SKY HD & SD Copying & Libraries

Nickw57

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I wanted to build a library of content without filling up my Amstrad HD boxe's disc. Is there any way you can save the Sky content for later use? I believe you can use the copy function and hit record function of a DVD recorder and play the DVD at a later date? Could you then say transfer the recorded DVD content via a PC to a multi-media player (EG. Popcorn Hour) disc and place in a library to play later? Or do I have to live with the limitations of my Amstrad disc size? Any advice would be appreciated on getting Sky content into a library.
 
I wanted to build a library of content without filling up my Amstrad HD boxe's disc. Is there any way you can save the Sky content for later use? I believe you can use the copy function and hit record function of a DVD recorder and play the DVD at a later date? Could you then say transfer the recorded DVD content via a PC to a multi-media player (EG. Popcorn Hour) disc and place in a library to play later? Or do I have to live with the limitations of my Amstrad disc size? Any advice would be appreciated on getting Sky content into a library.

Yes you can do that, but not in HD.

Copy to DVD, rip to hard drive and stream to PCH no problem. Time consuming, but no problem.
 
What about the HD copying is the best option just to increase the Sky HD disc capacity?
 
What about the HD copying is the best option just to increase the Sky HD disc capacity?

Well you can't copy it in HD. The only possible way would be a BD recorder and the only one of those available is around £800. Even then, I doubt sky would allow it and there encryption would block any copying.

So yes you can increase you disc to 1TB. It basically increases the free space by around 5 times.

Make sure you read the instructions carefully, decide if you want to do it yourself or get someone to do it for you and make sure you pick the correct disc for your box. Not all discs work in all boxes.
 
Well you can't copy it in HD. The only possible way would be a BD recorder and the only one of those available is around £800. Even then, I doubt sky would allow it and there encryption would block any copying.
As Copy+ will do a selective copy to backup files on a PC it is, at least in theory, possible to back up (stil encrypted) encrypted HD programmes (or series) as files - and restore these to play them again.
 
As Copy+ will do a selective copy to backup files on a PC it is, at least in theory, possible to back up (stil encrypted) encrypted HD programmes (or series) as files - and restore these to play them again.

But isn't it difficult/impossible to "restore" programmes to a HDD without wiping the target drive ? I thought that one of the (few) things that Copy+ couldn't do was "merge" programmes onto existing drives.

This isn't a dealbreaker - but it means that you would have to get a blank HDD and copy to it the programmes you want to restore. A little bit of a faff.

Perhaps an easier solution would be to "pull" the sata cable out through the back of the box and connect up a hot-swappable HDD docking station ($20). You could then "juggle" HDDs. You could keep one HDD for (say) a particular cult TV series and store up to 150 hours or so of it in HD with 1Tb HDd (~£70).





Regards
 
But isn't it difficult/impossible to "restore" programmes to a HDD without wiping the target drive ? I thought that one of the (few) things that Copy+ couldn't do was "merge" programmes onto existing drives.

This isn't a dealbreaker - but it means that you would have to get a blank HDD and copy to it the programmes you want to restore. A little bit of a faff.

Perhaps an easier solution would be to "pull" the sata cable out through the back of the box and connect up a hot-swappable HDD docking station ($20). You could then "juggle" HDDs. You could keep one HDD for (say) a particular cult TV series and store up to 150 hours or so of it in HD with 1Tb HDd (~£70).
Yes - you are correct about the "no merging" limitation of Copy+ (I am still unsure if this is technical or done so as not to provoke Sky!) and that you would need a blank HDD to restore onto.

The "hot swap" idea might, as you say, be a better solution.
 

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