SKY Q

[Welsh_kai_boy]

Just an update really, I installed a wire from my front room GS-105 switch to the router so the Sky Q 2TB is now connected via wire to the internet and the minibox. The minbox in my son's room was already on a wired connection and another GS-105 switch. To be honest this has now rendered the WI-FI booster obsolete that the engineer fitted and the connection between the two boxes is far better than the WI-FI connection.

 

I was quite surprised that other websites were saying you need a 1Gib switch however the SkyQ only has 100 ports.

 

Anyway wired is definitely better than 5Ghz wifi when it comes to the operation of the minbox.

[old newbie2]

It's a bit "old hat" now though isn't it. I mean recording stuff, I could do this 5 years ago with Humax Foxsat box and some revised firmware.

For those interested - https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/humax-h3.html Humax also have launched a couple of freeview boxes that do that same thing. (TV / recording over wifi.)

I've not recorded anything in ages - I usually just stream using one of the catch up services.

We always record, especially if it's a program that we want to keep to watch again.

[Lady Elanore]

I'm still waiting for HDR to be added to the 4K . Might jump ship then, well if they offer me a deal that is. 

[io1901]

We always record, especially if it's a program that we want to keep to watch again.

 

It will be repeated.  I recently there is very little stuff I'd watch a second time ( sometimes I wish I hadn't bothered the first time)

[Lady Elanore]

I record quite a bit, partly because I might not be in when the shows are on and also the BBC deletes some of their stuff on player pretty quickly, plus there is a bit of a sweet-spot around 21:00hrs when there are usually more than one show on that I want to watch. Time shift binge watch is the future :D 

[Welsh_kai_boy]

One of the main reasons I switched was recording clashes, my guess is that 4 channels will become 6 very soon as to compete with VM.

[gadgetman]

Too expensive just yet for me.

The fact you can't move recordings from a HD box is another negative.

[WaveyDavey]

It's a bit "old hat" now though isn't it. I mean recording stuff, I could do this 5 years ago with Humax Foxsat box and some revised firmware.

For those interested - https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/humax-h3.html Humax also have launched a couple of freeview boxes that do that same thing. (TV / recording over wifi.)

I've not recorded anything in ages - I usually just stream using one of the catch up services.

 

Only issue with that is the limit on how long the program in question is available for..... We tend to watch a series all in one go or over  two or three days and the BBC only have a 30 day limit so this isn't possible as the first few episodes would not be available by the time the final episodes had aired. Sky on the other hand don't seem to have such a silly limit on their catch up services so I tend to set the Sky box to record the series on series link then I download each episode as it becomes available and delete the recording..... So getting rid of three or four ad breaks per episode. :)

[Lady Elanore]

Too expensive just yet for me.

The fact you can't move recordings from a HD box is another negative.

I live almost next door to a chap that can do this )  Unfortunately he is in the business of fixing SKY boxes and upgrading the HDDs, so it wouldn't be free :( 

 

But, if anyone is in the North West and needs a SKY box fixing or upgrading, try Speake Electronics. Fantastic service. I had a fault on my SKY HD box and he spent a day soak testing it and even defragged it for me and as he couldn't find a specific fault, he didn't charge a penny! (A lot of my problem was a never defragged HDD. Worth doing every 6 months I'm told and quite easy to do yourself). So I got a free fix...sort of :)

 

I asked about moving recordings to a new HDD and he said you need a special bit of software. This may or may not be true, but I'm not going to quibble with the marvelous man that runs the company :)

[WaveyDavey]

I live almost next door to a chap that can do this )  Unfortunately he is in the business of fixing SKY boxes and upgrading the HDDs, so it wouldn't be free :(

 

But, if anyone is in the North West and needs a SKY box fixing or upgrading, try Speake Electronics. Fantastic service. I had a fault on my SKY HD box and he spent a day soak testing it and even defragged it for me and as he couldn't find a specific fault, he didn't charge a penny! (A lot of my problem was a never defragged HDD. Worth doing every 6 months I'm told and quite easy to do yourself). So I got a free fix...sort of :)

 

I asked about moving recordings to a new HDD and he said you need a special bit of software. This may or may not be true, but I'm not going to quibble with the marvelous man that runs the company :)

 

Yes the name of the software escapes me at present but you can indeed transfer recordings from a Sky box HDD to another HDD....... The name will probably come to me a few months down the line for no reason whatsoever..... :D

[WaveyDavey]

I'm also thinking when he said he had defragged the HDD he meant he had just done a "Planner Rebuild". As afr as I'm aware there is no way to defrag the HDD in a Sky box but the planner rebuild is close. It basically does a HDD check.... CHKDISK style.

 

A planner rebuild is something anyone can do themselves and takes a few minutes to complete.

[gadgetman]

Yes the name of the software escapes me at present but you can indeed transfer recordings from a Sky box HDD to another HDD....... The name will probably come to me a few months down the line for no reason whatsoever..... :D

Skycopy+ iirc.

Used it when I upgraded a few boxes for people. But it won't work with Sky Q.

From what I understand from chatting with a Sky engineer they *could* do it but for some reason choose not to for unit swaps & upgrades on the old kit. I'd assume they must have the same functionality with the Q kit - just a different encoding as they do with each new box type.

[Lady Elanore]

I can't say for sure what the chap did to my box, but he may have performed something you can't do at home. Anyhoo, the bottom line is it made a massive difference to my box. It was unwatchable with the freezing problems and I thought I had a couple of bad sectors. he said he'd defragged ti and it now works perfectly (although it is getting on a bit in age). 

 

The interesting bit in the small print about SKY Q that I noticed, is that you don't own the box. It always belongs to SKY. Possibly a good thing in as much as if it goes wrong they should replace it :)

[WaveyDavey]

I can't say for sure what the chap did to my box, but he may have performed something you can't do at home. Anyhoo, the bottom line is it made a massive difference to my box. It was unwatchable with the freezing problems and I thought I had a couple of bad sectors. he said he'd defragged ti and it now works perfectly (although it is getting on a bit in age). 

 

The interesting bit in the small print about SKY Q that I noticed, is that you don't own the box. It always belongs to SKY. Possibly a good thing in as much as if it goes wrong they should replace it :)

 

Yep a planner rebuild is Sky's over the phone first thing to do if the box is having glitches like yours was. Easy enough to do at home with a quick set of button presses to get to the engineer menu. Then you simply select the planner rebuild option. You do need to do it when you are not recording anything or have any recordings planned in the following 5-10 minutes though.

[Lady Elanore]

I found the sequence off the interweb, although I needed an extra '0' when entering the code from the info I found on a few website though. I do fancy Q though, but as I have Amazon Prime and they should be going to 4K movies with HDR (rental) soon, I might not bother? 

Edited 10 January, 2017 by Lady Elanore

[WaveyDavey]

Yeah I've looked at Q a couple of times.... But until I get a 4k TV it's not really worth the extra cost. I've got to give them a ring to try and get a better deal over the next few days and might see if I can blag one of the new Q hubs to replace my current BTO modem and Sky hub.

[Lady Elanore]

Yeah I've looked at Q a couple of times.... But until I get a 4k TV it's not really worth the extra cost. I've got to give them a ring to try and get a better deal over the next few days and might see if I can blag one of the new Q hubs to replace my current BTO modem and Sky hub.

Ooh keep us up to date with that one. i'd like a new hub :)

[WaveyDavey]

Ooh keep us up to date with that one. i'd like a new hub :)

 

Will do..... I know you can buy them as and when you like but they want £60 for them..... I'll see if they will send me one out for as little as possible.

[Lady Elanore]

I got my last router upgraded for free with a little persuasion. 

[old newbie2]

It will be repeated.  I recently there is very little stuff I'd watch a second time ( sometimes I wish I hadn't bothered the first time)

We like to record & watch 2/3 episodes of a series at once, without having to watch the adverts...

 

As for keeping, that would mostly be concerts,which can be watched & heard as & when wanted.

I'll buy the relevant DVD's too if I want to see / hear the unabridged versions, also to play in the car 

(listen not watch!) on a long trip.

 

DC

[Lady Elanore]

Some things can't be kept indefinitely though. I notice that many things like movies and some concerts, have a watchable window of a year or less. After which it disappear from your sky box without warning :( i was wanting to watch the Rillington BBC show and found I waited too long and the first episode has been removed from my planner recordings :( If you press the 'i' button you get the expiration date, although i suspect you already know that :) 

[Welsh_kai_boy]

once you get over the initial outlay which was £100 it's £12 a month for more storage, minibox full access and the fact that you can watch again full access on tablet/phone. Also you can download your recordings to watch when travelling.

[biomulv]

Yeah I've looked at Q a couple of times.... But until I get a 4k TV it's not really worth the extra cost. I've got to give them a ring to try and get a better deal over the next few days and might see if I can blag one of the new Q hubs to replace my current BTO modem and Sky hub.

I managed this a good few months ago. The old SR102 fibre modem simply can't provide a quick enough wireless signal to match the 76MB service. Sky know this.

Before the Q one became available, they paid for my wireless access point so I could get decent wireless speed.

[gadgetman]

once you get over the initial outlay which was £100 it's £12 a month for more storage, minibox full access and the fact that you can watch again full access on tablet/phone. Also you can download your recordings to watch when travelling.

£12 though on already high prices set to go up again in a few weeks I read recently.

[WaveyDavey]

once you get over the initial outlay which was £100 it's £12 a month for more storage, minibox full access and the fact that you can watch again full access on tablet/phone. Also you can download your recordings to watch when travelling.

 

There would be no upgrade in storage for me as I have one of the 2TB boxes (Blagged it for £49 like new customers get it for a couple of years ago) And can't all the viewing on tablet etc..... all be done with Sky Go Extra which I've been offered for something like only £2-£5 a month quite a few times now.