Sky+ or Tivo for Apartment Building with Shared Dish ?

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Dazza

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I live in an apartment building with a shared satellite dish. Each apartment has only a single feed, and I'm not able to install my own dish. I'm fed up with videotape and wanted to move to a PVR which is integrated with Sky - so the natural choice was Sky+.

But, on the couple of times that I've contacted Sky, they've told me that it's not possible to have Sky+ with a shared dish. Now, I understand that I won't be able to record one channel and view another - and I'm prepared to accept that. But Sky just don't want to help.

So, is there any reason why I shouldn't get a Sky+ box and just connect a single feed ? Is there a way of 'splitting' the single feed into two so that I get all of the features of Sky+. A friend suggested I look at Tivo boxes on eBay, but I'm concerned that I might be buying a 'Betamax'. Is Tivo an alternative to consider ?

Does anyone have any advice ? Has anyone installed Sky+ with a shared dish ? Thanks for your help, Dazza.
 
rolfw

rolfw

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Sky will not install Sky+ units on communal aerial systems as a rule, even if there are twin feeds, they will normally refer you to an independent installer.

Not convinced how well it would work with a split feed, there are bound to be conflicts. May be worth talking to the management company and see if there are any spare ports on the switch, they may have left a couple.
 
BLUEPLATINUM

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Dazza said:
A friend suggested I look at Tivo boxes on eBay, but I'm concerned that I might be buying a 'Betamax'. Is Tivo an alternative to consider ?
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TiVO is an option. I have friends who have it and still think it is the bees knees. Make sure you buy a box with a lifetime subscription though because I don't think new subscriptions are available (you need to check out more detail on this with someone really in the know). I personally prefer SKY plus because you can record 2 channels at once. As already stated your best bet for this is to negotiate access to a spare feed from the switch in your building. You cannot split a single feed due to the polarity and Hi/Lo band switching issues.
 
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