Sky will soon cancel the subscriptions of customers using older equipment, they have confirmed.
The TV giant has confirmed it will cut off some of its customers in October as the TV firm continues to restrict channel access for those still using the oldest TV equipment.
Anyone with an older Sky set top box has already lost access to Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and other popular channels in recent months as Sky removes access to many standard definition (SD) channels to make way for more high definition (HD) channels across the board.
Satellite access to BBC and ITV channels was also restricted in January as part of the move to HD and now it has been confirmed that more changes are afoot.
By the end of August, Sky is set to remove access to all of its own channels from SD boxes, which will leave customers with barely any channels.
As spotted by RXTVinfo, Sky has now also confirmed it will cancel any remaining legacy Sky subscriptions by October.
On their website it states: “If you don't contact us or upgrade, your Sky TV will be cancelled and you'll lose access to these services on your payment due date in October.”
Customers wanting to stick with Sky will have to get in contact directly themselves, as the firm will not be automatically upgrading customers.
But not all Sky boxes are affected. Here is what we know.
What Sky boxes are affected?
Those that will be cut off have the following serial numbers:
Digibox
4F01 to 4F08 (Amstrad) • 4E01 to 4E05 (Grundig) • 9F01 to 9F08 and 9F0A (Pace) • 0F01 to 0F05 (Panasonic) • 4E06 to 4E08 (Thomson)
Sky+
4F2001 to 4F2006 (Amstrad) • 4F2101 to 4F2118 and 9F2101 to 9F2137 (Amstrad or Pace) • 9F2001 to 9F2024, PVR2, 9F2201 to 9F2235, 9F2301 to 9F2339 (Pace) • 4E2101 to 4E2141 (Thomson)
How do I find my Sky box number?
To check the number of your box:
- Press Services on your Sky remote
- Press 4 then 5
- Check the ‘version number’, as displayed on your TV screen
What happens if I am one of those affected?
Sky will be cutting off your box in October.
However, if you are affected, and want to stay with the service, Sky says you can upgrade to its newer Sky Q service for free. This will return all of the channels you have lost and provide you with the company’s latest HD satellite services, including a new set-top box. The upgrade may require an engineer to visit your property to install the service.
If you don’t think Sky Q is right for you, you can discuss other subscription options, such as moving to Sky Stream, Sky's TV service that delivers all channels streamed over a broadband connection rather than traditional satellite.
For more information on the options available, you can upgrade here online or call 0333 759 5121.
