topic Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected? in Sky+

Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

MikeyjdXE — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:15:42 GMT

I have had SKY HD+ for nearly 10 years. I am upgrading to Sky Q soon. I am able to keep my old HD box and there are a few programmes I have recorded in the past still on it. I would like to watch these programmes again in the future. Some of these were recorded from Sky chanels, others from normal TV chanels.

Will I be able to connect my old box via HDMI cable but no dish and watch the old programmes?

Note: as a test, I disconnected the dish cables and was still able to watch previously recorded items, (obviously nothing being streamed live from SKY), but I don't know if that is only a short term thing.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Mark39 — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:22:09 GMT

@MikeyjdXE wrote:

I have had SKY HD+ for nearly 10 years. I am upgrading to Sky Q soon. I am able to keep my old HD box and there are a few programmes I have recorded in the past still on it. I would like to watch these programmes again in the future. Some of these were recorded from Sky chanels, others from normal TV chanels.

Will I be able to connect my old box via HDMI cable but no dish and watch the old programmes?

Note: as a test, I disconnected the dish cables and was still able to watch previously recorded items, (obviously nothing being streamed live from SKY), but I don't know if that is only a short term thing.

I'm afraid not. Your Sky box needs a dish connection to initialise. As you've guessed, it works temporarily to allow you to watch recordings when there's no signal (bad weather).

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

oj01 — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:43:11 GMT

@MikeyjdXE And just to add. You also wouldn't be able to reconnect it up to the dish as the LNB on the dish will be changed to a Sky Q compatible one.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

MikeyjdXE — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 19:15:01 GMT

Is there any way I can transfer a programme from my Sky box to a computer? I do have one particular recording from a news item featuring a family member?

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

SKY1992bf — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 19:16:31 GMT

@MikeyjdXE No as it's a breach of your contract

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Annie+UK — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 19:17:49 GMT

@MikeyjdXE wrote:

Is there any way I can transfer a programme from my Sky box to a computer? I do have one particular recording from a news item featuring a family member?

This is against Sky's terms and conditions so cannot be discussed here

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

MikeyjdXE — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 19:23:32 GMT

Thank you for your help and comments.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Mark39 — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 19:45:40 GMT

@MikeyjdXE you can copy programmes in SD via the Sky box's scart socket (or RCA sockets if it has them) to a DVD recorder or to a computer if it has video/audio capture hardware and software.

You can't copy in HD, as the HDMI output is HDCP protected.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Annie+UK — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:34:44 GMT

Copying to a computer is more than likely to be used for Archiving rather than indended timeshifting usage 😞

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

David-Griffiths — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:10:06 GMT

That's interesting. I've just been persuaded to upgrade to Sky Q and was told uncategorically that I would still be able to watch existing recordings. I asked twice just to be sure.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Mark39 — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:15:55 GMT

Well I suppose you can until Sky Q is installed or your Sky+ subscription is disabled.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

TimmyBGood — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:25:26 GMT

@David-Griffiths wrote:

was told uncategorically that I would still be able to watch existing recordings.

You definitely cannot do so once the subscription covering the Sky+ hardware ends: hard drive access is a subscription service, and that subscription moves to Sky Q

As @Mark39 indicates there's some ambiguity about exactly when this happens: in some cases users have been able to play back content for a quite some time until the box either initialises, receives an end-of-subscription signal or seeks subscription authentication by satellite signal and can't find a signal to do so.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

David-Griffiths — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:31:06 GMT

Hmmm, appears I was misinformed then. The support person I spoke to even claimed that he himself had continued to watch recorded programs and made no mention of a time limit.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Annie+UK — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:41:51 GMT

@David-Griffiths wrote:

Hmmm, appears I was misinformed then. The support person I spoke to even claimed that he himself had continued to watch recorded programs and made no mention of a time limit.

Your dish gets upgrded to wideband thus your Sky+ will not be able to initialise and stop functioning, also any Sky+ viewing cards on your account get disabled

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

SKY1992bf — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:47:43 GMT

@David-Griffiths It's quite possible the agent simply told you want you wanted to hear in order to get the sale as that is all some agents may care about

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Linda98 — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 14:25:09 GMT

@David-Griffiths wrote:
Hmmm, appears I was misinformed then. The support person I spoke to even claimed that he himself had continued to watch recorded programs and made no mention of a time limit.

I was told exactly the same thing . I guess it was to persuade me to swap. It's very wrong though as that is deliberately misleading customers. Very disappointed. Did not expect to be lied to.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

bobster151 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:50:37 GMT

What is the thought process behind disabling use of the Sky HD box to watch previous recordings? We've already paid for the content so I don't see what the problem would be?

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Annie+UK — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:36:59 GMT

@bobster151 wrote:

What is the thought process behind disabling use of the Sky HD box to watch previous recordings? We've already paid for the content so I don't see what the problem would be?

Sky cannot verify that you have the authority to the content without a satellite signal to the box, just because you have paid in the past does not mean you own the rights to the content

Sky boxes are supposed to be use for temporary timeshifting of programmes and not for long term archiving

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

bobster151 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:42:26 GMT

I know I don't own the rights to the content but if I have paid to watch something, I should be able to watch it at any time of my convenience.

For example, if I buy a film from YouTube etc. I can watch it any time I like.

Re: Can I watch programmes previously recorded on Sky HD+ box without a dish being connected?

Annie+UK — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:01:39 GMT

@bobster151 wrote:

I know I don't own the rights to the content but if I have paid to watch something, I should be able to watch it at any time of my convenience.

For example, if I buy a film from YouTube etc. I can watch it any time I like.

You have not purchased the content from Sky in the same way your example outlines unless you use Buy and Keep

If you pay to watch a film in the cinema you don't have the right to watch that whenever you want!