A quick summary of some of the general questions we've received:

• Sky Movies are shown uninterrupted (no ad breaks)
• When you subscribe to Sky, you enter a 12 month contract, and you pay monthly

When you sign up to Sky, you need to select a number of channel packages you want to subscribe to - this will typically include some standard "Sky Mix packs", with optional "premium packs" (such as Movie or Sports channels). You'll also get a number of free-to-view channels as well. The mix packages are:

• Variety Mix: Including Sky One, Bravo, UKTV Gold, E4 and Living TV
• Kids Mix: Including Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Disney, Trouble
• Knowledge Mix: Including Discovery, National Geographic, History, UKTV History
• Style & Culture Mix: Including Sky Arts, UKTV Style, Discovery Home & Health, UKTV Food
• Music Mix: Including MTV, TMF, Bliss, Kerrang!, Q and VH1
• News & Events Mix: Including Sky News, Fox News, CNBC, At The Races, British Eurosport

Sky don't allow you to pick individual channels to subscribe (or not subscribe) to - you select from their preset "packages". To view these options and to see how much your monthly subscription is likely to be, go to packages.sky.com. If you have any questions about packages that are not answered on this page, or on Sky's site, call Sky on 08705 800 874, or ask in our Sky forum.
Note that Sky often runs offers such as "half price for the first three months". Click here for a summary of their latest offering.

If you're not happy with the packages, channels or prices offered by Sky - remember that there are alternatives - See our Digital TV page for more.

Between 2008 and 2012, the UK will be going digital, as analogue TV is set to be switched off. The good news is, that the TV service from Sky is already digital, and so you won't be losing your service when non-digital telly gets switched off.

For more, visit switchhelp.co.uk, or the official Digital UK site.

If you're looking to get Sky in other rooms of your house, here are the options:

• If you have one Sky box, you can connect to other TV sets in the house via the Sky box RF output aerial sockets. You may need either a splitter or booster (from Maplin) to allow you to split the aerial co-ax output then run cable into other rooms. You're stuck with watching the same digital satellite channel in each room, but there's nothing to stop you feeding Sky into each room of your house. You may need to turn on the RF modulated output for this to work.
• If you'd rather not run cables, consider a wireless video sender (see our accessories page)
• Consider a Sky TV Link/Eye - This innovative product allows you to receive Sky Digital in 2 rooms using existing co-ax cable... Watch the same channel on 2 TVs at the same time, and use your Sky remote to change channels from another room. Available from Sky.com, Maplin or considerably cheaper online from Argos (around £15 - cat no 534/3250)
• Consider getting "Sky Multiroom" - Effectively this is a second Sky Digital box fed from your main dish. This allows you to watch two different satellite channels at the same time in different rooms.
  Details and prices at packages.sky.com/see/EquipmentMultiroom.aspx
  
  

If you're interested in having Sky in multiple rooms, you can look at Sky Multiroom. This gives you a box in each room, so you can watch different Sky channels in different rooms. You will need a Multiroom subscription for each additional box. Details and prices at packages.sky.com/see/EquipmentMultiroom.aspx

Note the following limitation: One Sky dish can't have more than four 'feeds' running from it, so each dish can only provide a feed for up to two Sky+ boxes, or four standard Sky boxes.

If you're looking to give someone a subscription to Sky Digital as a gift, consider getting the Sky to go Sky Digital Starter Pack. This typically includes free standard installation, a Sky set-top box and subscription to a selection of Sky channels.

Sky Starter packs are available from retailers such as John Lewis , Carphone Warehouse and Dixons

The answer has been moved to our Sky F.A.Q

Latest versions of Sky and Sky+ software:

Our Pace Sky+ Box reported the following version numbers as of 25 Jan 2007:

• Pace Sky+ Box Model: 4.012
• Version number: 9F2006
• Operating System Version: 1.31B02
• EPG Software Version: sky+ 4.20.a

To check your version number, use the Services button, System Setup menu, option 5, 'System Details'.
You can force your Sky box to update to the latest software. The procedure can be found on the Satcure FAQ

Please visit our Sky forum to discuss version numbers and updates.

Hi-definition (HDTV) offers a higher quality picture with more vibrant colours, greater detail, crisp clarity and amazing sound quality.

Sky is the leading HD provider in the UK - For more details on Sky's HD, take a look at our dedicated Sky HD page.

Other problems: If your remote is working, but isn't controlling the Sky box, you may have pressed the TV button, so press Sky and try again. The only thing that can wrong with a remote control, is if it's left without batteries for more than ten minutes - if this happens, it may lose it's ability to control the TV. It should still be fine with Sky / Sky+ though. To get the remote to work with your TV, you need to enter a four digital number that matches your TV manufacturer. Refer to your Sky / Sky+ manual for these codes

Replacement: Spare remote controls for Sky and Sky+ are available from

eSpares or Partmaster.

You could also consider a universal controller, that can handle multiple remote control devices. Our favourite is the Kameleon, a stylish multi-device controller that can learn commands from an existing handset, or use one of a number of special codes for situations where you don't have the original. Also, take a look at the range from Argos or

The technically-minded out there may be interested in the hidden "installer" menu, that can be accessed by pressing the following buttons: 'Services 4 0 1 Select':

Sky Digital set-top boxes have what's known as a modulated output , which means you can use an aerial lead to connect to a TV or recorder without using a SCART lead - this is commonly used when you want to feed Sky into another room via an aerial cable.

To do this, you need to run a co-ax aerial feed from the Sky box 'RF Output' to your second TV or recorder. You have to turn on the Sky modulator and set it to output on a channel between 21 and 68 UHF. You do this as follows:

• On the Sky box remote, press 'Services', then type 4 0 1 and press 'Select'
• Select Option 4 "RF outlets"
• Set the RF output to "On", and change the RF channel number to a number of your choosing (between 21 and 68). It's important not to clash with a TV service on the same number, and if after you've finished, one of your TV channels goes fuzzy, you have a clash and need to change the RF channel number again.

Once you have connected your aerial leads, and set the Sky box modulator, you can then tune the TV or recorder into the output of the Sky box. Find a spare TV channel preset, then scan through for the output of your Sky box in the same way as you tune your TV set to an ordinary analogue TV signal. It will be on the frequency number you entered on the Sky box (21 to 68). Store the channel, and you should be set. If you have a problem, refer to your TV's manual for details of how to add a new channel

The answer has been moved to our Sky F.A.Q

Sky Digital broadcasts from a group of satellites positioned at 28.2ºE and 28.5ºE above the Equator. These orbit the earth at an altitude of around 22,000 miles.

If you're working out where to point your satellite dish in the UK in order to get Sky, this varies depending on where in the country you are. You'll find that the dish needs to be pointing at a compass heading somewhere between 139 and 147 degrees (i.e. South- East) at an elevation of between 18 and 26 degrees.

Sky Digital's terms and conditions state that you can only watch Sky subscription channels if you're living in the UK (including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) or the Republic of Ireland. Note though that the satellites that distribute Sky Digital can be accessed outside of the UK.

Sky Digital is transmitted on SES Astra satellites located at 28.2°E and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite located at 28.5°E - these have "footprints" that cover parts of Europe, so the free-to-view channels can be accessed in parts of Europe (with a suitably-sized dish). Pictured on the right is the footprint of the Astra 2D satellite, which provides the BBC Free-to-view channels. You can find coverage maps for the Astra satellite on the Astra or Satcure sites.

The Radio&Telly site is intended for UK residents, and doesn't provide any information on how to access Sky Digital outside the UK and Ireland, but there are a vast number of sites that do. If you're interested in accessing Sky outside of the UK and Ireland, try a Google search

Sky's system makes use of a PIN code to control viewing of inappropriate content. We've had reports of people seeing prompts for PIN codes whilst watching programmes, or playing back Sky+ content. According to Sky, by default you should be prompted for a PIN when trying to watch a programme rated 12 or 15 before 20.00, and when trying to watch a programme rated 18 before 22.00

To change or disable these parental control options, go to 'Services' > 'Parental Control', enter your four digit PIN code and select 'Other restrictions'. Here you'll have the option to enable/disable PIN prompts when trying to play back a programme before watershed (Sky+), to demand PIN entry before going online, PIN-protecting recorded programmes on Sky+, and to set spending restrictions

Sometimes we hear from people reporting problems with the Sky reception - such as temporary picture drop-out or lockups. Here are a few tips:

• Check your signal using Services > System Setup > Signal test and take a look at your signal strength and quality
• Bad signal can be due to a number of factors - most notably something that breaks line-of-sight between your dish and the orbiting satellite - obstructions include trees, power cables, scaffolding and buildings. Also, bad weather, especially heavy rain, can affect your signal
• Dish problem - any chance strong wind could have moved your dish? Taking a look at the dish - and check for obvious damage or obstructions on the dish itself? Any cable damage?
• Terminals on the box - The dish I connected to the digibox using co-ax cable terminated in a screw-thread connector (or two for Sky+ / Sky HD). Double check that the connectors are secure
• It's also worth resetting the box, but removing the power lead for 30 seconds, as sometimes software glitches can cause reception problems

If you're still having problems, contact Sky Customer Services

The answer has been moved to our Sky F.A.Q

The answer has been moved to our Sky F.A.Q

Note that this website isn't run by Sky, so please don't contact us with queries about your account, or to report a technical problem with your Sky service. Instead, try the following phone numbers:

• Sky Customer Services: 08702 40 40 40
• Sky Technical helpdesk: 08702 43 5000
• Sky+ Technical help: 08705 800 800
• Sky Installers: 08705 959595 (re. booked appointments)
• BSkyB Head Office Switchboard: 020 7705 3000
• BSkyB Head Office: 0870 240 3000
  
  
• Postal address: Sky Subscribers Services, PO Box 43, Livingstone, West Lothian EH54 7DD
• Head office postal address: British Sky Broadcasting Group plc, Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 5QD
• Email: Try either skydigital@sky.com or skydigital@bskyb.com

You can find more contact information for Sky at www.sky.com and select "Contact us" from the menu

provided by Radio And Telly