Just upgraded to HD from a white Sky + box.

What are the HD boxes being shipped these days? They now all Amstrad or still using Samsung as well?

The next question as well, is how easy is it to either carry on viewing recordings on the sky plus box as a dumb playback machine, or will it die once the HD box goes live?

Finally I can get LLU sky broadband as well!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and quico cashback

arright mate, upgraded to HD about 3 months ago, received a Thomson box (not 1TB). You can record 1 program and watch another, you can record 2 programs at the same time if you are watching anytime TV, another recorded program or if the box is on standby. Its very good in my opinion you can choose to stop watching a recorded program and it will remember when you stopped watching it and keep the place.

Regarding the ordinary + box not sure how you want to use it, i used it with a magic eye thingy to be able to watch sky in the bedroom without multiroom using 1 box. Its the same sky card between the boxes when you upgrade. Hope some of that helps mate.

All boxes should now be Amstrad, the Thomsons are dead in the water and being withdrawn from service as the software is no longer supported as the original developers sold out to competitors.

You should get either a DRX-890 or it you opted for the 1TB box a DRX-895. There have not been any new Thomson boxes in circulation for a considerable time and you should not end up with one of those.

Graeme, if your box really is a Thomson then get onto sky as the installer has given you an old box, whereas you should have received a brand new Amstrad.

Thanks.

I did want a 1tb box, but the sky ordering system wouldn't let me order one.

Are the standard boxes 500gb? Is there a way to get my recordings on the new box without opening the hd box up?

Given the rate of failures I keep reading about I'm not comfortable voiding its warranty on day 1.

Tbh, it might be worth eBaying the old box for a few quid or doing as previously stated and using it in another room .

Thanks.

I did want a 1tb box, but the sky ordering system wouldn't let me order one.

Are the standard boxes 500gb? Is there a way to get my recordings on the new box without opening the hd box up?

Given the rate of failures I keep reading about I'm not comfortable voiding its warranty on day 1.

The 890 is a 500GB drive, but its split 250GB personal use and 250GB for anytime. This is where the benefit of the 890 comes in, you can put in a 1.5TB HDD and get more storage capacity than the 1TB (actually 1.5TB storage) 895. The reason being that the 1TB 895 reserves 500GB for anytime, and you cannot alter these drive settings even if anytime is disabled.

The 890 and 895 are the most reliable boxes that have been made, and my 895 has no problems.

The 890 is a 500GB drive, but its split 250GB personal use and 250GB for anytime. This is where the benefit of the 890 comes in, you can put in a 1.5TB HDD and get more storage capacity than the 1TB (actually 1.5TB storage) 895. The reason being that the 1TB 895 reserves 500GB for anytime, and you cannot alter these drive settings even if anytime is disabled.

The 890 and 895 are the most reliable boxes that have been made, and my 895 has no problems.

It's an 890 and was delivered today.

Bit miffed that all my recordings cant be carried over due to this Darwin rubbish.

I'm very interested in what you say about the 1.5TB. So I assume it's a fudge as the box cant deal with 0.5TB's so forgets to set asside space for anytime?

You can copy the recordings over using sky copy+ from a non darwin box. So if your old box was a thomson or standard sky+ box you can copy them over using sky copy+. I did this to my 895 with no problem. The only thing you cant do is read a darwin formatted disk using copy+. After you have copied the recordings over from a non-darwin box the 890 will convert the disk automatically to darwin format and the programs will still be there.

You can copy the recordings over using sky copy+ from a non darwin box. So if your old box was a thomson or standard sky+ box you can copy them over using sky copy+. I did this to my 895 with no problem. The only thing you cant do is read a darwin formatted disk using copy+. After you have copied the recordings over from a non-darwin box the 890 will convert the disk automatically to darwin format and the programs will still be there.

Hmmm, I've been told as the new box is Darwin the disk would need to go into a pre-darwin box after formatting then copying over, THEN I can put into my box. If I put into my box after copy, I'm told the recordings will simply get corrupted and ignored by the new Darwin EPG requiring an erase to get the disk space back?

This is from the skyusers forums.

Happily give it a go, but the warranty sticker is placed so cutting will be very obvious it's been opened.

Worked fine for me.

Install Sky Copy+ onto desktop,

Remove HDD from old Sky + box,

Remove HDD from new Sky box,

Connect both HDDs (Sky+ via IDE, Sky HD via SATA directly to PC,

Delete all disk partitions via disk administrator in windows from the Sky HD HDD, do not create any partitions it must be completely blank.

Fire up sky copy+ and select the source disk as your Sky+ disk and select the Destination as your Sky HD disk.

Make sure the destination disk size is correct and click start,

Sit back and wait about an hour as it copies.

Place disk back in HD box,

Power up the box, you'll get a message about the disk being converted, box will then reboot.

Once rebooted all your old programs will be in the planner, just like on your old one.

arright mate, upgraded to HD about 3 months ago, received a Thomson box (not 1TB). You can record 1 program and watch another, you can record 2 programs at the same time if you are watching anytime TV, another recorded program or if the box is on standby. Its very good in my opinion you can choose to stop watching a recorded program and it will remember when you stopped watching it and keep the place.

Regarding the ordinary + box not sure how you want to use it, i used it with a magic eye thingy to be able to watch sky in the bedroom without multiroom using 1 box. Its the same sky card between the boxes when you upgrade. Hope some of that helps mate.

I wouldn't have accepted a Thomson box as they are all recon units and haven't been issued as new for years.... If this was for a new install and not a replacement for a faulty box you should have received an Amstrad (Which has been the only new box supplied for around a year or so). I wouldn't have thought there was much you could do about it now but i really don't envy you having that Thomson box. :S

Cheers

Dave.