digibox in standby. Switch the box off at
the mains for at least 30 seconds. While unplugged, remove the card
and clean it gently with a tissue.
Switch the mains back on. Allow the box to restart which takes about
30 seconds. Insert viewing card when prompted. This cures most common
problems. If it doesn't work then you can look a bit further for the
solution to yours.

2
How do I find a list of extra frequencies and channels?
The "add channels" function is there so that if a satellite channel
wishes to start up but not pay for inclusion in the electronic
programme guide, they can still be accessed by viewers, using the
"Services" menu. You can use this feature to access all the ITV
regional channels and quite a few extra radio channels. Many channels
also have test transmissions prior to launch and these can also be
accessed in the same way.
See www.lyngsat.com for full lists of all channels.
You can now find all the main BBC channels listed in the EPG from
around channel 940.

3
Where are the foreign channels?
Sky Digital comes from a different satellite, in a different position,
than analogue Sky - so you won't get any of the old German channels
that you used to get from analogue Sky. The digibox is not a
fully-featured digital receiver, can only pick up certain digital
channels, and has no facility for adding other decoding modules for
other satellite operators. Despite that, there are some channels that
are available to you if you have a motorized dish - again, the Lyngsat
site carries full details. However, be aware that by moving your dish
away from the SkyDigital satellite you may be operating the equipment
outside the terms of your contract.
If you use your digibox to view channels from another satellite you
may find that it needs rebooting when switching back to Astra2. Try
this workaround: After moving back to Sky at 28E, select ITN News (on
EPG 525). Wait a few seconds and this channel should be received OK
and then all the others should start working again too.

4
Can I get BBC 1's Scottish/Welsh/N Ireland version, instead of the English version, or vice-versa?
All the BBC channels are now available from the EPG. See the frequency
lists above.

5
Is it true you can't record Box Office movies?
Yes, that's mainly true - they use Macrovision (which, incidentally,
VCR tapes and DVDs also use). Sky say that most movie- makers insist
on copy protection for pay-per-view channels. Not all Box Office
movies (though the vast majority) are copy protected - any
copy-protected programme is marked "C" in the information section of
the EPG. Macrovision works by adding extra brightness pulses into the
part of the signal that the TV doesn't normally display because of
overscanning. The brightness pulses upset the automatic level control
of the video which ends up overdimming the picture. Macrovision
blockers are available, but to use them to breach copyright is
illegal. Very, very old videos will record a Macrovision signal.

6
What's all this Freeview/Freesat business?
Freeview is the digital system for terrestrial TV reception. It
arrives via your regular TV antenna, cannot be received with a
satellite dish and has nothing to do with Sky (though Sky do transmit
a couple of channels on that platform). For Freesat (the satellite
equivalent of Freeview) see the next answer.

7
I don't want to subscribe, I don't have a card or my card is old - what about me?
You can use your box without a card to view the BBC and ITV channels
that you are used to. You also get quite a few extra channels free
(like BBC Three, BBC Four, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CNN, Sky News, Travel and
many shopping and Asian channels). There are also many radio channels,
some of them exclusively digital. Much of the output of the main
broadcasters is in widescreen and all these are good reasons for
getting a digibox even if you don't want to subscribe.
All the above are FTA channels (Free To Air), meaning that you can
watch them without a card and without payment (except for the
equipment of course). The BBC and ITV call this Freesat. Now that the
two main UK TV providers have joined forces in this it is likely that
many more channels will join up and use the same term to describe the
service.
C4, C5 and Sky3 are currently FTV or Free To View, meaning that you
can watch these channels without subscription but you will still need
a card for copyright reasons. Sky call this FreesatFromSky. Confusing,
isn't it?
Any subscription card will give you these FTV channels but if you want
to receive them without subscribing to Sky then you can ring 0870 606
1111 and ask for a card, or visit http://www.freesatfromsky.com/ where
in the future you may be able to apply for a card also. The card costs
£20.00 and will last for at least 3 years or more. These and all Sky
cards can only be used officially in Sky digiboxes.
You will need to provide a UK address with postcode and your credit
card details to get this card. Caller ID is sometimes checked and
overseas callers may be refused a card. For information about the
situation in the ROI go to
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forum...?s=&forumid=55 for an
Irish-based forum with answers to most of your questions in the Sticky
FAQ

The card will be dispatched promptly by post to the given address. On
arrival you should follow the instructions and insert it into the
viewing card slot on the digibox. The card may activate on its own
within a few hours or you may need to ring Sky to get them to activate
it. If you do this you will need to give your digibox's serial number.
You can also use the digibox's internal modem to activate the card.
The digibox phone connection is NOT obligatory for FTV card use or
activation. Once active, the card will decode the three FTV channels
(C4, C5, Sky3) in any digibox.
Older type viewing cards with a blue sky/clouds picture and the words
"Sky Digital" on the front are no longer working.

If you don't have a digibox or dish and don't want to subscribe to Sky
then you can get a digibox and dish installed by them for £150 which
includes the cost of an FTV card. This is good value though you may be
tempted to take the minimum subscription package instead as this costs
very little more over the first year.

If you are currently a Sky subscriber then you do not need an FTV
card. If ever you cancel then your existing card will continue to
decode the three FTV channels until the next card change. You will NOT
need to buy an FTV card.

8
What channels can I get with or without a subscription?
You will find full lists of the available channels on
http://www.digitalsat.co.uk/skyepgtv.html and other such pages.

9
Why doesn't Skyview, the subscriber magazine, list all the programmes available?
Sky decided that the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) was enough for
most people, so removed the limited programme listings in the
magazine.

10
Which is the best box?
At the moment, boxes run almost identical software and hardware, and
all boxes offer virtually the same features - although independent
testing by the satellite press does reveal differences in picture and
sound quality. All remote controls are the same. Some brands have
extra connectors on the rear. See below.

11
What connections are there on the back?
All boxes have mains input, dish input (F-type), TV SCART (composite
video out, RGB out), VCR SCART (composite video in/out, RGB
loop-through in), Telephone line (RJ11), Aerial in, RF out 1, RF out
2, Audio out (2 phonos), RS-232 (apparently disabled), Digital
interface (for which nothing exists yet). Sony digiboxes and the Sky+
also have a digital output, which carries sound data only. This is
fully functional, despite anything you may have seen from Sky, Sony or
on the newsgroups though only the Sky+ model supports DD 5.1
Grundig model /2 and 3000 series boxes have an S-Video mini-DIN output
plug, as does the Sky+

12
How much do they cost?
If you will agree to having your phone connected to the digibox then
Sky give you one box for free.. The price of installation, which is
obligatory, varies from £0 to £100 depending on who you get to do it,
whether you subscribe and which package you take. Only one "free" box
per customer. If you don't want (or can't have) the phone connection
then boxes cost around £100 - £200 from dealers. There are sometimes
special offers to be had on Sky's website and the usual one involves
taking the full package initially though you can downgrade to a
cheaper option after the first month.
Sky will also fit a complete new system with FTV viewing card for £150
and this requires no phone connection or monthly payment. See section
6 above.

13
What are those letter codes in the programme information banner?
C is copy protected
DS surround sound
DD Dolby Digital (only available with a Sky+)
L letterbox format
N narrative
T subtitles
W widescreen
The rating codes are
U
PG
12
15
18
The content codes are
s = sex or nudity
l = strong language
v = violent scenes
m = material for mature audience

14
Do I get a choice of box?
Ask nicely, and you may get a choice of box but you probably won't. If
you go to an independent dealer, rather than one of the chains, you
stand a much better chance of getting the box you want (and an earlier
installation, too). You may pay extra for this.

15
How do I get an extra remote control?
You can get them from most satellite shops and most of the usual high
street electrical stores. Prices vary from £10 to £15.
All regular Sky remotes are the same so you needn't worry about the
brand of your digibox. Only the Sky+ uses a different remote and these
are available direct from Sky and also from the usual shops.

16
My remote control doesn't do all of my television features.
You can reprogram it. See http://www.burgins.com/skydigital.html .
You will also find full instructions on how to programme your remote
if you push the "interactive" button and follow the prompts through
from the "Sky Questions" option.

17
I have a One-4-All replacement remote. How do I programme it?
The One-For-All device code for all Sky Digiboxes is "0847".
To programme your One-For-All remote to work with your Digibox, follow
these steps.
1. Press the SAT device key.
2. Press and _hold_ MAGIC until it red light blinks twice.
3. Type 0847 on the keypad.
4. The red light will blink twice to confirm that the SAT button will
now make your remote control the Digibox.
By default, not all of the functions on the original Sky remote
control are available on your One-For-All remote. However, you can
program any of these functions onto almost any of the keys by the
following procedu
1. Press the SAT device key.
2. Press and _hold_ MAGIC until it red light blinks twice.
3. Type 994 on the keypad. The red light will blink twice again.
4. Press & release MAGIC once.
5. Enter the relevant three-digit function code from the list below.
6. Press the key you wish to assign the function to.
FUNCTION DEFAULT BUTTON FUNCTION CODE
TV A/V (when in menu) 238
Sky (none) 526
Power Power (unknown)
TV Guide Menu 300
Box Office (none) 425
Services Play 449
Interactive Fast Forward 357
Mute Mute (when not in menu) ???
"i" Pause 596
Volume + Volume + (unknown)
Volume - Volume - (unknown)
Program + Program + (unknown)
Program - Program - (unknown)
Select Mute (when in menu) 432
Cursor up Cursor up 720
Cursor down Cursor down 456
Cursor left Cursor left (unknown)
Cursor right Cursor right (unknown)
Text Text/Rewind 435
Backup 10 534
Help (none) 262
Red Red/SP+LP 553
Green Green/Stop 577
Yellow Yellow/Record 313
Blue Blue/Auto 657
You may encounter problems with the Select, TV & Backup keys. This is
because they "double up" on their function, and the remote & TV can
get out of sync with each-other (the remote thinking the TV is in menu
mode when it isn't, and so on.)
As such, you may want to directly program the "Mute" key with the
"Select" function, using the instructions for programming keys as
given above, so that the Mute/Select key _always_ acts as Select.
The One-4-All code for Sky+ boxes is 1175, and will probably need to
be downloaded from OFA. There is a list of Sky+ key magic codes posted
on www.tarsins.co.uk/skyplus

18
How can I watch (and control) Sky throughout the house?
You can buy different versions of the TVLink and similar devices from
high street electrical stores and satellite dealers from between £10
and £20. They allow you to watch the same Sky channel on a second TV,
lets you control the digibox from there too, and also acts as a
distribution for your normal terrestrial TV channels. It uses coaxial
cable, which you need to buy and fit yourself. It works fine, although
other equipment (remote control extenders from Rabbit, Powermid and
One 4 All are also available) would allow you to control your video,
DVD etc too. Note that the TVLink available from Sky when you order
the box also includes installation and a second remote for an all-in
price. If you have any amplifiers or other loft splitters etc.
between the Digibox and the remote TV then you will need some special
equipment to "loop" the remote signal around the device. This
equipment is made by the same people who make the Sky remote
extenders. There are now several of these.
If you don't fancy having cable running over your house then you can
buy a video extender for about £50 and up. These use microwaves to
send the picture and sound to your second TV. They also normally have
a return path for the remote control signals thus allowing you to
change channels or operate your VCR etc. remotely.

19
How can I watch two different channels in two rooms?
You can get a second cheaper subscription from Sky. The monthly
subscription is £10 for a card that will "mirror" your existing
subscription. Sky will also sell you another box or you can get one
elsewhere. You will need to keep BOTH boxes permanently connected to
the same UK phone line in order to have this cheaper second
subscription. This is obligatory and is checked regularly.

20
I've installed my TV Link but it doesn't work.
Go into the hidden installer's menu and activate the RF2 power output:
Services 4 - 0 - 1 -select
You must connect the TV Link to the RF2 socket. Never be tempted to
activate the RF2 power output if you are not using a TV Link. If you
have any splitters, distributors or amplifiers in the circuit that
aren't directly compatible with the TVLink then you may need to fit a
special "looper" device around them.

21
Can I use my card in another box?
All cards will work in any box for all channels except the "premium"
sport and film channels. For multiroom cards this restriction is
extended to all pay channels.

22
What's with this phone connection?
The phone connection is primarily for Sky Active, the interactive
television service, for e-mail and purchasing goods. It is also used
by Sky to communicate which pay-per-view events you've bought, which
software version your box is running and possibly your use of
interactive advertising . It is unclear what other information is
transmitted to Sky through the digibox phone link; Sky claim that they
do not send any programme viewing information from ordinary
subscribers. If you're a Sky+ user, your additional Sky+ contract
gives Sky the right to take your viewing information: both live and
recorded. They also have the right to know when you fast-forward
through segments of programming. Your contract lets Sky, and programme
providers, get this data, minus any personal identification: so next
time you forward through the ads during Emmerdale, it's possible that
YTV know that at least someone hasn't seen the ad break.
Sky BoxOffice events are still bookable if you unplug the box but
you'll need to ring customer services yourself and you won't be able
to order things from Sky Active.
All boxes will receive software upgrades in the normal way regardless
of whether they are connected to the phone or not.
The phone connection is not obligatory, although most people agree to
it because it gives you money off your first digibox. In any event,
you do not need a phone connected to your standard box after the first
year's contract, though you may wish to keep the box connected. If you
have paid full price for your box or if you have bought one
second-hand then it will never need to be connected to the phone,
unless you have the multiroom "mirror" subscription mentioned above.
If you have a Sky+ installed by Sky then the phone connection is also
obligatory for the first year. It is unclear whether this applies to
Sky+ boxes not fitted by Sky.
Sky appear to use caller ID for verifying whether or not the mirror
sub boxes are on the same phone line but they do not seem to use
caller ID verification for regular digiboxes or for the
Sky+. In fact they don't actually seem to check the existence of the
phone connection at all, except for the mirror sub.

23
Do Sky telephone the box?
No, the satellite tells the box to phone home, which it does (through
an 0800 freephone number). It will check whether you are using the
line first.

24
Will the telephone connection mess up my internet?
It's a nicely behaved box, and it checks whether you're on the phone
before using it. So, no. Some people report it slows their connection
down. That might be true; modems are very fickle.
However, the problem is more likely to be in the extension you've had
fitted, rather than the digibox. If it bothers you then just unplug
the phone connection whilst surfing.
If you have broadband then remember to fit a filter to the phone
socket the digibox is connected to, if it is.

25
Where is the timer and programme planner?
Push the "TV Guide" button on the remote to bring up the 7-day TV
guide. If you highlight a future programme and push "select" you will
bring up another screen (which can also be accessed as option 0 from
the main TV Guide menu). This screen lists programmes that have been
added to the timer. Push the red button to make the programme
"autoview" which should mean that the box will change to that channel
automatically as the programme starts. A few programmes also have the
"series" option available when they are added to the personal planner.
When set this should make the box switch to every showing of this
series of programmes. Many DVDRs and some VCRs will automatically go
to record when the personal planner switches on an autoview programme
so check the manual to see if yours has this useful feature.
You can modify all your personal planner settings from the PP menu in
the main TV Guide menu.

26
My signal strength seems a bit low - is this a problem?
Only a problem if your picture freezes. The signal strength reading is
pretty meaningless. The signal quality is the important one. Some
digiboxes seem to report this info in a very different way to others,
and upgrades of software seem to change the signal strength and
quality meter software. Don't worry too much what this says - worry if
your picture freezes at the first hint of rain, because that's not
normal. Any signal quality reading of over 40% should be OK. Check
your signal by selecting : services 4 - 6.

27
Is the picture affected by weather?
Not normally. In a very heavy thunderstorm, either where you are, or
where the uplink to the satellite is, then sometimes you may get
slight problems. If it happens more often than this then your dish was
probably not set up correctly, and that'll teach you not to have gone
to an independent installer. When snow is blown onto your dish and
settles you may not be able to get anything at all - this is both
normal and also very rare. To protect your box always unplug it from
the mains and the telephone during thunderstorms.

28
But my picture freezes even when it's not raining...
Check what's near your box. Mobile phones, cordless phones, PCs and
other things broadcast radio signals. Your Digibox, just like other
electrical appliances, picks up radio signals. Add interference from
these things and it can completely confuse the box, causing picture
freezes. See what happens if you move things away from the digibox, or
switch things off.

29
My box is dead/not responding/freezing etc. What can I do?
First try a reset (see above). This cures most problems. Some people
have reported that performing a 'new installation' via the installers
menu (services 4-0-1-select) can bring the box back to life. Failing
that reloading the software can solve quite a few problems. And if all
that doesn't work then Sky will currently come out and either fix or
replace your box for about £65.

30
My box works but I can't get ITV/BBC
You may have a 22khz switching problem.
The 22khz problem prevents the LNB from switching between the upper
and lower bands when the receiver sends a 22khz signal to the cable.
It can be caused by the following:
1) A faulty LNB that just doesn't switch - there is a known problem
with one old batch of Grundig LNBs.
2) Duff cable or some in-line gadgetry that doesn't allow the signal
to pass.
3) A faulty digibox that doesn't output the signal.
4) A known incompatibility between some models of Panasonic digibox
and some Cambridge LNBs.
Testing your box on a friend's dish and vice-versa will normally
isolate the problem.
You can also test the problem by doing this:
Try switching to ITV, unplug the LNB and plug it straight back in. If
the picture appears but doesn't return when you switch away and back
again then you have the problem.

31
How do I force a software download?
You don't normally need to do this and it shouldn't be done without a
good reason.
First, simply unplug your box from the mains and then plug it back in
again. This triggers any new software that your box may have
downloaded. If that fails: Remove your card. Switch the box off at the
mains. Press and hold the backup button down on the front of the box
(not the remote), then switch the mains back on without releasing the
backup button. Wait for about 20 seconds, until you see a message
appear on your television (which only appears on a SCART lead) and all
the lights come on the front of the digibox. Then release the button.
Follow the instructions ie don't do anything for the next ten minutes
after which time the box will restart. Forcing a software upgrade is
not normally required since Sky upgrade all box software
automatically. Furthermore both new and old software may be
transmitted simultaneously so, if your box hasn't been told to
upgrade, you may still receive the old software. Experience shows that
some boxes download upgraded software but do not activate it until you
switch the box off and on at the mains. When Sky wish to upgrade your
box they simply send it a signal to restart.

32
Can I change the output RF channel that my digibox broadcasts on?
Go into the installer setup menu (see below). But before you do, why
aren't you connected by the SCART lead? You get a better picture,
access to widescreen functions, and stereo sound.

33
I can't get rid of personal planner reminders or favourites in the EPG.
Remove the viewing card and reinsert it upside down or back to front.
Disconnect the box from the mains.
Wait 20 seconds or so.
Plug the box back in and allow to reboot for 60 seconds.
Press the sky button. The box will switch on to channel 998 with an
error message about your card.
Remove the card and reinsert it the correct way around. Your problem
should be fixed.

34
How do I access the installer menu?
Services - 4 - 0 - 1 - select. Be careful what you change. Be sure you
know what you're doing. You can ruin your box. Take care. etc.

35
Can I change the preset channel numbers?
You can't. This is primarily for marketing purposes, so that (for
example) Sky News is always on channel 501.

36
How does it all connect up?
As a general rule you should make your connections as described here.
If you have very specialised equipment then these suggestions won't be
suitable.
For the aerial lead:
Aerial=RF lead=VCR=RF lead=TV
In other words you don't need to have an RF (aerial) connection to or
from the digibox unless you don't have any scart connections. The same
applies to any other such device (DVD) that you may have.
If you have another TV on which you want to view Sky in use in another
room you should do this:
Aerial=RF lead=VCR=RF lead=Digibox (RF in)
Then from the digibox you should run RF outlet 1 to your main TV and
RF outlet 2 to your remote TV.
If you get interference you may need to adjust the RF output frequency
of the digibox (see above).
If you have a DVD (or similar) then connect its RF input to the RF
output 2 of the digibox and run the RF lead to your other TV from the
DVD RF output.
For the scart connections:
You should always use scart connections if your TV and VCR support
them (almost all do).
VCR=scart=Digibox=scart=TV
Set your digibox to RGB output and be sure to use the RGB scart input
on your TV. There is no need to connect the VCR directly to the TV
unless you have an S-VHS VCR with S-Video output in which case you
should connect the VCR to the your TV's S-Video input using the
correct cable.
If you have a DVD etc. then try connecting them up like this:
VCR=scart=Digibox=scart=DVD=TV (if your DVD has two scarts that
support RGB loopthrough) or just connect the DVD directly into another
scart socket on your TV.
If your TV has only one RGB scart and the DVD doesn't have two scart
sockets with RGB loopthrough then you may need to buy a proper
automatic scart switcher with full pass-through. Don't be tempted to
buy cheap scart "splitters": they don't work properly.
If you don't want this extra expense then you could try using your
DVD's S-Video output directly connected to the S-Video input of your
TV, if it has one.

37
PAL? or RGB?
PAL essentially encodes the SkyDigital picture then sends it to your
TV, which decodes it again. It results, on most sets, in an
artificially sharp picture and colour crawl; it also makes the EPG
flicker like mad. RGB only works via a fully-wired SCART lead, but
takes this decoding/encoding loop away, which makes the picture look
clearer. For optimum results, re-adjust the brightness/colour/contrast
once in RGB mode, if your set allows this.
RGB mode is highly recommended for most televisions; some users may
find that their television is not able to change colour and/or
brightness, leaving them with a dull picture, however.
Set your digibox to output RGB from the services: system setup:
picture menu.

38
When I go into RGB mode, the picture jumps to the left. How can I stop this?
The reason why involves a timing issue for PAL encoding, and most TV
sets are set up at the factory for PAL, not RGB.
Your television set may have a PAL/NTSC358 setting, in which case use
"NTSC358". Otherwise, you may be able to find an engineering test menu
for your television set to shift it permanently to the right to
compensate. The author used Altavista and searched for his TV model
name.

39
What's in widescreen?
Lots!
BBC1, 2, 3, 4, BBC News24, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, Channel 4 and
Channel 5 are all in widescreen.. All the Sky film channels and Sky
News and Sky1/2/3are now widescreen. For sport, Sky's premiership
football, cricket and superleague coverage is in widescreen. It is
expected that other channels will progressively go widescreen. The
sound, incidentally, is Dolby Pro-Logic (although many programmes are
just in stereo). Dolby Digital isn't available on SkyDigital except
when using a Sky+ box.
Set your digibox to widescreen from the services: system setup:
picture menu.

40
Why do I have vertical black bars on my widescreen television?
When a widescreen channel shows a 4:3 programme this can lead to bands
being displayed at the sides of the picture. It is supposed to happen.

41
Why do I have bars at the top and bottom on my widescreen television?
For a "normal" TV, the ratio is 4:3 (i.e. it's "four" wide, and
"three" high). For widescreen, it's 16:9. But for some widescreen
films, the ratio of width/height is 2.35:1 - which is even wider than
TV widescreen. The bars at the top and bottom of the screen are
therefore still there. All commercials are supplied in widescreen
format, but many channels do not broadcast them in widescreen,
shrinking them to 14:9. This again adds black bars at the top and
bottom of the picture.

42
Is standard teletext still available?
Analogue teletext is still available, but not on all channels. Most
channels now transmit digital text with better graphics and clearer
screen type. The 'old' teletext has disappeared, or will disappear,
from channels with an enhanced digital text service. Digital text
looks nice but sadly much of the content of analogue text is missing
from it.

43
But I can't get analogue teletext on any channel...
Sometimes the box forgets about old analogue teletext. To get it back,
try rebooting your box.

44
What about Sky+ and HD?
Sky+ is a new type of digibox that has a built-in hard drive that
enables you to record one channel whilst watching another, or to
record two channels at once. It costs about £199 to buy and your dish
needs to be modified to use it (the new parts are often included in
the box). You may need to take out an extra £10 subscription to get
the full functionality though this fee is waived for those with a
viewing sub of more than £30 per month.
HD (high definition) is the next step forward for TV. Sky have
announced that they will be starting HD transmissions in the middle of
2006 and the BBC and other broadcasters are also looking into it. You
will need a new digibox to take advantage of these services and you
will need a special "HD Ready" TV to display the full increased
resolution. "HD Ready" screens have special sockets on them to receive
the HD signal.

45
What's "interactive"? What's "Sky Active"? What's "PlayJam"?
On many channels you'll find interactive services accessed by pushing
the red button. Sky News has an impressive extra service called Sky
News Active (again, reached using the red button): this contains
updated news and features, as well as four extra screens of video. Sky
Sports does interactive football matches (offering different camera
angles and extra information), as well as a pay-per-play game for
football viewers called SkyPlay. The BBC produce a similar interactive
news product to Sky News Active, which you can access by hitting the
red button during news programmes or from the text button at any time.
They have also pioneered a stunning interactive version of "Walking
with Beasts" that equals anything that you may find on a DVD and they
now regularly produce new interactive features in the same vein.
'Interactive' features are usually announced with an on-screen
graphic, generally marked "Active" or "Press red", though sometimes
only shown as a red button. In many cases you can access them from the
text button also.

Sky Active contains shopping, film reviews, games, and other
information, available by pressing the "Interactive" button on your
SkyDigital remote control.

PlayJam is an interactive games area of SkyDigital; with a large
amount of different games to play. By calling a premium-rate line, you
can register your score and be in with a chance of winning prizes.

46
That interactive red button drives me mad. What can I do?
You can now enter the service menu and alter the timeout setting for
the red dot.

47
Can I surf the internet? E-mail?
Only email, and it is very tedious to use. It also costs quite a bit.
The world-wide-web? "Coming soon". Maybe.

48
When do I get my interactive card?
There isn't one.
All credit cards will soon have a chip built into them and these may
be used in the interactive slot one day. But don't hold your breath.

49
I'm moving. What about my dish?
Your box and dish are yours to take with you. You probably won't care
to dismantle the dish and for about £40 Sky will install a new one for
you at your new house if you are a subscriber.

50
How can I get Sky outside the UK?
In the ROI (Republic of Ireland) Sky offers almost the same as service
as in the UK now: phone connection requirements, mirror subs, Sky
Interactive Pay services, Sky+ etc. There are just some small
variations in prices.
The major differences a
Irish TV channels:
The price and package is decided by Sky and they are only available to
Irish addresses.
Currently Sky is not regulated in Ireland.
Currently Irish TV is only in the Family Pack and higher.
The card is "married" to the box for RTE
Channel numbers:
RTE1 = 101
NET2 = 102
TV3 = 103 (Virtually ITV these days)
TG4 = 104 (Irish and English Language. The best if you already have
BBC & ITV etc).
Irish National Radio is FTA on Sky, apart from Today FM.
A subsidised installation costs 15 Euro with Sky World. You can
downgrade the pack after 1 month.
Unwary folks have been charged over 100 Euro by "cowboys".
The BBC EPG numbers for ALL TV and ALL Radio are missing except BBC1
and BBC2
BBC1 NI = 214
BBC2 NI= 215
(BBC Interactive works completely)
S4C~Digidol though is now on 184 as in UK.
Since all the BBC channels are now FTA, 214 and 215 work on a
cancelled ROI sub card and RTE, TV3 and TG4 don't!

Since all the BBC channels are FTA there are two ways of getting the
BBC on a Sky box using an ROI card:
1) If the sub is cancelled, repower the box at the mains with a blank
card or upside down card. Ignore error messages. This
gives the UK FTA EPG with almost all of 2weeks listings.
2) Add the channels manually (see above). No interactive services, but
no red dots either! Only now/next program listing.
This is more convenient if using ROI Sky card for RTE/NET2/TV3/TG4

You can also get the Sky Digital package in mainland Europe, but not
officially. Read http://europetv.cjb.net - they explain it all much
better than here.

51
Where can I discuss Sky Digital further?
Other discussion areas are available, notably usenet's
uk.media.tv.sky, uk.tech.tv.sky and alt.satellite.tv.europe

52
Where can I learn more about satellite and Sky Digital?
Google is always your friend.

53
This FAQ is rubbish. What can I do?
Write a better one or contribute to the improvement of this one by
posting about it in the group in which you read it.
Credits and copyright Simon Gardner, Graham Sorenson, Nathan Irving,
Simon Walker, Jomtien, Ali, Steve Thomas, Mark Wayt, Dave Aspinall,
Charlie Pearce, Richard Lambley, Ian Boswell, Kev, Mike Henry, Tim
Gray, Spycatcher, Bob Lucas, Peter Pratten, Gareth Kitchener, David
Clark, Ross Lockley, Julie Brandon, Watty, Hoop, Steve T.

This FAQ was originally written and maintained by James Cridland.

Jomtien has now gracelessly, sorry, graciously accepted this thankless
task.

6/11/2005 V1.50

Jomtien wrote on 25/06/2006 :
3
Where are the foreign channels?
SNIP

If you use your digibox to view channels from another satellite you
may find that it needs rebooting when switching back to Astra2. Try
this workaround: After moving back to Sky at 28E, select ITN News (on
EPG 525).

Jono wrote:

3
Where are the foreign channels?
SNIP

If you use your digibox to view channels from another satellite you
may find that it needs rebooting when switching back to Astra2. Try
this workaround: After moving back to Sky at 28E, select ITN News (on
EPG 525).

Yes, I noticed that one the other day. But thanks anyway.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/8vef5
UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
BBC reception questions? ; http://www.astra2d.com/
Fed up with on-screen logos? : http://logofreetv.org/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)