Sky plus

[megabyte]

Can I connect up a sky plus box to my existing LNB to take advantage of 5.1 sound?
I would not need the quad lnb at present as Sky plus is not launched yet here in ROI.
What I want to do is buy a Sky+ box in the UK and pair my Irish Sky card to it.
I know it needs the quad for the additional feeds for the record functionality etc-but will it work as a receiver with just the one feed from a standard lnb?
Conn
Also are SkyBox office and premiere widescreen still broadcasting 5.1 on some movies?

[pip&pop]

Without giving you a definitive answer, I would say that its highly likely that you can combine the two (but why not just get the dish from the same place as the box?).

The LNB just amplifies the signal and converts it to frequencies easier to handle on cable.

It doesn't 'care' about whats actually in the signal ie what channel, sound etc. It just grabs a transponder's worth and lets the box sort out the nitty gritty.

[Ridcully]

Pretty sure your right that it will work. Quad LNB is only required for the two tuners, so if only one is required then it should work

[megabyte]

Thanks lads.
Belfast/Newry/Holyhead here I come :)
Conn

[JonnyO]

It'll definately work.
BTW, do you realise that the quad LNB comes with the sky+ box? So even if it didn't work (maybe because of some odd incompatability with your existing LNB) you could just swap the old one for the quad.

Also, If you don't think you'll ever use the quad LNB then please let me know as I'd like to buy it from you.

[megabyte]

Thats good to know.
Yup I'd heard the quad comes with it.
I will keep the quad as I will need it when they launch plus here.
But for the moment all I want is 5.1 sound.
Conn

[Keiron99]

How much of Sky's output is in 5.1 though? It's quite a price to pay if that's the only benefit.

[Paul Scott]

IIRC only sky movies and sky movie widescreen broadcast some (not all) of there movies in 5.1 so it is quite a big expense just for that.

[megabyte]

Yeap,, I agree,
But Sky will be launching(or so they say) Sky plus here in ROI by the end of the year-so I will have the box for that.
Also I can sell my existing Box for to part pay for it( I have had it over a year now so can do that).
Conn

[Reeves29]

The only channels that transmit in 5.1 is Sky premier widesceen and Box office widescreen.

Sky Premier widescreen transmits Dolby digital with every movie, but its usually 2 channel. Some movies are in 5.1, u571, blue streak, Gladiator, Eric brokavick (spelling way out) to name a few.

Never ordered a widescreen box office movie so i am not 100% sure whats in 5.1 on there.

Btw, there isn't a way (as yet) to tell before hand if a movie is in 5.1. Sky are planning to add a logo/key to the EPG, but thats a month or 2 away.

[Ridcully]

Originally posted by Reeves29
The only channels that transmit in 5.1 is Sky premier widesceen and Box office widescreen.

Sky Premier widescreen transmits Dolby digital with every movie, but its usually 2 channel. Some movies are in 5.1, u571, blue streak, Gladiator, Eric brokavick (spelling way out) to name a few.

Never ordered a widescreen box office movie so i am not 100% sure whats in 5.1 on there.

Btw, there isn't a way (as yet) to tell before hand if a movie is in 5.1. Sky are planning to add a logo/key to the EPG, but thats a month or 2 away.

Digital spy seems to suggest the 2.0 transmissions are now proper DPL. 5.1 list is available Ch 999, actice, sky products

[Vinster]

... i did this day before yesterday -- i have bought the Sky+ box from Comet and just added it to my existing Sat setup. I had to ring Sky to register the card to the new box, but what worried me was that they told me I would *NOT* have any warranty on the Sky+ box because the engineer did not fit it - which is a tad ridiculous considering it cost me £299 notes for the box!

As luck would have it, yesterday a Sky engineer was installing Sky+ in the house over the road. When he finished I asked him if he did "foreigners" with a view to installing the quad LNB and running the second wire to the back of my old digibox so the kids could watch the free to air Boomerang channel. He said he would do it (weekend) for £20 - but also said don't be tempted to fit the quad LNB yourself, because they are heavier than the other LNB's and the Satellite normally needs re-aligning - of course hes got the tools! :clap: