How to record FTA channels on your Sky+/Sky+HD box.

Dman001 · 15-01-2010 08:28PM #1

You may remember a few weeks ago that I posted a thread here saying that I could record FTA channels (ITV 1/2/3/4, BBC HD etc) with my Sky HD box. I thought it was due to a dodgy Sky Box but I tried tonight to do it with my Sky+ box and it worked.

What you need:
Sky+/HD box
White Sky Card (Im not sure if it needs to have a Sky+ Sub)

What To Do:
1. Unplug your Sky Box, place your Sky Card upside down into the box (this will give you the English EPG) and turn on your Sky box.

2.Once the English EPG has loaded, go to any FTA channel.

3.Unplug the 2 feeds you have in your box, quickly turn around your Sky card and put the feeds bak into your box.

4. Press record on the show you are watching. (It is important that you follow step 2 because you wont have time to go to the channel you want, as the EPG will quickly revert back to the Irish EPG).

5. The Irish EPG will load but your show will still record.

This is a very messy method I know but it works. In my experience, Sky HD boxes with the new EPG works much better. I was able to use my old Blue Sky Card with the HD box and the English EPG stayed. I have my HD box in a bedroom and it isnt my primary viewing box so it is a handy second DVR for me.

Dman001 · 15-01-2010 08:42PM

Just tried it there again. Its actually not that much hassel. If you know in advanced a movie/show you want to record, all you have to do is pull out the feeds, press record, switch the card and watch something else at the same time. Pity Five isnt on the EPG.

recycler1 · 15-01-2010 09:03PM

Or just buy a Freesat+ box and save all the hassle!
(You'll also be able to record 5.)

Dman001 · 15-01-2010 09:16PM

recycler1 wrote: »

Or just buy a Freesat+ box and save all the hassle!
(You'll also be able to record 5.)

Saves £300 though and you will need another feed if you want to keep your Sky box.

recycler1 · 15-01-2010 09:19PM

Dman001 wrote: »

Saves £300 though and you will need another feed if you want to keep your Sky box.

Or two feeds, even, if you want Sky+.

snaps · 15-01-2010 10:15PM

Or just buy a FTV card for 20£....Or do you need a full sub to record anything?

slegs · 15-01-2010 10:18PM

Can you record with an FTV card in a Sky+ or Sky HD box?

Apogee · 15-01-2010 10:24PM

Unless I'm mistaken, the OP is using a card with a current Irish subscription.

What's happens is:

1. Box turned on minus card and loads UK EPG - ITV 2 present
2. OP inserts Irish card -> card tells box "this is an active subscription so enable recording" -> recording of ITV 2 begins
3. EPG reverts to Irish EPG but the recording of ITV 2 remains active.

Dman001 · 15-01-2010 10:35PM

Apogee wrote: »

Unless I'm mistaken, the OP is using a card with a current Irish subscription.

What's happens is:

1. Box turned on minus card and loads UK EPG - ITV 2 present
2. OP inserts Irish card -> card tells box "this is an active subscription so enable recording" -> recording of ITV 2 begins
3. EPG reverts to Irish EPG but the recording of ITV 2 remains active.

Exactly, that is my theory on it. The Box thinks that the card is an active Sky+ enabled card. Now I dont have a card that wasnt linked to a Sky+ Box so I cant prove this theory. I dont think FTV cards will work because of that reason. Even my old Blue Sky card was linked to a Sky+ box so that is why Im guessing it works.

Edit: Some things I have noticed:

When you turn the card around and press record it will record and the English EPG will stay. But when you try to turn the channel or go to the TV Guide the Irish EPG will load but the recording will still go ahead. As I said, when I try this on my Sky HD box the English EPG stays regardless.

Apogee · 15-01-2010 10:39PM

Can you just confirm:

1. You have an active Irish subscription on the White card?
2. You have an active ??? subscription on the Blue card?

Dman001 · 15-01-2010 10:46PM

Yes, my White card is an active card. But my Blue card isnt. My Blue card is the old one from when Sky replaced the Blue ones with the White ones. So Im not sure if my Box still recognises the card as a Sky+ enabled card or any type of Sky card will work. My guess is that the Box still recognises the card as a Sky+ enabled card. But I cannot pick up any subscription channels with my Blue card.

ShaneOC · 16-01-2010 08:19PM

Just tried this and can confirm that it works on my HD box.

There is no need to disconnect the satellite input feeds.

Here's what I did.

1. Remove sub card
2. Turn off power at mains
3. Put card in upsidedown
4. Reconnect power - UK EPG loads up
5. Select FTA channel (I used BBC HD to test)
6. Put card in right way up and press record straight away.

BBC HD records and the Irish EPG reverts after a moment or two (possibly after changing channels).

Excellent find! Another step closer to being able to use Sky+/HD+ to record all channels that it can receive.

Mossy Monk · 16-01-2010 08:47PM

ShaneOC wrote: »

Just tried this and can confirm that it works on my HD box.

There is no need to disconnect the satellite input feeds.

Here's what I did.

1. Remove sub card
2. Turn off power at mains
3. Put card in upsidedown
4. Reconnect power - UK EPG loads up
5. Select FTA channel (I used BBC HD to test)
6. Put card in right way up and press record straight away.

BBC HD records and the Irish EPG reverts after a moment or two (possibly after changing channels).

Excellent find! Another step closer to being able to use Sky+/HD+ to record all channels that it can receive.

Works for me using this method.

Interestingly I recorded whatever was on BBC HD but set it to record the series and next weeks episode has appeared in the planner to record.

Dman001 · 16-01-2010 09:31PM

Hmmmm I've done alot of fidling around but never came across this method to work with my HD box. But that might be because Im using my old Blue Card. Also with my method the English EPG stays which suits me better.

I don think that method works with Sky+ boxes as other people have mentioned in the other thread. But I have yet to try it out on my Sky+ box.

enfant terrible · 17-01-2010 04:10AM

ShaneOC wrote: »

Just tried this and can confirm that it works on my HD box.

There is no need to disconnect the satellite input feeds.

Here's what I did.

1. Remove sub card
2. Turn off power at mains
3. Put card in upsidedown
4. Reconnect power - UK EPG loads up
5. Select FTA channel (I used BBC HD to test)
6. Put card in right way up and press record straight away.

BBC HD records and the Irish EPG reverts after a moment or two (possibly after changing channels).

Excellent find! Another step closer to being able to use Sky+/HD+ to record all channels that it can receive.

Cheers Lads,
Was able to record ITV on my HD box, wasn't able to record BBC HD but I think that was because I was trying to record the BBCHD preview which says it "can't be entered into planner"

Would this work for recording Channel 4 HD with a FTV card?

Load up C4HD with FTV card then swap to Irish card and press record.

Anyone got a FTV card to try?

gipo2 · 17-01-2010 06:23PM

Channel 4HD does not work. I got it recording but if you go to watch it it says recording interupted.

Anyway this is what I do for fta channels.

1. Select Sky news, turn card upside down, UK epg loads up.
2. Select fta channel to be recorded..
3. Turn card right way up and press record.

No need to power off box as my HD box takes ages to reboot.

SkySter · 17-01-2010 06:40PM

gipo2 wrote: »

Channel 4HD does not work. I got it recording but if you go to watch it it says recording interupted.

Anyway this is what I do for fta channels.

1. Select Sky news, turn card upside down, UK epg loads up.
2. Select fta channel to be recorded..
3. Turn card right way up and press record.

No need to power off box as my HD box takes ages to reboot.

This doesn't work for me. It doesn't change to the UK EPG when I turn the card upside down on step 1. Am I missing something?

Pat Gleeson · 17-01-2010 07:25PM

SkySter wrote: »

This doesn't work for me. It doesn't change to the UK EPG when I turn the card upside down on step 1. Am I missing something?

If I remember correctly you are supposed to go to Sky News interactive, wait for it to load, and then proceed as indicated. You won't get Channel 4HD in any case.

200motels · 17-01-2010 08:22PM

Very clever, tryed it and it worked.

200motels · 17-01-2010 09:24PM

ShaneOC wrote: »

Just tried this and can confirm that it works on my HD box.

There is no need to disconnect the satellite input feeds.

Here's what I did.

1. Remove sub card
2. Turn off power at mains
3. Put card in upsidedown
4. Reconnect power - UK EPG loads up
5. Select FTA channel (I used BBC HD to test)
6. Put card in right way up and press record straight away.

BBC HD records and the Irish EPG reverts after a moment or two (possibly after changing channels).

Excellent find! Another step closer to being able to use Sky+/HD+ to record all channels that it can receive.

There is also no need to turn your card upside down, don't put the card in at all, the UK EPG will still load up.

200motels · 17-01-2010 09:25PM

Pat Gleeson wrote: »

If I remember correctly you are supposed to go to Sky News interactive, wait for it to load, and then proceed as indicated. You won't get Channel 4HD in any case.

That way doesn't seem to work for me.

sweetie · 17-01-2010 10:06PM

Pat Gleeson wrote: »

If I remember correctly you are supposed to go to Sky News interactive, wait for it to load, and then proceed as indicated. You won't get Channel 4HD in any case.

tried it fo being human and works for me. pity one can't record a later program or do series link but nice one OP

gipo2 · 18-01-2010 01:42PM

Just go to sky news, but when card is upside down it takes a couple of minutes to load. Try switching to another channel after it loads, it should work. No need to go into any interactive. Also I got Ch 4HD on my ftv card but cant record.

gilly0512 · 20-02-2010 03:39AM

gipo2 wrote: »

Just go to sky news, but when card is upside down it takes a couple of minutes to load. Try switching to another channel after it loads, it should work. No need to go into any interactive. Also I got Ch 4HD on my ftv card but cant record.

Lads I just came upon this thread by accident, but you have got me all excited now into thinking that I can now record ITV or Channel 5 on my Sky+ box. For example I wanted to record the Brits on Wednesday night, but couldn't due to to UTV/ITV not being available on the ROI EPG. So what you are basically saying is that in future if I want to record something on ITV, I do the following:

Turn off my Sky+ box and power back up with my ROI Sky card upside down although I do also have an old blue UK card which I could also use for this purpose.
This will now give me a UK EPG, so with the box still powered up, now swap the cards, or put the ROI card back in the correct way up.
The UK EPG will still be displayed, so highlight the programme on ITV that you wish to record, and it should record onto my Sky+ box, even if the ROI EPG returns while the programme is recording.

Hopefully I have this correct, and any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

200motels · 20-02-2010 10:49AM

gilly2308 wrote: »

Lads I just came upon this thread by accident, but you have got me all excited now into thinking that I can now record ITV or Channel 5 on my Sky+ box. For example I wanted to record the Brits on Wednesday night, but couldn't due to to UTV/ITV not being available on the ROI EPG. So what you are basically saying is that in future if I want to record something on ITV, I do the following:
Turn off my Sky+ box and power back up with my ROI Sky card upside down although I do also have an old blue UK card which I could also use for this purpose.

This will now give me a UK EPG, so with the box still powered up, now swap the cards, or put the ROI card back in the correct way up.

The UK EPG will still be displayed, so highlight the programme on ITV that you wish to record, and it should record onto my Sky+ box, even if the ROI EPG returns while the programme is recording.

Hopefully I have this correct, and any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

That's right.

batman2000 · 20-02-2010 04:39PM

Yep works thanks

Dman001 · 20-02-2010 11:14PM

Just to note that you CAN'T record Channel Five or ITVHD because they are not on the UK EPG. Still using this method and works like a charm.

Radharc na Sleibhte · 21-02-2010 08:47PM

You can only instant record though right?

At 6pm this evening I tried to programme it to record some rubbish on bbc three at 7pm which subsequently failed....?

Apogee · 21-02-2010 10:05PM

Dman001 wrote: »

Just to note that you CAN'T record Channel Five or ITVHD because they are not on the UK EPG. Still using this method and works like a charm.

Have you tried using a FTV card? i.e. power off box, insert FTV card, load UK EPG + Channel 5, remove FTV and insert Irish card, press record?

Just realised that won't work, because a FTV card points at the Videoguard encrypted version of Channel Five on Astra 2A, rather than the FTA one on 2D.

mike2084 · 21-02-2010 11:31PM

Treid the method today and can confirm that it works. Thanks everybody.

Dman001 · 22-02-2010 01:17AM

MikeySligo wrote: »

You can only instant record though right?

At 6pm this evening I tried to programme it to record some rubbish on bbc three at 7pm which subsequently failed....?

Yes using the method you are currently using. You could try the method on my very first post. I am able to record shows later using the English EPG using this method on my Sky HD box but I cant on my Sky+ Box.

How to record FTA channels on your Sky+/Sky+HD box.

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