Getting sky+ HD - what can i do with my old sky+ box?

Freecycle ???

Sky have offered me a 'free' sky+ HD box with a £5 subscription for the first 8 months followed by £10 for the next four months.

a) Is this a good deal?

b) Do people think HD on sky is worth £10 pm?

c) I currently have a return going from my sky box (RF out) to an amplfier in the attic which in turn sends the sky signal to another four rooms in the house. This means i can get a sky picture in each room and control it via a 'sky eye' - I do not have sky mutiroom. How could i put my current sky+ box (white) to best use when i get my new sky+ HD box?

Hi,

If there's a SKY engineer coming to install the new box, ask him if he will do you a bit extra and install a cable run so you can put the box in another bedroom and use it as a freesat box.

IF you do not subscribe to multiroom, you will not be able to use the recording facilities of the older box but it will still serve you well as a freesat box - you could also pay £10 for the multiroom and it will probably be installed F.O.C. and you'll have a second recorder in the house...

The offer of paying £5/month for 8 months then £10/month is for what exactly? The HD subscription? If it is, yes it is a good deal. 

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

Thanks cofnchtr

Yes £5/10 pm is for HD.

If I put the original sky+ box in another room and use it as a freesat box, will the new cable run have to come from the LNB on the external dish directly into the box - or could i use my original cable run set up.

Would i be able to pause/rewind live TV (or would i have to get mutiroom to use this facility).

BTW I see you have a surround sound system - how does 5.1 via sky HD sound?

Needs to be connected to the LNB

When they fit the Sky+ HD they will put a new LNB on with 8 feeds. The Sky+ HD will take 2, so you have 6 available. If you tell the Sky engineer you want the box in the bedroom, then he has to install it there. You can ask him to put a second line downstairs then for a few bob. It is a 2 minute job, as the LNB is already correctly installed. Once he's gone, move the box.

The old boxes make great DAB radios! Link one up to the hi-fi, put Sky on channel 0110 for Planetrock and have a listen.

Excellent idea - this way the cable run is installed into a second room without "persuasion".

As the Sky+ was already here, no need for bribery. 2 lines already installed.

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

Thanks all, plenty to think about. Can someone check my understanding:

My sky+ box is currently in my living room.

I can ask the sky engineer to install the new HD+ box in my dining room (with a double cable run from the LNB).

Once the enginner has left I can swap the boxes over so that the new HD+ box in my living romm (preffered TV room). This would mean no extra charge/persuasion to get a new double cable run in my dining room.

Would sky automatically change my current 4LNB for a new 8LNB or would I have to request it? Would there be an extra charge. Even though I only need a 4LNB currently, as the kids are growing up I can see them wanting a TV in their bedrooms, so the spare 4LNB would become usefull for freesat. BTW is it possible to pause and rewind freesat that is built into TV's?

You understand right. The only other small issue might be the insistance on the new box being connected to a phone line. You can run a cable across the floor and through the doorway while the Sky engineer is there, as you will be moving it once he has gone.

A word of caution, make sure that the engineer keeps your Sky+ in the living room still connected if he installs the new HD in your dining room 

If you already have a 4 port LNB he may not necessarily install an 8