Sky + on a single lnb cable?

[giddykippa]

i live in a flat with a comunal satalite dish an unfortunately can only have one cable to my flat i am currently on the sky basic package but due to probs with my dvd hard drive recorder wondered if it was possible to get a sky+ box installed now i know it will only be possible to watch an record one program at a time ( i assume this is correct) however when i rung the tech dept of sky i was told by a technician if i get a sky hd box i will be able to watch an record different progs even on one cable due to the software in the sky hd boxes an my question is ... is this correct ? if not will i be able to get a sky+ box an jus record an watch one channel at a time with just the one cable any help appreciated thanks paul

[Brian69]

Sky HD boxes which have the new EPG, that is Pace and Thomson boxes at present, have a feature called Single Feed Mode. This allows the box to record the same program you are watching, and as long as you leave the box in standby when not in use, will allow recording of two differant programs (not at the same time). It will not allow you to watch live and record differant programs.

[Smithy99]

Sky HD boxes which have the new EPG, that is Pace and Thomson boxes at present, have a feature called Single Feed Mode. This allows the box to record the same program you are watching, and as long as you leave the box in standby when not in use, will allow recording of two differant programs (not at the same time). It will not allow you to watch live and record differant programs.

Depending on how the system is setup, you may be able to connect a stacker/de-stacker to your flat, this will allow two feeds to be sent doen one cable from the headend and then split back into two at your end.

Purchase cost for this equipment is usually around £100 then you need to pay someone to fit it.

Assuming there is a spare port at the headend, this should be a quick job 1hr maybe 2hr if it's a bit awkward.

[giddykippa]

so the info that the sky tech gave me is wrong ...even with a new skyhd i couldnt record one prog whilst watchin another ? thought it sounded to good to be true ....
But can i still buy a sky+ box connect it to my single cable an use it like a hard drive recorder (cos my dvd/hard drive rec is bust) not bothered about watchin diff channel ...also is it best to buy a sky+ box from sky or should i get one from ebay?
thanks for your help

[Smithy99]

I would get one from e-bay, there cheap, you can only use it to record the channel you are watching.

If you want to record something when you are out etc, you have to set up a dummy recording. The HD receiver does not need this when it is set to single feed mode.

[giddykippa]

i am really sorry to sound like a complete moron but not sure what u mean by set up a dummy recording ?
if i buy a sky+ box can i set it to record progs when im out etc or record a full series etc or is that not possible do i need a sky+hd box for that sorry i am a bit thick with this but im not really very technically minded with all this i really do appreciate the help tho thanks paul

[Sam Radford]

so the info that the sky tech gave me is wrong ...even with a new skyhd i couldnt record one prog whilst watchin another ?

What they meant is that you can record a programme while watching one you already recorded.

[technoskyman]

Hi
I live in my own house and am thinking about having Sky HD installed. I already have one CT125 coax cable from the loft down into the lounge where we have the TV and don't want the huge cost and hassle of getting another one down. The lounge is internal so cables going outside and then in is a non-starter.
I have a few questions and am hoping someone can help me arrive at a decision.
1. If I get the Sky HD box and accept only having a single feed, what won't I be able to do that I would be able to do with two feeds esp in terms of recording, and watching while recording?
2. Is a stacker/destacker worth it? My existing coax cable that currently serves as our digital TV aerial has been plastered in place so there is no give in the cable - will this make the install difficult/unsightly? Is the global invacom stacker/destacker a good solution? What are the possible pitfalls?
3. I have read about the Global Invacom SCR solution. Will this work in my situation or is it strictly for multi-dwelling?
Thank you.

[Old_nick]

With only a single feed to a Sky+ box, you cannot watch one programme whilst recording another, and you can't record two programmes at once when the box is in standby or when watching something you recorded earlier. This applies to both HD and SD boxes.

The downside of a stacker/destacker is that you are pushing signals down the cable at twice the frequency that the cable was designed to carry. Unless the installer that installed your digital TV aerial used superb quality cable, you are likely to have big reliability problems. Many installers refuse to use stackers/destackers because of the pitfalls.

[technoskyman]

Thanks Old-nick. This is a really crucial thing, to find out the limitations of Sky HD in single feed mode... I certainly will not want Sky Anytime, so just to confirm -

I cannot watch one programme while recording another
I cannot record two programmes at the same time when the box is standby
I can record one programme while watching a recorded programme

Is there anything else...? Particularly the settings I should choose and the spec of the HD box I shoud ask for?