Which Dreambox for Sky?

[Webagents]

Hi,

I am totally new to the concept of Dreamboxes but as I understand it correctly I can configure a dreambox to work with my Sky card, is that correct?

My intention is to take the Sky card from home when I am away in my motorhome and use it for a couple of days at a time in the motorhome.

Ideally I would like a Dreambox that will record programs and pause Live TV, a bit like a Tivo or Sky+

Which models should I be looking at and how do I make it work with my Sky card?

I have also heard that doing this may be illegal and if it is I apologise for my post. My take on this would be that I could take my card and use it in a different digibox, calling Sky to re-marry the card each time. As long as the Sky card is only used in one location then this should be okay, shouldn't it?

 

[rcaudwell]

The short answer to your question is yes, you can use dreamboxes (or any linux box for that matter) to watch sky with an official card, any model of dreambox will do it, and so long as you get one with a HDD you can record programs. However, it takes a bit of setting up initially (and a lot of reading up if your new to linux stb`s).
You will struggle to get anything like the functionality of Sky+ or Tivo, mainly because they have the customised and specific epg etc, whereas linux/dream boxes don`t.
It`s not illegal to use an official viewing card to watch sky in any stb AFAIK, although only some of the emu`s needed in the dreambox will update the card for the monthly update.
Your best bet is probably to look on a few of ther sat forums to get an idea of what is involved, if you want other satellites/channels as well as sky you can`t go wrong, if it`s just for sky tbh I`d just go with a sky box.

 

[Webagents]

Many thanks for your reply. I already have a sky digibox on the motorhome but the problem I foresee is that I would be taking the viewing card from my sky+ box at home into a standard digibox on the motohome.

So If I was away for the weekend i would have to call Sky on the Friday evening and ask them to marry the card to the digibox in the motorhome and then call them again on the Sunday evening to ask the to re-marry the card back to the sky+ box. That would be a pain esp. if I was awya four weekends in a row - I also suspect that sky make get a bit concerned too.

Having a dreambox would mean that I would just take the card with me and all would work automatically...hopefully

 

[davemurgatroyd2]

First of all Sky would be unlikely to put up with re-pairing the card just for a weekend at a time and could very soon refuse.

There are other solutions to Linux boxes (which if you are a novice can be difficult to set up). I use both (with Sky full sub card) a Linux PVR (Technomate TM 9100) and a standard CI equipped PVR ( a Targa 5200 with 250 GB HDD) with a Dragon CAM and to be honest the Targa is less bother to use. Although cards do not get auto updated in a Dragon CAM this doesn't matter for periods up to about 4 weeks.

 

[hornydragon]

Have you considered just taking the Sky+ and putting that in the motor home? or getting multiroom and taking the multiroom box travelling yes its £10 a month but surely less hassle

 

[rcaudwell]

Have you considered just taking the Sky+ and putting that in the motor home? or getting multiroom and taking the multiroom box travelling yes its £10 a month but surely less hassle

Wouldn`t recommend taking multiroom boxes anywhere, sky actively check the multiroom box is on the same phoneline as the main sub box to prevent people doing this.

Agreee a "standard" receiver with dragon cam may be a good solution, at least til sky go to NDS3

 

[hornydragon]

Wouldn`t recommend taking multiroom boxes anywhere, sky actively check the multiroom box is on the same phoneline as the main sub box to prevent people doing this.

Yes but if is only away at weekends then should be no issue the box can miss a couple of call backs before sky send letters demanding phone connection. and as long as you force a call back when you return all is well, as sky dont insist on a dedicated line they often loose call abcks due to phonelines being in use.

 

[Webagents]

Thanks everybody for all your replies, I really appreciate them.


Some more information on my setup and my thoughts on the replies.

This info is based on my setup in two weeks time as I am having sky+ installed in the next week or so.

I will have, in my lounge, standard sky digital connect to my main tv and Tivo, this combination is my default viewing platform and as Tivo will need the standard sky digibox connected and 'carded' to record broadcasts whilst we are away I cannot take neither the digibox nor the card from it.

I will also have in my lounge the sky+ box whick will be connected to the main tv but this platform will be used purely for recording/watching other channels whilst tivo has control of the standard digibox.

I will already have, therefore, multiroom from sky, just in the same room physically.

In my motorhome I have a standard digibox with a £20 sky card.

So when we go away at weekend, I can:
-Take card from sky+ and marry to motorhome box, and re-marry back when we get home. As already explained, sky will almost certainly take a dim view of this and TBH it would be a right pain for me as well.

- Take sky+ box and card with me. This would work as it will be in use at home more often than not and so the callbacks will probably happen enough times to keep sky happy. It would be a bit of a pain to have to keep connecting and disconnecting the sky+ box whenever we go away though. Plus I can think of other issues, e.g. say we get back from being away and I forget to bring the sky+ box home (motorhome not stored at home address). Whilst I could ask my wife to remove a card and bring home, I couldn't ask her to disconnect the box as well and bring that too.

- By a box for the motorhome that can take the sky+ card and just work. All I have to do then is take the sky+ card with me and all works seamlessly.



It seems to me that the third option is the only viable solution. I am aware vaguely of the dreambox and it's ability to do as I want but know nothing of other possible solutions.

Dreamboxes seem relativley cheap at abbout £50-£70. How much are the other solutions?

Also, I quite fancy recording on the new box, it would have to be a one box solution as space is limited in the motorhome. What would be my best/simplest soultion do you think?