SKY+ BOX: CLOSEST FRENCH EQUIVALENT?

[roger888]

I have an Orange triple-play set-up (telephone, internet, TV) including an Orange decoder for the French satellite channels (free ones plus those I subscribe to).

One of the things I miss about my UK setup is the Sky+ box: one of the simplest and best boxes for programming and recording to hard drive. As far as I can see, neither Orange nor any other provider offers an equivalent. Am I missing something?

I've read a lot here about the Humax PVR but it's still not clear to me that it's what I'm looking for. For example, presumably it does not replace the existing decoder. How does it link to the decoder? Does it have its own programme guide? Can you select forthcoming programmes for recording? Can it record independently of what the TV is showing? etc

Just to be clear: I am only interested in receiving French channels via satellite and being able to record them to disk. This is not a query about how to receive Sky or British TV channels in France.

Grateful for any advice

[cooperlola]

I have Canal+ so just use a hard drive DVD recorder linked to the decoder, but TNT decoders which can record one channel whilst you're watching another etc are available:

http://shopping.cherchons.com/dossier/decodeur-tnt-double-tuner.html

[Danny]

Roger,

The Humax freesat+ model only works for UK channels from Astra 2 satellite.

There is no possibility to use any recording to disk direct with Orange TV by satellite. That may change at some point in the future. The decoder given to those with Orange TV by ADSL is capable of recording to the internal disk.

As cooperlola says, you could use a DVD recorder by Scart but not for any HD.

Your choice is Canal+ which can be pretty expensive and which is by monthly subscription or

either a TNTSAT decoder for reception from ASTRA 1 satellite 19.0E

or a Fransat decoder for reception from Atlantic Bird satellite 5.0W.

These are the closest equivalent to the UK Humax model. There is a range of decoders available in both SD and HD for both these services.

http://www.tntsat.tv/Terminaux_tntsat.htm

http://www.fransat.fr/choisir-decodeur-fransat-television-numerique.htm

There is only one decoder - at the moment - which can do watch/record at the same time as comprehensively as the UK Sky+ or freesat+ boxes; (i.e. two tuners)

which is the Sagem TNTSAT model DTR 94160S HD.

There are quite few others that record SD and HD to an external hard drive but not two channels at the same time on different frequencies.

We have the Aston Simba Fransat HD attached to two dishes. We receive all the UK freesat channels and all the Fransat French channels and can record no problem to an external disk from either sat in SD and HD.

One disadvantage with these (except for Canal+ which I don't know about) the EPG is only a basic 'now and next' compared to the freesat or Sky weekly schedules.

Danny

[Danny]

P.S.

You can use the UK foxsat HDR for UK TV and other free to air channels on other satellites but the French channels are (mostly) not free to air so I imagine this does not help you.

Danny

[roger888]

Thanks for the advice. I think I need to take this slowly!

I already have a subscription to Canal+ and CanalSat, principally for the sports channels. However, I subscribed via Orange (although I pay Canal+ separately), so I don't have a Canal+ decoder, only the regular Orange box (a Samsung SHD85).

Le Cube, which Canal+ offer with their higher-end packages, appears to come with an external hard disk. Their regular decoder doesn't.

There seem to be two options. One is to get a Sagem DTR 94160S. If I did, would it simply replace my Orange decoder? And without the connection via Orange, how would my Canal+ subscription be authenticated?

The other option would seem to be to ask Canal+ for a Cube with external hard disk. Again, how would this work? Does anyone have experience of this box?

I'm beginning to feel the Orange triple-play was not a good idea, and has locked me into a less-than-ideal configuration. But I'm reluctant to start unpicking it until I'm confident of the alternative.

Advice gratefully received as ever!

[Danny]

well the Orange triple Play is exactly the same price as the double play (internet and telephone) so you are not losing anything there. In fact even if you are locked in a 12 month subscription you can cancel your Orange service at any time over the next four months if you want due to the changes in price coming in February. All of the ISPs are putting their prices up shortly due to changes in TVA charges.

If you do want to go for the Sagem TNTSAT Sagem DTR 94160S, it is canal ready, so as well as the TNTSAT channels you can also get access to any of your subscription channels with canal+. Not quite sure how it goes with your sub to Canal being through Orange....

But essentially, you buy the decoder, plug it in and install it and assuming your Sat dish is properly orientated to Astra 1 19.0 E you will have all the TNTSAT channels plus all free to air from that satellite and your subscription channels from Canal.

You wil have to ask Canal how much it will cost you to have the Cube, I have no idea about that.

Danny

[POB]

I have the Cube on Canal +.  I pay a total of €51 per month, direct to Canal +, including €6 for the Cube rental.  It has twin feed as Sky plus although I only use one feed.  The hard drive is internal.  Theoretically it offers "Series Link" although I've only known this work once.  It also offers remote Internet recording via your "Espace Client" and this is slightly more reliable.  I have just used it to Set up MI5 (Spooks) for tonight.  You can set the default language for programs so that, for example, you can record VM films in American with sub-titles in French which can be fun.  It offers High Definition where available so has HDMI or Scart connectors.  I find the Electronic Program Guide straightforward.  Overall I am more pleased with it than I originally anticipated, but it does make Sky seem cheap!