Guide Plus+ over FTA

dgently

Like so many others, I'm on a stubborn quest to find a rent-free & legit Sky+ service.

Has anyone managed to get Guide Plus+ (as featured on most HDD DVDR's) working reliably (or at all!) with FTA Satellite?

I know that the Guide Plus+ datastream is contained within the Eurosport teletext feed. I've seen claims that this works without a Sky sub.

Can anyone confirm?

givecredit

Yes, it works without a sub. Guideplus takes its info from teletext. You can access eurosport teletext with a subscription. You have to tune in Eurosport on your fta Sat system and keep it in your channel lineup so Guideplus can access the channel.

joe25

Anyone have a list of pvr receivers that have guide plus?
looking at this but cannot find any info


http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120116783913&rd=1&rd=1

Couch Potato

This sony here has Guide+ :

http://www.sony.ie/view/ShowProduct.action?product=RDR-HXD560&site=odw_en_IE&pageType=Overview&category=DVD+Recorder

Also appears that most of the Pioneer HDD Recorders on Komplett have the Guide+ built in also.

I would be interested to know if these recorders can be used with an ordinary sky digibox or does it have to be a standard FTA receiver ? (I have a spare digibox)

dgently

Couch Potato wrote:

This sony here has Guide+ :

http://www.sony.ie/view/ShowProduct.action?product=RDR-HXD560&site=odw_en_IE&pageType=Overview&category=DVD+Recorder

Also appears that most of the Pioneer HDD Recorders on Komplett have the Guide+ built in also.

I would be interested to know if these recorders can be used with an ordinary sky digibox or does it have to be a standard FTA receiver ? (I have a spare digibox)

Yep, me too. If Givecredit is right and the eurosport teletext is unencrypted, then I would have expected to be able to see something when I press "text" on Sky channel 410 (Eurosport UK).

Big brand DVD-R OEMs (Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba) are supporting Guide Plus+. Murdoch is behind it though...

Couch Potato

According to the Guide+ web site as follows if you are a Sky subscriber you can setup Eurosport UK as the host channel.

http://www.europe.guideplus.com/En/help/countries_hostchannels.html

To me this indicates that the service will work with a Sky Digibox - however, how do you connect the HDD recorder to the Digibox/TV ???

The website also describes a G-LINK cable which seems to work like a magic eye/remote ir control.

MisterAnarchy

Dammit ,bought a Liteon 5025 GHC Hard drive recorder last month and it doesnt have the Guide Plus facility only Video plus which isnt of much use.:(

Couch Potato

Found this also :

http://www.europe.guideplus.com/Generic/faq/uk_en/faq_satellite.html

Note: GUIDE Plus+ data are broadcast as teletext data. Some Sky receivers are not compatible because they block the transmission of GUIDE Plus+/teletext data. Others are partially compatible because not all ouput sockets transmit GUIDE Plus+ data. Gemstar recommend that your DVDR be connected to the TV scart socket of your Sky Digital receiver, not to the VCR scart socket.

joe25

contacted seller and this has guide plus.so am i right in saying that this will record onto the harddrive in the receiver?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120117476169&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=120116783913&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget1

kmurph

I have a Pioneer dvd/hd recorder with Guide+ & a standard Sky Digibox with the basic €21.50 sub (music & entertainment mixes).

The Pioneer comes with a G-Link cable which, as already said, acts like a magic eye in that you plug it into the Pioneer and place the end of it just in front of the IR receiver on the digibox. This allows the Pioneer to communicate with the digibox in order to download the Guide+ information and change channels.

The Guide+ updates via the Eurosport text service usually at 3 am & 3 pm each day so you do need to leave the digibox on. Doesn't matter which channel you leave it on, the Guide+ will automatically change over to 410.

From within the Guide+ screen you can then set the recorder to record whatever you want according to the program information shown in it.

Works fairly flawlessly from my point of view. No more having to leave the digibox on the channel I want to record. Choose what you want to record and away you go.

Only drawback with it, which is more of a Sky thing really, is that the Pioneer won't automatically switch over to any of the channels not in the Sky epg. I.e, BBC3 & 4, all the ITV's etc. You can choose them from the Guide+ planner no problem, but you do have to remember to leave the digibox on the channel you want to record.

Hopefully this provides info that's useful to people here. Any other questions, ask away.

givecredit

The guide plus does have compatibility issues with some Sky Pace receivers.

dgently

givecredit wrote:

The guide plus does have compatibility issues with some Sky Pace receivers.

Thanks v. much for the responses. My concern was that my sub-less Sky box was showing no teletext on the encrypted Eurosport channel (410) - but I sorted that with a reboot. It seems that's needed from time to time to keep the teletext feed up.

I still find it hard to beleive that the Guide Plus+ service is not more widely known - given the popularity of Sky+.
Now I just have to decide which DVD-R to get...

Thanks again

dgently

kmurph wrote:

Only drawback with it, which is more of a Sky thing really, is that the Pioneer won't automatically switch over to any of the channels not in the Sky epg. I.e, BBC3 & 4, all the ITV's etc. You can choose them from the Guide+ planner no problem, but you do have to remember to leave the digibox on the channel you want to record..

Have you tried yanking your Sky card to revert to the std UK EPG and get your IRL channels from DTT (assuming you're in Dublin)?

Couch Potato

Thanks for your help guys !

givecredit

dgently wrote:

Have you tried yanking your Sky card to revert to the std UK EPG and get your IRL channels from DTT (assuming you're in Dublin)?

Yes, if you do this and enter a Northern Ireland post code you can record from the two sources using Guideplus. RTE will be on Guide Plus epg with NI postcode. ,

What really baffles me is Why has no Satellite pvr manufacturer has come up with a PVR that records using Guideplus EPG which is available on Satellite for the UK/Irish market.

watty

Because the big markets use proper DVB open EPG content (Germany, Austria, Switerland) that give full detail guide for over a week that makes Guide+ look stupid.

Roll on 2008 and BBC Freesat, hopefully then we will see non-subscription sat PVRs. Of course no RTE /TV3/TG4 on it.

dgently

givecredit wrote:

What really baffles me is Why has no Satellite pvr manufacturer has come up with a PVR that records using Guideplus EPG which is available on Satellite for the UK/Irish market.

Only Sky can offer Irish channels over satellite. 3rd party PVRs can't decode RTE etc.

I'm going to shell out for a new PVR because DTT + FTA + DVD-R = All I need.

watty

I think Zaphod and few others have managed to legally watch RTE satellite on a non-Sky+ PVR (PC and /or other). But it's not for the faint hearted to install and BskyB could wipe the legitimate cards in use to work it tomorrow.

givecredit

joe25 wrote:

contacted seller and this has guide plus.so am i right in saying that this will record onto the harddrive in the receiver?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120117476169&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=120116783913&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget1

Take Care! This does not appear to have the Guide Plus Logo on front. I doubt iit has Guide plus. Check Manufacturers website.