2 Cards and Sky+

EvilDoctorK

Having the standard card and a UK FTA card ... is this going to play havoc with using the PVR function on the Sky box ? e.g. if I don't have the right card in I won't be able to record Channel 4 etc. ? .. I guess the answer to this is yes in which case I won't be able to record RTE & Ch4 for example at the same time ?


Just thinking about getting Sky (sick of NTL analogue with periodically poor reception ) ... wouldn't be happy with losing Channel 4 particularly so would have to go the 2 cards route. I know the advantage of NTL digital (which I think is available to me) means that you won't have to do this viewing card switch ... but it sounds like the choice of channels is worse, the equipments is poor etc.

webbie

I'm afraid you won't be able to record any of the channels from your UK FTA card. This is because the Sky+ PVR functions are tied to your subscription card so although you will be able to swap in your UK FTV card and watch the FTV channels such as ITV, CH4, CH5 etc. on your Sky+ box, while this card is in the box it will effectively just act as a standard Digibox without any of the Sky+ functions available. In fact as far as I know you will not even be able to view your existing recordings while this card is in the box, you will have to swap back in the subscription card before you can use any of the Sky+ features.

This is one of the downsides of Sky+ that you can only record channels that are available on the Sky EPG when your Sky+ card is in the box you can't even record channels you have added via other channels (such as BBC3, BBC4, CBebbies etc.). Having said that I would highly recommend Sky+ I certainly could not go back to TV without it now that I'm used to it.

I went for the mirror subscription with a Sky+ box in the main sitting room and a second digibox for the other room. I always leave the subscription card in the Sky+ box so I don't miss any recordings and only swap in the UK FTV card in the 2nd digibox. With some extra cable and a couple of magic eyes I can control and watch either box in either room. Once my 1st year is up with Sky I'll ditch the mirror subscription and just keep the FTV card in the 2nd digibox. This dosn't solve the issue of recording the FTV channels on Sky+ but is the best setup 've come up with for now.

EvilDoctorK

Thanks for that Webbie

Another question then ... how about using a non Sky+ HDD recorder with a regular (non +) Sky Digibox to record

How would this work .... presumably the digibox would have to be on and tuned into the right channel inorder to record (as even if the HDD recorder had a tuner it wouldn't be able to decode the sky signal ?)

Cheers !

EvilDoctorK

One other thing springs to mind Webbie

So as you say you can't do PVR recording on the FTA channels but I assume you could output through the Antenna Socket from the Sky+ box to a regular VCR/DVR Recorder and record them that way ... I assume that would work ... though I guess you would have to leave your digibox on the right station with the FTA card in it (and thus wouldn't be able to record other channels on the Sky+ functionality @ the same time) ?

Thanks !

(BTW I know the other more obvious solution to this would be to keep NTL Analogue as well as Sky ... but I don't like my TV that much to pay for NTL nearly €20 a month and a bit more than that to Sky too)

ShaneOC

Using a DVD recorder with a regular Sky box is fine. Use the scart connection though as the RF does not carry stereo for the digital channels.

The digibox has a personal planner which allows you to select programmes from the EPG and automatically change to the correct channel at the correct time so you simply set the timer on the DVD recorder (or video) to record from the digibox at the selected time.

The planner allows you to set reminders for channels on a FTV card or a regular sub card however you will need to ensure that the correct card is in the digibox when the programme is on or else you will just record a blue screen!

Aquos76

Lads it is not adviseable to be using a FTV card in a receiver which is connected into the telephone line. I have had on 2 different occasions, ftv cards switched off because they were in an Irish digibox at the time of a call back.