Getting Programs off a Sky Box

[amallon]

What options are available for getting recorded programs off a sky box?  Ideally I'd like to get them onto a PC for safe keeping.

If I pull the hard drive and connect it to a PC what format are the video files in?

[Dougal Maguire]

Did you ever find a way to do this?

[rosnarun]

what kind of sy box you talking about .I used to do it with the older versions but I have Sky now and haven't worked out a way yet

[Shamrock Shore]

I took out a old Sky HDD and hooked up to a pc.

Files are coded so not readable by a pc.

There are software programs out there - but cannot say any of them are any use - that claim to convert Sky box files to mov files.

Would only try this on a sky box that's on its last legs and removing HDD may shag the box.

[Main Street]

Isn't that usually done  to transfer recorded items from one hd to a  (larger) replacement hd?
Afaia the skybox recorded content is securely decrypted.

There is a tedious way to save skybox recordings, just painstakingly record the items in real time to a dvd recorder or to a computer
http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/skypluscopying.html

I'd only do that with content that I couldn't download from the usual sources.

[AZOffaly]

Securely encrypted you mean. *nerdy laugh*

Yeah, I tried to do this previously too, and I couldn't. It's a tease having the USB port on the box.

[Main Street]

I aim to instruct, but also offer some opportunity for a nerd to fill in their nerdy day with at least one little laugh at the expense of a lesser gifted human than them

[armaghniac]

Securely encrypted you mean. *nerdy laugh*

Up there with confusing program with file or programme.

[laoislad]

Set up a video camera in front of the TV and record all the shows onto it....!

[Main Street]

Securely encrypted you mean. *nerdy laugh*

Up there with confusing program with file or programme.

Now that's plunging headlong down to farce.

We are dealing with polar opposites.
It's up there with decode/encode, but I'd probably have to explain that difference very slowly to someone like yourself

[Take Your Points]

Surely it is relatively easy to transfer the programmes by playing them through the HDMI output onto a DVD recorder and if so also a PC set up to produce a DVD.  The next step would be to record to a hard disc on the PC through a HDMI cable.  The down side would be the time required to play programmes to the DVD recorder or PC.

[Owenmoresider]

I assume it's not possible to do it from a UPC box either?

[Smokin Joe]

This is one of the main advantages of a zGemma.

Recording on the Hard Drive attached to the Box, but you can easily ftp the recording to a PC.  No longer am I stuck with something recorded but can't watch it as the missus is watching something else on Sky.

[JohnDenver]

With the correct HDMI splitter that removes the HDCP encryption, it would be possible to split the signal from your SKY+ box so that you could avail of the likes of a dvd recorder or other device that has HDMI in capabilities.