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New "premium" Sky+ box

I. Merriman (Competent) posted this on Thursday, 2nd September 2004, 15:30

I`ve heard that Sky are bringing out a new Sky+ box (Sky++ box?)

Apparently it can store 80 hours of TV (rather than the current 20 hours) and will retail for approx £399

Does anyone have anymore info, specs etc on this?

The Sky+ web site has no mention of it...

RE: New

EmilyHoward (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 2nd September 2004, 15:38

Yep, take a look here

techdigestuk.typepad.com/tech_digest/2004/08/new_399_sky_fro.html

Link made `linkable` by Mod :)

This item was edited on Wednesday, 8th September 2004, 19:35

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

bowfer (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 2nd September 2004, 16:03

Does this mean the current SKY+ box will decrease in price,and rightly so ?
What is the current SKY+ deal anyway ?
Still around £150 and another £10 a month on top of your package ?

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

EmilyHoward (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 2nd September 2004, 22:07

No extra £10 if you subscribe to at least one premium channel package.

To be honest, I consider the Sky+ deal I got last November to be an absolute bargain. £199 for the Sky+ box, including fitting and resiting the old Sky box into my kid`s bedroom to replace NTL cable. We took out the mirror sub which is £10 a month and she gets every channel we get on the Sky+ box. I was paying more than double that to NTL just for their `basic package` plus Disney Channel If I look at at it purely in monetary terms, inside of 18 months, with the saving made on not having NTL`s service, less the tenner a month for the mirror sub, I will have cleared the cost of the Sky + deal!!

Then I look at what extra I get..no faffing around with video recorders...broadcast quality recordings..record two things at the same time, and still be able to watch a recording you made earlier..live pause while you visit the porcelain throne or grab a beer(Guaranteed to miss a goal without live pause)..daughter not pestering me for the Disney Channel when I wasnt to watch the footy!!!

If you are already a Sky subscriber, I`d say Sky+ is the biggest electrical bargain on the high street today. I don`t see them cutting huge amounts off the standard Sky + box..there is a big enough gap between the two units to make the old one still be appealing.

As much as I like the idea of a longer recording time, I don`t see muself jumping for one of the new boxes at the price they are asking..if the functionality of the two boxes is the same, then I`ll just wait until my warranty period ends in November and wang in a larger drive.

Now, if they`d stick a Digital Video output on it.......

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

bowfer (Elite) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 08:00

Quote:
I`d say Sky+ is the biggest electrical bargain on the high street today. I don`t see them cutting huge amounts off the standard Sky + box..


Steady.... :/
I believe they already have cut chunks off it
I believe you can hassle them into giving you it for £99 now.
Officially £149 for existing subscribers,and £99 for newbies.
However,if you throw a hissy-fit about it they will match the £99 deal.
Still too much for me,but then I have a DVD recorder so most of the benefits are negated.

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

mgns (Competent) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 12:27

Quote:
Apparently it can store 80 hours of TV (rather than the current 20 hours) and will retail for approx £399


i think you can do a d.i.y. harddisk upgrade on current sky+ boxes - it invalidates the warranty (as does opening up most things) and i think there a few teething problems - but people are buying larger drives and just installing them. sorry, i can`t remember where i saw the thread - i`ll try and track it down and post it later

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

EmilyHoward (Elite) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 15:12

All of which pretty much backs up my assertation it`s he biggest bargain on the high street today!!

The current deal is £149 for existing subscribers, and installation is payable if you don`t go for multi room.

I`m not sure the £99 one fro new SKY subscribers guarantees you a new Sky box..I did read somewhere that they were even using refurbed v1 boxes on some installations on this deal.

To be honest, I don`t see a DVD recorder negating a single one of the Sky Plus benefits.

A DVD recorder can`t record two programmes at once and still allow you to watch something you`ve already recorded?

Unless you`re DVD recorder will write to RAM discs, you`ve got no live pause/timeshift.

Good as DVD recordings are, they aren`t at stored at broadcast quality.

A DVD recorder won`t let you watch one programme off SKY and record another

I see a DVD recorder being a geat addition to a Sky Plus box.. a great way of archiving recordings at near broadcast quality.

RE: New "premium" Sky+ box

EmilyHoward (Elite) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 15:22

http://www.hummer.co.uk/sky.htm

Lots of infor for upgrading your Sky+ on here

RE: New

bowfer (Elite) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 16:24

Quote:
Unless you`re DVD recorder will write to RAM discs, you`ve got no live pause/timeshift.


Got that thanks !

Quote:
Good as DVD recordings are, they aren`t at stored at broadcast quality.


Exactly why is a recording onto a hard drive any different from a recording onto a RAM disc or -R ? :/
My DVD recorder has RGB in.On XP or SP there is no loss of quality. :p

SKY+ is all very well,but it is limited in that you cannot use recordings elsewhere.I can swap RAM or -R discs between all the machines in my house,or with mates who also have Panasonic machines (they`re all going for Panasonics after seeing mine).

I would like SKY+ but I don`t want to pay for it thanks.
The way it`s going it will be available as a free upgrade within a year.

This item was edited on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 17:29

RE: New

EmilyHoward (Elite) posted this on Friday, 3rd September 2004, 17:40

Quote:
Good as DVD recordings are, they aren`t at stored at broadcast quality.


"Exactly why is a recording onto a hard drive any different from a recording onto a RAM disc or -R ?
My DVD recorder has RGB in.On XP or SP there is no loss of quality. "

Yes there is because you are going from a digital recording which is then converted to analogue to record onto your DVD disc. The loss is minimal but it`s still there.



"SKY+ is all very well,but it is limited in that you cannot use recordings elsewhere.I can swap RAM or -R discs between all the machines in my house,or with mates who also have Panasonic machines (they`re all going for Panasonics after seeing mine)."

But that`s the issue here..it`s only interchangable within that group of people who have RAM recorders..That`s like not being able to exchange video tapes between Sony and Phillips users


"I would like SKY+ but I don`t want to pay for it thanks.
The way it`s going it will be available as a free upgrade within a year."

No chance..the Sky digital upgrade was in Sky`s interests, that`s why you got that for nothing, but the ugrade to Sky + has minimal advantages for Sky, just unbelievable benefits for he users

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