Sky HD box slashed to £49 + installation

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Sky announced today that the price of their HD boxes are being slashed to a unbelievable price of just £49. Terms and conditions apply which basically means that if you are new or a current customer with a digibox or Sky+ box you can get a HD box for £49 plus £30 installation. If you relocate the existing box to another room the multiroom charge is another £10 p.m.* The downside to this deal is the HD box also needs a HD mix subscription to get the HD channels which is £10 p.m.*
* with the VAT at 15% the actual cost is £9.75 p.m. but it will go back to £10 p.m. when VAT reverts to 17.5% at the end of this year.

 

[Del Boy]

Do you work for sky?

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I want Sky HD. But is it really worth it?

 

[clapham_gull]

The price of the box and installation is irrelevant, clever marketing and pretty much a "non story".

They'll claw back the losses with the ridiculous £10 sub for HD.

Personally I've got the full SKY package, but I'll be buggered if they'll get another £10 out of me for their HD channels.

 

[Mr Burns]

I want Sky HD. But is it really worth it?

NOt really. Great at first, but you soon get used to it and it just becomes normal. Probably worth it if you brought a box for £50 and that was that, but definately not worth the extra £10 a month.

You can get a decent porn subscription for that!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The price of the box and installation is irrelevant, clever marketing and pretty much a "non story".

They'll claw back the losses with the ridiculous £10 sub for HD.

Personally I've got the full SKY package, but I'll be buggered if they'll get another £10 out of me for their HD channels.

Sky have already said that the HD box at £49 will be subsidised by £100. The £10 HD tax over the first year means they have got their money back plus an extra £20. It would be fairer to scrap the HD sub altogether but seeing as it brings in £800M in revenue a year from existing customers alone this wont happen. Many people will not upgrade their current multiroom box to a HD one for the simple reason they are not prepared to pay a second HD sub.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I expect a similar or perhaps a free offer later in the year on Sky+ boxes as some of the digiboxes are now ancient with some legacy boxes dating from 1998 onwards. Sky need to boost their customer numbers which is why they haved launched the £49 HD box offer. This could be tied into new cards being issued (starting in April) and the renewal system will highlight how many ex-pats are watching Sky in Spain and other European countries which contravenes their contract with Sky. Will Sky turn a blind eye to the situation or wave goodbye to 600,000 paying customers over there ?

 

[clapham_gull]

I expect a similar or perhaps a free offer later in the year on Sky+ boxes as some of the digiboxes are now ancient with some legacy boxes dating from 1998 onwards. Sky need to boost their customer numbers which is why they haved launched the £49 HD box offer. This could be tied into new cards being issued (starting in April) and the renewal system will highlight how many ex-pats are watching Sky in Spain and other European countries which contravenes their contract with Sky. Will Sky turn a blind eye to the situation or wave goodbye to 600,000 paying customers over there ?

Seeing as ex-pats have to go to the trouble to have their sky account registered at a UK address, I would have thought they are used to the hassle anyway.

The new cards aren't linked to anything beyond the fact that Sky are contractually obliged to replace the cards every five years.

Where do you get the 800M million figure from the HD subscription from ?

At the end of last year the figure quoted was 779, 000 HD subscribers.

 

[Easy 10]

Sky+ used to be an extra tenner a month when that was first launched, but that was dropped eventually.
I'll go HD when they drop the extra subscription, and not until.

 

[clapham_gull]

Sky+ used to be an extra tenner a month when that was first launched, but that was dropped eventually.
I'll go HD when they drop the extra subscription, and not until.

Wasn't it always waived if you had a premium package(*) ?

I'm the same - they won't be getting any more money out of me for simply sending down a better quality picture.

Beyond film, there isn't much in the way of HD around to watch at the moment anyway.

I love someone to work of the figure for people in the UK with an HD capable television but without the equipment to receive an HD signal....

(*) feel free to mention your premium package

 

[Easy 10]

Technically exempt you spent loads of dosh with them ?

I'm the same - they won't be getting any more money out of me for simply sending down a better quality picture.

Beyond film, there isn't much in the way of HD around to watch at the moment anywhere.

I love someone to work of the figure for people in the UK with an HD capable television but without the equipment to receive an HD signal....

Well, they get £42 of my hard-earned a month for movies and sports.

However, I've just got involved in LoveFilm.com (free 3 month trial) where I can get bundles of DVD's for nuffin throughout the month - obviously more recent films than when they eventually hit Sky movies. And I might be going blu-ray soon, which will snort my HD.

Sky Sports I think I can take it or leave it just lately, happy enough to nip round the local for the odd match. I'm feeling some cancellation action coming on.

But I could never live without Sky+. That really IS the bees knees.

 

[clapham_gull]

Sky Sports I think I can take it or leave it just lately, happy enough to nip round the local for the odd match. I'm feeling some cancellation action coming on.

I'm thinking exactly the same, I never watch it - but the wife does like the option of the movies, which I rarely watch either.

In fact I hardly watch any TV which begs the question why I bothered getting it in the first place.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm thinking exactly the same, I never watch it - but the wife does like the option of the movies, which I rarely watch either.

In fact I hardly watch any TV which begs the question why I bothered getting it in the first place.

I kept Sky Sports on last year primarily for the Ryder Cup. Now thats one bastard event I just cannot do without, so even with monty in charge (DISASTER), I will have to have my Sports plugged in for that in 2010. But right now....I reckons I could comfortably lose it. And with all these DVD's dropping through my letterbox, Sky movies is fairly redundent lately as well.

Once I get my arse into gear, I think I'll make the call.

 

[clapham_gull]

I kept Sky Sports on last year primarily for the Ryder Cup. Now thats one bastard event I just cannot do without, so even with monty in charge (DISASTER), I will have to have my Sports plugged in for that in 2010. But right now....I reckons I could comfortably lose it. And with all these DVD's dropping through my letterbox, Sky movies is fairly redundent lately as well.

Once I get my arse into gear, I think I'll make the call.

I just worked it out, I can easily drop my subscription to £18 - I think I investigate ILOVEFILM

 

[gullshark]

I'm perfectly happy with my Freeview PVR, Don't miss SKY at all.

 

[Jello]

I just worked it out, I can easily drop my subscription to £18 - I think I investigate ILOVEFILM

I've had Lovefilm for 3-4 years and the films are usually newer than you get on Sky as movies are going to DVD quicker than they used to.
I've got xbox, PS3 games and BluRay films all for £18 a month. 3 films/games at a time, beats Sky Movies hands down.
But I won't go without Sky Sports.

I'll go HD once they drop the £10 a month

EDIT: If anyone is thinking of using Lovefilm PM me or another Lovefilm user as there are offers for introducing new customers

 

[Adam Virgo's Shirt]

EDIT: If anyone is thinking of using Lovefilm PM me or another Lovefilm user as there are offers for introducing new customers

If you use Quidco, you get £15 cashback as a new customer on successful completion of the free trial

I'm perfectly happy with my Freeview PVR, Don't miss SKY at all

Me too, although I do like HD. But I think it's true what a previous poster said, it becomes normal after a while and you don't notice the difference.

Btw Neil - apparently there are a few new channels on Freeview, so a manual retune is needed to pick them up. The only 2 I can remember are Dave+1 and a DirectGov channel

 

[gullshark]

If you use Quidco, you get £15 cashback as a new customer on successful completion of the free trial



Me too, although I do like HD. But I think it's true what a previous poster said, it becomes normal after a while and you don't notice the difference.

Btw Neil - apparently there are a few new channels on Freeview, so a manual retune is needed to pick them up. The only 2 I can remember are Dave+1 and a DirectGov channel

Yup, have rescanned Had to update the firmware of my PVR as this new Split NIT thing that freeview are using muffed up my channel numbers.

I must admit, Freeview wouldn't be half as worth it if it didn't have Dave.

 

[The Oldman]

Nerd Alert!
To appreciate HD you really need a TV with Full HD not HD ready and then you have to be sure that the HD programme you are watching is Full HD not upscaled HD. With the proper set up Full HD is great and that's when you can notice the difference between it and SD (Standard Definition). Whether its worth another £10 a month? Missus Oldman and I think so as we watch a lot of sport and documentaries.

 

[countrygull]

Well, they get £42 of my hard-earned a month for movies and sports.

However, I've just got involved in LoveFilm.com (free 3 month trial) where I can get bundles of DVD's for nuffin throughout the month - obviously more recent films than when they eventually hit Sky movies. And I might be going blu-ray soon, which will snort my HD.


Side issue: does the lovefilm thing work well? Are they efficient and do they send the movies you actually ask for? So much crap on the TV thesedays I might think about taking up the subscription - if you recommend it!!!