[jimbobaggies]

Right, have the Sky+ box and have now cancelled Sky subscription. Is there any way to be able to view recorded programs, and use the recording facility without paying for Sky+?

Have the Amstrad box!

[MattC]

No, this is not possible.

Even if you want to access programs that you have already recorded, a valid Sky+ sub must be in place.

Mr Murdoch has you by the short & curlies...

[jimbobaggies]

OK, guess the next step will be to sell the box on eBay...

[coopermanyorks]

Originally Posted by jimbobaggies

OK, guess the next step will be to sell the box on eBay...

Hi

What make / model is the box ?

[jimbobaggies]

Amstrad A21B029 according to system info, there are no markings on front of the box, and I really don't want to pull out all the cabinet and cables to look at the back.

[davebav50]

You can use it to record the FTV chans for £10 per month

[jimbobaggies]

Originally Posted by davebav50

You can use it to record the FTV chans for £10 per month

Is that supposed to be helpful, or are you just trolling?

[davebav50]

Not sure what Trolling is, but a lot of new people on these forums do not always realise that you can opt for the Free to view subscription at £10 standalone per month, without having to pay any additional cash for the subscription services. Just trying to be helpful

[jimbobaggies]

Originally Posted by davebav50

Not sure what Trolling is, but a lot of new people on these forums do not always realise that you can opt for the Free to view subscription at £10 standalone per month, without having to pay any additional cash for the subscription services. Just trying to be helpful

Sorry, never seen FTV used as an acronym, seen FTA for free to air, but not FTV for free to view, I thought you meant fashion TV


Yeh, so I could pay £10/mth and use the functionality of Sky+ on the FTA channels only?

This must be a real annoyance for people that paid full price to buy one of these boxes, which was £300 odd, and then cannot use them to record after cancelling Sky. I would be livid if I'd paid all that money, but then couldn't even use it to record manually.... but I'm sure Sky must have this covered from a legal perspective?

[pcbbc]

Originally Posted by jimbobaggies

This must be a real annoyance for people that paid full price to buy one of these boxes, which was £300 odd, and then cannot use them to record after cancelling Sky. I would be livid if I'd paid all that money, but then couldn't even use it to record manually.... but I'm sure Sky must have this covered from a legal perspective?

As Sky used to charge £10 pcm EXTRA for Sky+, regardless of your current channel subscription, then I think these people would have been only too aware that if they stopped paying then their Sky+ functions would be removed.

[Gordy]

Originally Posted by jimbobaggies

.... but I'm sure Sky must have this covered from a legal perspective?

I broached the subject a couple of weeks back. Suggesting that the manual recording should be free, since, from a hardware point of view, the box is capable of this without subscription. In this scenario the hardware in my Pace Sky+ V1 is very similar to Pace's Free View PVR boxes.

However, it may be important to remember that the manual record on Sky+ was not available from the beginning, but only added in a subsequent software upgrade.
Sky will argue that it is the software development that brought manual record, and therefore users of manual record (and other) functionality should continue to maintain development.
Nevertheless, I would still say this is like Sky using a "digital wheelclamp", and in paying for the development of manual record since the beginning, the customers should now be allowed to reap the benefits without being held to ransom.

Unfortunately corporate greed always seems to win over morality in the end, and so the customer will rarely appear to get the best deal.

[Norm B]

Yes, I pay £10 a month for the FreeSat channels, its a bit of a rip-off but it is a good box and it works well in our household.

One thing to note that if you recorded a program that is not Free to view (or whatever) eg UK Gold, then you still will not be able to watch it. It's the watching what the card controls. My Sky+ box will still record channels, such as Sky movies but will not play them back, so no point in recording them.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Gordy

Unfortunately corporate greed always seems to win over morality in the end, and so the customer will rarely appear to get the best deal.

Blame TiVo, if they hadn't successfully (well barely, very small sales figures in the UK!) started a service you have to pay to use, Sky would never have thought of it!.

[Jarrak]

Originally Posted by Norm B

One thing to note that if you recorded a program that is not Free to view (or whatever) eg UK Gold, then you still will not be able to watch it. It's the watching what the card controls. My Sky+ box will still record channels, such as Sky movies but will not play them back, so no point in recording them.

I don't know for two consecutive years I used the option to record some movies on the run up to xmas and then upgraded to movies for 1 month and watched and externally recorded about 30 films.
Excellent value for money

[Norm B]

Originally Posted by Jarrak

I don't know for two consecutive years I used the option to record some movies on the run up to xmas and then upgraded to movies for 1 month and watched and externally recorded about 30 films.
Excellent value for money

That's crafty, it does agree with what I said. It allows you to record them, then watch them while you are able to.

I wonder if other people do this? Best keep it quiet.

[alternate]

It seems pretty much well known. I had a CS tell me I could do it when I downgraded.

The box records the raw encrypted stream and your sub only comes into play when you want to decode and display.

[jeffkey1]

All very interesting...

So I gather from this thread, as I have a FTV card already and I want a PVR facility with an EPG then....
(I would like to minimise my monthy subscription as I am happy with the channels I can currently get).

1) I can buy a Sky+ box off ebay for around £100 and pay £10 and month to activate pvr recording for the channels I have.

2) Buy a Tivo for around £100 and also pay £10 for the PVR functions.

3) Buy a Tivo on Ebay for £100 and pay £199 for a lifetime PVR subscription.

4) Buy a Tivo with a life time subscription off ebay for around £250-300 on ebay and pay no monthly subscriptions.

5) Pay sky £25 a month for a minimum subscription and a one off fee of £159 for a box and installation.


Any thoughts or pros and cons?

[jimbobaggies]

If you are only interested in FTV channels then buy a Freeview PVR..... you get some channels that aren't on the Sky FTV!

I have been told, reliably, that the Topfield box is pretty good... I know that one guy bought it where I work, and now there are more than 20 people with them!

http://www.pvruk.co.uk/reviews.cfm?a...del=TF5800PVRt

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by jeffkey1

All very interesting...

So I gather from this thread, as I have a FTV card already and I want a PVR facility with an EPG then....
(I would like to minimise my monthy subscription as I am happy with the channels I can currently get).

1) I can buy a Sky+ box off ebay for around £100 and pay £10 and month to activate pvr recording for the channels I have.

2) Buy a Tivo for around £100 and also pay £10 for the PVR functions.

3) Buy a Tivo on Ebay for £100 and pay £199 for a lifetime PVR subscription.

4) Buy a Tivo with a life time subscription off ebay for around £250-300 on ebay and pay no monthly subscriptions.

5) Pay sky £25 a month for a minimum subscription and a one off fee of £159 for a box and installation.


Any thoughts or pros and cons?

If you're wanting to use it on Sky, a Sky+ is your only real option - great performance and dead easy to use. TiVo is an analogue recorder, so isn't anywhere near the quality of Sky+ (which gives exactly the same quality as the original broadcast).

Can you still buy TiVo? - I've never even seen one, it flopped pretty well in the UK. It didn't help when exclusive rights were given to Dixons Group for six months - this pissed off the rest of the trade. Then after a fortnight with abysmal sales figures they offered them to the rest of the trade - who told them where to stick them!

UPDATE: I did a quick google, and see that Thomson stopped making them years back, and no one else has taken over - so no new European TiVo's then.

To be honest, it's pretty pointless now - if you've got satellite you have Sky+, for Freeview a PVR - TiVo's time is long gone!.

[jeffkey1]

jimbobaggies - There is no FreeView in my area. (yet) hence the sky Receiver and a FTV card.

Nigel Goodwin - I note the quality issue, had not thought of that, thanks.

Yes, you cannot buy a UK Tivo any more but there is a thriving trade on Ebay and a few dealers have refurbished units for sale. Its still well supported in the UK and UK Sky EPG's are still sent out each day.
There are Hard drive upgrades available I see as well.

Going the sky+ way the cheapest option looks like buying a Sky+ box off ebay for around £100 and then pay sky £10 a month to activate pvr recording for the channels I have.

[srpsrp]

you can get tivo like functionality from a combined DVD/HDD recorder. Recomend Panasonic DMREX85 ! If you have sky+ then you *will* notice the difference in picture quality on HQ channels though

[niall campbell]

save your money and get a sky+ box. what happens if you want to go back to watching sky?

i would at it this way........ a £120 a year for a video ........ then again it is dear.

i would pay it and im tight

[jeffkey1]

OK,

From the information given here and the fact that the recording will be a better quality and twin tuners,

I am going for a Sky+ box off ebay for around £120 (PVR3) and pay £10 and month to activate pvr recording for the FTV channels I have.

Now all I have to do is to try and explain this to Sky customer services !!!

[niall campbell]

its easy, i did the same as you. but phone sky in morning as you get india later on

[MattC]

When you call, try and get someone in "Sky New Business" this is the department that set me up with Sky+ on Freesat no problem at all. Most other departments insisted that I needed a viewing package first.

Also if you get one on ebay, get a reassurance that the modem works OK.

If it doesn't, it's virtually impossible to get Sky to activate it over the air. The phone cable can be disconnected once your're activated.

Good luck.