topic Sky +HD pairing issue in Sky+

Sky +HD pairing issue

Pecks76 — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 19:30:59 GMT

My Sky+HD box failed and replaced with my old (loft) version, before this, all working except cinema/sky news/Film 4 all HD

but BBC/ITV all working HD and recorded playback

been told no pairing anymore must move to Stream or Q

my question is if Sky New and Film 4 are freeview channels why I can't get them working in HD but BBC/ITV/TLC are fine in HD

feel I've been fobbed off with the "no one in Sky now knows how to pair a Sky+ HD card (but if I don't pay my bill I bet they can remote turn the card off)

is this true as how can they still supply a signal to the HD+ box and not comply with terms of service (basically if the satellite in orbit still working then I have a right to still be using the sources) as they still have a minimum of 6 years left of the transmission from the satellite before decommissioned,

and also if this is the case why are they allowing skyHD + boxes to be sold on Amazon as Brand New, no one is bothered about the engineer call out as nowadays it's cheaper to get a 2nd hand one and then call sky to pair the card

just feels like false advertisement to put everyone on stream (cannot guarantee signal strength wheee I live) and I've already got a TV so don't want Glass,

The older generation may not have a internet service for stream/glass and still lover there sky boxes for ease of use

this is poor from sky

Re: Sky +HD pairing issue

Daniel0210 — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 19:38:12 GMT

@Pecks76

So basically Sky+, being a legacy package, is no longer supported by Sky.

You can no longer pair a viewing card to any other Sky+ / Sky+HD box that it wasn't paired to at the end of October 2024.

You can still call Sky to discuss your options which will be upgrading to Sky Q (not available online) or moving to Glass / Steam to continue to view Sky content through a Sky subscription.

Sky can't do anything about second hand Sky+ boxes being sold elsewhere but they simply won't work anyway.

Re: Sky +HD pairing issue

nigea99 — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 19:45:42 GMT

@Pecks76 wrote:

My Sky+HD box failed and replaced with my old (loft) version, before this, all working except cinema/sky news/Film 4 all HD

but BBC/ITV all working HD and recorded playback

been told no pairing anymore must move to Stream or Q

my question is if Sky New and Film 4 are freeview channels why I can't get them working in HD but BBC/ITV/TLC are fine in HD

feel I've been fobbed off with the "no one in Sky now knows how to pair a Sky+ HD card (but if I don't pay my bill I bet they can remote turn the card off)

is this true as how can they still supply a signal to the HD+ box and not comply with terms of service (basically if the satellite in orbit still working then I have a right to still be using the sources) as they still have a minimum of 6 years left of the transmission from the satellite before decommissioned,

and also if this is the case why are they allowing skyHD + boxes to be sold on Amazon as Brand New, no one is bothered about the engineer call out as nowadays it's cheaper to get a 2nd hand one and then call sky to pair the card

just feels like false advertisement to put everyone on stream (cannot guarantee signal strength wheee I live) and I've already got a TV so don't want Glass,

The older generation may not have a internet service for stream/glass and still lover there sky boxes for ease of use

this is poor from sky

hi @Pecks76

SKY Stopped allowing pairing any cards with SKY HD boxes they were not paired with as at Oct 2024

Yes there are some channels that are Free To Air in SD but the HD versions require the HD add on (& are encrypted) - you have found 2

You can use this link to see others (encryption = clear for FTA)

https://en.kingofsat.net/pos-28.2E

Anyone selling SKY HD boxes should make it clear that they can only be used for FTA channels but many selling them either don't realise or just want to keep that bit quiet (unlike SKY Q boxes SKY HD boxes are owned by customers and they can do with them what they want)

Re: Sky +HD pairing issue

nigea99 — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 20:40:29 GMT

BTW perhaps I should add that the majority of channels that are FTA are because that is the choice of the broadcaster and we have no 'right' that they are FTA

There are only a few channels such as BBC, ITV1 STV/UTV, Channel 4, C5 & S4C that are covered & must be FTA under the Public Service Broadcasting remit. (Note - I think ITV2,3&4 are not covered but I may be wrong)

Re: Sky +HD pairing issue

TimmyBGood — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 11:01:53 GMT

@Pecks76 wrote:
why are they allowing skyHD + boxes to be sold on Amazon as Brand New, no one is bothered about the engineer call out as nowadays it's cheaper to get a 2nd hand one and then call sky to pair the card

Sky has no legal right to intervene in the sale of user-owned hardware.

As with any second-hand technology, it's up to the vendor to describe the item accurately and for the purchaser to exercise due diligence in researching current functionality rather than operating on historic assumptions which may well no longer be correct.

Pairing of Sky viewing cards with replacement or second-hand Sky+HD boxes ended on October 29 2024 (very nearly two years ago as of the date of this thread)

Incidentally, given the last Sky+ HD box model was manufactured in 2014-15 it's rather unlikely any such item is 'Brand New', although it could conceivably be 'Unused'.