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TOP STORY: Sky+ sales reach 79,000 Sky today made public their sales figures for Sky+ subscriptions for the period ending 31st March 2003...
A View of the PVR: Now & In The Future 8 May | Big Issue Plusworld has been taking part in a research project on the use & future of PVRs...
Sky "Incredible" Offer for "Loyal" Subscribers 1 May | News Sky have sent out Sky+ marketing packs to selected customers... Official Website Update for Sky+ 29 April | News Sky updated their official website with Sky+ (version 2) photos and new demo. Welcome to the world of Sky+. This is the unofficial users site for the Sky+ community. We are dedicated to getting the best from the Sky+ system. We aim to bring users together to inform, discuss and resolve issues that affect us all. Welcome to the world of Sky+. This is the unofficial users site for the Sky+ community. We are dedicated to getting the best from the Sky+ system. We aim to bring users together to inform, discuss and resolve issues that affect us all. Current EPG Software Version for Sky+ version 1: sky+ 1.25.d updated 16 Apr 03 Current Operating System Version: 1.3.0AB Current EPG Software Version for Sky+ version 2 : sky+ 1.24.i1 no update since new Sky+ box launched Sky+ Overview What is Sky+ and how much does it cost? Sky+ is a satellite receiver and personal television recorder (PTR) in one. It costs around £199 from most electrical retailers, although the price can vary due to Sky promotions, whether you already subscribe to Sky and how long you've been a Sky customer for. Check for the best price by calling Sky on 08702 432 492. The system requires a further £10 per month Sky+ subscriptions in addition to any Sky digital subscription that you may have. You can also purchase it direct from Sky. Do I want the original Pace Sky+ box or the new Pace Sky+ box? There is no difference in the functionality or service given by both Sky+ boxes. The only real difference is in how the units look. The new box is approx. one third smaller than the original unit, so if space is tight go for the new unit if you have a choice. The old Sky+ is pictured on the left and the new Sky+ is pictured on the right.
Sky+ Overview What is Sky+ and how much does it cost? Sky+ is a satellite receiver and personal television recorder (PTR) in one. It costs around £199 from most electrical retailers, although the price can vary due to Sky promotions, whether you already subscribe to Sky and how long you've been a Sky customer for. Check for the best price by calling Sky on 08702 432 492. The system requires a further £10 per month Sky+ subscriptions in addition to any Sky digital subscription that you may have. You can also purchase it direct from Sky. Do I want the original Pace Sky+ box or the new Pace Sky+ box? There is no difference in the functionality or service given by both Sky+ boxes. The only real difference is in how the units look. The new box is approx. one third smaller than the original unit, so if space is tight go for the new unit if you have a choice. The old Sky+ is pictured on the left and the new Sky+ is pictured on the right. Within the next few months, the supplies of the old Sky+ will completely end. New customers will automatically be given the new Sky+ unit. An additional Sky+ manufacturer has been agreed and Amstrad will start producing Sky+ units with the aim to have their Sky+ system on sale by Christmas 2003. What happens if I stop paying my Sky+ £10 per month subscription? The box behaves like a normal Sky Digibox. Any recorded programmes cannot be watched. You will own a very large expensive silver brick sitting under your TV. What happens if I change my Sky channel choice? Sky+ will only playback programmes that you have recorded that you are currently subscribed to. So if you record a Sky film and then stop subscribing to the film channels, you will not be allowed to watch that film you had recorded on Sky+. Do I have to be an existing Sky subscriber? No although Sky are trialing a scheme where you may be entitled to a preferential discount on Sky+ if you have been a Sky subscriber for over a year. Actually you don't have to subscribe to any of Sky's channels at all, if you're happy with channels 101-105 then all you'll have to pay is £10 per month on top of the purchase and installation charge. Where can I buy a Sky+ digibox? From all the usual suspects: Dixons, Currys, Comet or direct from Sky. INSTALLATION Does the Sky+ box work 'out of the box'? Yes - although the 'plus' features will not be available until the dish has been upgraded (to provide a signal for the second internal receiver.) You also need to phone Sky to register your card and box together to enable all channels correctly and ensure your account has been activated. How much does the installation cost? The Sky+ installation costs £50 if you are already a Sky subscriber, and just need the LNB upgrade and re-cabling, and there is a £100 cost is if you are not a current Sky subscriber and need a dish fitting etc. Additional costs may incurred for non-standard installations. How long does it take to activate the 'plus' features? The plus features would be enabled within 2 hours of Sky completing the installation. What happens to my old dish/set-top box? In most cases the box is yours to keep but the dish stays - it is upgraded with a quad LNB that can be used to supply your old box should you choose to have this 'reinstalled' under the MySky tariff. Reinstalling means paying £25/£50 (lower amount if you have it done together with the Sky+ install), for the installation engineer to lay an additional cable to your old box - assuming that you will put it in a different room. A new Sky viewing card will be required to allow you access to the same digital line up as your main set and this is likely to set you back a further £12 per month regardless of your current package. Can the software in the box be upgraded? Yes via satellite, in the same way as normal Sky digiboxes. The monthly subscription includes all new features. What if the customer has no telephone line? Sorry you cant have Sky+ if you dont have an operational landline. Its part of the contract, Sky+ must be connected to a phone line. What happens about Sky+ in flats? This depends on a few factors. If you are in a flat and you already have a Sky digbox with its own minidish, then you should have no problems getting Sky+ installed. If you live in flats but dont have Sky, as long as someone else in your block has a standard Sky minidish, you can be pretty sure that attaching another small minidish to the building is going to be ok. For blocks of flats that have no minidishes installed, you should speak to your landlord in the first instance, and then your local County Council Planning Department in case Planning Permission is required. In certain houses in the National Park, minidishes are not allowed. However if you live in a block of flats and get Sky through a communal Sky distribution system, then matters may be more complicated, and expensive. Because Sky+ uses two feeds, one for live channel and one for recording channel, then your Distribution Suppliers will need to supply you with one more feed. This is likely not to be free, e.g. £75 per annum charge for feed 1, £75 per annum charge for feed 2. It gets really expensive if you want to keep your old digibox, because you will need a 3rd feed with another annual charge. This is all before you consider subscriptions for Sky+ or channel subs. FEATURES: Live TV What do the online menus look like? They are very similar to the existing Sky digital EPG, personal planner etc if you have an old digibox you should notice that Sky+ is faster. What programme guide data is available? Sky+ provides one weeks worth of listings of all of the Sky Digital channels using an extended version of the Sky Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). (So dont go on holiday for more than a week.) How is the programme guide data updated? Via satellite. (although this should be in real time some channels, notably ITV1 on channel 103 choose not to keep it up to the minute, and therefore programme overruns that make Sky+ miss the end of the program is not uncommon.) Latest software version does include a padding function to add extra time at start and the end to try to eliminate this. Are subtitles supported? Supports digital subtitles and teletext style. Still no "one button" toggle option for subtitles. However the great thing is that the Sky+ recorder can record the substitles intact and can display subtitles on a recorded programme even if the subtitles were turned off at the time of recording. Does Sky+ support digital text? Yes. BBC, Sky channels (e.g. Sky one), and UKTV provide text services, along with many other broadcasters. Does Sky+ provide support for Digital Terrestrial channels? No. What interactive features are there? These are the same as a regular Sky Digibox and include a mix of news, shopping and games. However when watching a recorded programme any red interactive dot is lost. (worth the price of Sky+ alone) Can I record interactive channels, such as the F1 channel or Music Choice, or BBC Sport multiscreen services? No, there is currently no facility to record interactive broadcasts. Worse still even after selecting a specific screen, e.g. for a World Cup Game, or the Winter Olympics, there is still no way to record these individual multiscreen channels. You could however record the output of the interactive session onto a Video Cassette Recorder. (no laughing at the back please!) What parental controls are available? The Sky+ uses the parental controls as per built into a standard Digibox - including spending controls (Like only £3 per month on Box Office movies, etc). Can you pause live TV? Yes. When you pause, the picture on the channel being viewed is frozen and all future content recorded onto the hard disk. Pressing Play will allow to continue viewing the program from that point. You also can pause again, rewind or fast forward. After pausing Live TV can I advance to the current time so I am watching Live again (not delayed)? Yes by fast-forwarding or pressing the Sky button to exit Live Pause. Is Sky+ constantly recording / is there a live TV buffer? Yes and No. A new always recording function has been placed in the Sky+ services menu but you have to choose to turn this facility on as the default is "off". When the default is turned "on", you can choose the number of minutes that you want buffered, up to a maximum of 60 minutes. With buffering switched "off" Sky+ will only record where you have set it to do so or after you have hit the pause button. Also, the buffer will grow to the duration of the current programme and then stop (providing the EPG data is correct) This means if you are watching a delayed recording you will miss the start of the next programme (if you wanted to watch that as well but of course you press R to record that other programme if you wish). Can I see an instant replay of what just happened (e.g. last 8 seconds)? Yes provided the "constant recording" option is switched on. Can I have favourite channels? Yes you can add up to 20 channels into your favourites list, and then cycle through them using the now/next banner using the blue button on the remote. Will Sky+ suggest programmes to watch? No, at present only Tivo can do this. Although this feature could possibly be added in the future. Can I record the programme I am currently watching? Yes just press the R button on the remote control, couldnt be simpler. Can I schedule or just start immediate recording of another channel while still watching TV? Yes, you can set recordings from the Search and Scan banner whilst youre watching any TV channel, or when youre in live pause, or even when youre watching playback of a recorded programme. But remember that the search and scan banner doesn't go very much into the future. FEATURES: Recording How can I find a programme I want to record? Sky's EPG and personal planner is the normal way to choose programmes. A new manual timer recording option is now available, as an alternative means, though this doesn't label the recording with any programme names. Can I record two channels at the same time? Sky+ contains two tuners. Initially you can record one programme, and watch a different one at the same time. You may pause this second programme. Eventually a future software upgrade should allow two recordings of different channels at the same time. This is anticipated in the 1st quarter of 2003. What if two programmes clash? Sky+ does detect clashes and gives you the option of cancelling if you wish, the item(s) that you're clashing with. In the future Sky+ will support recording using both of its tuners. If the programme times change after you've scheduled recordings, resulting in a clash, by default Sky+ will record all of the first programme and miss the start of the subsequent programme. This behaviour can be overridden by marking the subsequent programme as "Keep", in which case the first programme will be truncated to allow the whole of the second programme to be recorded. Is it possible to pad programmes? Padding of two minutes either side of a programme is always added (except when recording two consecutive programmes). There is also a global padding option that you can alter in the Services menu of Sky+ to give 0, 1, 2 ,5 or 10 minutes of extra padding at the start and / or end of the programme. Can I record box office movies? Yes. Box office movies will be held for 7 days. If you have not watched them within this period, they will be deleted and you will not be charged. If you choose to watch the recording, it will be deleted automatically from your system within 24 hours of viewing. However thats just the start of how Sky+ can make Box Office movies more appealing. Do you fancy a "virtual video store" in your living room? If you wanted to you could record EVERY Sky Box Office movie onto your Sky+ FREE of charge, and if you decide to watch one, it is only when you press Play that a viewing charge is applied. If you dont watch the rest of the movies you downloaded, there is no charge. Sky+ is also useful if you prefer to see the not so frequent widescreen presentation of a Sky Box Office movie. You can simply select the widescreen showing to record and when youre ready, you can start to view the recording, no chance of missing the show time, even though it may be infrequently shown in widescreen. One other benefit for movie buffs is that Sky Box Office and normal movies can be recorded at their broadcast time, and viewed at any time of the day, whatever the films rating. So if you want to watch a Horror film, Certificate 18 at 2 oclock in the afternoon, you can. Just press "Play" What is series link? Series link is a facility that allows you to record all the episodes of your favourite series. Unfortunately the necessary control information does not appear to be widespread and series link is currently only available on a small proportion of programmes (approx. 10%), but it is covered by the major channels (except Channel 5) . So for mainstream programmes you may be ok. Otherwise you just record the programmes by pressing "R" for the selected individual programmes in the Electronic Programme Guide. Can I automatically record programmes that I like e.g. all programmes with a certain actor? No FEATURES: Playback Can I play the programme I am currently recording before it has finished recording? Yes Can you watch one channel on one TV and another on a different set using TV link? No there is only one output. But with TV link you can watch in another room whatever you choose to play so the effect is of having Sky+ in another room. Can you fast-forward and rewind? Sky+ has four different speeds of fast forward and rewind (2x, 6x, 12x, 30x).. The box has the option to disable fast forwarding through adverts, but this has not currently been used by Sky, and Sky say they have no plans to introduce this. Can I jump to the end of the programme? Yes, use the Goto Option and toggle to "End". Can I jump to a specific part of a programme? Sky+ has the facility to bookmark places in a recording for later retrieval. You can also specify the number of minutes into the recording that you want Sky+ to start playback. Can I output a recording to VCR? Yes, although Macrovision protection (box office movies) will be maintained and this may prohibit you from doing so. Can I output multiple recordings to VCR at the same time? Yes, you may queue a number of programmes for archive all at once, and these will copy out in the order you put the "Copy" markers on the recordings. TECHNICAL Do I really need to connect the Sky+ digibox to a phone socket? Technically there is nothing to stop the box from working if it is disconnected indefinitely. All programmed guide information and software updates are broadcast over the satellite. In practice, the box is still subsidised on the premise that you might actually pay up for a Box Office Movie or try the Sky Active service and buy something. If you disconnect the phone line, you wont be able to do either and if BSkyB find out, they are likely to land you with claw back bills amounting to hundreds of pounds Can I use my old Open / Sky Active keyboard? Yes. Press the TV button on the keyboard, hold down the blue key and select down until the red light flashes twice. Then press 2 followed by select. What is the picture quality like? The Sky+ box records the digital stream directly meaning that what you see on a normal Sky box is what is recorded by Sky+. Since no MPEG encoding is done the picture quality recorded by Sky+ is exactly the same as the original. It is not possible to reduce the disc space used by a recording at the expense of quality. What is the sound quality like? Sky+ offers a Dolby Digital optical output. Some films are broadcast in 5.1 surround sound, however at the moment all the remaining programmes are being broadcasted at 48khz stereo. Any Dolby Pro Logic soundtracks are seamless. Leave the box set to Dolby 5.1 and all non 5.1 sound will be downmixed from that stream for better quality sound. Does Sky+ record anamorphic widescreen? Yes and it will playback with the switching signal intact as it records the original digital stream exactly just like being there when the recorded item for first transmitted. Switching will only work via the RGB socket and not via the Svideo socket or the UHF output. Will Sky+ record all audio streams? No. It will only record the audio stream and language selected at the time. If you record the EuroNews in French, then it will always play back in French irrespective of whether the language setting as since been changed. Does Sky+ record the EPG if it used while a recording is in progress? No. Can I record Sky's radio channels? Yes but not directly from the EPG. You have to use the new manual timer option. How many hours of programmes can be stored? It is not possible to say as it depends on the bit rate the broadcaster is using for any particular channel. Typically around 20 hours of programmes may be stored. The box will give you an estimate of the size required to record a programme. Radio channels are recorded efficiently and therefore hundreds of hours of radio can be recorded on the hard disk. Can more storage space be added? Not officially. Reports of successful upgrades are available. Check out http://www.hummer.co.uk/inside-skyplus.html Sky have indicated that in 2003/2004 they may consider allowing external storage devices to be added to your Sky+, by their Sky engineers. MISCELLANEOUS Will Sky+ change my viewing habits? Yes undoubtedly. The quality of recording playback is astounding. The sound quality is superb. The functionality you will find available to you within one week, will make you wonder how you ever managed to do without Sky+. The dual tuner is the feature that allows all your programmes to be recorded in the background whilst you can "surf" or watch any other channel at the same time, or watch a pre-recorded programme or a programme still recording at the same time. What is the main difference between Sky+ and TIVO? TIVO is a stand alone Personal Video Recorder (PVR) designed to work with many different broadcast content. (production of new Tivo units in the UK has now ceased.) Sky+ is a digital satellite receiver with two tuners that has its own inbuilt PVR that lets you record one digital channel while watching another. A more detailed breakdown of the differences can be found at http://www.tivoportal.co.uk/TIVOvsSKY.htm What is MySky? MySky is believed to have been the working title for Sky+ prior to launch. It is sometimes confused with the Sky digital extra subscription option that is often pushed with the Sky+ package. This allows a single household to have a second digibox and reduced price subscription. The cost of a second box from Sky is £215, unless you use you old pre Sky+ box. There is a £12 a month charge is for a second viewing card that will mirror your current subscription. Please Note: All advice is offered 'as is' and no guarantee is offered regarding the accuracy of these answers or the claims made by contributors. This content is not endorsed by BSkyB or any other organisation engaged in the manufacture, distribution, and support of the Sky+ system. The following is a list of valuable resources for both existing and potential Sky+ users, and is one of the most extensive available on the web. Here is an essential phone resource: The Sky+ Helpline on 08705 800 800 then press ** then press the following number: 1. to purchase a Sky+ box 2. to activate Sky+ account 3. to book a Sky+ installation 4. to discuss technical difficulties with Sky+ box 5. to discuss sky+ account / customer service issues (calls charged at national rate) Digital Spy forum - Sky+ This link takes you to the Webs Premier discussion forum on Sky+. There youll find a wealth of experience and knowledge on all things of a Sky+ nature. Digital Spy Report Q&A from Sky on Sky+ (dated 4/2/02) This is a fantastic insight into what Sky have in store for the next software update. Digital Spy Report Update on Sky+ (dated 15/7/02) This is a critically important report on what features are likely to be released in 2002 and when. PVRUK This is a relatively new site but covers all aspects of PVRs from a UK perspective. It's news updates are timely and well reported. Google Groups - uk.tech.tv.sky Google Groups - uk.media.tv.sky The Google groups links are a relatively new way of easily getting at interesting information on newsgroups without anything more than a single click - weve set the ultra quick search up for you showing all Sky+ threads in date order - so enjoy. Official Sky+ homepage A page of information from Sky My Sky+ Install Experience Sample Sky+ images Sky+ Known Bug List Upgrading Sky+ Automan, one of the Sky+ pioneers has an extensive and media rich guide to Sky+ - follow the 4 links above - many jpegs - may take some time to load. Comparison of Sky+ and Tivo A balanced view of Sky+ from a Tivo champion Tivo users comments on Sky+ A slightly less balanced bunch of views but nonetheless interesting. Consumer Review of Sky+ on Dooyoo Only one solitary review - why not add a review of your own here? Register - Article on Sky+ Even Sky+ has the odd "off day"... Interactive TV Today article How much memory has Sky+ got? And read the full technical specification here What Video Sky+ Review (Nov 2001) Stomping Review and Best Buy Award Box Clever advertisement for Sky+ A faithful reproduction on the web of a Sky+ retail leaflet Home Cinema Choice on Sky+ Home Cinema Choice comparison of Sky+ & Tivo. Some of this information is now out of date. Home Theater HiFi Sky+ Review A thoughtful and full review of Sky+. Well worth a read. Pace demo of Sky+ The Grand Daddy of all Sky+ web sites - media rich and explanations of how your Sky+ is going to do dual recording. As we receive them, further links will appear on this page and will show a "new" logo next to them. Check these out for more information on Sky+. If you would like to submit a link to a web page that you have found interesting about Sky+ then please click the feedback link below. We would be pleased to include it on this page. If you find any broken links or simply wish to comment about these resources then again please report using the feedback option.