Can anyone help a new user please

D

da e405a

New Member
My Satellite Setup
Sky HD
My Location
Lincs
Hi all
First time poster here
I have looked for a thread about my problem but no luck

I have a Sky sub and a Sky HD box but I want to be able to move the Sky recordings to my PC

I don't want to sell the recordings just view them on my PC

As I understand it it is possible to put my Sky card in a set top box like a Dreambox and do just that, but i have also read that since the end of 2013 sky make it imposable to do

So can anyone tell me if I buy a Dreambox can I do as I want to

any help and guidance anyone can give would be great

thanks in advance

David
 
ATM you can still use subscription cards in a dreambox, but for how long it will continue to be feasible is anyones guess.

A DB isnt a friendly box to use like a sky receiver. For starters out of the box you wont get more than now & next on the epg - you have to add extra plugins in many DB images. Theres no real point buying one unless you are willing to put in many hours learning how they work "under the bonnet". Once you have a basic understanding though then you have an infinitely customisable box that is a delight to use. (Or a nightmare if you find you dont like the software / gui!)

A program called Copy+ used to allow you to extract recording off a sky+ hard drive by slaving it into a desktop computer, I have no idea if its still going - things keep changing.
 
Hi

Thanks for the fast reply

I did look at copy plus but the Sky box records the stream encrypted and decodes the file as it plays the recording back so that will not work

I guess when the Sky cards stop working in non sky set top oxes then the gifts will also stop
 
Gifts are not something we can discuss here ................. ;)
 
To be honest the easiest way to do it is probably just buy a cheap dvd recorder. Ive been archiving the old editions of Top of the Pops for the last 2 years like this :)
 
Hi

sorry about 'gifts'

The problems with using a DVD recorder are only composite or maybe RGB can be recorded on them so the quality is less than HD and the recorder will re encode the video as it comes in so quality will drop still more and the recorder can only record stereo not the 5.1 soundtack on many films and new series

the only other idea I had was a HDMI to component video convertor fed into a suitable fireware capture card on the PC sending the 5.1 stream in to a suitable sound card but that will cost a lot of money and needs to be done in real time + I might get sound sync issues that was why I am hoping to be able to somehow use the files recorded by a non Sky set top box
 
Well its certainly possible - you can record direct to a network storage array like a nasbox if you want to with the right receiver. A bit tricky to set up and get going but if you are willing to put some time in & accept you will often get stuck to begin with go for it.

You dont want a dreambox though - there are equally as good a LOT cheaper, eg investigate Vu+ receivers.
 
Hi

thanks for that record direct is just what I am looking for so I will look a Vu+ dot want to buy it though just to find my card wont or stops working after a few weeks

Can you give any pointers where to find out more about Vu+
 
Apropos of not much, I have a Foxsat HDR and although the OEM firmware encrypts HD recordings similarly to Sky Boxes, there is Custom Firmware available which, amongst other features, allows a small patch to be applied that strips the flag and allows streaming, FTP etc of HD content.

I don't know if chaps as clever as a sack of ferrets have done similar for Sky Boxes, but sadly I doubt it!

But, as AS says, there are many alternative boxes out there that don't have the issue.
 
Theres no guarantees about how long it will work. You take your chances in this game - I know of several cases where folk bought new toys and they stopped working a couple of days after they were set up!

Theres a whole section devoted to Vu+ receivers here on the forum. Its in this sub forum which you might find interesting

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/#linux-based-receivers.745
 
Hi and thanks to all of you for your help

I have a Humax Freeview PVR with h hacked firmware and it does indeed work just as I want very well

I will take a look at the forum link

Thanks again to you all
 
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