Have your say & ask the experts

If anyone lives in a flat and needs to know anything about IRS or FSD options, let me know.

We do the PR for all their "Communal TV" solutions so have access to all the experts.  

Thanks Matt

 I live in a complex of about 20 units and currently have bog standard sky.  We have a shared dish serving all units.  (How do I know if we are using IRS or FSD - or neither?  I've been in the complex for 4 years and the dish was there before we moved in).

What are the options for upgrading the system so that residents can use the full Sky+ features?  We (the residents) have approached the management body on previous occasions but have always been fobbed off with an excuse that it would be too complex and too expensive.  True?  Or just an excuse?

 Thanks for taking the time to cover this.

G

geedub - will do my best!

Are you being charged any fees on your current system (can be hidden in management fees)?

The unit is almost certainly an oldish version of FSD (officially a "Sky" product) but is almost certainly not properly DSO ready - the cabling and amps will probably need upgrading.

FSD is "Free Shared Dish" - this link explains it well:

http://new-channels.com/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=46

IRS is "Integrated Reception System" - explained well here: http://www.custom.tv/digitalswitchover/downloads/IRS2.pdf

You really need an IRS system which gives you full channel choice and more flexibility and HD.

To be honest your MA is being a bit of a git. It's up to them to ensure all flats are DSO ready and equipped for Sky+ and in most cases HD.

If you let me know roughly where you live then I can give you the details of a local ASHA (Sky approved installer) who will be able to give a free quote and look at finance options. It often works out much cheaper if managed properly too.  We (Sky) are currently doing a national survey on digital readyness - we expect to find that a large number of flats that thought they were ready will only be able to receive a fraction of the channels they should due to old cabling/equipment that needs looking at. A simple engineers signal analysis will identify whether anything needs updgrading.

Hope this helps!

also worth contacting sky about fds systems, or see here,  http://communaltv.sky.com/options.aspx?page=2

tells you quite alot,

There are no specific items in our management bill pertaining to the current system - so 'no' would be the short answer to 'are we being charged.'

So in essence, the latest FSD equipment would ensure Switch Over readiness but not give us full functionality in terms of Sky+ etc?  Whereas IRS would give us the full monty - but we would have to run extra cabling to each unit among other things?  (We currently have a single feed into each unit).

The complex is in Buckinghamshire - Amersham.

As an aside, could I get Sky HD using the current system?  I realise that I couldn't use the full Sky+ functionality, but surely I could get the HD signal?
I know when my standard Sky box was installed there was a lot of muttering and murmuring from the engineer about poor signal.  Not sure if that was from the actual satellite or just down to poor cabling and equipment.

Thanks again.

fsd systems can be wired for sky+ too, you would be able to pick up hd signal yes, as for getting the hd without sky+ functionality not sure whether sky would supply the stb in that situation,but you would have to check,

Totally correct there on the first point. You'd have a "dual feed" socket instead of your single feed so would need any extra cable.

You could probably get Sky HD but it totally depends on your signal strength for that waveband - I reckon it's highly unlikely though from what the engineer said.

A good ASHA in your area is: http://www.aerialsolutionslimited.co.uk

As we just do the PR, I'm not 100% technically proficient (!) but the ASHA would be able to help much better!

Thanks for the info/advice chaps.  I'll have a chat to the two companies recommended - and maybe get them to chat to our Management Body

As far as Sky HD goes:  I chatted to Sky yesterday and they offered me an upgrade to HD for £105 ( £75 for STB and £30 install).  The engineer had a free slot tomorrow (sat) - so I guess the proof will be in the pudding.  Here's hoping the signal is good enough!

Thanks guys...