Sky Hd

[Troll]

Hmm bit more digging and things have maybe moved on from the last time I checked - dated July 2007:
http://www.hdtvuk.tv/hd_via_an_aerial/

Ofcom reveal plans for terrestrial HDTV
It's been a fractious few months, but UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom has finally revealed its plans for terrestrial HDTV services delivered through an aerial.

Apparently, Ofcom has said that it's possible to support four high-definition channels on the existing digital terrestrial television (DTT) network. Ofcom is expected to enforce a reshuffling of the DTT capacity with a partial move to MPEG-4 and/or DVB-T2 video compression for the new services.

These plans won't please members of the HD For All campaign, which include public broadcasters and consumer electronics companies. They were hoping to free up parts of the spectrum currently being used for analogue TV, which be freed once the digital switchover is complete in 2012, to deliver HDTV through Freeview.

Instead, the old analogue spectrum will probably be auctioned to mobile phone networks so they can deliver mobile TV, faster Internet connections and new features.

 

[brollyman]

A word from the wise

A word from the wise

If you're an existing Sky subscriber tell them you want to cancel and switch to Virgin Media - they'll eventually transfer you through to a customer retention department.

I did this an got my HD box for £99 and no installation cost! I think it helped that I've been with Sky since the days of the Squariel (and I've still got the original decoder).....

 

[interested]

Who has it and is it any good? Sky want £199 from me for the box and £30 to unhook my Sky + and put in the new one (literally pull the plugs from one box and place into the same sockets on the other - 2 mins work for £30). They used to allow self installation but now don't - I wonder why at that rate!

I have seen boxes on E Bay going for £150 to £190 and I can get a box from a sky installer for £180 tomorrow.

If I go with sky @ £229 then atleast I know that I'm covered if (when) it goes wrong, but I resent the £30 charge for essentailly nothing. If I get the £180 box, then I presume I'll have the manufacturers warranty to fall back on.

What would you lot do?

I got a mate who works for Sky and got it half price but still pay the £10 a month

It's good on my Sony Bravia 32" - but I think it probably works better on a bigger TV. I might upgrade to a 40 or 46" Bravia.

Sometimes the content is a bit disappointing - for example they show SD stuff on the Sky HD channels quite often. Cricket, rugby union & league and football is generally all in HD although the away (overseas) matches in the CL, Six Nations and Heineken Cup aren't.

As a Sky HD subscriber the move of FA Cup and England internationals next year to ITV and Setanta is bad because essentially I'll have to pay more, and get worse quality as neither of the above do HD. BBC and Sky were screening all these matches in HD and doing a good job of it

Some of the stuff on BBC, Discovery & National Geographic HD channels is very very good

Films are good as well

 

[snaw]

Actually - I gotta say, when it's good it's very very good. But for sports it didn't really make that much of a differece it felt.

 

[alreadypacked]

I got a mate who works for Sky and got it half price but still pay the £10 a month

It's good on my Sony Bravia 32" - but I think it probably works better on a bigger TV. I might upgrade to a 40 or 46" Bravia.

Sometimes the content is a bit disappointing - for example they show SD stuff on the Sky HD channels quite often. Cricket, rugby union & league and football is generally all in HD although the away (overseas) matches in the CL, Six Nations and Heineken Cup aren't.

As a Sky HD subscriber the move of FA Cup and England internationals next year to ITV and Setanta is bad because essentially I'll have to pay more, and get worse quality as neither of the above do HD. BBC and Sky were screening all these matches in HD and doing a good job of it

Some of the stuff on BBC, Discovery & National Geographic HD channels is very very good

Films are good as well

I think you need to go out more

 

[gingerjedi]

If you're an existing Sky subscriber tell them you want to cancel and switch to Virgin Media - they'll eventually transfer you through to a customer retention department.

I did this an got my HD box for £99 and no installation cost! I think it helped that I've been with Sky since the days of the Squariel (and I've still got the original decoder).....

But do you have to pay the £10 a month to watch a signal that’s already there? I have a mate who has multi room and sky HD, add in the September price hike and he is paying £63.99 a month.

Also I know people who watch NG just because it’s in HD.

 

[brollyman]

I got 3 months off the HD subscription so no change in monthly price yet - I might have to sell my squarial as an antique to cover the cost when it kicks in!

 

[Spoiler]

I'm about to bin my Sky HD subscription. I mainly watch sport & a few things on Sky one HD\BBC HD. It's better quality, but I'm not in the "wow, it's amazing" camp so can't justify the tenner a month.

Anyone know if I can still use the Sky HD box as normal Sky+ after dropping HD subscription or do I have to plug my old Sky+ box in?

 

[BoredBloke]

Just installed it - as I thought, £30 for absolutely jack sh1t. Took 2 mins.

 

[snaw]

I'm about to bin my Sky HD subscription. I mainly watch sport & a few things on Sky one HD\BBC HD. It's better quality, but I'm not in the "wow, it's amazing" camp so can't justify the tenner a month.

Anyone know if I can still use the Sky HD box as normal Sky+ after dropping HD subscription or do I have to plug my old Sky+ box in?

Yep, you can - that's what I did.