Sky+ and Humax PVR

kierank01

I am looking at getting sky+ for the €49 box, and €50 installation, but I have some questions about my options at the end of the 1 year subscription.

Do I have leave the telephone line connected for the full year, If I do not, when can I disconnect it?

If I go and get a humax PVR, can I plug this into Sky's standard LNB, as well as the SKY box?

Are there enough connections on Sky's LNB to support 2 channel recording on the humax and on the sky box if I get the humax before the subscription runs out or will I need to get a quad LNB?

Does anyone know what the plans are for RTE/TV3/TG4 going free on digital? Are they going to go terrestrial or are they going to go on Satellite?

If they go terrestrial, can the humax PVR, or any other satellite PVR receive this?

Can the harddrive of the humax be upgraded?

I might have more questions later, but for now that is all I can think of.

TIA.

recycler1

kierank01 wrote: »

I am looking at getting sky+ for the €49 box, and €50 installation, but I have some questions about my options at the end of the 1 year subscription.......

Do I have leave the telephone line connected for the full year, If I do not, when can I disconnect it?
To comply with your contract it should be connected for one year. (It would appear that Sky don't check on this.)

If I go and get a humax PVR, can I plug this into Sky's standard LNB, as well as the SKY box?
Yes.

Are there enough connections on Sky's LNB to support 2 channel recording on the humax and on the sky box if I get the humax before the subscription runs out or will I need to get a quad LNB?
You need two LNB connections for Sky+ and two for Fressat+.
Once your installer fits a quad LNB, everything should be OK.
Better still, look for an octal LNB and you're really future-proof. (You'll have to talk very nice to the installer. )

Does anyone know what the plans are for RTE/TV3/TG4 going free on digital? Are they going to go terrestrial or are they going to go on Satellite?
Most likely FTA on digital terrestrial, only - see other threads on this forum.

If they go terrestrial, can the humax PVR, or any other satellite PVR receive this? The Humax PVR cannot, it has dual satellite tuners only.
There are receivers with both satellite and digital terrestrial tuners available but: i) not for freesat, ii) may not support the Irish version of digital terrestrial.

Can the harddrive of the humax be upgraded?
Not officially, and it would invalidate your warranty.
Sucessful upgrades, to up to 1 Terrabyte, have been reported.
(Try goggling on this.)
Its worth been careful about your choice of replacement hard disk, as some information online is misleading.
You want a disk that is suitable for a PVR, but doesn't overload the Humax power unit. Personally, I find "Tom's Hardware" site a useful source of information.

kierank01

Thanks recycler1, lots of good info.

There is what I think I will do:

Get the Sky+ for 1 year, and then get a freesat pvr, and when the contract runs out, Ill swop the pvr onto the main TV, and put the sky+ box (which won't be able to record anymore) in the other room.

When RTE etc. go digital, I will get a new digital tv, with a digital tuner built in.