Chris Wilson Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Is it still VITAL to buy a Sky package to get Motors TV (this is *not* Men and Motors, BTW). I was thinking of treating the wife to it for Christmas.... If I do need a Sky package are there any ways to minimise the cost, I don't want any films or other junk, just stuff with motorsports content! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyT Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Motors TV comes with the basic Sky package Chris. Not sure of the minimum deal these days as I have Discovery package to get Animal Planet for the missus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Virgin Media do it now I believe, otherwise it's a basic Sky package or a move to the Isle of Wight to get it on their cable service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyT Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Move to IOW. Move, move....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Sky is now £16 for the variety pack basic...then it's £1 for extra bundles not inc Sports and Movies. There are 6 bundles in total and you can mix and match, I have 4 packages and they cost me £19 a month and I get loads that I do want and pretty much nothing I don't! Sky also has a far higher bitrate (signal quality) than cable or Terrestrial Digital, which I think is a must for anyone watching on a screen that's over 37". http://mysky.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/skyproducts/skytv/channels/mixes It's the news and events bundle that gets you motors....you could have that and that alone I believe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Virgin Media do it now I believe Annoyingly not in our neck of the woods though. It's "Regional" apparently. Quite how that works on a cable network I've no idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Ok, thanks, I am getting a grasp of what to get, now. One more thing. We already inherited an outside dish, and a Sky box, through which we can watch the free to air channels, does this mean we just need a card for the box, which is elderly? Can Sky just provide a card, without "refreshing" the installation? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Is the dish already aimed at Sky's nearest satellite Chris? Youv'e got Bob hope of setting it up yourself if not - and if it's not one of their dishes... Maybe your local sat TV specialist could be persuaded to lend a hand? (Set your tigers or vultures or whatever on them if not ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffleman Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 If you put the dish up yourself Chris, I have a signal meter I'm more than happy to post your way providing you post it back Only a cheapie and doesn't tell you what satellite you are looking at, just gives the level of signal being received so you can move it to the best position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Download 'satscape' (free software) - with that and a signal meter you might get lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Well, it's been picking up free to view channels fine for years, and if I switch o say Sky Movies it tells me to insert the viewing card, so I suppose it's doing all it needs to? I have a 1.8 meter dish in spun alloy if I need a better signal, as an aside does a dish that size have much use, or value these days? It's in storage from removing it from my old house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Yes Chris, phone up Sky and ask them for a card. The previous owners here left behind the dish and cables for Sky+ ... so I bought a SkyHD box off of eBay plugged it in and called Sky, they then sent me a new card and £19 a month is DD'd.... It's fairly painless....Once you recieve the card you'll have to phone them up to get it to start/work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 If it's aimed right, it's aimed right - end of story. Contrary to what a lot of people may think, the bigger the dish (and 1.8m is pretty large for a TV dish, ignoring all the other factors) the harder it is to aim properly. Effectively it listens 'harder' (better gain) to the direction it's aiming, and is more effective at chopping out anything nearby. You should never need to re-aim it (best idea is to leave it well alone) as Sky buy very very expensive satellites with station-keeping so that the consumer doesn't need to aim their cheapo dish, ever. In contrast, most military setups buy cheapo satellites that have bugger all station-keeping and appear to the ground observer to oscillate through quite a large amount every few hours, and instead get their users to re-aim their dishes every 10 minutes I just wanted to check that was the situation, not that you've been handed a dish, some cables and a box. If your dish is aimed right and you can get a signal to teh box, you just need to work out how to get the channel(s) you want (sounds obvious now as is what you asked). ....Sorry but I can't help there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted December 21, 2007 Author Share Posted December 21, 2007 OK, great info, I'll ring Sky tomorrow and hopefully get a good fix of motorsport in the New Year, thanks everyone, and especially for the kind offer of the equipment to aim a dish, but I shouldn't need that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 I'd love to swap you my expertese as a sat comms engineer (now moved on) for your expertese as a Supra and other fast/race car look-er-after-er, but it appears you don't need me. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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