Sky+ in a flat

M

marcusanderson

Guest
Hi guys

I am about to move into a new flat which has a satalite link into the front room. I currently have sky plus and want to know if I will still be able to use it in the new flat. As far as I am aware there is only on cable from the dish to the flat.

Any thoughts?

Marcus
 
marcusanderson said:
Hi guys

I am about to move into a new flat which has a satalite link into the front room. I currently have sky plus and want to know if I will still be able to use it in the new flat. As far as I am aware there is only on cable from the dish to the flat.

Any thoughts?

Marcus

Another cable will need to be run from the Lnb on the dish in to the front room if you want to use Sky+
 
most flats/apartments (alike the one i live in, new builds) only have the one lnb feed, by that i mean the one connection on the wall plate marked sat (protruding metal ribbed connector), some of the more exclusive builds are sky + compatible which means have two of these connectors, market sat and sat 2, or sat return. just check the wall plate when you look around your new place, i went through a right nightmare and managed to persuade a very nice sky installer to put a dish up on my balcony which is strictly against company policy for such communal builds, like my dad always taught if you dont succeed try try again!
 
I'm pretty sure there is only one satellite feed coming into the flat. What use will I be able to get from Sky+ with only one input. I realise I will only be able to record / watch one channel like ordinary sky but will everything else work ok?
 
marcusanderson said:
I'm pretty sure there is only one satellite feed coming into the flat. What use will I be able to get from Sky+ with only one input. I realise I will only be able to record / watch one channel like ordinary sky but will everything else work ok?

I don't think you can record with only one input present........maybe somone can confirm?
 
I have tried recording, some channels will record if you dont change channel, and some wont, something to do with the polarity, you can get minimal functionality from the + box using a link between the 1/2 coax inputs, there was a thread a while back on how to do it. it would be easier to either route another cable from the next flat who isnt using theres, or ask for another feed from the distribution box.
 
OK, the ONLY thing you can't do with a single feed Sky+ is record one channel and watch another at the same time or set dual recordings. Basically you can pause, rewind live tv... you can watch an existing arhive while recording another channel, you can schedule recordings or simply hit record while watching. However, when you wish to set a recording you have to do the following to ensure success. Basically Sky+ will use the second lnb to record first and keep the first lnb for live viewing, this will obviously cause problems for a single lnb. So when scheduling a recording (not live recording) you need to enter a dummy recording first and then your REAL recording second. As long as the dummy starts before or at the same time then it will use the second lnb and your real recording will utilize the first lnb. The dummy will be listed as a failed recording due to there being no signal while your real recording will work just fine. A good example as I record each episode of 24:

Sky One: 9pm - 24 (Record second)
Sky Mix: 9pm - Dead Like Me (Record first)

I simply use the closest channel to my real recording in the epg to act as a dummy. It is basically setting up a dual recording each time but beyond that no extra hassle. While in a perfect world you would want two lnb feeds but for those that have a single lnb hard wired it is not possible. So you either stick with a normal digibox or use Sky+ at roughly 85% functionality. I know which one I have :smashin:
 
thats very clever, the unfortunate thing is most installers wont put a + box in unless they have 2 feeds, as they may get a rollocking from their managers. so this is only good for existing customers who are moving. i think it would annoy me having to setup a dummy, i suppose you have to delete the dummy after as well, a bit complicated for my likeing.
 
You don't need an installer if it is already hard wired into the appartment. Simply get a Sky+ box off ebay or an outlet of your choice, purchase a second hand contract from Sky (no need to have your phone line plugged in ;) ) and simply plug it all in and off you go :) You can delete the failed recording in your own time as it's not like it takes up any disk space! The whole process of a dummy is not exactly what I would call complicated (think of vcr's in the '80s!!) it is simply one extra step. Anyway, if you have the choice between a normal Sky box and Sky+, even with a slightly limited capacity, you would have to be crazy to choose the former especially as Sky+ is essentially free with the premium packages.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom