For the more technically minded out there.

We have recently taken out a Sky subscription through our parents UK address and are now in receipt of a shiny new sky + box. This has been plugged in and works fine. So far so good.

The old freesat box has gone into the bedroom and also works fine. Still everything rosy.

However, the 2nd connection from the LNB, the one that allows us to record something other than we are watching, reads no satellite signal even though the box is working fine. I have tested both cables on port 1 and both work fine.

Any ideas

Hi, Have you took out the right subscription with sky to allow recording and rang them to marry the viewing card up to the box, If so have you tried just connecting your sky plus box with the lnb. if still not good there may be a fault with the box itself, sorry if this is of no help.

Subscription is correct and the card and box were set up by the Sky man in the UK prior to it being brought out to Spain. My Parents only had it set up with one cable, so there may be a problem with the box, but it was a new install by Sky.

Sorry to hear that, Seems strange that the sky fitter would only install a sky+ box with one cable, surely he would have to have his docket signed as fully operative. Ariel connections are a fault i have had problems with in the past. Also have you performed a full refresh on the box after re connecting.

If you want to use a Sky+ box and a Freesat box you will need three cables from the dish.

Is this a Sky+ box or a Sky+HD box? There is a difference and that is an important difference.

If it is a Sky+HD box then these have a setting that tells the box to use only one cable - input 1. If this "single feed mode" has been activated, then no signal will be used on input 2. And with this activated your recording functions will be limited. AS it is a new install by Sky, and was set up for one cable only, then I dare say this is the problem.

To turn "single feed mode" off, on the remote press services, 0, 0, 1, select, to go to the installer set up menu, and the option is at the bottom of the screen, turn it off, save, and the box reboots, and then both feeds will be working.

If you have a Sky+ box, then no idea. Sky+ boxes do not have the single feed mode that Sky+HD boxes have. However, some Sky+ boxes only show a signal on that test screen if the input 2 is actually being used.

Although I doubt that a recent "new install" from Sky in the UK would have given you a Sky+ box, more a Sky+HD box. So I dare say you mean you have a "shiny new sky+HD box", and not "a shiny new sky + box".

Sorry for the late reply, was being blown away by Professor Brian Cox.

It is indeed a shiny new Sky + HD box and it is indeed set to single feed. Will try what you suggest. Cheers

Again I stand in awe of the GUY.

As do I, works fine now. Huge thanks.

I knew that this forum was the right place to post my query. Thanks all who contributed

Glad to help and happy its all working.

Hi Guy,

Following on from what you said earlier. If I had a SKY+HD box with single feed, what would the recording limitations be?

Thanks


PS. Can you please PM me on your price for a new, slim line, SKY+HD box

You would lose the ability to watch one channel and record another at the same time.

But with so many "+1" channels and channels like ITV2 repeating ITV1 programmes 20 times during the week, this can be overcome.