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Sky+HD - Is it worth it?

(August 2011)

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GE
thegeek Founding member
Orry Verducci posted:
Another word of advice, if you have a good quality TV, change the box output from 1080 to auto, that way the box doesn't upscale SD channels, which in my opinion it doesn't do as well as the good quality upscales in good TVs. Also that way you can watch 4:3 programmes pillarboxed, the upscaler in the Sky box always streches it to 16:9.

Ah, thanks for that tip. My TV doesn't let you change aspect ratios when on the HDMI input, and the Dixonsvision was driving me up the wall.
KE
kernow
Stuart posted:
Westy2 posted:
Incidently, when SD Plus boxes fail, what are they been swopped with? A reconditioned SD Plus box or HD Plus box? )

The vans don't carry reconditioned SD boxes. Anything replaced as part of an Engineer's call is just a standard Sky+HD box (or 1TB box if the customer already had that).

I had a Sky+SD box replaced by a Sky engineer last month with a reconditioned Sky+SD box, not an HD box.
ST
Stuart
kernow posted:
Stuart posted:
Westy2 posted:
Incidently, when SD Plus boxes fail, what are they been swopped with? A reconditioned SD Plus box or HD Plus box? )

The vans don't carry reconditioned SD boxes. Anything replaced as part of an Engineer's call is just a standard Sky+HD box (or 1TB box if the customer already had that).

I had a Sky+SD box replaced by a Sky engineer last month with a reconditioned Sky+SD box, not an HD box.

I'm really surprised by that. I honestly didn't think they were still re-conditioning old SD boxes, PVR or otherwise.

That's certainly the impression I got from the engineer who installed my Sky+HD box last year.
JK
JK08
Well we got the Sky+HD fitted today and watching Sky Sports & Sky News, I can definitely tell the difference. Been watching ITV1HD & Channel4HD as well but to be honest it just looks the same.
VM
VMPhil
JK08 posted:
Well we got the Sky+HD fitted today and watching Sky Sports & Sky News, I can definitely tell the difference. Been watching ITV1HD & Channel4HD as well but to be honest it just looks the same.


Remember not all programmes are in HD, most of the programmes you saw on ITV and C4 today are repeats and in SD.
JK
JK08
VirginMediaPhil posted:
JK08 posted:
Well we got the Sky+HD fitted today and watching Sky Sports & Sky News, I can definitely tell the difference. Been watching ITV1HD & Channel4HD as well but to be honest it just looks the same.


Remember not all programmes are in HD, most of the programmes you saw on ITV and C4 today are repeats and in SD.


Yes I suppose so but This Morning & 4News are filmed in HD aren't they?
LL
Larry the Loafer
JK08 posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:
JK08 posted:
Well we got the Sky+HD fitted today and watching Sky Sports & Sky News, I can definitely tell the difference. Been watching ITV1HD & Channel4HD as well but to be honest it just looks the same.


Remember not all programmes are in HD, most of the programmes you saw on ITV and C4 today are repeats and in SD.


Yes I suppose so but This Morning & 4News are filmed in HD aren't they?


Neither of them are. ITV1 and Channel 4 show an HD DOG on a show if it's true HD, or check for the HD indicator in the synopsis.
WP
WillPS
I struggle to see how people can justify £10/month on content they can already totally enjoy. You get a handful of freebies to play with if you need to.
:-(
A former member
People paid extra to buy colour tvs, nicam stereo tvs, then widescreen tvs - and now subscriptions to HD services. The ability to enjoy the content has always been there, but why not pay that little bit extra to get even more enjoyment.
LL
Larry the Loafer
WillPS posted:
I struggle to see how people can justify £10/month on content they can already totally enjoy. You get a handful of freebies to play with if you need to.


A few HD channels have their own separate schedules, and with Sky+ HD, you've got the added bonus of Anytime+ and the new TV guide. I wouldn't say you'd have that if you didn't pay the £10 pm.
GE
thegeek Founding member
Larry the Loafer posted:
A few HD channels have their own separate schedules, and with Sky+ HD, you've got the added bonus of Anytime+ and the new TV guide. I wouldn't say you'd have that if you didn't pay the £10 pm.
Presumably if I stopped paying for the HD pack (after my first year's sub) I wouldn't lose the new-style Sky Guide, though?
OV
Orry Verducci
Larry the Loafer posted:
A few HD channels have their own separate schedules, and with Sky+ HD, you've got the added bonus of Anytime+ and the new TV guide. I wouldn't say you'd have that if you didn't pay the £10 pm.

Apart from BBC HD, I'm not sure any of them do that any more, a lot of the channels have switched to simulcasting, particularly since HD channel swapping came in.
thegeek posted:
Presumably if I stopped paying for the HD pack (after my first year's sub) I wouldn't lose the new-style Sky Guide, though?

No you won't, the new Sky Guide will carry on working just like the old SD one.

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