Options
the sky HD upgrade thread!
![[Deleted User]](https://w5.vanillicon.com/v2/5a78d86474f34e9c676dfc3a521ab4d8.svg)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 237 Forum Member
✭
well it had to come!
at least one intrepid owner has already upgraded their box
so:
tips on getting the warranty sticker off without damaging it please :cool:
discs that work please external or internal
obviously the 3GB/s maxtor 500GB SATA drive works (approx £170)
what about the 750GB seagate SATA drive (approx £300, seagate now own Maxtor)
In view of the fact that it is now impossible to archive the sky HD box -in HD (ie no HD recorders/affordable HD capture cards as yet) it may be even important to install a bigger disk
at least one intrepid owner has already upgraded their box
so:
tips on getting the warranty sticker off without damaging it please :cool:
discs that work please external or internal
obviously the 3GB/s maxtor 500GB SATA drive works (approx £170)
what about the 750GB seagate SATA drive (approx £300, seagate now own Maxtor)
In view of the fact that it is now impossible to archive the sky HD box -in HD (ie no HD recorders/affordable HD capture cards as yet) it may be even important to install a bigger disk
0
Comments
Why do you think I stuck a screwdriver through the sticker. I did try carefully taking up the corners, but its stuck down well. Could try soaking it off, but I don't think that will help the existing disc drive. Although its being replaced so what does it matter right
Please help!!!!
I nearly went to Telewest but cancelled again because, when you select the HDMI port on the TVDrive, it turns off the RF (except the pass-through).
Can you please tell me if this is the case with the Sky HD box?
I have a distributed system throughout my house, which will allow me to watch the Sat output on other TV's via the aerial (RF), so I don't want to lose this function when I switch to HD (obviously the RF will only show SD).
From another post yesterday on another thread, this does NOT seem to be the case. I can't confirm myself yet though (roll on Thursday - I hope!)
ajm,
Is your box still working happily with the 500Gb installed? Can you confirm you're getting a full 360Gb for yourself?
All,
Has anyone got any eSata cables to test the external port? I'd love to give that a go, but I've been "bumped" so no box yet for me...
Its all been put back together this morning (almost as fun as taking it apart). I'll post the rest of the pictures this evening when I finish work.
With each hour of programme (at least from Discovery HD and NatGeo HD), taking 8gb I had used 10% with the original disc after recording 2 hours (hence the 8gb per hour). So with the new disc I've now recorded 10 hours of programmes and I've got 79% free. So that means I should get about 40 hours, where I would have got 20 hours with the original disc.
Of course if sky were nice and didn't waste 140gb, it would be almost 60 hours. Oh well.
Have a look at the pictures I posted. They include some screen grabs (SD obviously) of my planner so you can check the space used.
Definitely not the case. I currently have an old protable hooked up via RF using 4:3L format and the projector connected by HDMI and component.
This seemed like the place to ask.
Personally I would be surprised if it worked at the moment, but prepared to be pleasantly surprised.
Dont have one or would try it myself and dont feel like forking out the money just to test it.
Nice one!
Rapidly becoming my personal hero
Cant wait to hear how it goes.
Well - for £6.48 - you can test it by yourself ...
And of course the cost of a SATA drive.
Only have IDE in my PC and not really in the market for a new one.
Thanks for the link though.
That's where I've ordered mine from.
A Sky techie told me that the HDD in the HD box was 300GB, and that the user area had been limited to 160GB as the rest will be used in conjunction with the Video on demand service via Broadband and the ethernet connection. This will all be enabled later in the year.
Therefore, whatever size disk you put in you will only have 160GB of usable space.
What do we think?
There is every reason to think that the box reserves the first 140GB and everything else can be used by the consumer. This is the case with the 160GB version 3 sky plus boxes (80GB sky/80GB for the user). Interestingly a mistake in the software update left people with all the 160GB for themselves for a few days-only to have it clawed back by sky.
Of course there may be a maximum size the boxes can address, as there was with the version 1 sky box before a recent update. In addition I can't remember anyone getting a disc bigger than 300GB to work in a sky plus box.
Why don't you use one of those wireless video senders. I've been using them for a couple of years. The transmitter connects to Scart and you can have as many receivers as you like. Plus, you can change channels remotely as well.
No need for RF!
Ian.
My personal experience is that wireless composite is ever so slightly worse than wired RF. Given the frequency band is so heavily used these days (video senders, wireless networks, microwaves), I find the wireless picture in my kitchen often has interference.
My goal is to have a wired distribution network over Cat5 cable that can deliver RGB and HD pictures round the house, though I don't think such a solution exists yet.
I'll fetch the soldering iron...
If anyone has tried them I would like to know the results please.
Thanks
Appza
A number of people have reported using a 500gb drive to update HD with success - although it is early days.
Haven't seen anyone report update using a larger drive.
Interestingly, I wonder if the increased disk size also now applies to normal sky+ boxes?
AFAIK you can put a 500Gb disk into SKY+ boxes but it does not allow you to perform a FSR. You will need to use pcbbc's Copy+ software to copy the contents from your old drive or initialise the new one before swapping the drives over. After that it appears to work a treat.