Recommendation for DVD and/or HD recorder?

Mike Henry wrote:

In , Peter
wrote:
A couple of points

And a couple of corrections. This is a technical group after all!

1. Sky no longer charge for Sky+.

1a. Sky used to, and currently, charge their customers for Sky+. The fee
could of course return at any time given Sky's past behaviour. Sky+ fee
£10 per month yesterday; "HD" fee £10 per month today; who knows what
they will dream up to charge £10 per month for in the future, and what
people will happily pay. Perhaps it'll be an "unlock FF-through-adverts"
fee. The feature that prevents record/play back unless an authenticated
viewing card that has been flagged as "enable record/play back" is still
there, lurking and ready to be removed should they change policy again
in the future. If Sky were really serious about "scrapping" a usage fee
for Sky+, they would issue a software update with all of this stuff
removed.
1b. Sky certainly DO still charge £10 per month for Sky+ recording, if
you don't subscribe to a Sky pay-TV viewing package. You have to pay Sky
for the privilege of recording FTA BBC channels. £10 is cheaper than
Sky's minimum 2-mix package which now costs £17 per month after their
recent inflation-busting price rises. Those are the two prices Curry's
quoted and why they are different.

2. I purchased my Sky+ box privately, then told Sky that I needed a
new viewing card which they sent me. I was charged ten quid a month up
until they stopped charging the premium.

... and the only reason you don't pay extra for recording now would be
that you already pay Sky for your viewing package!

3. Curry's etc will of course receive a commission from Sky for each
new contract they get signed up.

4. Apparently, new and used Sky+ boxes are available from:

http://www.thedigiboxshop.com/sky-pl...-products.html

This is a company that I have no connection with whatsoever, that I
have never used and I have posted the link in order to demonstrate
that it is possible to purchase a Sky box without having to involve
Currys, Comet or Sky etc.

Indeed, and this is to be encouraged. (The phone connection is only
required (contractually and never technically) if Sky themselves perform
the installation, for one thing).

HTH

Thanks both. I'll have to study this a bit more before I really
understand how best to proceed. Given that even existing users have
some different interpretations of what's available and what the costs
are, as a newcomer to the scene I don't feel too badly about being
confused ;-)

Could I get advice on a few points that are still unclear to me
please:

1. Does the Sky+ box only record to its HD? IOW, it has no DVD
recorder?

2. After recording a live TV programme to HD, could I connect the Sky+
box by Scart to a separate DVD recorder, burn a DVD, and play that in
years to come, whether or not I was still a SKY subscriber?

3. Will it definitely be necessary to change (or supplement) the
existing single satellite cable fitted for my basic Freesat Sky box?
(This 'LNB' upgrade Peter mentioned up-thread?) And is that included
in any quoted 'installation' fee?

4. If I decided after all *not* to go the Sky+ route, could I do the
following:

- Buy a DVD/HDD recorder (again!), but this time get one with
VideoPlus, like my present Philips DVD/VCR Combo

- Replace the Philips DVD/VCR Combo with the DVD/HDD recorder

- Continue to do my occasional recordings as I do now, but to DVD (or
to HDD and then to DVD if that's necessary or more flexible), rather
than to VHS?

FWIW, my present setup looks like this:


V Satellite
| Aerial
+--------+------------+ +---------------------+
| SkyBox (basic) | | TV |
| | | (Panasonic) |
| TV Scart|------------|AV1 |
| | | |
| | |AV2 |
| VCR Scart|---+ | |
| | | |AV4 |
| | | | |
+---------------------+ | +---------------------+
| |
| |
| RF lead |
+----------------------+ |
| |
| |
| +---------------------+ V |
| | VCR Recorder | | Terrestrial |
| | + DVD Player | | Aerial |
| |AV1 (Philips Combo) |---+ |
| | | |
| | | |
+-------|AV2 (Decoder) |---------------------+
| |
| |
+---------------------+


--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:25:41 +0100, Terry Pinnell
wrote:


Thanks both. I'll have to study this a bit more before I really
understand how best to proceed. Given that even existing users have
some different interpretations of what's available and what the costs
are, as a newcomer to the scene I don't feel too badly about being
confused ;-)

Could I get advice on a few points that are still unclear to me
please:

1. Does the Sky+ box only record to its HD? IOW, it has no DVD
recorder?

Correct, and the size of the hard disc will determine how many
programmes you may record

2. After recording a live TV programme to HD, could I connect the Sky+
box by Scart to a separate DVD recorder, burn a DVD, and play that in
years to come, whether or not I was still a SKY subscriber?

Correct. This is what I do, although the DVD recorder is connected
permanently

3. Will it definitely be necessary to change (or supplement) the
existing single satellite cable fitted for my basic Freesat Sky box?
(This 'LNB' upgrade Peter mentioned up-thread?) And is that included
in any quoted 'installation' fee?

Yes, the Sky+ box requires two feeds from the dish - in order that it
may record two seperate channels at the same time or permit you to
record one channel while watching a different channel.
So not only will you need a second cable, you may need a new LNB
--
Cheers

Peter

In article , Terry Pinnell
wrote:
Do you mean my VCR recorder (or combo) must only ever be connected to
AV4? How does that square with this setup I've been using successfully
for many months?
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/I...ing29Aug07.jpg

At first I missed the fact that the VCR you referred to wasn't a
separate box that would have to be plugged into your disk recorder, but
was in fact combined with it. That's why I suggested a composite input
which would have been the best choice had understood this correctly.

A quick look at your diagram suggests the only thing I'd want to improve
would be the connection from your VCR/DVD "Combi" box to the TV. It
seems a shame to use the RF aerial input when the TV has several other
SCART inputs. Even if it doesn't have any spare RGB-capable SCARTs,
using one of them instead of the aerial input will give better picture
quality and stereo sound.

Rod.

Peter wrote:

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:25:41 +0100, Terry Pinnell
wrote:


Thanks both. I'll have to study this a bit more before I really
understand how best to proceed. Given that even existing users have
some different interpretations of what's available and what the costs
are, as a newcomer to the scene I don't feel too badly about being
confused ;-)

Could I get advice on a few points that are still unclear to me
please:

1. Does the Sky+ box only record to its HD? IOW, it has no DVD
recorder?

Correct, and the size of the hard disc will determine how many
programmes you may record

2. After recording a live TV programme to HD, could I connect the Sky+
box by Scart to a separate DVD recorder, burn a DVD, and play that in
years to come, whether or not I was still a SKY subscriber?

Correct. This is what I do, although the DVD recorder is connected
permanently

3. Will it definitely be necessary to change (or supplement) the
existing single satellite cable fitted for my basic Freesat Sky box?
(This 'LNB' upgrade Peter mentioned up-thread?) And is that included
in any quoted 'installation' fee?

Yes, the Sky+ box requires two feeds from the dish - in order that it
may record two seperate channels at the same time or permit you to
record one channel while watching a different channel.
So not only will you need a second cable, you may need a new LNB

Many thanks. All beginning to become a lot clearer!

On my point #4, could you tell me what your cabling connections are
please? Maybe use my schematic as a basis.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK