HD Box without HD sub

JoeA3

Hi folks,
I may have an opportunity to pick up a Sky HD box for very little money without a HD subcription (I just have a standard Sky+ sub) and I'm wondering will the HD box give me any advantage over the standard Sky+ box, other than the ability to connect to TV using HDMI rather than SCART ?

Will I be able to tune in BBC HD into "other channels"? I assume it won't be on the EPG.?
If so, are there any other free-to-air HD channels?

Also, I've read that there's a perceived improvement in pic quality on normal SD channels via HDMI connection than there is with SCART. Any truth in this at all?

cheers lads!

IrishHomer

From my experience the picture is much sharper and upscaled via HDMI rether than scart..

I recently picked up an English Free to View card from Ebay and for free on the HD box i get Luxe HD, BBC HD, Channel 4HD and i think i get ITV HD when HD broadcasts are on by hitting the Red button.

If you don't use the FTV card you will just get BBC HD via the other channels method and Luxe.

mjsmyth

Unfortuantely ITV HD is not available through a Sky Box of any kind.

mj

steveon

Changing to a HD box will also give you twice the recording capacity as to that of a Sky plus box but make sure you tell sky u dont want the HD mix when you ring them to re-pair the card...

jimrad

Hi guys...
I've just done this today (changed from a SKY+ box to a HD box but no HD sub) but I just slipped the card into the box without contacting SKY and I have all my channels that I had with SKY+...I thought I would have had to contact SKY to pair the new box is this normal??
jimrad

byte

The only channels that won't work with a cardpair would be the premium's like Sky Movies and Sky Sports.

Dman001

jimrad wrote: »

Hi guys...
I've just done this today (changed from a SKY+ box to a HD box but no HD sub) but I just slipped the card into the box without contacting SKY and I have all my channels that I had with SKY+...I thought I would have had to contact SKY to pair the new box is this normal??
jimrad

Whats the quality of SD channels like? I'd be interested in doing the same myself for HD channels and if there is a noticable improvement in SD channels.

jimrad

Quite a considerable difference in quality on SD programs..
jimrad

Turtle-TM

a quick thread hi-jack question here! lol

i got sky+ in december,but im quickly running out of space on it and would love the extra quality but dont really want to do the extra 15 quid a month just for a few channels

is it worth my while spending the extra 99e during this offer to have the extra recording space and the better quality in SD channels?


thanks

gtg60

IrishHomer wrote: »

I recently picked up an English Free to View card from Ebay

I hope it was super cheap as they now have a limited lifespan, new cards being send out in April and once they've all rolled out, the old cards will be useless...

IrishHomer

gtg60 wrote: »

I hope it was super cheap as they now have a limited lifespan, new cards being send out in April and once they've all rolled out, the old cards will be useless...

Yes was super cheap knew about that thanks.

sweetie

Presume that one can't avail of the 49e offer unless one takes a hd sub?
I would like the larger hard drive and new epg with the option of getting a hd sub when more/better cannels are on it but at the moment I don't see the worth.

John mac

new epg

not out yet

Gavin W

sweetie wrote: »

Presume that one can't avail of the 49e offer unless one takes a hd sub?
I would like the larger hard drive and new epg with the option of getting a hd sub when more/better cannels are on it but at the moment I don't see the worth.

I'm also thinking of going this route, but yeah I'd guess that without the HD sub the box is suddenly going to be a hell of a lot more expensive than 49 euro. Anyone know for definite?

denis1501

The offer is subject to taking the HD channels for at least 12 months.
regards
D.

byte

Yes you have to take teh HD sub (IIRC for 12 months minimum).

Also, reading an article here, it seems that Sky don't plan on dropping the HD levy any time soon, instead adding more content to it.

New EPG, according to Sky CEO, will start to be rolled out at the end of the month (again, mentioned in linked article). Curiously, it mentions the new EPG being on both Sky+ HD and Sky+. I had believed that the new EPG would be HD only.

tomsav

Have SKY HD for 12 months now. Thinking of dropping hd sub to save a bit of money - I don't really watch the HD channels anyway. (I'm sure I can always get it back again in the future). Does anyone know if I will be still able to get Sky Box Office HD movies and will I still get the new EPG?

byte

I'm not sure on the SBO HD channels working, can't find anything on their site about it either.

As for the new EPG, I'd expect all HD boxes (and maybe Sky+ boxes) will get the update regardless of subscription.

gtg60

tomsav wrote: »

Does anyone know if I will be still able to get Sky Box Office HD movies

Did a Google search and found this:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=985583
Which would seem to indicate that you can't.