Sky +

Our man in Havana

Has anyone in Ireland managed to get Sky + yet?

There is someone on these boards who did-theres a few posts about it a few months back-haven't time to look it up
mm

Tony

Originally posted by Bond-James Bond
Has anyone in Ireland managed to get Sky + yet?

Pace have told me that they have no plans to launck Sky + in Ireland at present although a contributor to these boards said he had purchased one in the Uk.

Regards Tony

byte

Originally posted by Tony


Pace have told me that they have no plans to launck Sky + in Ireland at present although a contributor to these boards said he had purchased one in the Uk.

Regards Tony

Hi Tony, I was under the impression that Sky+ was to be available in ROI early next year. Has this idea been scrapped?

chernobyl

Sky+ will not be subbed in Ireland.
The difficulty is that installation of Sky+ requires some genuine skill or knowledge will is readily available in the UK but not many offical Sky installers would be up to the job here ...or am i jumping to conclusions.

bottom line...to expensive to sub for ireland.

Tony

Originally posted by irishblimp



Hi Tony, I was under the impression that Sky+ was to be available in ROI early next year. Has this idea been scrapped?

That was the impression I was given at that time but I'm afraid the E mail from Pace seems to contradict this. You never know though things change rapidly in this business as the ITV situation shows. Sorry I could not give you better news.

Regards Tony

If Sky + is £299 stg in the UK-surely it's not being subsidised there?
And then £10 per month Sub?
Now that is Crazy-just for the pleasure of recording!(albeit digital quality and without tapes).
And another thing-I read on digital Spy that Sky are to Broadcast in Digital Dolb ySurround 5.1 on their widescreen movie channels in December-but this will only available to Sky plus digi boxes-YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SKY DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND BEING TREATED AS SECOND CLASS SUBSCRIBERS :mad:
MM

ShaneOC

Hello,

I have the Sky + box here in Ireland. However the recording functionality has not yet been activated. According to Sky, the recording features will be available here early next year.

With regards to installing it there were absolutely no issues. The quad LNB comes with the receiver and it is simply a matter of swapping out the standard one and putting on the new one. There are two feeds from the dish into the Sky + box and I have a third feed going into my original receiver and the quality of the picture is as good as ever.

There were some tests for the dolby digital transmission recently. However when I read about them I did not have a DD receiver. I have now but I am not sure if the tests are still ongoing. I will let you know how I get on.

Tony

Originally posted by madman
If Sky + is £299 stg in the UK-surely it's not being subsidised there?
And then £10 per month Sub?
Now that is Crazy-just for the pleasure of recording!(albeit digital quality and without tapes).
[MM

The boxes were originall meamt to retail at stg£800 so the £299 plus £10 per month was seen as a marketing ploy.

Regards Tony

Originally posted by ShaneOC:

There were some tests for the dolby digital transmission recently. However when I read about them I did not have a DD receiver. I have now but I am not sure if the tests are still ongoing. I will let you know how I get on.

Hi Shane, according to Digital spy-Tests continue in December-their article plus the films on widesceen channels can be read at:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/displayarticle.php?id=4156

I read on a post to another forum that the Sound from the optical out on your receiver is only 48 khz pcm Stereo signal.
I found just using phono connections on a dolby prologic amp gave Surround with the right speakers-but it was only a "virtual" surround.
For the real thing "UCI" style you would want a Dolby digital decoder in your amp-then and only then are you approaching Real Surround Sound .
It's also worth noting that if your amp has a socket for Co-axial cable connection-then you will get Crisper,clearer results than with the optical connection.
Of Course Sky aren't offering that yet either!( fore front of home cinema-me ar*se!)
Originally posted by Tony:

The boxes were originall meamt to retail at stg£800

Good God! Tony.
I notice DVD recorders are available now at around STG£1000-I suppose as they become more popular , they will come down sharply in price-Then , the joke that is Sky plus will be over(hopefully)
mm

ShaneOC

Hi madman,

The tests have finished now and the (so-called) full widescreen service with Dolby Digital is starting on the 2nd of December. According to digital spy the BBC and Channel 4 (if we ever get it) are also looking at broadcasting in dolby digital.

I am using the co-ax input on the amp for a DVD player so it will have to be the optical for Sky +. Interesting point here, my DVD only has optical out and the amp has 1 optical in and 1 coax in. Problem as I want to connect both Sky + and the DVD player. I was able to get an optical to coax conversion thigy which solved the problem nicely.

Shane,
I'll bet you notice a huge difference between the DVD and Sky as regards Sound!
However if Sky do the job properly, with your Sky plus box you will have similar on the widescreen channels with some:( movies.

It is a pity by the way that your player doesn't have a co ax out as the "purest" sound would come from a direct co-ax to Coax connection-there is a slight downgrading with optical.
So the pure hi-fi fans tell me! but don't worry , its only very slight and what you have done is tip top!

Its actually imo a big pity that Sky's sound quality , while good stereo-is really only on a par with what you get when you hook a nicam TV up to your Amp and it's about time they sorted that-after all Digital is not just extra Channels-It's a whole lot more as well.
And While I'm at it WHY on EARTH are they only offering the Dolby Digital to those with Sky plus boxes??? Again they are starting a service and Not allowing their Irish Customers to enjoy it!!!

regards
mm

byte

Pace have developed a thing which plugs into the digital interface on yer ordinary digibox (the slot that's blanked off) which at the other end has Optical Out and something else (cannot remember what). The problem is that Sky may not want to promote this 'add-on'. I read it in What Satellite Magazine and it showed a piccy of what it looked like.

Originally posted by irishblimp:

Pace have developed a thing which plugs into the digital interface on yer ordinary digibox (the slot that's blanked off) which at the other end has Optical Out and something else (cannot remember what). The problem is that Sky may not want to promote this 'add-on'. I read it in What Satellite Magazine and it showed a piccy of what it looked like.

Unfortunately-It will make no difference to the sound you get,unless and untill Sky enable ordinary digiboxes to ouput Dolby digital signals
Or even better still along with that-maybe Sky should be offering Digiboxes with inbuilt Dolby digital+DTS decoders! (considering their recent price rises etc).
mm

Whoops my smile face was meant to be
typo!
mm