Is it still worth getting Sky+/SkyHD if...

[Tezcatlipoca]

... it's not possible for the STB to have two feeds?


My g/f & I's flat is fairly new-ish, maybe 4 or 5 years. The building has a shared satellite dish system, which is distributed to each flat - each one has a single outlet in the corner of the lounge, to connect a Sky STB to.

But it's obviously not new enough - no provision for having two feeds for Sky+ or SkyHD.

And we can't get a dish of our own put up.


So if I decide to upgrade to Sky+ or SkyHD, we'd only be able to watch/record one channel at a time.

As we don't have any Premium channels, if we had Sky+, we'd have to pay the £10pcm extra sub (which, although I'd be prepared to pay it, I still don't really see any justification for...you can get Freeview PVRs, so why do Sky charge?).

Or if we got SkyHD, we'd have to pay the £10pcm SkyHD extra sub (which includes Sky+).

So, either way, the extra monthly charge would be the same, so it's a matter of do I pay less for a Sky+ box, or fork out more for a SkyHD box.


Anyone with either Sky+ or SkyHD actually find that much use for being able to tune to two different channels at once?


Hmm. Actually, I guess it just really depends on what you happen to watch, whether things clash...plus it all gets repeated ad infinitum anyway.


I assume a Sky+/SkyHD box will still happily work (minus twin tuner ability) with only one LNB feed?

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Matt D

I assume a Sky+/SkyHD box will still happily work (minus twin tuner ability) with only one LNB feed?

Nope. I got an HD box just before Xmas and was running it off one feed for a couple of weeks till I got round to running another cable.

It would always fail to record programs if left to its own devices, a workaround was to schedule a recording for before the channel you wanted to record and then the channel you actually wanted to record (presumably tuner 2 with no wire was used to record things first)

That was a major hassle so without the two wires I wouldn't recommend it.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Ah. That scuppers my plans, then.


Cheers

[iain_herts]

from what i have been told is that the £10 sky+ sub has been dropped now skyHd still stands at £10pm.

if u can have a word with the lanlord and see if is possible to have anouther feed run.

i install sky/tv/fm/dab communal systems now and 90% are still only single feeds as its cheaper for them.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Nah, we can't have our own dish, & I don't see how we'd be able to have a 2nd feed run from the shared dish (the only visible sign we have of the existing single feed is a single f plug socket & faceplate on the wall in the lounge).


Damn.


I may look into getting a Freeview PVR, & just SCART it up to the Sky STB. Not as handy, but still better than a VCR.

[r1ch]

Sky have a communal system that works with Sky+ - maybe they would upgrade it for free if you got a few neighbours to sign up too? http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skyco...entid=10504703

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 13:21 ----------

The other option if there is a spare port on the disk is to use these to run two signals down one line. Bit expensive tho.

[iain_herts]

Originally Posted by r1ch

Sky have a communal system that works with Sky+ - maybe they would upgrade it for free if you got a few neighbours to sign up too? http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skyco...entid=10504703

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 13:21 ----------

The other option if there is a spare port on the disk is to use these to run two signals down one line. Bit expensive tho.

that stacker wont work with communal systems as the dish is fitted with a differnt kind of LNB each port is different the 4 ports will be either of these. V/H V/L H/H H/L

whereas a standard LNB will transmite all 4 down 1 output

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by r1ch

Sky have a communal system that works with Sky+ - maybe they would upgrade it for free if you got a few neighbours to sign up too? http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skyco...entid=10504703

I may try contacting Sky, see what they say. But the current communal system would've been fitted before the advent of Sky+, & I have no idea whether it could be upgraded & how.

Speak to neighbours? lol


I might also contact the aerial/sat contractors who fitted the communal system. They're the same guys who installed our STB when we moved here last year.

[Chrysalis]

I have also heard that sky+ will soon be a freebie and standard eventually phasing out the normal sky digi boxes.

[cityboy]

What you need is a smart splitter that will split the single dish feed into two signals and then you connect one to each LNB port on the Sky+ (or HD) box. The "smart" bit of the splitter is that it gives priority to one LNB - connect that one to the second LNB port (which is the one the recorder uses unless you are watching the programme you want to record). That way, you are guaranteed that your chosen programme will record. If you are watching another channel at the time you can carry on doing so unless it is the opposite polarisation to the one you are recording. So, this is not as good as two LNB feeds but much better than just one.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Cheers


Don't suppose you know where/how to get one of those, what what they tend to cost?

[iain_herts]

as far as i know they dont work i tryed useing a globle commuction splitter that we use in betting shops to split the sat feed to 3 recivers in them. i tryed it with my 1 sat feed on a sky+ and it didnt work

[cityboy]

I have one and they do work providing you get the smart splitter. Go to www.satellitecentre.co.uk and put "priority switch" in their search box. They cost £15.00 + £3.50 delivery and they get there within a couple of days (and no, I don't work for them !).

---------- Post added at 18:28 ---------- Previous post was at 18:05 ----------

Just checked the search on the Satellite Centre home page and, for some reason, you need to do it twice but the second search gets you there.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Cheers


I think I'll wait & see if the rumours of the + sub being dropped are true, & then look into it.

[Chrysalis]

I seen a remote eye thing in action £40 from argos works very well and thinking of getting one myself. Great if you want sky in multiple rooms but dont need them to be on different channels, the sky remote works on it as well.