We're switching over from Virgin for various reasons, but the only downfall I can think of is how many tuner channels are in the NEW 180hr Sky+HD box?

Our Virgin one has 3. We can record 2 channels and watch th 3rd LIVE channel at the same time.

The only info I can find is that Sky boxes you can record 2 at the same time, but only watch a RECORDED programme whilst this is happening….

Anyone know?

yep record 2 at same time but you must watch one of the channels your recording,no third option,but you can watch a recorded program whilst recording 2 others,
(if this makes sence)

So actually no then

It only has 2 tuners in fact

in case you haven't ordered and/or heard, there's a 12 month half price channels/free 12 months hd/ free installation/free sky+ box offer on for the next few days if you buy through bestbuy.

So actually no then

gracious indeed, PP 😉

(the only question you actually asked was "anyone know" – to which costello's "yep" seems fair to me – though I only have an older box so can't confirm)

gracious indeed, PP

Sorry, I was typing one handed at the dinner table. Bad manners. 😳

I've just had an online chat with a Sky person who says, and I quote "yes you can record 2 channels and watch a 3rd live channel at the same time"

I'm guessing they've upgraded it.

As for offers, we're gettting everyting installed for free, including a BT line, free line rental until Feb, free broardband and free evening and weekend calls, and 2 extra TV packages for £1 each. £20 until Feb, then £31 after that. Which I reckon is a stonkingly good deal. 🙂

new one certainly has 2 tuners, never really had any need for more as normally if something else is on its repeated later so can record it then

new one certainly has 2 tuners

Ahh. But it needs 3 to do what I'm talking about, as I said in the OP

1 – Record BBC1, say
2 – Record ITV1, say
3 – Watch Ch4, say

See what I mean now?

No – it can't do that

new one certainly has 2 tuners

Ahh. But it needs 3 to do what I'm talking about, as I said in the OP

1 – Record BBC1, say
2 – Record ITV1, say
3 – Watch Ch4, say

See what I mean now?

It will not do this I am afraid.

Not sure about sky but with terrestrial freeview you can do what you saying with two tuners most of the time. The channels are bundled together. It only fails if all 3 channels are in different groups and that hardly ever happens to me.

Ours won't do that and we've only had it three months. If you;re recording two then you either watch what you're recording or something you've recorded previously

no, it has 2 tuners only

record 2 watch o
watch 1 record 1
watch/record 1 record 1

And yet I've just been told exactly the opposite by the Sky online help people…. Interesting.

Remember I did say this is the new 180 hr capacity box in the OP. Maybe they changed it recently?

TBH, if it can't, they need to play catch-up to Virgin, and pronto.

I Dumped everything Virgin in Favour of Sky. (Virgin annoyed me and I cut my nose off to spite my face)

I only get 4.5 Meg interweb now which is ok to be fair (but I had 20 before) and the 2 tuners in Sky HD hasnt been an issue ~(until Britain's Got Talent came on and we ended up with loads of recording Clashes)

If the deal isnt sealed, may be worth phoning retentions to see if Virgin Can get you a gooder deal? I am going crawling back to Virgin as soon as my Contract with Sky is over (maybe 🙂 )

Record 2 sky channels and watch the third on Freeview? Cant see there being many times when you want to watch and record 2 exclusively sky channels.

The new sky box came out on the 28th Jan, it only has 2 tuners I'm afraid.

What adam5555 said. Most Tvs have freeview built in these days don't they?

Get a digital set-top box for £20?

Very unlikely IMO that you'd want to record and watch 3 Sky only channels all at once?

We do what adam555 said as well.

Anyone live anywhere near a bestbuy store that can help me out please.

My nearest store is 71 miles away on the otherside of the m25.

my box is one of the newer ones, I remember the installer commented on how they'd bought amstrad's factory that make the boxes and made "economies" to make the box cheaper like only putting on one scart socket as you;re supposed to use HDMI. My box is not top of the range, it's only got a 250gb hard drive rather then a 500gb – but I don't know if the drive is the only difference

I just had a quick look at Sky's site. I can't see anything to indicate it can record more than 2 programs at once.

My HD box can only do 2.

it can only record 2 at once, that is the only downside compared to virgin.

+ 3 for adams555 ideas, its so easy to forget yout TV has freeview aswell 😉

Pete, we got Sky+ HD installed last week and it can't do that I'm afraid.

We keep getting little notices popping up saying that we can't carry on watching this programme as we are recording two elsewhere.

Rubbish.

As for offers, we're gettting everyting installed for free, including a BT line, free line rental until Feb, free broardband and free evening and weekend calls, and 2 extra TV packages for £1 each. £20 until Feb, then £31 after that. Which I reckon is a stonkingly good deal.

Have you bought a new TV then?

We do occasionally have instances where there is 2 channels recording and we want to watch a third. This is usually when the programs follow on from each other as sky+ records a bit more to make sure. It's rare for this to happen, and can be avoided by using the variety of +1 channels carefully. Anyway, PP, the amount of TV you watch (not as much as us!) you won't get many issues.

Channel packs at £1 each is standard.
Free BB is only 2mb with a 2 gig (IIRC) monthly limit, which is not loads but ok for us.

Thanks for the info guys

So, Sky are lying to me then.

Hmmmm. It might not be an issue as we watch more recorded stuff than live stuff, and we're saving money and getting more channels over Virgin.

Free BB is only 2mb with a 2 gig (IIRC) monthly limit, which is not loads but ok for us.

We're getting 'up to 20 meg'. I've done a search and Sky are putting out around 3.5 meg in reality in our area.

No new TV, no. And not soon either. We need a kitchen ceiling before that! (Currently we only have 1/2 a ceiling)

Rubbish.

Not really, just different.

At least with Sky you get a decent, speedy menu system. Virgins is complicated, hard to read, cluttered, slow, and is counter-intuitive. Everyone can use a SKY menu system, its simplicity and speed are hard to beat. Only thing I would add is a dedicated button for eveything that has been recorded.

We're getting 'up to 20 meg'. I've done a search and Sky are putting out around 3.5 meg in reality in our area.

Depends on the BT line really. 3.5mb is plenty for most stuff.

Drop the installer a few quid to run another pair of wires from the dish to your TV then buy a freesat box. Then you'll be able to record 3 channels and watch a fourth. Usually at least one of the ones you want to record/watch will be on freesat.

http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/broadband_speed_in_my_area_v2.aspx?postcode=gu14%208ex

Our Virgin was giving 3.9meg when I checked it last. (We're paying for 4 meg)
Half the reason for changing is that the Virgin box is playing up a bit, and their internet drops out a lot, and the TV picture freezes sometimes. We had Sky before and I was very pleased with it to be honest, but when we moved BT stitched us up BIG TIME and I had to have a BT line at the time to get a connection to Sky. Sky are now paying for the new BT connection, so it's not an issue.
Our monthly bill is £35-40 on Virgin. Sky starts off at £20, then goes up to £31 in February when the free line rental ends. And that includes evening and weekend calls.

We'll give it a shot. If the record issue is a biggie, we can go back to Virgin in a year or so, but it *might* stop Mrs PP recording endless episodes of Columbo and Midsomer Murders…. 8)

Doug, that's a good idea! Thanks, I'll see if we can do that, but I'm in t'Alps when they are doing the install.

Virgin might well be worth a look again once they launch their new box

but it *might* stop Mrs PP recording endless episodes of Columbo and Midsomer Murders….

At least they are short programmes which you can watch quickly and then get rid of…. 😯

Thanks, I'll see if we can do that, but I'm in t'Alps when they are doing the install.

You could add them yourself afterwards, it's not difficult. Ask them to put 2 double cables in (they'll put 1 double cable in for the box as it needs 2 feeds for the 2 tuners) as "you might get a box for another room" soon………
Or ask for the connectors and the cable to do it yourself? It will depend on the engineer to be honest and how much work they have on that day.

I have the new Sky box and although it's got more recording capacity and seems faster going through menus than the old one it still only has 2 tuners and you def can't record 2 channels and watch a different 3rd one live.

Doesn't Virgin give you HD for free?

And I just got a Sky+ HD box and it only has two tuners.. so what was said above is correct. You can receive two channels at once – record two or watch one record one.

it can only record 2 at once, that is the only downside compared to virgin.

Apart from all the on-demand stuff and catch-up TV that you get on Virgin.