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Technical Help & Discussion => AV Lounge => Topic started by: Clive on March 23, 2011, 18:53

Title: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 23, 2011, 18:53: OK, own up! Who is subscribing and what do you think of it? Sky is currently doing a deal for existing subscribers in which if they sign up for 12 months they will bung you £100 M&S vouchers. 8-)
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 23, 2011, 19:00: I get some HD from Freesat, Clive, the rest of my experience is from Bluray. For sports and material that is shot with HD in mind, it's brilliant. Nature programmes in particular benefit. OTOH, much of the broadcast material shows only marginal benefit, eg most chat shows etc gain little or nothing, and many dramas are so busy being moody that the effect of HD is largely lost. For the extra £120/pa that Sky want, I'm dubious that I'd gain sufficiently.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 23, 2011, 19:34: With the M&S voucher it would come down to just £20 for that first year. I only have 24 hours to make my mind up.

http://www.sky.com/shop/high-definition/home/
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 23, 2011, 21:15: Never experienced it Clive, so I can't help, sorry. However, if it's only going to cost you £20 for the first year, and you can get out of it after that if you want to, I'd say go for it, as you have virtually nothing to lose.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Delgado on March 23, 2011, 21:48: I have Freesat, and certain programmes are broadcast in HD, ITV and BBC, and the difference in picture quality is superb. Coronation Street on ITV is broadcast in HD, and you feel you are in the Rovers Pub. Some football matches are in HD, and you can see the blades of grass on the pitch. Worth having, but I wouldnt pay Sky a fortune for it.

I bought a Freesat tuner, and coupled it up to my existing dish, and cancelled my Sky subscription.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 23, 2011, 22:27: I'd love to do that too but Mrs Clive likes some of the Sky channels. Even worse, my grandson loves the Disney channel which is only available on Sky so I guess I'm stuck with it. It's very galling having to pay Murdoch a tenner a month just for the sake of a couple of channels though! >:(
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 24, 2011, 13:54: The Evil Empire gets another tenner a month out of me. What a crap website they have. I had to phone them to get the deal but it's being delivered on Monday. M&S vouchers will take 45 days! :dunno:
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 24, 2011, 15:00: Oh well.. Hope you enjoy it Clive.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 24, 2011, 15:45: Quote from: Clive on March 24, 2011, 13:54
M&S vouchers will take 45 days! :dunno:

If you're lucky... :devil:
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 24, 2011, 16:50: I had no idea anyone else could be as cynical as me!! :laugh:
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 24, 2011, 17:00: I've been a Murdoch customer since '97. :)
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 24, 2011, 17:45: I think I became sucked in during 1998. :(
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 24, 2011, 17:49: It was the Lions tour which did for me. :(
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 24, 2011, 18:09: I'm free!!!
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: GillE on March 24, 2011, 18:13: So am I. We cancelled our subscription on 8 March - we never watched it.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 24, 2011, 18:34: I can see me moving to a Freesat recorder, though I would miss the Naional Geographic channels.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Delgado on March 24, 2011, 19:41: Rik-You can connect your Freesat Tuner to your existing Sky Dish, but you need to have either a dual or treble LNB fitted to your dish, to enable you to record and watch at the same time.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 25, 2011, 09:08: I have a single feed to the TV already, thanks, it's just a question of how much longer I pay for the privilege of Sky+. :)
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 25, 2011, 11:59: DG was saying you'll need a twin feed for Freesat, Rik. I only have a single feed, which is one reason I haven't taken Sky or Freesat.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Delgado on March 25, 2011, 12:25: Quote from: Simon on March 25, 2011, 11:59
DG was saying you'll need a twin feed for Freesat, Rik. I only have a single feed, which is one reason I haven't taken Sky or Freesat.

Yes thats correct-I had to have a twin LNB fitted as I only had a single feed. With a single feed you cant watch and record at the same time. This cost me £60, but was well worth it.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 25, 2011, 12:30: Mine is a communal feed, so I don't think I have the option of converting it to a twin feed. It's not just a question of buying a new twin LNB faceplate, is it?
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Rik on March 25, 2011, 12:47: I already have a quad LNB, with two feeds to Sky+, one to the TV. If I switch to a Freesat PVR, it's simply a box swap.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Clive on March 25, 2011, 17:53: I think you are a bit stuck with the communal feed Simon. It makes the Sky+ box a bit of a nightmare.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Delgado on March 25, 2011, 18:01: Quote from: Simon on March 25, 2011, 12:30
Mine is a communal feed, so I don't think I have the option of converting it to a twin feed. It's not just a question of buying a new twin LNB faceplate, is it?

No you would have to get the communal feed upgraded I think, with a new LNB on the dish, and then a twin cable feed to your room.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 25, 2011, 20:19: I think that would require everyone on the communal feed to also be upgraded. Probably cost prohibitive.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Delgado on March 25, 2011, 20:28: I think your stuck with what youve got Simon.

You could probably get Freeview, if you were allowed your own aerial. I think freeview are showing some HD programmes.
Title: Re: Sky HD
Post by: Simon on March 25, 2011, 21:29: Oh, I can get Freeview, DG, as that's also on the communal system, but unfortunately, not Freeview HD as yet.