Sky+ Users - being prompted for a PIN?
Posted by: Paul Hutchings on 11 September 2005
Hmm.. seems that with their latest software update Sky+ have introduced a system whereby whenever you want to watch something that might contain "Adult Content" (i.e Lethal Weapon 2 recorded on TCM last week) before 10pm, you're now forced to enter your PIN number.
Apparently it is to do with stopping the kids (which I don't have, there are none in the house) from being able to watch inappropriate content and there is no way any Sky customer, at present, can switch it off.
So I, and every other Sky+ customer are now stuck having to enter a PIN number to watch anything mildly adult in the middle of the day, the PIN number can be "1111" (indeed, mine is) which I'd expect even a 6 year old could guess so what's the point of that?!
I am sick to death of being protected and nannied..
Posted on: 11 September 2005 by BigH47
Nanny knows best!
Posted on: 11 September 2005 by pratmaster
I thought this could be turned off in the settings page, if you don't know the pin, contact sky and they will reset for you, pin was always available, if you switched it on
Posted on: 11 September 2005 by Derek Wright
The PIN number is required to even listen to recordings of Radio 4 - I spent nearly 2 hours trying to get thru to the helpline regarding the PIN number and then got thru on the change/cancel your subscription line, they gave me the PIN number which had no relevance to the last 4 digits of the number on the viewing card (which is the default setting) I gather from another forum that the Sky installers set the Sky+ pin to another number - a job security issue no doubt <g>
One of my many tasks this week is to write to Sky complaining about this and the cost of my phone call to their 0845 number
Posted on: 11 September 2005 by JonR
Hmmm...glad I ditched my subscription 3 years ago!
Posted on: 12 September 2005 by RoyleBlue
Happened to me when I went to watch Troy on Saturday night - turned unit off then on again and that was it - no more pin number request.
Posted on: 12 September 2005 by Mike Hughes
Fascinating. We can debate incredible complexity in our hi-fis but it has never occurred to us to explore Sky+ menus.
The need for a PIN has not changed from the last software upgrade to this one. It's just that on this one it is sometimes enabled by default. Just un-enable it and "hey presto" a great piece of technology works as you want it once again.
Mike
Posted on: 12 September 2005 by Paul Hutchings
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Fascinating. We can debate incredible complexity in our hi-fis but it has never occurred to us to explore Sky+ menus.
The need for a PIN has not changed from the last software upgrade to this one. It's just that on this one it is sometimes enabled by default. Just un-enable it and "hey presto" a great piece of technology works as you want it once again.
Mike
Oddly enough Mike, it did occur to me to explore the menus.
There is no way, with the latest software (O/S 1.31A0E, EPG 1.30.q) to stop it prompting for a PIN number if I try and watch, let's say a recorded "The Thing" before 10pm.
It might be that your box hasn't had the latest updates, not all have, but when you get them, I'm sure it will do it and that there will be no way to switch it off in the Parental Control menus.
cheers,
Paul
Posted on: 12 September 2005 by Derek Wright
The parental control settings cannot disable the request for the pin number when starting a radio recording - I wonder if it it is channel number dependant
Posted on: 13 September 2005 by Mike Hughes
Paul,
I have the software upgrade. Rang them up. They re-set and re-sent the upgrade. Menu appears and problem solved.
Mike
Posted on: 02 October 2005 by MarkP
Paul is right I'm afraid to say. The pin request for certain 'adult' programs is not something that can be disabled.
We can only hope that it is removed soon in a software upgrade, and sky can put parental control but into the hands of parents.
