Can I use Humax Freesat HD box alongside existing Sky+ Box?

Careful_with_that_Axe

I am a bit of a gadget freak and have recently treated myself to a Humax Freesat HD box. This is primarily to receive free HD channels but also to retain pause etc when I finally cancel Sky.

In the meantime, is there anyway I can set this up to work alongside the existing Sky+ box? Just to view HD channels?
I wondered if there was the equivalent of a splitter box for the dual sky cables? Am ideally looking for a fairly cheap solution if there is one.

If there is a way, is anyone able to explain in fairly simple terms how to achieve this to an enthusiastic but not particularly knowledgeable lady?

Many thanks

Kurtis_Blue

Cheaper to run the extra cables, and if you use a switcher or swap the cables you can be sure they will be in the wrong stb when you have set up a timed recording.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Thanks for the response. Do I need to run extra cables from the dish or can I splice them in somewhere/somehow?

Inactive

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Thanks for the response. Do I need to run extra cables from the dish or can I splice them in somewhere/somehow?

2 more cables from your dish ( LNB ) unless you dump Sky now, then you can just use the cables connected to your Sky Receiver.

almillar

You CAN run it alongside the Sky box if you're careful with your viewing habits. Your Sky + box has 2 feeds, take feed 1, and plug it into feed 1 on the Humax. The Humax has a pass-through - connect the sat-out on the Humax into the feed 1 on the sky box. You'll need, like, a metre of coax with F-connectors on each end (F-connector is that screw in plug that sat connections use).
When you've got it hooked up like this, the Humax takes over feed 1. If you're trying to record 2 things on Sky+, it won't work as the Humax is using 1 of the 2 feeds. This might be a bit of hassle you may not want to put up with, but does get you HD...

Careful_with_that_Axe

Thanks so much! Am fed up with cost of Sky, but do like the range of channels. Plan on ditching them when it goes up in September (?).
Will try it as an add on at first until month's notice is up.

Luckily have lots of coaxil so just need to fit suitable connectors. May be brave enough to try it out this weekend. Additional cables to the LNB isn't really an option as I have mobility issues and me and ladders are not a good combo!

Many thanks.

maggiej_2

Hi

We've just gone down this route also. Completely fed up with the ever increasing Sky costs and finally bit the bullet and cancelled. Sky do not make it easy for you to canx and are totally unhelpful and unresponsive to any query you have with regards to the final month's bill and whatever credit is due to you as the customer as you pay in advance for the Sky service. Anyhow that is another story!! Good luck to you in cancelling and be prepared for a battle. Sky seem to forget that YOU are the customer - their level of customer service is non existent.

We've just got a Humax Freesat HD PVR box to replace Sky + (together with a new Panasonic telly) and it is now up and running. No problems connecting it up to the existing Sky dish using the twin feeds. Luckily we do have a quad LNB on our dish, so hubby ran 2 more feeds off, 1 for the Sky box (for whatever extra channels are on Sky FTV). Have successfully recorded a couple of things on the Humax without any problems. Fairly easy and seems quite straightforward to use so far but we are still 'learning'. Very happy with our choice. What with the Freeview tuner built into the tv also, hopefully we won't miss the Sky paid for channels too much.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Thanks for that maggiej. I have heard similar stories about trying to cancel Sky. I was sortta hoping to be offered a retention deal, but i'm not holding my breath.

I did quite a lot of research before plumping for the humax - people seem to say that it's not so user-friendly, a bit clunky and the remote isn't great but those are things you can overcome or get used to and it's heads above all the others in terms of reviews.
I've got the Freeview with the TV too, so sortta figured I was covering most of the bases. Will miss the films though.
One thing I didn't check is ability to record subtitles, but it's not a common requirement so will suck it and see. No tragedy if I can't.

spike7451

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Thanks so much! Am fed up with cost of Sky, but do like the range of channels. Plan on ditching them when it goes up in September (?).
Will try it as an add on at first until month's notice is up.

Luckily have lots of coaxil so just need to fit suitable connectors. May be brave enough to try it out this weekend. Additional cables to the LNB isn't really an option as I have mobility issues and me and ladders are not a good combo!

Many thanks.

You can use one of these:

http://mediacables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_32&products_id=344

You take the feed from one of the satalite feeds & connect to the input,then run a feed from 'A' to the Sky & 'B' from the Humax.

However as you've Sky plus,you'd need one for each feed from the dish.