Sky+ HD box and ability to record

[Maz]

Hi

I have heard (but not read anywhere) that if you take out a Sky+ HD subscription, the ability to record programmes is disabled once you unsubscribe.

Assuming you unsubscribe after (say) one year - the box is yours to keep, but the recording function is then disabled...Is this the case?

Anyone know? Thanks

 

[marinyork]

You'll lose the recording functionality if you take away the £10. If you don't sub to any (normal) package you should still be able to receive the few FTV channels like FiveUS, Fiver, C4HD and so on.

So no £10 HD + no subs = view FTV + FTA channels but not record anything.
£10 = recording channels you can receive and so on with whatever subs.

 

[Maz]

Thanks. marin. Sky tend to keep that quiet when they go on their promotion campaigns.

 

[marinyork]

Thanks. marin. Sky tend to keep that quiet when they go on their promotion campaigns.

I was going to ask you earlier and forgot, what are you getting rid of? If you never really watch subs channels then fair enough.

The box is yours of course. It's sky's business model all over, charging for something that nearly every other company in history doesn't .

 

[Maz]

I was going to ask you earlier and forgot, what are you getting rid of? If you never really watch subs channels then fair enough.

The box is yours of course. It's sky's business model all over, charging for something that nearly every other company in history doesn't .

Getting rid of an old amstrad SkyDigibox.
I think when I unsubscribe, I might keep the box or buy an off-the-shelf satellite reciever with hard disk (Humax FoxSat I think is quite good, speaking to some people).
I think you can plug the Sky cable into the box and away you go.

 

[Shaun]

You'll also lose access to anything you've previously recorded, so make sure you watch everything before you cancel your subscription.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Maz]

You'll also lose access to anything you've previously recorded, so make sure you watch everything before you cancel your subscription.

Cheers,
Shaun

Thanks for the warning! Bloody Sky!
I wonder if you can copy the recorded files to an external drive? (not that I have one, but in principle...) and watch them after the cancellation?

 

[marinyork]

Thanks for the warning! Bloody Sky!
I wonder if you can copy the recorded files to an external drive? (not that I have one, but in principle...) and watch them after the cancellation?

Not exactly copy in the sense you mean in SD but yes. You'll lose anytime too but I doubt you're bothered about that .

Absolutely on the hummy, they are great. A lot of money though. It may please you BBC1 HD is launching soon though. Make the whole HD price of the box feel a bit better.

 

[beanzontoast]

+1 for the Humax box. I didn't believe the comments I'd read from people who'd bought one about better picture quality on Humax SD than on the Sky box, but I have to say to my eyes there really does seem to be a difference.

We had Sky (not hd) until recently. Our box, we were told, was 'too old' to have Anytime and we couldn't justify buying a new Sky box and paying the extra money for hd every month. We knew what to expect when we cancelled - anything we had recorded could no longer be played and of course we could no longer record either. The wiped 160gb hard drive from the old Sky box may come in useful in a project or other as a spare hd in a base unit at some point though!

 

[Shaun]

Not sure if you can use Copy+ to write the files as AVI's or not - http://www.skycopyplus.co.uk/

I used it when I upgraded my Sky+HD box to 1TB (10 mins. after the installer had left ... )

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[magnatom]

I've just canceled my sky subscription and am awaiting the delivery of a Humax HDR box! Getting it for £209 from Laskys.

Unfortunately, I don't have the HD TV to go with it at the moment though!

 

[magnatom]

Yes I hear that. However, by the time I can afford an HD TV, everything will be HD!

 

[marinyork]

BBC1 HD on the 3rd of November is a start. It might be quite a few years until ITV2/3/4, Film4, E4, Five HD and so on make their way on to freesat though . Or for BBC2 HD to launch.

 

[the_mikey]

Another +1 for the humax box here also, most useful and practical piece of home entertainment equipment I've ever owned.

 

[marinyork]

Humax got the reputation they did from freeview PVRs. Their products weren't particularly well built software wise initially but they kept on developing and developing over time until it was good in stark contrast to many other companies. This is why they have the respect of so many people.