Options For Freeview Tv

[NozSpark]

I know for a fact that our sky+ HD box won't record without a valid subscription

 

[steptoe]

I know for a fact that our sky+ HD box won't record without a valid subscription

oh,

he must just use it for watching freesat on then,

weird,,,,,,    :C

 

[Badger]

its cause sky charge you for the privelage of record option on 'their' box even if youve paid for the box and you own it out right, its stupid thats why ive gone for the humax box.

 

[ProDave]

you could get a skybox f5,  [example]

that allows you to record, amongst other things  

are you sure about that?

my mate has a sky+ box and Im fairly sure he can record on it, freesat only of course,

but, I would need to ask him to be certain.

The skybox f5 is nothing whatsoever to do with sky.  It is not what's normally known as a "sky box"

A Sky+ or sky HD box can record without a subscription, but it's not easy.

With the previous blue sky viewing cards, if you removed the card before the subscription ended (while recording was still active) and then left the card out of the box for at least 3 months (by which time they had stopped sending the command to disable the recording function) then it would still work to record the free channels.

I have been (and still am) using a Sky HD box like that just to record and play all the free channels :innocent

However with the current white viewing cards, that loophole is closed and it will not work.

BUT if you have had a sky subscription for a long time, and previously had a blue viewing card, and are a bit of a hoarder so you still have it somewhere, then plug it into your box and try it. You might be pleasantly surprised.

There is also at least one version of sky+ box where someone has re written part of the software to allow recording without a card. It requires reprogramming one of the flash chips. You sometimes see modified boxes for sale on ebay, but frankly the asking prices are so high you might as well buy a freesat box instead.

 

[OnOff]

The youngest one is just watching Disney's Frozen on streaming. This isn't a bad guide on free TV etc:

http://www.chrisvile.com/index.php/blog/8-how-to-watch-free-movies-and-cable-tv

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Mine is Humax also.  Easy to use, i got mine from Maplins

 

[steptoe]

The skybox f5 is nothing whatsoever to do with sky.  It is not what's normally known as a "sky box"

A Sky+ or sky HD box can record without a subscription, but it's not easy.

With the previous blue sky viewing cards, if you removed the card before the subscription ended (while recording was still active) and then left the card out of the box for at least 3 months (by which time they had stopped sending the command to disable the recording function) then it would still work to record the free channels.

I have been (and still am) using a Sky HD box like that just to record and play all the free channels :innocent

However with the current white viewing cards, that loophole is closed and it will not work.

BUT if you have had a sky subscription for a long time, and previously had a blue viewing card, and are a bit of a hoarder so you still have it somewhere, then plug it into your box and try it. You might be pleasantly surprised.

There is also at least one version of sky+ box where someone has re written part of the software to allow recording without a card. It requires reprogramming one of the flash chips. You sometimes see modified boxes for sale on ebay, but frankly the asking prices are so high you might as well buy a freesat box instead.

I know it's not what is generally known as a sky box, but it can do so much more than a normal skybox (without sub) or freesat box can.

 

[steptoe]

XBMC is very good, I have a mini mac instead of a dvd recorder and its great - It has XBMC installed on it and that works a treat

:slap

Even you have a Mac running proper Linux and not Apple's bad version of it,!!!!

 

[OnOff]

This afternoon I put XMBC and Navi-X on a Samsung Galaxy Note phone and left my mate happily watching S**! 

(Clue: It can be blue/grey/dark etc.........)

:innocent

 

[revjames]

Thanks for the replies. Sky is going on the 12th March and I am not having it back in fact I will get rid of the box. Looks like best option will be a Freeesat recorder and anything on the terrestrial freeview will be viewable but not recordable via the TV tuner then.

Is there a 'box' that kinda turns a dumbass TV into a smart TV so I can get iplayer etc on it? or even better a freesat recorder that has that built in?

 

[ProDave]

Look at the newer freetime boxes.

That's freesat will the iptv on demand stuff added.  though the marketing of it is less than clear

http://www.freesat.co.uk/get-freesat/freesat-plus-with-freetime

 

[Steve3948]

Dave is RTL off the Astra Satellite the same one for Sky ?

 

[ProDave]

Dave is RTL off the Astra Satellite the same one for Sky ?

No it's off the Astra 1 satellite at 19 degrees east.

you will need a second dish, or as I have one dish with 3 LNB's (astra 1, astra 2 and hotbird)

 

[Steve3948]

i notice the Freesat boxes dont have RF output, so assume a scart to RF modulator will be required if you want to push it to other rooms.

 

[OnOff]

XBMC runs on OSx 

But NOT on iAnything without jail breaking it!

EDIT: I've just put it on my boy' s HTC Android phone too..............no jail breaking required.............

EDIT: BUT..........tis a bit slow on the video side..........think the phone is only 800MHz processor.........or is it 'cos all the kids are online gaming at the mo?

 

[Badger]

No it's off the Astra 1 satellite at 19 degrees east.

you will need a second dish, or as I have one dish with 3 LNB's (astra 1, astra 2 and hotbird)

how have you managed to get 3 lnbs onto one dish for 3 different satelittes,

 

[ProDave]

No there's no RF out on the freesat boxes.  Even new sky boxes have dropped that (though you can buy an external modulator for a sky box)  It's seen as old technology now i'm afraid.

3 LNB's on one dish easy. You can either buy a "side arm" bracket, or I just make my own with 40mm pipe clamps.  You really need a bigger dish though, a sky minidish is just not big enough, the LNB's would end up trying to overlap each other.  80CM is about the minimum really, though mine is 90cm.

A quick google finds this example of 3 LNB's on one dish http://www.hypermegasat.com/2-LNBF-Brkt-3LNB.gif

In my case the dish is aligned to Astra 1 at 19 degrees E.  Then I added an extra LNB on each side, one for Astra 2 28 degrees E and one for hotbird 13 degrees E.  you align the second two by moving the position of the LNB's on their brackets without touching the dish.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Is hotbird the sat you can pick up  the football not shown on (now) BT

 

[Blue Duck]

Slightly off topic but

...

Hackney council were putting turksat and hotbird as options on their outlet plates during the digital switchover and all these communal upgrades. Found that hotbird was an African satellite provider but never knew you couldnt not watch football on it? Thought that was Albanian satellite? Not been to the royal oak in a while so I dont know who their current provider is? All I know is its not sky or bt.

 

[NozSpark]

IIRC Sky & BT are starting to take pubs & clubs to court for using these other satellite providers