Connecting an old sky box to a new TV

bails87

Thanks to Gazlar, I've now got an old Sky box, so we might be able to get a reliable TV signal. (Nice TV, sh!t communal aerial).

However, our shiny TV doesn't have a SCART input, and the Sky box doesn't have a HDMI output.
So how do I get a picture from this:


into the TV.

There are 4 HDMI ports, and then this:

Any help appreciated!

nicklouse

Well you can if you use
http://www.futureshop.co.uk/high-qualit ... -3947.html

And then the video and audio in on the TV.

Samsung?

YeehaaMcgee

Your telly should have a lead to plug in to that "AV IN" socket, with some RCA (Phono style) connectors. Get a lead that goes from SCART to Phono, or one of those thingummys Nick linked to, and a triple-phono lead.

bails87

Yep it's a Samsung, and yep, we've got that lead.

Cheers guys.

bails87

Gah, the Sky box is now connected to the TV, but the Sky dish and leads that were being used fine a couple of months ago by the previous inhabitants now don't work.

"No Satellite Signal is being received".

I've got a feeling that Sky customer services won't want to help me.....

mrmonkfinger

bails87 wrote:

Gah, the Sky box is now connected to the TV, but the Sky dish and leads that were being used fine a couple of months ago by the previous inhabitants now don't work.

"No Satellite Signal is being received".

I've got a feeling that Sky customer services won't want to help me.....

is it definitely pointed at sky's satellite not something else?

Chunkers1980

Is your Sky signal on a communal link?

Are you actually a Sky customer?

bails87

There's only one Sky/satellite dish on the side of the building.

I asked one of the neighbours if their TV worked, when I was trying to figure out if it was the communal aerial or our wiring/tv that was at fault and was told that they didn't know because they only ever use Sky, which works fine.

And no, not a Sky customer (well, not TV, we've got t'internet through them) but I was under the impression that you could use a box without a viewing card to watch the free-to-air channels. Even just getting channels 1-5 reliably would be an improvement over what we've got now!

And I was given the box for free, so if it doesn't work it's no loss to me, I just want TV that works!

YeehaaMcgee

bails87 wrote:

I was under the impression that you could use a box without a viewing card to watch the free-to-air channels.

That is correct. Annoyingly though, if you have a Sky+ box, you won't be able to record anything unless you pay for a Sky subcription.

bails87

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I was under the impression that you could use a box without a viewing card to watch the free-to-air channels.

That is correct. Annoyingly though, if you have a Sky+ box, you won't be able to record anything unless you pay for a Sky subcription.

Really, how strange.

I'll give the building managment/landlords a call, ask them if the aerial is from the 1940s or if it was ever upgraded to one that would work with freeview!

jairaj

depends on how old the sky box is but some of them required a viewing card to view the free to air channels too. I think this costs some thing like £10. Contact sky about the viewing card.

Well thats how it worked a few years ago when my uncle did it.

bails87

Thanks, it's not the current model of Sky box, hence the lack of HDMI.

I've asked the agents to ask the landlord to ask the people who manage the building about the aerial.

mrmonkfinger

jairaj wrote:

depends on how old the sky box is but some of them required a viewing card to view the free to air channels too. I think this costs some thing like £10. Contact sky about the viewing card.

Well thats how it worked a few years ago when my uncle did it.

I think they have to do the card for free. They might be allowed to charge some "admin" though.


If you haven't got a card in the sky box, you're basically knackered.

And sky+ features definitely are not going to fly.

For what you want, you may be better off with a different satellite receiver box.

bails87

mrmonkfinger wrote:

For what you want, you may be better off with a different satellite receiver box.

I just want to watch TV!

Getting a viewing card will be cheaper than paying for a different box. I had considered Freesat, but I'm not paying £200+ for a freesat recorder that's got access to fewer channels than freeview.

Gazlar

It should work without the card mate as it worked here without it, most likely as has been said the satellite is broken, pointing the wrong way or misc other problem

bails87

Gazlar wrote:

It should work without the card mate as it worked here without it, most likely as has been said the satellite is broken, pointing the wrong way or misc other problem

Ah, knowing the landlord, the aeriel point probably isn't connected to anything, which would explain why the TV works just as well with the lead unplugged...... :roll:

So the same could be true of the sky dish, although we were told it was wired up for sky.

bails87

bails87 wrote:

Ah, knowing the landlord, the aerial point probably isn't connected to anything, which would explain why the TV works just as well with the lead unplugged...... :roll:

Well, I was right!
The aerial socket seems to be unconnected, however i had a look at the rest of the cab;es running around the outside of the building, found what should be our aerial cable, which must go to a second aerial on the roof, chopped the mangled end off, set it up with the 'male' aerial socket on it and it works.

No idea what's up with the sky, but at least the TV works now!

mrmonkfinger

Gazlar wrote:

It should work without the card mate as it worked here without it, most likely as has been said the satellite is broken, pointing the wrong way or misc other problem

If you're on the recent (last year or so) Sky SW you'll get free-to-air channels IIRC - that covers most of the HD boxes. Anything older needs a viewing card. Yours doesn't have an HDMI output so I'm guessing its an older box that needs a card.