Where to get a new Sky+ box from

hello there,

i've got a sky+ box from about 2002/2003, last week the hard disk finally failed resulting in random crashes and freezes. to remedy this, i swapped out the original hard disk for a 40gb segate drive i had kicking around. now this actually works, the problem is, because the hard disk takes a bit longer to spin up than the originl maxtor drive the box sometimes doesn't detect it when it's powered on so i have to go to the engineer menu and do a planner rebuild.

now, really i need a new box, but i don't want a new sky contract where i need to have the box plugged into the phone. our phone socket is well out of the way and is pretty inaccessible.

what i'd like to know, is if i go to sky and get a new box do i have to take a new contract out? i went to a small electronics retailer in town yesterday and they told me they weren't allowed to sell sky+ boxes on their own (although i do recall seeing some funky desinged boxes in john lewis a little while ago, but i can't find them on the website)

any help would be much appreciated.

Although I'm not sure about the contract... most people would reccommend this

You can call Sky and get them to send out an engineer for a £65 pounds fixed fee. They will then replace the box if required for free. They will make you plug it into the phone line while they are there for the new box to authorise, but there will not be a new contract so you can remove it when they leave.

Please note the box is likely to b a refurbished one and not a brand new one.

Slightly off topic, but we're SKY Multiroom at home at the moment, involving a plus box downstairs & a standard box in my room upstairs.

We are looking at reducing the subscription down to the plus box only later this year.

Would I be able to still receive the 'free' non subscription channels on my standard box through the same connection, even though there wouldn't be a subscription on that box, or would SKY 'switch' that box off completely & probably have it back too?

(When I pulled out my card, to check what I'd lose, apart from the obvious channels, I also lost C4 & C5, presumbly because whatever deal with SKY they have prevents access without a card.)

Yes CH4 and CH5 are FTV channels therefore you still the card in there, if you take out the Sky Sub you will be left with the FTV channels I think.