Receiving Sky Digitial In Germany

PeteM

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Hi,

A friend of mine is moving to Germany (Berlin)shortly, and would like to be able to receive Sky Digital whilst there so as to watch UK tv.

(I'm not sure if he only wants free to air channels (i.e BBC) or the pay sky packages.

He currently is not a Sky customer.

I assume that if he tries to get a free digibox, he will be required to have it installed at his old UK address - i.e he won't be able to simply get hold of a box, stick it in the car boot and drive to Germany??

What would be his options for getting a Digibox in Germany - can you buy them outright, or get them free without instalation?

If he had to have it installed, what is to stop him just removing the installation as soon as the installer drives away?

For subscription purposes he will be living at his parents adress in the UK!

Thanks for any help!
 
PeteM, I live in Germany and receive Sky. There are a few of ways you can do it.

1. Get Sky installed in the UK before he goes. There are two ways of doing this. Firstly is to get a standard installation, free box etc. Once his card is activated he can unplug the box, take it to Germany and get it set up there. The risk is that Sky demand your box be connected to the phone line for 12 months. This is due to the box not really being free, just subsidised by Open. If they find out you've unplugged it, you're breaking your contract and they'll cut you off.

2. Pay full price for the box (around 400 quid I believe) and then do the same as in 1 above. You're not tied to the phone line for 12 months because you didn't get the subsidy.

3. Go to Germany without a digibox and once there contact one of the many satellite dealers there who cater for ex-pats. They will charge him the non-subsidy rate for a box, plus installation, plus whatever overheads they deem necessary. Most offer services for setting up a subscription for you, but if he can do this himself via his parents address he will save some money. Total cost is around 5100 DM. If the dealer organises your subscription it'll be whatever Sky charge plus some admin fee.

4. Buy a digibox off the internet or wherever, take it to Germany, and get it installed. He'll probably get a few FTA channels but not many. It might be worth getting a card from Sky for the BBC channels.

I was lucky, I'd already had my box for well over 12 months, so I just unplugged it and brought it with me, and got it installed here.

Warn your friend that stuff like PPV is out, as is calling Sky to complain about anything. Sky can't tell where you are, but they CAN tell that you are not in the UK, and again they'll cut the subscription.

The general opinion from my dealer here is that Sky know many ex-pats receive their channels and they turn a blind eye. However, legally, it's not allowed and if you rub their nose in it they will be obliged to stop you.
 
BTW, if he does buy a box in the UK, tell him get the card before he goes. The card and the box are tied together by serial numbers, which the installer gets set up with Sky. Getting a card after he's left and just plugging it into the box won't work, so he should make sure it does work before he emigrates.
 

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