Sky Plus box and PC

dulpit

Hey, buddy of mine is wondering whether or not you can hook a Sky plus box up to a PC... He's getting one next week and wants to know if he can transfer any television shows / films onto his hard-drive. I think i heard of something but not too sure whether it's possible (or even legal...).

Zaphod

+Extract
This utility will rip chosen free-to-air recordings from Sky+ hard disks, that are directly connected to your PC
http://neildoh.org/Software/Extract/extract.htm

watty

It's legal for personal use for FTA programs only, not for pay TV.

I didn't know anyone had it working as Sky add extra encryption to everything on disk, even FTA recordings.

A PC Sat card in PC is handier than Sky for FTA recordings to PC.

byte

Do Sky really encrypt recordings from a FTA source? If so, that'd make this software useless. It does say though that it can extract recordings from FTA sources, not encrypted sources.

mathias

Theres always the analog route , the Sky+ box will output anything from the scart , and any suitable capture card or hard drive DVD recorder will grab the output.

watty

byte wrote:

Do Sky really encrypt recordings from a FTA source? If so, that'd make this software useless. It does say though that it can extract recordings from FTA sources, not encrypted sources.

The non-FTA channels are already encrypted. The disk has its own separate encryption.

If you crack the disk encryption, then the FTA is available. The other recordings use the viewing card to decrypt as if they are live reception. Thus it is the packages on the card AND having a satellite signal to keep the card valid that counts for non-FTA playback.

The SW must do disk decryption. (IMO not illegal as the same content on any non-Sky Satellite PVR not encrypted. The pay TV is not accessible, and identical to recording encrypted channel on a non-Sky box).

If the SW can WRITE to the disk, an interestinfg experiement is to record encrypted channel on non-Sky PVR, copy to Sky disk and then watch with viewing card, assuming that it is a channel you have a sub for.

This is not at all hacking Sky Satellite encryption, but making accessible something accessible on ANY non-Sky FTA satellite PVR.

watty

mathias wrote:

Theres always the analog route , the Sky+ box will output anything from the scart , and any suitable capture card or hard drive DVD recorder will grab the output.

Yes the simplest route for Pay TV. But FTA is can be on a non-Sky box or PC directly.

The analogue out and recapture is real time and degrades quality.

Benjy

Zaphod wrote:

+Extract
This utility will rip chosen free-to-air recordings from Sky+ hard disks, that are directly connected to your PC
http://neildoh.org/Software/Extract/extract.htm

So can I use a straight through USB A to USB A cable or must it be a bridged cable?

watty

Er.. no.
You physically remove the HDD from Sky box and connect it suitably (jumper changing may be required on existing and Sky drive) on suitable cable (probably IDE/ATA/PATA/EIDE).

This is NOT something to casually discuss with Sky support nor will it do your warrenty any good. Security Torx scredriver needed.

Sony PS2 users do a similar thing to either load Linux or games (mutually excusive sadly) on a 40G (smaller doesn't work) IDE HDD on PC. Games can include emulators for other consoles.

I imagine this is a simlar concept of use to Sony PS2 format Disk reading/writing software on PCs.

This is NOT a "joe soap" solution. Definately hobbyist. If you want a simple solution for recording FTA on Satellite to PC, don't use a Sky Digibox. use any ethernet or ethernet + HDD satellite receiver (non-Sky) or a PCI card satellite receiver.

You can also use legitimate Sky card with non-Sky CAM / Receiver/PC but that is definately not beginner stuff. maybe Zaphod has put a "how-to" on the WiKi. All legal as long as you only watch what you legally can watch with Sky card in a Sky Receiver.

watty

The weasel phrase you missed was: hard disks, that are directly connected to your PC

dougal

Would it be an option to connect Sky+ to a PC via a video sender.
The recording would need to be done in real time from Sky+ to PC this way I would assume.

watty

And not very good quality. Analogue in is not brilliant on most PC based recording.