RE: Sky box questions

["Keith Doxey" <ukha@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ian

> I have never really met Sky but am now trying to advise
> someone doing some major work on what cables they need where!
>
> Do all Sky boxes have RF In, RF 1 Out and RF 2 Out?

YES

> What SCART IO do they have?

TV SCART - RGB or Composite
VCRSCART - composite out - RGB passthrough as input

SKY+, HD and some Grundig digiboxes have S-Video out via Minidin but not on
SCART

> Do they all put the power for splitters and Skylinks onto RF 2 Out?

If enabled in the menu

> Do all boxes just need a single satellite down-feed except
> Sky+, which needs two?

SKY+ and Sky HD need two LNB inputs

> Do all Sky boxes need access to a telephone socket including
> 2nd/3rd boxes?

Only if required by your contract. If you have Multiroom cards then ALL
boxes on that subscripton have to be connected to the same phone line

> Can their Ir remotes be switched to different codes so they
> don't interfere with each other?

No.

Digibox, SKY+ and SKY HD all used different codesets but the HD box also
responds to SKY+ remotes as well

> What DVD recorder or PVR setup do we need for effortless
> recording of Sky?  I'm going to suggest a Freeview PVR but
> there might occasionally be something worth recording on Sky
> that isn't also on Freeview. And the Humax 9200T can't record
> from an analogue source.
>

If you are using an external PVR or DVD recorder then you really need a bog
standard digibox as a SKY+/HD box may put up banners saying it has
arecordign clash or it may just change channel all by itself if it is doing
two recordings.

Also be aware that Pin Protection is on pre-watershead movies and unless
you
enter the pin all you will get is a blue screen with a pin prompt.

Easiest way to record SKY is with SKY+ but you then lose the ability to
watch live sky from that box whilst playing back a recording

HTH

Keith