+Doc+

I have a friend who has pirate digital TV, now he pays Virgin Media the best part of £35 per month for his telephone, internet and TV upstairs.
He refuses however to line the pockets of the greedy Murdoch for his movies, sports and XXX channels.
To get round paying for these extra channels my friend has installed a digital receiver that obtains these channels for free by way of splitting the signal and decrypting the code.

How many other people are doing this currently? I have noticed on the news Virgin media are trying to clamp down on this behaviour and are even offering a phone line so I could report my friend and he could get prosecuted.

Right? Wrong? Don't care?

I have added a poll for the shy and retiring.

davegtt

I dont have it but I know numerous friends who do have it. Paid £100 for the box and thats it, works fine day in day out.

StickyMicky

I think the vast majority of the great unwashed do this to be honest.

i know the name of a local virgin installer who will "sort you out" for a few extra quid.


i don't have virgin myself, happy enough with freeview and downloading hd films from xbox live at the moment

boxst

It is quite difficult to be detected using satellite as there isn't two way communication. I don't do it and haven't for a long while as I got fed up with the constant battle with finding the encryption keys every few weeks.

As you friend uses it, I guess it has got easy again?

Steve

EddScott

Didn't know this could be done in the first place. I've heard of people using cloned cards but I was told these cards only last a few weeks until they do a sweep and block the card.

Don't give a monkeys about the sport and movies but any free **** channels has got to be good news.

Can you do this with Sky?

dpb

Whats the reward ?

njkmrs

Several lads I know have the chipped boxes .
Unfortunately i can only get Sky through a dish and Im not aware of any scams on this set up otherwise I would have a piece of it .
They have had theirs for ages ,and occasionally get zapped ,but then get the box re-done somehow .

Good Luck to them .

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Theft?

njkmrs

Quite agree .NTL and Sky are robbing swines arnt they ???

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Why? They offer a product at a price, if you can't afford it, or don't wish to pay for it, then don't have it.

T1000

I know a bloke who has pirate virgin tv. What happens if they get caught though, is it a trip to court?

njkmrs

Yes Dad !!!!!

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Very thought out and grown up response, well done...son.

ash002004

iTrader: (1)

How does ur friend do this exactly???!

scoobyvirgin

In answer to your question "Do you have pirate tv"?
No, but I do have Santa sports and that beats Pirates in my book

+Doc+

My friend doesn't want to tell everyone or Virgin will clamp down further
A quick google and a registration on a digital TV forum will answer any technical questions, the basics are you pay £70-£80 for a box that has specific software loaded onto it and it does the rest, these can even be bought off a famous bidding site.
My friend has had it for nearly three years and has only had to manually update it once, so during that time he has had trouble free, free tv.
My friend also wants to remind me that he pays for Virgin anyhow and he is creaming the premium channels off the top
Pay per view channels as well, another £15 saving per bout/match etc.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I think its disgraceful. I don't get Virgin media in my area.

If it can be done to Sky I just might not be so mortified at this practice.

PaulC72

I would agree with doing it to Sky, but Virgin are another matter, for me Sky are robbing people blind but at least Virgin are trying to keep the balance and bring some competition to Sky who have had to good too long.

If your 'friend' is happy doing it then good luck to him, if he is using the money saved to buy clothes for his children etc and not getting wasted then thats even better, but if it is getting spunked up the wall shame on him

i'll stick to freeview, it's free and has pretty much all I want to watch on it

Buzzer

Lots of Friends have these boxes dont they

+Doc+

Personally I have XL TV on Virgin so the only things I'm missing out on are Sky Sports, Sky Movies and the premium channels which i wont pay for on principle.
I find the TV package and the on demand far superior to the Sky packages and system.
With XL TV I also get music videos on demand.
Sky have nothing new to offer anymore, they seem to want to charge on top of charges, sky sports ££, HD £££ Sky sports HD ££££ etc etc

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

It always puzzled me how NTL, Virgin, whatever, have a whole estate full of subscribers who all have the basic channel package but watch all the pay per view stuff, surely their equipment can identify individual boxes ?

I would be very amused if they did manage to stamp it out, I bet the birth rate would go up as all the free **** wouldnt be available !

Dan Gleebits

Legalised Piracy FTW!!


on sky too!!

ORSUM !

hodgy0_2

my brother has it, all 960 channels of crap

search on ebay -- they sell the boxes

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

thats unusual as they usually change encryption levels every few months (easily changed though according to a workmate)

richiewong

To bloody right

Paying about £55 a month for this and not even HD

Luke

Guy in Brick lane (london) sells "modded " boxes for £80.00 with free telephone "after sales"

heard he is a real pro and everyone is happy

he also does computer fairs etc. Guy must be minted !

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Every town/estate has one, makes a few quid doing that, very enterprising but I suspect it goes hand in hand with claiming benefits, fencing stolen gear, pirate games etc etc, I cant be arsed myself.

Diesel

I haven't researched it, although have been tempted - being handy with a soldering iron and that I do get all the sky non premium channels in the bedroom set top box though, as well as on the £35 a month main HD box in the living room. I aint telling though as they normally want an absurd £10 a month for this duplication (as if I had 2 pairs of eyes!). That's as far as my Robin Hood-ness goes

D

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

Freeview tv does me, I already have all the films sky movies play on my media player since I download loads especially HD stuff

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I believe with cable TV, the way its done is buying a box from somewhere in the EU (Germany I think). The equipment is standardised; Virgin's encryption and network is no different to other CATV networks (with exception of PAL/NTSC variations in the USA). So its a case of basically buying a box thats not locked.

I don't have one, but have seen them for sale. It has intrigued me to say the least, but not enough to buy and try one.