Sky HD box - do you have a choice of box & which make is best

[stevegwoods]

Sorry if this heas already been reported! I'm thinking of going SKY HD because Freesat won't give me Eurosport access and that's something I'd like. I see there are different makes of HD boxes made for SKY HD. My question is do you get a choice of box and if so which is best and worst! My Thomson top up tv box has been awful!!

thanks

Steve

 

[The_Lhc]

Officially no, you don't get a choice, you can ask the installer what he's got on the van and if he's amenable he might give you a different one but he might only have one make on the van.

 

[EarsEarsEars]

So, which is considered the *best*, then, and why?

 

[Tonya]

A quick search will reveal that the Samsung is considered the fastest box at the moment when it comes to zapping through the menu and changing channels.
That's the one I'm using at the moment and I must admit it does seem faster than the others but there's not that much in it.

The tuner seems better as I was getting 80% signal level with my previous Pace unit, but now it's up to 100%, but again those signal indicators are not that accurate.
What I can tell you for sure is that the Samsung is deadly quiet, like silent.

 

[Anonymous]

hi, just had hd box fitted today which is a samsung box,seems great.I was told by installer and by sky themselves that they now only install the samsung box .

 

[Crossie]

samsung is best...will I think so! also has coax as well as optical out.

 

[Anonymous]

How could anybody possibly judge any particular brand of the Sky boxes as the best? Unless you have actually trialed all of them, which is unlikely, how would you know? I've had the Amstrad HD box for a while now and there are no problems whatsoever.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Daveee:How could anybody possibly judge any particular brand of the Sky boxes as the best? Unless you have actually trialed all of them, which is unlikely, how would you know? I've had the Amstrad HD box for a while now and there are no problems whatsoever.

Well from spec alone, the Samsung beats my previous box - coaxial and optical instead of just optical so I can have coaxial to receiver and optical to DAC for radio and music channels.

By the way, I called and made a song and dance that I wanted a Samsung before the installer arrived.

 

[Crossie]

Easy to judge boxes - Thompson and Amstrad boxes have both failed........Samsung has not. Of course I have not tested a lot of boxes but that is my experience - I may just have been unlucky.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a Pace box to start which was withdrawn for a potential fault. They brought me several Thomson boxes which were noisy and frequently froze up. Eventually, the local manager came to check the installation and as he was about to give me yet another Thomson remanufactured box I talked him into seeing what new ones were on the van. He brought in a new Amstrad which I have always considered a budget brand but fair do's, it has been superb (I think it was installed near the beginning of the year). It has never been a minutes trouble, it is fast, virtually silent and above all the picutes and sound are superb.

Not a comparison but an account of my experience!

 

[daveh75]

IMO it makes little difference what box you get,every make has had it's foibles.....and at the end of the day the STB's aren't "audiophile" quality products,they're budget CE equipment built to a price.

The Thomsons were by far the worst due to the PSU problems,and part of the reason they're no longer used for new installs.

The Pace were recalled for the "potential fault" and could be slow.

The Amstrads have had contrast adjustment isssues, though supposedly fixed with the New EPG.

The Samsungs have HDCP compatibility issues,and some had faulty IR sensors that meant if installed in a bright enviroment the remote signals couldn't be received properly,thus making the STB unresponsive. Some users are now also complaining of PQ deterioration since EPG upgrade.

The above doesn't mean each and every box is potentially faulty though!!!! It's just some of the problems that the different STB's have suffered

 

[aliEnRIK]

I belive the samsung has a better scaler in it too (Or at least its made in such a way that it scales better)

 

[daveh75]

aliEnRIK:I belive the samsung has a better scaler in it tooPossibly,but couldn't say for sure....I've personally all ways favoured Pace STB's for various reasons.

It will be interesting to see how the new Amstrad DRX890 HD box(being trialled ATM) fares.

 

[ukdavej]

daveh75: IMO it makes little difference what box you get,every make has had it's foibles

The Samsungs have HDCP compatibility issues,and some had faulty IR sensors that meant if installed in a bright enviroment the remote signals couldn't be received properly,thus making the STB unresponsive

Just to prove your point about foibles, I had a PACE Virgin STB which failed when I got an LCD TV. The reason was the IR stopped working when the TV was switched on due to the brightness from the screen. Changing to a Samsung solved the problem - go figure

 

[Anonymous]

Just had Sky HD installed today (new customer)

They had pace and Amstrad on the van and was told that they felt the Amstrad was marginally better.

Also told that Sky now own Amstrad so I expect they would probably be pushing those in the future!

 

[daveh75]

Superted1974:Just had Sky HD installed today (new customer)

They had pace and Amstrad on the van and was told that they felt the Amstrad was marginally better.

I'd of gone for the Pace myself,but that's just my preference..

Superted1974:Also told that Sky now own Amstrad so I expect they would probably be pushing those in the future!Now owns? Yes,since around july 2007!

 

[aliEnRIK]

Superted1974:
Just had Sky HD installed today (new customer)

They had pace and Amstrad on the van and was told that they felt the Amstrad was marginally better.

Also told that Sky now own Amstrad so I expect they would probably be pushing those in the future!

Id have gone for a Pace there

 

[Anonymous]

Ah good I'm glad some people are saying Pace... I had Sky HD installed just this week and received a Pace box!