Sky+. Is it any good?

[Gra]

Hello folks. Been putting some thought into possibly getting Sky+, interweb connection and the phone deal lately. Is it worth it? the thing is I don't watch that much tele to be honest. I look at it in a 'keep me occupied and indoors' respect!

Cheers in advance,

Graham

[Mike2165]

In a word, yes. I've had no problems with mine. I just had an offer leaflet come through, if you want a free sky+ box, gimme a PM and I'll let you have all the details. If you want a sky HD box for £75, thats on the offer too.

[SV-net]

Hi, i have the TV, phone and broadband package. As advertised on the website at ?21.00. For this I got:-

TV with 6x entertainment packs.
Phone evening and weekend calls free to all landlines.
Broadband and a wireless router. (the lowest internet deal as I dont use much) this was FREE with the deal I chose.

?21.00 Lubbly Jubbly

Plus Points
Yes its very good.
Its a really easy recording function and I actually very good to have.
I would not like to be without mine now.
The brpadband is good, fast and a decent reliable wireless router supplied that was easily installed.
The helpdesk was used and they were very good too.

Too good to be true:) Hmmm

Minus Points
When I got the first bill they overcharged me. I called them and asked why I had been debited ?39.00 not ?21.00 was told that my area was not covered by the FREE broadband deal. Odd, it was when I signed up. They never said they were going to charge so I kicked up a big complaint, so they then offered me the top broadband at ?10.00 per month which is cheaper than BT so I took it. So watch out for the billing and exactly what you get on the contract.

My only other moan is that whilst the Sky+ works great its bloody noisy. The drive and fan in the set top box runs almost constantly day and night even when the TV is off! And its really noisy.

[Dan]

Yes, it's brilliant. Changes the way you watch TV forever.

Get it, and you'll see.

End of.

[Gra]

Sounds like a goodun. I was told about the recommend a friend deal which makes it even better. Huzzah.

Plus I could watch Bottom loads! The programme that is :D

[Woz]

When I got the first bill they overcharged me. I called them and asked why I had been debited ?39.00 not ?21.00 was told that my area was not covered by the FREE broadband deal. Odd, it was when I signed up. They never said they were going to charge so I kicked up a big complaint, so they then offered me the top broadband at ?10.00 per month which is cheaper than BT so I took it. So watch out for the billing and exactly what you get on the contract.

They've done you there mate. The top of the range broadband IS ?10 so they haven't done you any kind of deal at all. What you may find with the bill is that they've charged you for part of a month depending on when the system was installed.



In answer to the original question, I upgraded to SKY+ since January and I love it. I can't imagine how we coped without it especially as I can now go and watch bike racing upstairs (multi-room :smt023) out of the way of the current Mrs Woz.

[kwak zzr]

SKY+ is brilliant! do it now! :)

[Gra]

They also remind me of an XBOX360. I am a sad swine!

[glsuk1970]

Yes, it's brilliant. Changes the way you watch TV forever.

Get it, and you'll see.

End of.

Couldn't have put it better myself! I bloody hate adverts now!

[kwak zzr]

its sooooo easy even i can record things :)


let me think mmmmmm press "R" jobs a good'un

[STRAMASHER]

Could not live without it.

Its fantastic.

Best system by a mile. Even my 70yr old old boy can use it and now raves about it too.

[Mike2165]

Sounds like a goodun. I was told about the recommend a friend deal which makes it even better. Huzzah.

Plus I could watch Bottom loads! The programme that is :D

PM'd

[kwak zzr]

i just had to pay £160 fitted for mine :( 99 for the box and 60 fitting :(
best 160 i spent in a long time tho :)

[SV-net]

They've done you there mate. The top of the range broadband IS ?10 so they haven't done you any kind of deal at all. What you may find with the bill is that they've charged you for part of a month depending on when the system was installed.



Actually I forgot to mention they picked up the line rental from BT too and with the **** up from them regarding my contract I pay now ?31.00 for the lot and I dont have to pay BT any line rental. Thats ten quid a month straight away so I dont think I was done. I reckon I done a good deal.

Six mixes on Sky+
Telephone line rental and eve/weekend free calls to all landlines.
Broadband up to 16MB (running at nearly 4) with unlimited downloads and free router.

All for ?31.00

But remember that its a good deal anyway, just better if they b***s it up :p

[fat_brstd]

The difference between sky and sky+ is the fact that the box you get from sky has a Hard Disk in it. You can get all off the benefits of sky+ (being able to pause tv, recording is very easy, no video tapes or dvds taking up space) from any Hard Disk Recorder Digi Box and you dont have to pay a subscription. My parents had been thinking about getting sky+ just for the gizmos and so my dad didnt have to worry about missing the grand prix. For christmas I got them a wharfdale digi box with a hard disk in it and they love it and they dont have to fork out every month so they can keep using it.

I dont know if you remember TiVo but sky+ is exactly the same thing just rebranded for the english market cause it didnt take off when they called it TiVo as it was too new and way too expensive.

The Sky+ box has i believe a 160gig hard disk which is probably more than 90% of the population actually need but you can get bigger ones for pretty cheep. A quick look at argos shows the 250gig version of the wharfdale one my 60 year old mum can work fine at ?120 (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5321423/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSound+and+vision%7C9555142/c_2/2%7Ccat_9555142%7CDigital+TV+recorders%7C9555335.h tm) or you could just go for the cheepest with a thompson 160 gig one for ?80 (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5321485/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSound+and+vision%7C9555142/c_2/2%7Ccat_9555142%7CDigital+TV+recorders%7C9555335.h tm). The benefits of these are no subscription fees ever.

In conclusion if you want sky for the extra tv channels then get sky+ instead of normal sky. If you are happy with the 40 odd channels you get on freeview and dont fancy paying every month then get a digital harddisk recorder.

If you have a massive tv that can do HD and you must have it now now now get HDsky+, if you can wait a couple more years till 1080p is affordable and every tv has a HD decoder built into it get a digital harddisk recorder.

Sky have done an excellent job with there advertising and a lot of people arnt even aware that rival products are availiable. Also the new sky box is made by thompson on the cheep and is supposedly (i have no experiance with direct comparisons) slower than many of the other models on the market.

In its deffence I will say that skys box is very easy to use and some of the others arnt so simple, the sony's had a bit of a bad rep for being over complicated when they started but im pretty sure thats all sorted now.

Hope this helps cause if you dont watch a lot of tv as you say its expensive to go with sky especially once you factor in the cost of the dish and installation and activation and the sky+ box even with all there deals and the time to sort all that out when you could just get a digital harddisk recorder and plug it where your digi box is now and away you go, no hassel and you only have to pay once.

[tigersaw]

We have two sky+ boxes, both HD, plus something called a Topfield PVR. The Topfiled is freeview, but pi**es all over the sky boxes for functionality. You can even copy the progs off it onto your laptop, you can write your own software or load on some of the many pre written applications. The sky boxes on the other hand, are noisy, both have gone wrong at least once and need frequent rebooting. The menu system is lousy compared to the topfield. HD is very very nice, but theres F all broadcast worth watching just now.

[Stu]

stuff.
But how does what you recommend record programs? esp. series link?

I have a freeview box with a hard disc recorder. the series link only lets you record the same channel at the same time daily or weekly. i.e. it can't cope with schedule changes like Sky+ can (e.g. Assen Moto GP on a Saturday was no problem for Sky+) also sky+ actually knows when a series has finished so it doesn't record at the same time any more like my freeview would.

[tigersaw]

But how does what you recommend record programs? esp. series link?



The Topfield excels here.

i.e. Record Family Guy, plus 5 minutes either side, any time of day but only on BBC3, not if I have seen it before (it will look at the programme content text). Then put them in their own directory.

[fat_brstd]

But how does what you recommend record programs? esp. series link?

I have a freeview box with a hard disc recorder. the series link only lets you record the same channel at the same time daily or weekly. i.e. it can't cope with schedule changes like Sky+ can (e.g. Assen Moto GP on a Saturday was no problem for Sky+) also sky+ actually knows when a series has finished so it doesn't record at the same time any more like my freeview would.

the sky+ series recording system is pretty cool and noone else has managed to make it work yet because im pretty sure it needs abroadband connection inorder to get the numbers of the programs it has to record. All tv shows are assigned a numerical value which was designed ages ago to make vcr recording simpler, you just type in the number it says in the tv guide and it records it for you, or at least that was the plan, it never really took off.

It is possible to obtain all off these numbers way in advance from the broadcaster but im not sure how easy it would be and then you can use them to set the box to record those programs way in advance, When the tv single is sent it triggers the box to record. This is an overly complicated method of trying to copy something that sky has done fantasticly well. Dont get me wrong im not knocking sky and the sky+ system i just think that unless you really into your tv then its nots really worth the extra for the subscription.

[fat_brstd]

The Topfield excels here.

i.e. Record Family Guy, plus 5 minutes either side, any time of day but only on BBC3, not if I have seen it before (it will look at the programme content text). Then put them in their own directory.

thats simply awesome, is it getting that off the EPG or is it via a modem or what.

[tigersaw]

thats simply awesome, is it getting that off the EPG or is it via a modem or what.

Just off the EPG - freeview continually transmits the schedule for 2 weeks in advance, it just keeps track of that.

You can really make some good searches - like ask it to record anything with certain words or phrases in the title, like 'top gear' would get the usual progs, plus any specials.

You can make the digital display say whatever you want - mine says **** instead of ITV

http://www.topfield.co.uk/ http://www.toppy.org.uk/index.php

[SupaSonic]

Considering what rubbish is on most of the time, Sky + definately has my vote.
As all the above positive comments what I like is that you can record a series without any complex programming and also there's 'Anytime TV' which has some really good programmes on which you can just set up to watch when you want....

Its great, you wont be sorry if you get it.

[Luckypants]

Got Sky+ a week ago, bloody brilliant. That is all.

[Grinch]

My brother and father-in-law have the V+ boxes from Virgin and seem very happy with them. My Father-in-law has even moved over from having Sky and Sky+ to just Virgin.

Plus there boxes are already HDMI ready, setup to record 2 channels and watch another...

[Stu]

'Anytime TV' .
All that bloody records is chanels I haven't got so I can't watch it :smt021 (at Sky not you 8-[)

[Stu]

http://www.topfield.co.uk/
£350 :shock:
I'll keep paying my £16 TYVM!

No I won't, it's going up to £17 :smt067:rant:

[Ceri JC]

First a disclaimer: I don't watch much telly.

I have a HD recorder digital TV reciever (about £150) that is effectively sky plus for the freeview channels, but with no cost other than the inital cost of the unit. Despite having fewer channels, I still record far more TV than I actually get around to watching. As ITV4 is on freeview, you even get TT coverage (the one thing I used to get family with sky to tape for me). For me, paying for any TV subscription package would be a total waste of money and the money saved means I can buy a lot more DVDs. If my current HD recorder goes bang, I'll buy a media centre PC instead and do the same thing with that.

[tigersaw]

£350 :shock:
I'll keep paying my £16 TYVM!

No I won't, it's going up to £17 :smt067:rant:


I got it for just over £200

[trickywoos]

I think I have a friends and family deal up for grabs. PM if interested, will check for sure.