Cable TV Vs SKY

[mdean]

Originally Posted by Neil

Does/can a DVD-R be set to record a whole series at the touch of a button (like Sky +)?



So Sky is not quite the 'proprietory rubbish' that you suggest then is it?

It is because if you do not subscribe to sky it records nothing. It is IMHO very foolish to lock yourself to one platform with your choice of recording device. Those who rave about it never think in whose interest it is for you to be locked in - not always the individual subscriber

[Neil]

Originally Posted by mdean

It is because if you do not subscribe to sky it records nothing. It is IMHO very foolish to lock yourself to one platform with your choice of recording device. Those who rave about it never think in whose interest it is for you to be locked in - not always the individual subscriber

I don't follow you...

If Sky+ does what you need it to do (record the programs that you tell it to), then what's so bad about that?

Also-what about my question of whether a DVD-R can record a whole series at the touch of a button?

[Jefferson T]

I've got NTL - and (now) sky+
(and a dvd recorder as it happens)

I don't like NTL - and if I was PAYING for it would have got rid of it ages ago.

Even though I've had sky+ for only a week now I think it's pretty good.

I only copy what I want onto dvd. The series link is also pretty good.

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by mdean

It is because if you do not subscribe to sky it records nothing. It is IMHO very foolish to lock yourself to one platform with your choice of recording device. Those who rave about it never think in whose interest it is for you to be locked in - not always the individual subscriber

It still operates as a standard Sky digibox if you don't subscribe, but I for one do subscribe. I don't mind being locked in because Sky+ gives me exactly what I bought the box for, something which neither NTL nor TW can do. I don't think that I am foolish for spending my money on something that meets my requirements and I am perfectly happy with.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by mdean

It is because if you do not subscribe to sky it records nothing.

Err, but if you don't subscribe to NTL then you don't get anything apart from the basic terrestrial channels either!

It is IMHO very foolish to lock yourself to one platform with your choice of recording device. Those who rave about it never think in whose interest it is for you to be locked in - not always the individual subscriber

Sorry, but I *do* "rave about" Sky+ and I *did* consider whether it was in my interest before I signed up to it.

If I were to re-sign up to NTL I would still have a minimum contract period etc "locking me in" to their service, which is, of course, to their benefit, not mine.

I can record stuff off the Sky+ box if I want to keep it permanently and frankly I don't consider the 99 quid it cost to be too onerous for the services it gives me (especially those like Series Link, the red button and a working EPG that aren't available through NTL)

[Neil]

Originally Posted by ian@huth

It still operates as a standard Sky digibox if you don't subscribe, but I for one do subscribe. I don't mind being locked in because Sky+ gives me exactly what I bought the box for, something which neither NTL nor TW can do. I don't think that I am foolish for spending my money on something that meets my requirements and I am perfectly happy with.

Thanks Ian, I thought it was only me that thought that way....

[mdean]

Originally Posted by Graham

Err, but if you don't subscribe to NTL then you don't get anything apart from the basic terrestrial channels either!



Sorry, but I *do* "rave about" Sky+ and I *did* consider whether it was in my interest before I signed up to it.

If I were to re-sign up to NTL I would still have a minimum contract period etc "locking me in" to their service, which is, of course, to their benefit, not mine.

I can record stuff off the Sky+ box if I want to keep it permanently and frankly I don't consider the 99 quid it cost to be too onerous for the services it gives me (especially those like Series Link, the red button and a working EPG that aren't available through NTL)

Effectively you are writing off the £99 because you are saying that you might change service provider and at that point you would dump the box.

It is logical to an extent - My logic is different I would consider it a piece of kit to replace the VCR - which works with sky/ntl/freeview and analogue I would want the new piece of kit to do the same - maximising my flexibility- not locking me to a single source of programmes to record. So your analogy with the NTL box is wrong - It is with the VCR which will work with all feeds

Gimmicks like series link and pausing live TV are just that - and I left Sky (as a subscriber) to get away from the damn red button, and it remains absent on most channels- esp Sky sports which I often record. That is why NTL cable beats sky at the moment.

BSB are pushing Sky + (and subsidisig it) to lock people in - Nothing wrong with that as a business strategy - But people don't seem to be able to see it for that

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by mdean

Effectively you are writing off the £99 because you are saying that you might change service provider and at that point you would dump the box.

It is logical to an extent - My logic is different I would consider it a piece of kit to replace the VCR - which works with sky/ntl/freeview and analogue I would want the new piece of kit to do the same - maximising my flexibility- not locking me to a single source of programmes to record. So your analogy with the NTL box is wrong - It is with the VCR which will work with all feeds

Gimmicks like series link and pausing live TV are just that - and I left Sky (as a subscriber) to get away from the damn red button, and it remains absent on most channels- esp Sky sports which I often record. That is why NTL cable beats sky at the moment.

BSB are pushing Sky + (and subsidisig it) to lock people in - Nothing wrong with that as a business strategy - But people don't seem to be able to see it for that

I consider my Sky+ box as a piece of kit that allows me to watch what I want, when I want, in full broadcast quality and with a very easy ability to set up. What you call gimmicks I call very useful features that I want.

Now I could go along with your ideas and buy a video recorder and subscribe to NTL in order to get what you consider is a far better system that isn't locked into a single source of programmes to record. I have a video recorder and did have NTL TV but left NTL because of the quality of reception which they never could fix on a permanent basis. My Sky reception has been perfect for 5/6 years in all types of weather. The video recordings are always of a far inferior quality to recordings made on the Sky+ system. The video recorder is nothing like as easy to set up as a Sky+ recording. If programme times change for recordings already set up the Sky+ system usually records them in full at the new times but the video recordings usually don't. I can set recordings for programmes that are more than three days away on Sky+ but could never do this with NTL. I was recently away for a couple of weeks and my Sky+ box recorded everything I wanted during that time. A NTL box with video recorder could not have done that.

Summed up, I am more than happy with my Sky+ system with a normal Sky digibox on multiroom. I might be locked in but I am locked in to what I consider the best system by far for my needs. If you are happy with an inferior system then good for you.

[bdav]

Originally Posted by gary_580

Comparing Cable Tv with Sky isnt really a fair comparison on the basis that Cable TV providers have to buy from Sky and as a result have to offer sweeteners like the so called free line rental.

How does that make any difference? Sympathy for the cable cos having to rent the channels from Sky shouldn't have any part of it - thats their problem. You're paying for an end-user service.
__________________

Originally Posted by ian@huth

It still operates as a standard Sky digibox if you don't subscribe, but I for one do subscribe. I don't mind being locked in because Sky+ gives me exactly what I bought the box for, something which neither NTL nor TW can do. I don't think that I am foolish for spending my money on something that meets my requirements and I am perfectly happy with.

I thought you could still record the FTA channels? And if you dont pay the extra for the Sky+ part, you can still record, but not with 2 tuners(watch+rec), as the Sky+ fee is basicaly allowing you to recieve 2 channels at the same time, like if you were to buy a new box, you would have to pay £10/month to duplicate the channels

[Graham]

Originally Posted by mdean

Effectively you are writing off the £99 because you are saying that you might change service provider and at that point you would dump the box.

Who says I would "dump the box"? Not me.

If (as I believe is possible) it still receives the Free to Air channels, it may be worth keeping, alternatively I might try to flog it on eBay or to a friend.

Even if I did "dump it" if I'd had it for eg three years then I could "write down" the value of it by £33 each year which is about 60p a week, hardly a great loss.

My logic is different I would consider it a piece of kit to replace the VCR - which works with sky/ntl/freeview and analogue I would want the new piece of kit to do the same - maximising my flexibility- not locking me to a single source of programmes to record. So your analogy with the NTL box is wrong - It is with the VCR which will work with all feeds

But unless you sign up to both NTL and Sky you're only going to *have* a single source (plus terrestrial) to record anyway!

Gimmicks like series link and pausing live TV are just that

Sorry, but no they're not gimmicks as far as I'm concerned, they are useful features which I use on a regular basis. To me a gimmick is something that looks and sounds good but is never actually of any use (NTL's EPG comes to mind!)

- and I left Sky (as a subscriber) to get away from the damn red button, and it remains absent on most channels- esp Sky sports which I often record. That is why NTL cable beats sky at the moment.

For you, maybe.

BSB are pushing Sky + (and subsidisig it) to lock people in - Nothing wrong with that as a business strategy - But people don't seem to be able to see it for that

Personally I *can* see it for that and I'm well aware of what I signed up to.

[bdav]

Definative awnswer if you want to throw money at the situation....

Build a Windows media center pc...... No need to use any cr*ppy STB interfaces, no red button junk - Propper internet interactive content. Burn anything onto a DVD, easy interfece, and a music/video/picture library! If you build one, its no more expensive than Sky+160.

Problem solved!