Features
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Sky HD (High Definition) TV
Now available in Mallorca
What is Sky HD?
• Sky HD offers 10 channels of High Definition entertainment covering sports, movies, the arts and science and nature alongside all the standard channels. The picture quality is amazing. You have a sensation of being there. You have to see it to appreciate it.
• You can pause live programmes and record programmes on the Sky HD receiver’s giant 160GB hard drive.
• The receiver has higher gain than its predecessors so you can receive the BBC and ITV channels, including ITV2 and E4 more easily.
• You can record video direct on to the hard drive and stream video from your PC or laptop using the USB or Ethernet ports.
Sky TV now has the most comprehensive HDTV service in Europe by far. They attempted a launch earlier in the year, just before the World Cup, but there were problems with the early receivers. The receiver problems are resolved and now you can experience the HD revolution here in Mallorca and see Sky HD working at our office in Portals.
Tests here in Mallorca.
Firstly, it is important to understand that Sky have not designed their service and thus their equipment to work here in Mallorca or on yachts cruising around the Med.
Thus when we receive a new product or service from Sky it needs to be tested to determine how much of it will work here.
We have now tested the new Sky HD box on land dishes and are in the process of testing on Sea Tel and KVH stabilised marine antennas.
So far we have had good results using our test Sky HD box ashore and we like it. The gain is higher, which means you can receive weaker channels on your existing dish. When you press a button on the remote the response is fast.
The Sky HD box has the old Sky Plus box facility of being able to record one channel whilst you watch another. If you have a simple land dish this facility requires an additional cable to be run from the LNB on your dish to the box, thus providing two channels.
Previously we have experienced problems with signal loss and thus loss of operation when connecting both these cables, here in Mallorca, on Sky Plus boxes so we are keeping a careful eye on the Sky HD box and intend to conduct further tests.
What do you need?
For a single dish with a single TV and Sky receiver you need a new Sky TV HD receiver, a new High Definition TV with HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), and a Sky TV HD subscription.
If you wish to record and watch channels simultaneously you will need a second cable to be run from your LNB on the dish to the new Sky HD receiver.
There is a new format HDMI cable between the Sky HD box and the new HD TV.
Be aware there is a length limit to this cable which we suspect is less the 5m, thus the Sky HD box and the new TV have to be close together.
If you have a distribution system from a single antenna to a number of locations with multiple Sky boxes and TVs using a multi switch you will need to double up the inputs and outputs of the multi switch in addition to the cabling.
In both the above cases your dish will need to be big enough to receive the Sky signal.
The strength of the signal varies depending on your location, the channel you are watching, by time of day and weather conditions.
What does it cost?
Sky HD receiver From €625.50
HDMI TV From €900.00
Sky subscription Currently GBP 42.50 per month for full channel package
Sky HD supplement GBP10.00 per month
So at the moment you will be paying GBP1.00 per channel per month for each of the 10 HD channels.
Sky plan to increase the number of HD channels on a progressive basis.
At E3 we have been providing satellite TV solutions for yachts in the Mediterranean for over ten years.
We are the leading supplier of Sky TV systems in this market place with considerable experience as to what works where and with what.
During the Mediterranean summer season our fully qualified Seatel and KVH support staff provide an almost continuous telephone sat TV support service to our 2,000 plus clients who are trying to receive TV in every corner of the Med.
If you are at all concerned that you are making the right choice and investment by upgrading to HDTV give us a call.
Again this year we will be on stand QS44 at the Monaco Yacht Show from 20th to 23rd September.
If we get permission to erect a satellite TV dish we will have Sky HDTV on our stand, so come and take look.
If you need a ticket for the Monaco Show we have plenty to give away, just drop in to our office.
By Roger Horner of E3 Systems
For further information on any of the above, please contact us.
email on info@e3s.com and website www.e3s.com
Tel: +34 971 40420/400738/702975