I presently have the old ‘white’ Sky box and also a Sagemcom freesat box. Been wondering, if I buy a second hand sky HD box from flea bay, I can do away with the freesat box as it is flaky at the best of times.
My problem is that I live overseas, Sky think I’m still in the UK, I don’t want to tell them I have moved, I would imagine they are not too bothered as I pay the subscription anyway. I’m back visiting the UK soon and can get my card paired up with the new box, just wondering what I can expect to work when it is paired up. I don’t want to increase the money I’m paying to the wrinkled Australian, but would like to get the freeview HD channels and also use the hard drive, not too bothered about Sky plus, but it would be nice.
Has anybody else upgraded their box to a HD one via flea bay, and what now do you get on it?
Cheers in anticipation.

Don’t forget if you want to receive Sky HD channels you will have to pay the extra HD subscription fees (about a tenner a month I think) (I think Beeb HD is free to air).
Would think you will defo need a new HD viewing card though for all HD content.

Do you actually have to buy Sky boxes? 😯
Virgin bring me a new box round every time they upgrade them. Costs me nowt. Can’t you just phone them up next time you’re back and say you want a new box?

The HD boxes are much nicer to use (HDMI port, faster operation, picture in picture TV guide, vast hard drive) than the old white boxes, but I’d be suspicious of somebody’s reasons for selling one on t’bay if it was too cheap… (like anything else, they can have issues (Overheating,hard drive faults)

You won’t get sky plus functionality without at least the minimum subscription, and you’ll need a dual LNB and two feeds (cables), but you will get the free HD channels regardless.

Do you actually have to buy Sky boxes?
Virgin bring me a new box round every time they upgrade them. Costs me nowt. Can’t you just phone them up next time you’re back and say you want a new box?
No – it’s the one way in which Virgin are better than Sky. Also Sky only give a year’s warranty, Virgin lifetime.

Anyway, oliverd1981’s answered the OPs question. Although we connected a Sky box (non-Sky+ box) to a second satellite line and can only get terrestrial channels through it (with a 2nd Sky card).
I’d get another Freesat box.

and you’ll need a dual LNB and two feeds (cables)

I know you need these for recording and watching seperate channels simultaneously but they aren’t a requirement. I only had one feed at my last flat as it was in a listed building.

I’ve now moved in with the mrs and have two feeds…but only one signal is recognised (even after swapping the cables around)…any know if there’s any commands to enable signal 2?

Both feeds are live as the mrs had the old white box rigged up and working from both feeds. They just currently don’t work with the HD box I’ve replaced it with! 🙁

You need to ring Sky to get them to activate the ‘plus’ features, IIRC.

dooosuk – Member

and you’ll need a dual LNB and two feeds (cables)

I know you need these for recording and watching seperate channels simultaneously but they aren’t a requirement. I only had one feed at my last flat as it was in a listed building.

I’ve now moved in with the mrs and have two feeds…but only one signal is recognised (even after swapping the cables around)…any know if there’s any commands to enable signal 2?

Both feeds are live as the mrs had the old white box rigged up and working from both feeds. They just currently don’t work with the HD box I’ve replaced it with!

In one of the settings menu there is a “Single Line Feed” option which you can switch on or off, it may need to be switched off to get the second input to work

You need to ring Sky

Good luck with that!

In one of the settings menu there is a “Single Line Feed” option which you can switch on or off, it may need to be switched off to get the second input to work

To access the installers menu it’ll be Services > 401 > Select

or Services > 001 > Select

Depending on which EPG you have

Don’t change anything you’re not sure about

Thanks, I’ll take a look later.