Who has SKY HD+?

[NeilF]

Im guessing this is just because the cancellation still hasn't fully went through?

Yeh! Best thing to do is to prevent the update from coming down to the machine (so turning those channels off) by unplugging the two leads at the back from the satellite dish!

 

[booyaka]

Sky HD getting installed next week in my new house (called up today and could have got a monday install!)

Anyway - is there REALLY an difference between the make of boxes? If so which one should i request/try to get when installer arrives?
Do you think he would leave me some more cable so that i can run it from the RF2 out to the tv in the kitchen??

 

[DavidQ]

Well I called Sky to have a rant, basically stating the same as my above post. Aparently the boxes are purchased under different budgets for new and existing customers, I complained as to why my estimated times had been shooting up and down.

So after a brief chat with her manager the girl I spoke to was given authorization to put me in for the next available slot, anything up to 14 days. Also waived the installation fee as we already have a multiroom subscription, result says me!

 

[pdw8]

Anyway - is there REALLY an difference between the make of boxes? If so which one should i request/try to get when installer arrives?

Well my experience is that I have had 4 Thomson boxes and all developed problems since initial install just after the launch date. The 4th one developed a well known fault where its stuck on standby. Rang Sky and got the usual "thats £65 please sir and we only swap for a refurb box with 3 months warranty" so this time bought a new Pace from a independant for £250 but at least I get a 12 month warranty wit it.
The Pace is widely regarded as the box to get. The Samsung are not far behind but the Amstrad have a contrast issue and some get lipsync issues.
My Pace box seems quieter and the menus are more smooth, some people report better SD and HD picture quality on the Pace as well.

Whatever you do, avoid the Thomson boxes. When I was in the shop buying the Pace the manager showed me a stack of around 12-15 Thomson boxes they had to swap in the last month alone.

Saying that, there is a couple of shops fitting replacement PSU's to Thomson boxes for about £35 and that fixes many problems it has. I will probably get mine fixed and sell it on.

 

[Strife212]

Sky Broadband is godly as well, it's one of the only totally unlimited internet in the UK as far as I know. I've seen people download 1TB in a month on it.

 

[NeilF]

Sky Broadband is godly as well, it's one of the only totally unlimited internet in the UK as far as I know. I've seen people download 1TB in a month on it.

And speed/reliability/ping wise?

I pay just over £7/month for my O2 unlimited broadband...

 

[Metalface Mark]

Im guessing this is just because the cancellation still hasn't fully went through?

No, its been like that for a year now, through several package changes, including cancelling sky before.

 

[Kol]

And speed/reliability/ping wise?

I pay just over £7/month for my O2 unlimited broadband...

For me coming from an uber reliable virgin media cable line - it's actually pretty good. I live in the centre of Hertford in a new build (just in case that makes a difference to my line run from the exchange) and I'm hitting 1.53MB/s. It has gone a little higher but I think they're just spikes. So averaging about 14Mbit. It's reliable, not had a drop out but not sure on pings as I don't game.

 

[NeilF]

For me coming from an uber reliable virgin media cable line - it's actually pretty good. I live in the centre of Hertford in a new build (just in case that makes a difference to my line run from the exchange) and I'm hitting 1.53MB/s. It has gone a little higher but I think they're just spikes. So averaging about 14Mbit. It's reliable, not had a drop out but not sure on pings as I don't game.

So cost wise, you pay how much for your broadband and line rental etc?

Obviously with BT & O2, I pay BT anout £12 or so line rental a month, and then O2 £7 odd.

Trying to work out how much I could save if I moved over to BT for just my phone, or phone and internet?

 

[Kol]

So cost wise, you pay how much for your broadband and line rental etc?

Obviously with BT & O2, I pay BT anout £12 or so line rental a month, and then O2 £7 odd.

Trying to work out how much I could save if I moved over to BT for just my phone, or phone and internet?

Good question. I haven't a clue how much actually! I'll have a look and let you know. I shouldn't be so relaxed when setting up direct debits.

 

[thepeganator]

So cost wise, you pay how much for your broadband and line rental etc?

Obviously with BT & O2, I pay BT anout £12 or so line rental a month, and then O2 £7 odd.

Trying to work out how much I could save if I moved over to BT for just my phone, or phone and internet?

I pay £10 for the top tier, move to sky for line rental and unlimited broadband and it'll be £20 a month.

 

[dillingerdan]

I bought Sky broadband with my install, and it's been pretty good. Not sure on actual pings, but I wasn't lagging on L4D the other night at all. Downloaded a fair few Gigs already, no problems. Mine got activated the Thursday before Good Friday, so there was a 4 day weekend, and I am sur ethey haven't optimised my line, as I am only getting just over 5Mbps, will have to ring up and get it checked, as I should be getting somewhere between 10-13 I reckon since I could get over 6Mbps before without the 16Mbps option.

 

[NeilF]

I pay £10 for the top tier, move to sky for line rental and unlimited broadband and it'll be £20 a month.

So that's no cheaper than my current setup? BT about £12 & O2 unlimited for about £7?

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Go for paperless billing and the BT line rental is reduced.

I think we pay £10.25 for line rental. Get free weekend calls, but not much else (Option 1)

 

[[ASSE]Hinchy]

Moving house tomorrow, called Sky today to tell them we were moving and wanted to upgrade to HD. They're coming Wednesday morning

Just in time for Man United vs Arsenal Champions League. What a lovely christening for Sky HD for us

 

[blairw]

I bought Sky broadband with my install, and it's been pretty good. Not sure on actual pings, but I wasn't lagging on L4D the other night at all. Downloaded a fair few Gigs already, no problems. Mine got activated the Thursday before Good Friday, so there was a 4 day weekend, and I am sur ethey haven't optimised my line, as I am only getting just over 5Mbps, will have to ring up and get it checked, as I should be getting somewhere between 10-13 I reckon since I could get over 6Mbps before without the 16Mbps option.

If you could get 6 Meg before, I doubt its going to double mate

 

[Nymins]

Has anyone come across a solution for this cause it is a tad annoying. If the box is set to 1080i, overscan will not change to on for SD and off for HD independantly. seems like a big issue cause a lot of people prefer 1080i to auto.

Don't like having the artifacts on SD channels when overscan is off, but the picture on HD gets cropped with it on. Grrr

Also, on my PX80 when I changed overscan on HDMI1, it changes on HDMI2 as well. Surely this shouldn't happen?

 

[dillingerdan]

If you could get 6 Meg before, I doubt its going to double mate

Maybe not double, but it should be nudging 10Mbps at least, I should think. I was nudging 650K down before, so it certainly shouldn't be less than that...

Has anyone come across a solution for this cause it is a tad annoying. If the box is set to 1080i, overscan will not change to on for SD and off for HD independantly. seems like a big issue cause a lot of people prefer 1080i to auto.

Don't like having the artifacts on SD channels when overscan is off, but the picture on HD gets cropped with it on. Grrr

Also, on my PX80 when I changed overscan on HDMI1, it changes on HDMI2 as well. Surely this shouldn't happen?

Don't quite understand. You want overscan on when it's showing SD material, and Off when it's HD? Do you mean you want the TV to do this itself? Or do you mean the option is bloked when viewing SD or something? I persoanlly know of no TV that will disable and re-enable overscan at will. No a major expert here, but surely it's either on or off, at your discretion? Auto might be the only way otherwise the TV only 'sees' a 1080i signal whether it's SD or HD. As the box will be saying that's what the signal is.

On the other point, my Sony TV allows me to choose completely different settings for each input, whether they are HDMI or not, but I can choose to have 1 HDMI with overscan and 1 without if I so choose (which I don't, looks better without overscan I reckon).

 

[Nymins]

Maybe not double, but it should be nudging 10Mbps at least, I should think. I was nudging 650K down before, so it certainly shouldn't be less than that...



Don't quite understand. You want overscan on when it's showing SD material, and Off when it's HD? Do you mean you want the TV to do this itself? Or do you mean the option is bloked when viewing SD or something? I persoanlly know of no TV that will disable and re-enable overscan at will. No a major expert here, but surely it's either on or off, at your discretion? Auto might be the only way otherwise the TV only 'sees' a 1080i signal whether it's SD or HD. As the box will be saying that's what the signal is.

On the other point, my Sony TV allows me to choose completely different settings for each input, whether they are HDMI or not, but I can choose to have 1 HDMI with overscan and 1 without if I so choose (which I don't, looks better without overscan I reckon).

Thats what im trying for, but i guess it isn't possible with it set to 1080i. It does work on Auto, but the SD quality is a lot worse and i hate the delay between SD and HD channels.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Maybe not double, but it should be nudging 10Mbps at least, I should think. I was nudging 650K down before, so it certainly shouldn't be less than that...



Don't quite understand. You want overscan on when it's showing SD material, and Off when it's HD? Do you mean you want the TV to do this itself? Or do you mean the option is bloked when viewing SD or something? I persoanlly know of no TV that will disable and re-enable overscan at will. No a major expert here, but surely it's either on or off, at your discretion? Auto might be the only way otherwise the TV only 'sees' a 1080i signal whether it's SD or HD. As the box will be saying that's what the signal is.

On the other point, my Sony TV allows me to choose completely different settings for each input, whether they are HDMI or not, but I can choose to have 1 HDMI with overscan and 1 without if I so choose (which I don't, looks better without overscan I reckon).

If you were on a BT ipstream line (aka normal / not LLU) then you're probably getting slower speeds because your line has re-sync'd and they've given you a higher noise margin. That's the wonder of BT.. just try getting it reset!

Going to a LLU service such as Sky will mean you'll be on new hardware at the exchange, so a reset margin, therefore a faster service (providing it's stable). It will be the same for any LLU, but it's only because you're being artificially limited by BT at the moment.