Getting most out of Sky+

[admin_exported]

After purchasing a Full HD LCD (Panasonic) and hooking it up to the Sky+ box via a good quality scart I'm still not impressed by the picture I'm getting. The box is set to RGB and I've followed guidance from WHF when setting up the TV. Is there anything else I can do to improve the picture? And don't say get Sky HD....I refuse to pay another tenner a month.

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Think you have answered your own question...

I have a 42" Panasonic Full HD with Sky+ and the picture is poor. It is also poor with freeview etc. I think you have the best connection you can with the scart. You could try a really expensive receiver that upscales the AV, but you're telly is already attempting to upscale the picture?

On a a more cheerful note, I hear that Sky are having a pricing rethink...HD boxes for £150 soon and also may lose the subscription (extra tenner) in September. This is all part of the battle with FreeSat HD.If they do change it they may get a few more customers upgrading from the trusty Sky+ setup.

WHF - if the above is not true maybe you could point us both in the right direction?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I have a 50"" Full HD Samsung Plasma and used to use the Sky+ box connected vis RGB only QED SQUART but like the OP I was not OTT with the picture. I now have SKY HD and the picture even on SD channels is vastly improved.

It is possible to change your box to a HD one without paying the extra £10 a month for the HD content (you will get BBC HD and C4HD for free) and still benifit from improved picture quailty mainly down to the digital HDMI conection but I find the best results are found with the HD video settings set to AUTOMATIC as the scalers in my TV definatly outproform those in the HD box, but the HD pictures really do show what your TV can do.

You can either get the HD box via SKY, or do as I did and find one on EBAY and save any instalation costs as you currently have SKY+ it is a simple case of unplug all cables and pop them back into the HD box, turn it on and off you go. All you then need to do is call SKY to pair your viewing card to the new box and choose if you want to pay the extra £10 for the extra HD channels.

 

[Alec]

dmroberts:
...may lose the subscription (extra tenner) in September.

Where did you hear this...?

 

[Anonymous]

Can u answer my query Krime?

I'm currently receiving Freesat from Sky through my Sky+ box (having to pay £10 a month for the privilege) and I want to go over to Freesat from Sky through a Sky HD box mainly because of the HDMI connection. I'll get the HD box from Ebay.

If I call Sky would they be prepared to let me continue on the Freesat service or do you think it will be along the lines of 'well we cant upgrade your viewing card to HD unless you are willing to take up a full subscription etc,'...wouldnt surprise me.

 

[Anonymous]

Read the following article:

http://whathifi.com/blogs/television/archive/2008/06/05/news-sky-to-increase-hd-content-and-cut-prices.aspx

Says they are not ruling out dropping the extra tenner in 2008! Who knows...miracles may happen?

 

[Anonymous]

PiperUK

Having ben through exactly this (not happy with picture from Sky+ machine connected to LCD via scart) and having exactly the same situation (pay 10 a month only for Sk+) I thought I'd do the experiment so I bought a Sky HD box from ebay and plugged it in. I thought, well even if I just get the extra disk capacity and the HDMI connection it'll be worth it. I'm pleased to say that it all just works as I hoped it would. I get BBC HD and Channel 4 HD. I can record programs. I get Five/Five US etc (which you don't on Freesat Not From Sky). I get BBC interractive services (which again you don't seem to on Freesat Not From Sky).

I just took the card out of my existing Sky+ box, stuck it in the Sky HD box, swapped the cables over and bobs your uncle. The picture is definitely better, even on SD, so it's definitely worth it for the 150-200 quid you have to spend to get a Sky HD box off ebay.

Until Freesat has more channels (namely Five/Five US -- I like House, the wife likes Neighbours/Home and Away ), and until a decent range of PVRs, DVD recorders etc is available for Freesat I'm sticking with this st up, even though it does cost me 10 pounds a month. Currently no alternative that fits my requirements.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply tomq42 - you have answered my question perfectly.

Yeah, Im gonna follow the same route as you - although I might wait to see if the price of Sky HD boxes fall on ebay. Perhaps the recent announcements of Sky lowering the cost of a box to new customers plus, of course, Freesat HD, will have an affect on prices.

 

[Alec]

dmroberts...OK...absolutely no mention of september there tho. That seems to be pure speculation on your part.

 

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to update you all...

I've just bought a Sky HD box for £140 on Ebay. Thats including postage.

Bargain. Forget Freesat HD for the time being - no PVR capability and less channels / radio stations than Freesat from Sky. It really doesnt make sense. I wouldnt pay any more than £80 for a Freesat HD box.