Our sky box has gone wrong and since we’re out of the original contract will probably cost money to replace.
I’m inclined to save money by cancelling sky, buying a PVR and just getting broadband from somewhere else.
So, what’s a good but not too expensive PVR?

Also, is there any use for a dead Sky+HD Box? I don’t think the HDD is dead – it records and plays back ok for a day or so and then freezes.

Ta.

–Twirlip

The power supplies get knackered on those boxes. Loads of articles on t’internet about getting reconditioned PSU or even just retrofitting some new capacitors (I think).

Just ring up Sky and ask them to fix it, when they say there will be a charge as you are out of warranty ask to be transferred to the ‘cancelling’ department.

When these guys ask why you are cancelling, say why – they’ll pretty much fix for free, especially if you have a decent package already.

Helps too if you are in a ‘cable’ area 😉

humax foxsat £209 + VAT
sagem 94500s £174.99 + vat

both good quality.

got a humax 1500 from humax direct and its worked perfectly. it was something like £80 so even if it breaks after 13 months (just out of warranty) it will cost us about £6 a month. Compare that to any contract with BT/Sky/Virgin Media/etc and its a win win situation. if it lasts 2 years its £3.33 a month. who can honestly say they ‘need’ to pay £25 a month to sky or whatever it is for about 12 more channels.

Been very impressed with my BT Vision. Freeview plus big HD and On Demand Films, TV etc.

How are the menus compared to the Sky boxes? It’s the “killer app” for me on a box…Sky’s has always been so bloody easy to use.

Humax, I’ve got the foxsat HDR and it is a straight swap for a sky+ box (will work with single LNB but this limits functionality i.e. record one channel whilst watching another). They are fairly straightforward to use and seem to be well supported by the manufacturer.

ive got the sony one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-RDR-HXD870-Recorder-160GB-Freeview/dp/B000OQ7878

its awesome menus are very intuitive and its worked perfectly for 2 years now
not true HD recording but the upscaling is very impressive on dvds
will have to wait a while before sony realease their HD/ blu ray recorder though 🙁

best of all no mony goes to evil rupert murdoch

So, can I plug a new PVR into the cables from the sky dish? What does that get me?
I assumed they just plugged into the normal aerial cable.

Also, can I plug my laptop into any of these boxes? To copy stuff on and off?

freesat box for the sky dish

freeview box requires an aerial

the sony one you can plg in usb drives

i just plug my laptop into my tv

Also, can I plug my laptop into any of these boxes? To copy stuff on and off?

You’d have thought that was easy, wouldn’t you. Or a network connection. But not many (that I could find a while ago) could do that. Which is why I’m still using a networked media PC.
Hopefully someone will tell us something better is now available.