Sky+ 160 USB port

dgarrad

I recently got a Sky+ 160Gb box installed, and noticed that it has a USB 2.0 port on it. I heard someone say it will be used for a portable video player that sky are planning to release in the future, but I want to know if it's possible to connect it to a pc to transfer recorded programs?

i was just about to ask that very question myself, so anyone got any ideas on how to connect to a pc

byte

AFAIK, that USB port is not for connecting to a PC, and is not possible to retrieve data from the HDD. Even if you did take the data directly from the HDD, I think it's encrypted data, so would still be useless.

Charlie

The usb port is not for pc connectivity, that would violate a whole load of copyright laws. Sky basically put one there just for the sake of it,in case they ever find out they need usb down the line. Its similar to the usb port sony put on the ps2, not a whole lot of usefulness.

Tony

charlie mchugh wrote:

The usb port is not for pc connectivity, that would violate a whole load of copyright laws. Sky basically put one there just for the sake of it,in case they ever find out they need usb down the line. Its similar to the usb port sony put on the ps2, not a whole lot of usefulness.

Must disagree Charlie my feeling is there are definite plans for the USB ports, they cost money to put in and sky dont spend money unless they can make some more by doing it.

Charlie

Tony wrote:

Must disagree Charlie my feeling is there are definite plans for the USB ports, they cost money to put in and sky dont spend money unless they can make some more by doing it.

Fair enough, but at the time the plus box would have been developed, usb was blowing up, there were usb accerories for everything. I believe sky put it there because it could cost them a whole lot more money if they realised after they realesed the box that usb would greatly benefit it.

beer enigma

Here's the original thread on this
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=295882

Just made a phone call to get an update on this.......

The portable player that the USB port was designed for is still in pre-production...they've apparently hit some copyright issues with it. In effect, at present you could copy a movie from a sky+ box to the device and transfer it to as many other sky+ boxes as you like, irrespective of whether they have the movies package. I'm told that a small portion of the monthly subscription actually goes to cover the copyright for download & storage and so by allowing open transferral, they breach the agreement. The USB port is bi-directional, and they are having problems stopping uploads - they have to be able to give a cast iron guarantee that people will not be able to find a way of uploading to satisfy the copyright issue.........Confused yet lol

They were aiming for Xmas '05, but there's no chance now - more likely Spring '06 at this stage.

I also understand that whilst it is possible to connect a pc to the USB port, the data encryption will in effect render this useless.

More if I get it

Andi

watty

Can't connect to PC, though some non-sky+ PVRs do.

Sky is releasing a portable video/audio media device. It will connect to the USB. I suspect that like Sony "BRAIN DEAD" Net MD mini-disk walkman, that even if you can put stuff onto the Sky portable player, you won't be able to read stuff that was put on from Sky+, or possibly not read ANYTHING back to PC (Like Net MD).

Anybody with a PC and Sony Net MD knows what I mean, otherwise you might be mystified.

watty

Sony's "Open MG" api exactly solves this "problem" to the ire of Sony MD owners.
MG = Magic Gate

Sparky

the files recorded on the hdd in the box are raw encrypted feeds and there is no program to read them.
The video thing sky were on about was something in the lines of this
http://www.pacemicro.com/Corporate/products/prodinfo.asp?PID=PDP200

watty

Whats more the Sky box adds EXTRA encryption. The FTA signals recorded are encrypted too.

So in play back the Sky+ encryption is decrypted (probalily in the portable media unit too), then if the stream has broadcast encryption it uses the normal Sky CAM / Viewing card combo to feed the DAC, just like in live regular Sky reception. Which is why it is your card avccount status when you play back not record that counts. If you downgrade a Sky viewing sub, you will lose access to playing pre-recored material that would not be viewable live, EVEN THOUGH you did be able to view recording or live "last week" etc.