Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Gadgets & Tech Sky Box + HD : Hard Drive Swap & Copy programs

Didn't want to hijack another thread about this so started a new one.

Question I've got about Sky+ box (HD) - Its in need of replacing as it freezes every so often and then takes an age to reset sometimes upto 20minutes.

Problem I have is the programs I've recorded on Sky+ need to be kept as daughter has a few issues and will often have a "meltdown" if she cant watch a program etc (she's not a brat, but I do wish that was just the case )...

Can this be done? Can the hard drives be taken out and swapped?

Ian

No the hard drives cannot be swapped, certain program's can be copied depends what they are and what channel

Mainly Cbeebies / cartoons...

I'll just start buying her favorite ones on Itunes and deal with the epic hissy fits when she wants something that's gone.

Suppose if I cant swap the hard drive I could swap my daughter...she's six, slighty fauly but comes with a car and DLA payments

I'm already going to hell I'm just after a better seat.

Techradar say you can

Click Me

Its about upgrading the hard drive to a larger size but its the same as your asking how to swop a failing drive for a new one.

Be sure of your make and model.

You can swap but the recordings will not move to,the new drive,
Or the new sky box,

They are heavily encrypted,

You can however copy as much as you like from the sky box to a DVD recorder
If it's recorded from a freeview channel

Premium content , shouldn't be able to copy,

Also be aware no engineer will swap a box if the drive is missing

I don't think he wants to copy from one hdd to the other, I think he wants to know if he put his old hdd in a new box, would his programs still be there on the new box using the old hdd?

[edit] - complete guesswork here, but I would have thought that if he is using the same viewing card and hdd, then he could use a new box and retain everything that was recorded.

like Mark said Clicky

Thanks for the replies and the link Mark...I just need to find someone IT savvy to do it.

I may need a new hard drive anyway as if its causing problems would this be down to the hard drive.

Its hard to say until its done.
There could be a second issue !

Can you not just buy the Box Set on DVD as a treat (if Available).
And then you have time to resolve the HD Box issue.

Would sky not replace the Box?
Its worth calling them, they refused for me, so I left there TV package, and then got the begging calls to come back. Damage done and never missed it.

I think Sky do sell reconditioned boxes with a 12 month warrantee if I remember but don't hold me to it. Or even ebay.

I remember when I got a new box I had to call sky to match the viewing card with the box serial number. That was a few years ago.

There's a lot of different programs on the Sky+ box, some of the stuff is years old...

I'll manage it somehow, thought I'd ask the question whilst another topic was going about Sky.

Unfortunately my daughter has severe learning difficulties and as a result has zero patience and will often have meltdowns over what you & I would think are silly things...

I've often thought about buying an external hard drive and just storing programs on that over time so were not reliant on the Sky+ box.

Again thanks for your replies.

You can buy a freesat box with PVR and you can pug it into your sky cables. These give you the option to save/copy to a usb or external drive. It can take a while its not quick.

This only works with unencrypted (None Paying) channels and not HD channels. From there I plug my usb stick into a Tesco's Tenika TV and Boom the recording is now plying on the tv.

I have a Western Digital box for streaming the programs from my free sat box up stairs. Its not a friendly as sky with regards of ease of use but very effective.

If its sky programs then your options are limited and will cost you. But you have options if you can get past the tantrum stage.

* Newer Sky HD boxes my allow you to save recordings externally but i'm not up to date on them.

Yes its all complicated but its achievable, if I had the time i would walk you through it but i'm just too busy at the moment, but I hope i've given you food for thought.

There is life after sky.

* Sky is very good at what it does but the price reflects that.

Why don't you just download (from the internet) the programmes onto an external hd? I do this with my sons programmes, put them on the laptop then just hook that up to the TV