Woot! Sky+ HD box orered...

The Big Cheese
The Big Cheese Posts: 8,651
edited August 2010 in The Crudcatcher
....

I have the standard Sky+ box, but when I plugged it into my new HD TV it was no different to the TV before.. so although nice picture, me going for a full 1080p TV seemed a waste of time and expense. So....

Phoned up Sky and managed to get the HD box and postage for nothing.... WOOT!!!!

I am assuming that once the HD box is connected, the picture should be dramatically improved. I hope so as I am paying an extra tenner per month for the HD privaledge.

Also, for those HD customers, I am presuming it comes with a HDMI cable?
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Comments

  • They'll need to come and set it up though, it's not just plug and play.

    I love my Sky+HD

    and yes, it comes with HDMI cable.
  • and actually NO, the picture is not dramatically better, well, not all the time.
    Only on the HD channels, and only the programmes on the HD channels that are actually broadcast IN HD.
  • and actually NO, the picture is not dramatically better, well, not all the time.
    Only on the HD channels, and only the programmes on the HD channels that are actually broadcast IN HD.

    Right - its a self installation job. Im quite technically minded so shouldnt be a problem (he hopes) - the operator/rep said its not hard.

    CWNT - am I getting this right.

    I have a HD TV, a HD Sky+ box and Im paying to recieve the HD package/booster. So the 40 odd channels that are broadcast in HD (ie Sky 1 all the movie channels etc etc) will be a better picture, because if not, whats the point?
  • Right,

    That's what I thought when I ordered mine, then the installation guy turned up and informed me otherwise.

    The example he gave was on one of the sports channels. The picture was identical on both HD and regular. Apparently this is because the football match that was on was an old one, that hadn't been filmed with an HD camera, so when they show it on HD channels, it makes no difference.

    Now, I'm NOT very technically minded, but I'm sure someone who IS will be along to clarify.
  • -liam-
    -liam- Posts: 1,831
    The HD channels even the channels that are just upscaled are better.

    If you watch sport and/or films then it is worth it, otherwise probably not.

    Assuming you are getting your first few months subscription free?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Yes, all the HD channels look ok. The box also does some clever upscaling jiggery pokery with the SD channels, so they should look a bit better than before as well.

    And there are more and more channels going HD. Hell, even S4C in wales (which is watched by statistically zero people) is already planning to go HD by next yer.
  • -liam-
    -liam- Posts: 1,831
    Right,

    That's what I thought when I ordered mine, then the installation guy turned up and informed me otherwise.

    The example he gave was on one of the sports channels. The picture was identical on both HD and regular. Apparently this is because the football match that was on was an old one, that hadn't been filmed with an HD camera, so when they show it on HD channels, it makes no difference.

    Now, I'm NOT very technically minded, but I'm sure someone who IS will be along to clarify.

    It stands to reason that if its not filmed in HD then it can't be broadcast in HD but the picture can still be upscaled, giving an improvement in picture quality.

    Not sure I'd be paying subs to watch old upscaled football matches though.

    I'm watching Liverpool v Arsenal right now and the pic quality from SS1 to SS1HD isnt even close.
  • -Liam- wrote:
    The HD channels even the channels that are just upscaled are better.

    If you watch sport and/or films then it is worth it, otherwise probably not.

    Assuming you are getting your first few months subscription free?

    LIAM - no, not free, but I did get the box and delivery for nothing, so I wasnt going to push it with being cheeky ;)

    Righto, now obviously the technician/installation guy doesnt touch the dish.

    I disconnect old unit, re-attach new unit. Fit SKY card into front... what more can there be? Does anyone here know what the process is? As I mentioned it was £60 to have it fitted but even the rep/operator said that most people now do it themselves if its a straight box-swap... I hope he wasnt talking BS now (after CWNTs comments)
  • -liam-
    -liam- Posts: 1,831
    All the ITV channels will be HD soon, sports and movie channels are all HD as is BBC1/channel4 etc etc. I said a couple of years ago now, that I wouldnt pay subs until there is more than 10 channels lol...there is now :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    -Liam- wrote:
    It stands to reason that if its not filmed in HD then it can't be broadcast in HD but the picture can still be upscaled, giving an improvement in picture quality.
    I think what they're doing (and if they're not, they should be) is allowing far more bandwidth to the HD channels. So, even if it was originally shot in SD, there is far less compression on the picture than there would be if you were watching it on an SD channel.

    SD broadcast quality source video is immensely high quality, and is visually comparable with SkyHD's "proper" HD channels. Unfortunately, in broadcasting, they squeeze the bejesus out of it.
  • -liam-
    -liam- Posts: 1,831
    -Liam- wrote:
    The HD channels even the channels that are just upscaled are better.

    If you watch sport and/or films then it is worth it, otherwise probably not.

    Assuming you are getting your first few months subscription free?

    LIAM - no, not free, but I did get the box and delivery for nothing, so I wasnt going to push it with being cheeky ;)

    Righto, now obviously the technician/installation guy doesnt touch the dish.

    I disconnect old unit, re-attach new unit. Fit SKY card into front... what more can there be? Does anyone here know what the process is? As I mentioned it was £60 to have it fitted but even the rep/operator said that most people now do it themselves if its a straight box-swap... I hope he wasnt talking BS now (after CWNTs comments)

    I've swapped my HD between my place where I just have sky+ and my missus'(where I am now) where she has HD+ and it just plugs in and works fine with my dish at my place, if that makes sense. :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Isn't there a question mark over ITV's HD channels? I thought they were going bust again or something. They seem to be really struggling.
  • -liam-
    -liam- Posts: 1,831
    Isn't there a question mark over ITV's HD channels? I thought they were going bust again or something. They seem to be really struggling.

    Nah, they turned a profit this year for the first time in donkeys...

    Crozier, who is now there chairman still says there is a lot of work to do though. Wants them to get into PPV and internet apparently.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8546736.stm
  • -Liam- wrote:
    Not sure I'd be paying subs to watch old upscaled football matches though.

    No exactly, me neither.

    It came up because he picked that channel to show me how much better the picture was than on the normal channels, and I pointed out it was exactly the same, otherwise it'd have not been mentioned.

    Generally speaking, the quality of ALL channels is better than you'd get with the regular SD box on a regular CRT telly, it's just that sometimes there is no difference between the pictures you are getting on the SD and HD channel at the same time, for the reasons mentioned above (IE, programme was not recorded in HD).

    As I already said, I LOVE my SKY+HD :D

    No idea bout the procedure for swapping over to HD. I know that when he came round to ours, to swap our old sky+ to HD, they had to mess about in the loft for something, then enter some codes and stuff like that.
  • projectsome
    projectsome Posts: 4,478
    stick on History HD and National Geographic HD and the other HD documentary channels and you'll notice a difference.
    FARKBOOK TWATTER Happiness is my fucking mood!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    the hd channels look much crisper even on my cheapo telly, watching footy on it is super dooper and themodern movies look mega too, old films look just like they always did
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Did you know that an American broadcaster was asking the beeb for old episodes of Red Dwarf, Fawlty towers etc in HD?
    Apparently, what they did just to shut them up was give them PAL versions, and whoever the idiots were at the other end were over the moon with it :roll:
  • I liked sky... for the 1st few months... then I got annoyed with all the repeats :(

    Good quality but rather expensive.... I can never find a package that i'd be fully happy with, if i could choose individual channels I'd probably have it back!
  • R0B75
    R0B75 Posts: 376
    ....

    I have the standard Sky+ box, but when I plugged it into my new HD TV it was no different to the TV before.. so although nice picture, me going for a full 1080p TV seemed a waste of time and expense. So....

    Phoned up Sky and managed to get the HD box and postage for nothing.... WOOT!!!!

    I am assuming that once the HD box is connected, the picture should be dramatically improved. I hope so as I am paying an extra tenner per month for the HD privaledge.

    Also, for those HD customers, I am presuming it comes with a HDMI cable?

    I was quite underwhelmed with the picture quality of the standard definition channels on Sky HD. I'd heard they would be upscaled and look crisper, but they don't really, they look no different to Sky+, of course maybe on a different/smaller TV it might be different. The HD channels though are superb by comparison though.

    Buying a 1080p tv isn't a waste of time and expense if it's utilised properly but it won't be for Sky HD as that only outputs at 720p/1080i anyway. Hardly any games are native 1080p, only upscaled from 720p or below :shock:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Sky really doesn't have the bandwidth to stream any meaningful 1080p content though.
    Their broadcast HD channels pale in comparison to a good bluray.
  • R0B75
    R0B75 Posts: 376
    Yep. Comapre a decent blu ray with the same film on Sky HD movies and there's a big difference in picture AND sound quality. I only watch the football though on Sky HD and it has to be said its brilliant quality.
  • camerauk
    camerauk Posts: 1,000
    yes mate very easy to fit just swap over new box with old one and connect up the cables it comes with a HDMI cable which you must use and then follow instruction list supplied to go into setup to do a new install mine took me 10 mins very easy to do :lol:
    you will love it HD sports and documentary channels are great
    Specialized Camber Expert
    Specialized Allez Sport
  • Penylope
    Penylope Posts: 320
    Just be thankfull you havent got FreeSat (BBC/itv initiative), they reduced bandwidth on some channels when they started to broadcast HD :shock: SD looked realy pants on a lot of the channels.
    Finaly bit the bullet and upgraded to Sky, bought a HD box off tinterweb then had basic package. Same as normal sky+ but with a bigger HDD and free HD channels :D

    Oh, and on a side note; OP, if you want to run sky through your surround amp (as stated in another thread), you will need an optical digital cable, not just hdmi. For some reason the sky HD box doesent output 5.1 through hdmi, only stereo.
    MTB's, SC Blur LTc & Cotic Soul (26" definitely aint dead!).
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Penylope wrote:
    Just be thankfull you havent got FreeSat (BBC/itv initiative), they reduced bandwidth on some channels when they started to broadcast HD :shock: SD looked realy pants on a lot of the channels.
    Some channels on normal freeview have appalling bandwidth too. It certainly isn't an equal split.
    I have a pretty good receiver, and a video card that upscales everything, and it does a cracking job on things like BBBC channels, E4 etc, but some of the smaller channels are just... awful.

    (Oh, and Sky does this even with HD. They reduced the bandwidth and copressed all the other channels way more to accomodate HD)
  • joshtp
    joshtp Posts: 3,966
    only the HD chanels will be better... and youl only get them if you pay for the extra HD package... but if you do get it set up right it is phenominal! the quality is unblelivable!
    I like bikes and stuff
  • MacAndCheese
    MacAndCheese Posts: 1,944
    A handy hint for Sky + HD I picked up, you can get it to highlight all the programs that are actually HD in yellow on the TV guide... As people have said some of the HD channels (channel4HD springs to mind) aren't always broadcasting HD content.
    Santa Cruz Chameleon
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    you can select the hd channels menu, its the one next to general iirc.
  • get a surround sound system to get full benefit.
    i only watch hd telly
    hates dog walkers
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    edited August 2010
    get a surround sound system to get full benefit.
    i only watch hd telly
    You only watch HD eh? WOW, I am amazed.

    lincoln_awesome.jpg