New to Sky: couple of dumbass questions

I've just (today!) made the switch from dodgy old analogue NTL cable
to the wonderful world of Sky digital. Got the basic free
installation dish and box (i.e. not Sky+), hooked up, in accordance
with the instruction manuals, to a Panasonic TV and VCR with SCART
cables and RF leads.

The good news: noticeably superior picture quality and a wider
selection of channels (not sure how many of them I'll watch, but
that's another matter). But here's my 2 dumbass questions:

1) I have no functioning rooftop (or set-top) aerial, so all my
signals previously were coming via my cable box. I had the standard 5
TV channels (BBC1 through to Channel 5) coming through on positions 1
to 5 of my T.V. , and the cable channels on position 6. I could
therefore happily watch, say, BBC1 while taping Sky1 on my VCR. Or
vice versa.

Now I have Sky digital, positions 1 to 5 on my T.V. have nothing. I
get all my channels (terrestrial and satellite) through the Sky button
on the Sky remote control. So - simple question using my previous
example - does this mean I can no longer watch BBC1 while taping Sky1?

2) I haven't got my head round teletext either. One of the main
reasons I used this (other than to catch the news headlines) was page
888 to give subtitles for the hard of hearing. Can I get this -
and/or normal teletext pages - through Sky?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

does this mean I can no longer watch BBC1 while taping Sky1?

'Fraid so


2) I haven't got my head round teletext either. One of the main
reasons I used this (other than to catch the news headlines) was page
888 to give subtitles for the hard of hearing. Can I get this -
and/or normal teletext pages - through Sky?

Most Satellite broadcasters have ditched analogue teletext in favour of
Digital text, press the Text button on your SKY remote

To put subtitles permanantly on your screen go into services, choose option
4 then option 3, scroll down to subtitles, press the right arrow key to turn
them on, scroll down to save settings and they should appear if theyre being
broadcast

BTW there subtitles will appear on any VCR recordings you make so if you
don't want them on tape make sure they are off before the programme starts

Best Wishes

Paul

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

wrote in message
...
I've just (today!) made the switch from dodgy old analogue NTL cable
to the wonderful world of Sky digital. Got the basic free
installation dish and box (i.e. not Sky+), hooked up, in accordance
with the instruction manuals, to a Panasonic TV and VCR with SCART
cables and RF leads.

The good news: noticeably superior picture quality and a wider
selection of channels (not sure how many of them I'll watch, but
that's another matter). But here's my 2 dumbass questions:

1) I have no functioning rooftop (or set-top) aerial, so all my
signals previously were coming via my cable box. I had the standard 5
TV channels (BBC1 through to Channel 5) coming through on positions 1
to 5 of my T.V. , and the cable channels on position 6. I could
therefore happily watch, say, BBC1 while taping Sky1 on my VCR. Or
vice versa.

Now I have Sky digital, positions 1 to 5 on my T.V. have nothing. I
get all my channels (terrestrial and satellite) through the Sky button
on the Sky remote control. So - simple question using my previous
example - does this mean I can no longer watch BBC1 while taping Sky1?

Unfortunately yes. Analogue Cable TV services generally had to carry the
four / five analogue channels 'in the clear' so that they could be watched
by non-subscribers without boxes who only have access to cable. This is why
you could watch them at the same time as a different channel was selected on
your NTL analogue box. Now with your new arrangement of only a dish there
are no additional analogue carriers going into your TV.

If you want the ability to watch one channel whilst recording another back
you have two options. Either upgrade to a Sky+ box which has two digital
tuners. OR if you still have the old NTL connection get a cable between the
wall box and the aerial input on your TV and you may be able to tune in the
5 analogue channels directly without the need for the NTL box. (I used to
use an analogue cable connection for reception of Channels 1-5 when I lived
in Reading even though I did not have a Telewest box).

2) I haven't got my head round teletext either. One of the main
reasons I used this (other than to catch the news headlines) was page
888 to give subtitles for the hard of hearing. Can I get this -
and/or normal teletext pages - through Sky?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sky channels generally use Digital Text instead of the old Teletext system.
To get subtitles you have to set them up in the setup menu. Option 4 then 3.
Should be obvious. When subtitles are broadcast they will appear on screen
without you having to select text on your TV remote.

Colin

wrote:
example - does this mean I can no longer watch BBC1 while taping Sky1?

Not without buying more equipment, probably. I'm sure Sky will recommend
the expensive rented Sky+ box, but I'm not sure how you would connect
a cheap Free-To-Air receiver (FTA, can get BBC) alongside a Sky box.

2) I haven't got my head round teletext either. One of the main
reasons I used this (other than to catch the news headlines) was page
888 to give subtitles for the hard of hearing. Can I get this -
and/or normal teletext pages - through Sky?

BBC broadcast a limited teletext service on BBC 1 London and BBC 2
England: mostly just subtitles, listings and programme info. No news
service. CNN has news headlines, Eurosport has sports news, and TV5 is a
mix in French. I'm not sure whether all Sky boxes still translate these
into a form your TV can access.

Sky really expect you to use their proprietary "digital text" system.
I think it's called OpenTV. It's more complicated to use, has few
accessibility features (while nearly all teletext sets seem to do at
least double-height text) and has fewer features, from the demos I've
seen (the interactive videos are mostly really hidden channels). I'm
trying to persuade BBC to put proper Ceefax back onto UK satellite
services, but it's slow going. A few more emails to
and asking for it would help.

Thanks to all for the responses. I've got text sorted out now.


Analogue Cable TV services generally had to carry the
four / five analogue channels 'in the clear' so that they could be watched
by non-subscribers without boxes who only have access to cable. This is why
you could watch them at the same time as a different channel was selected on
your NTL analogue box. Now with your new arrangement of only a dish there
are no additional analogue carriers going into your TV.

This makes sense. Is it only analogue cable which carries the 5
analogue channels 'in the clear'? Or does digital cable as well?

This seems to me a severely retrograde step. Because it seems I not
only can't watch one programme while taping another, but also I can't
go out for the evening and set the VCR for unattended recording of,
say, a program on BBC1 at 9:00 followed by a program on Sky1 at 11:00.
Have I got this right?

(You may gather that most of my TV viewing is time-shifted to watch
later on the VCR, so this is a big deal for me.)


If you want the ability to watch one channel whilst recording another back
you have two options. Either upgrade to a Sky+ box which has two digital
tuners. OR if you still have the old NTL connection get a cable between the
wall box and the aerial input on your TV and you may be able to tune in the
5 analogue channels directly without the need for the NTL box. (I used to
use an analogue cable connection for reception of Channels 1-5 when I lived
in Reading even though I did not have a Telewest box).


Unfortunately, the Sky fitter utilised the cable from the NTL box
outside my window to run into the house, to "save me from having 2
cables running along the skirting board to the TV". If only I had
known this yesterday, I could have had the NTL cable left intact.

Finally, what about connecting a rooftop aerial? My Thomson digibox
has a socket in the back for a "terrestrial aerial". If I get my
rooftop aerial fixed and plug it in here, presumably I will then be
able to watch a terrestrial channel while recording a satellite
channel, and vice versa? My reception isn't great, but, at least as a
short term solution, this would be cheaper than investing in Sky+.

wrote:
go out for the evening and set the VCR for unattended recording of,
say, a program on BBC1 at 9:00 followed by a program on Sky1 at 11:00.
Have I got this right?

Doesn't the Sky box allow you to preprogram channel changes?

MJ Ray wrote:
wrote:
go out for the evening and set the VCR for unattended recording of,
say, a program on BBC1 at 9:00 followed by a program on Sky1 at
11:00. Have I got this right?

Doesn't the Sky box allow you to preprogram channel changes?

Yes it does. There's a feature called 'Autoview' where you can tag
programmes in the EPG and the box will switch on, or change to these
automatically.

MJ Ray wrote:
wrote:

go out for the evening and set the VCR for unattended recording of,
say, a program on BBC1 at 9:00 followed by a program on Sky1 at 11:00.
Have I got this right?


Doesn't the Sky box allow you to preprogram channel changes?


the one anoying feature of the Sky box is that you can do that using
Autoview, but

(a) you need to leave the box on, so if you going away for a week, you
need to keep it on for a week.

(b), you get a banner acroos the screen sayin some programmes is going
to start, before the channel changes over.



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wrote in message
...
I've just (today!) made the switch from dodgy old analogue NTL cable
to the wonderful world of Sky digital. Got the basic free
installation dish and box (i.e. not Sky+), hooked up, in accordance
with the instruction manuals, to a Panasonic TV and VCR with SCART
cables and RF leads.

The good news: noticeably superior picture quality and a wider
selection of channels (not sure how many of them I'll watch, but
that's another matter). But here's my 2 dumbass questions:

1) I have no functioning rooftop (or set-top) aerial, so all my
signals previously were coming via my cable box. I had the standard 5
TV channels (BBC1 through to Channel 5) coming through on positions 1
to 5 of my T.V. , and the cable channels on position 6. I could
therefore happily watch, say, BBC1 while taping Sky1 on my VCR. Or
vice versa.

Now I have Sky digital, positions 1 to 5 on my T.V. have nothing. I
get all my channels (terrestrial and satellite) through the Sky button
on the Sky remote control. So - simple question using my previous
example - does this mean I can no longer watch BBC1 while taping Sky1?

Your VCR has an analogue tuner, but if you have no analogue input, then yes,
you will not be able to tape analogue BBC1 whilst watching digital satellite
Sky One.


2) I haven't got my head round teletext either. One of the main
reasons I used this (other than to catch the news headlines) was page
888 to give subtitles for the hard of hearing. Can I get this -
and/or normal teletext pages - through Sky?

You have to go into the menus to switch the subtitles on.


--
MESSAGE ENDS.
John Porcella

wrote in message
...
Thanks to all for the responses. I've got text sorted out now.


Analogue Cable TV services generally had to carry the
four / five analogue channels 'in the clear' so that they could be
watched
by non-subscribers without boxes who only have access to cable. This is
why
you could watch them at the same time as a different channel was selected
on
your NTL analogue box. Now with your new arrangement of only a dish there
are no additional analogue carriers going into your TV.

This makes sense. Is it only analogue cable which carries the 5
analogue channels 'in the clear'? Or does digital cable as well?

This seems to me a severely retrograde step. Because it seems I not
only can't watch one programme while taping another, but also I can't
go out for the evening and set the VCR for unattended recording of,
say, a program on BBC1 at 9:00 followed by a program on Sky1 at 11:00.
Have I got this right?

No, you could record the BBC1 broadcast from Sky D, unless they overlap, but
this will not happen normally, given that the BBC has the news at ten.

Finally, what about connecting a rooftop aerial?

Yes, this is fine, though it was not clear from your post if you did have a
rooftop aerial or not.

My Thomson digibox
has a socket in the back for a "terrestrial aerial". If I get my
rooftop aerial fixed and plug it in here, presumably I will then be
able to watch a terrestrial channel while recording a satellite
channel, and vice versa? My reception isn't great, but, at least as a
short term solution, this would be cheaper than investing in Sky+.

Fine.


--
MESSAGE ENDS.
John Porcella