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HDMI & Sky HD +
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Posted May 31, 2011 at 7:08PM
My Ordinary Sky+ box went kaputt and Sky have replaced this with a Sky HD+ box (second-hand) - apparently ordinary Sky+ boxes are no longer used by Sky. I do not subscribe to Sky HD but it occurred to me that perhaps I could change my connections between TV & Sky box using HDMI and getting rid of Scart connections with which I am having some problems. I then find that the Sky HD+ box does not have a HDMI socket. I thought this was absolutely necessary for HD to receive the digital signal. If this is a Sky HD+ box how does it get round this aspect?
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Posted June 1, 2011 at 2:50PM
As the box is a replacement for a standard box has the HDMI port been disabled/removed?
I haven't heard on here anyone else finding this situation.
Maybe it's to stop the replacement boxes being given away to others to use as a free FREESAT box.
Strange though as you'd think that Sky would hope that, as you now have an HD box, you would upgrade your channels for the HD pack. ????
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Posted June 1, 2011 at 4:17PM
Thanks for your response. There is a socket but I think this is just DVI and my understanding is that although you can get an adapter, this will not convert an analogue signal into a digital one which is required for HD.
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Posted June 2, 2011 at 4:55PM
There' definitely no DVI on the back.
(As per pic linked above)
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Posted June 3, 2011 at 10:03AM
All Sky+HD boxes come with HDMI as standard. All HDMI connections on Sky+HD boxes look the same and are identical in appearance to the HDMI found on TV's, the HDMI lead has two male connectors and both ends look identical.
You will be able to receive and watch free HD channels such as BBC1, BBCHD and ITV1. These are called FTA (Free To Air) channels. Some others are FTV (Free to View) and are encrypted so you need a valid Sky Viewing Card but the channels are free. A typical example is http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/category.php?cat_id=153&gclid=CM6r856wmakCFQod4Qodrz9KtQ
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Posted June 5, 2011 at 12:44PM
Very sorry for delay in responding - been away. There certainly is no HDMI socket but what I have referred to as DVI is, after further investigation, a RS232 socket. Is this the same as DVI or RCA? Incidentally, the Sky+HD box is Amstrad, if this matters.
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Posted June 5, 2011 at 4:15PM
As others have said all Sky HD boxes have a HDMI connection.
You have said it an Amstrad can you give the model number.
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Posted June 6, 2011 at 3:41PM
OP,
Is it definitely an HD box you have been given as a replacement?
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Posted June 6, 2011 at 6:29PM
Thanks bremner & tb64. I have just managed to drag out my unit with the electrical appliances on board and with the aid of a magnifying glass have established that the model is Amstrad DRX 280. I have since Googled this and nowhere does it state that it is HD. In fact as there is reference to this model pre 2003, I assume it is NOT HD. In which case, why did Sky over the telephone and then the engineer both tell me it was HD because Sky were no longer installing ordinary Sky+ boxes. You can't believe a thing nowadays can you. Sorry to have posed the question in the circumstances and thanks to you both for pointing me in the right direction.
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