What quality are the upscaled SD picture from a Shy HD box?

[brianmcr]

Have ordered the Sony 40W2000 40" LCD and will be receiving it this week. Thinking of getting Sky HD. Was wondering what the quality is like when the Sky HD box upscales SD pictures? Does it do this with every channel, what does it upscale to? Is it worth getting this box for the upscaled SD pictures rather then sticking with my Sky+ to feed my new LCD?

 

[Clare Newsome]

The Sky HD box can upscale all channels/deliver native HD channels at 1080i.

The quality on upscaled SD channels, as often commented, depends on the source involved.

So, for example, Channel 4/E4, where a lot of the US drama is natively HD, looks great upscaled from SD via the Sky HD box (though not for long - soon it'll be native HD all the way,as we covered here).

Lower-quality channels - such as ITV 2/3 - however, can look absolutely woeful, as the source content appears to be 1980 VHS tapes in some cases.

If you're already a Sky+ customer with a Full HD on the way, i'd say Sky HD makes a lot of sense - especially as Sky is doing deals on the box for existing customers. Worth the extra money for a lot better picture....

 

[Anonymous]

I have been advised that as a SKY customer of some 6 years that I will be eligible for a discount subject to a SKY Standard installation which will once again involve my having to plug in the box to a phone socket. I have told SKY that I don't want the HDbox hooked up to a phone socket but they;ve said I have to, so I've said bye bye to getting SKYHD from them.

However, they have said that I won't have to have the box plugged into my phone socket if I opted to have SKYHD installed by an Independent installer which is what I had done with my first existing/SKY box after the SKY subcontractors came in and took the shortest route of cable through my kitchen and over my Gas Cooker....Yes you heard right...........I jest not! Absolute Cowboys. I complained bitterly to SKY and must confess I never ever again saw their Vans on the street, though I suspect they ended up leasing a few horses instead.

Of course if I go with the people who came in and made everything right for me the box will cost me £299.00 but I can live with that as t least I know I will have the cable routed how and where I want it.

 

[brianmcr]

Would it worth getting a HD box fitted with 500gb drive, can get a new V4 box with 500gb drive for £290, my deal from Sky would be £199 for the normal box with 300gb.

 

[brianmcr]

Why not do it yourself, as my previous post you can get one with 500gb for £290, if you want the standard 300gb it will be around £185 delivered. If you have Sky+ at the moment all you have to do is replace the box and then phone Sky to upgrade your card. If it's just bog standard Sky you've go you'll need a ne LMB and run another cable in, easy to do.