Thomson: Sky HD

Your Views

Comments (28)

What are your views on this product? Tell other Digital Spy users what the strengths and weaknesses are, and don't forget to include your rating out of five!

Dave Williams, Durham on April 24th, 2009
Had Sky HD since mid October and got call from Sky to replace box with Thomson box. Having to re-set the box every two to three days due to no picture via HDMI cable or unable to get digital Teletext. Called Sky and they said you shouldn't switch the box off and back on again due to the hard disc inside but when you try a Sky+ rebuild in the 'secret menu' (services 0, 1, select) it switches it off anyway. Only good thing to come out of this is Sky gave us 3 months HD subscription free.

Graham, South Wales on April 22nd, 2009
Thomson Sky HD fan. Had an Amstrad HD box last week and could not get full colour picture on my Pioneer LX508D. Found out why eventually - they only output in low quality RGB on the HDMI. Plasma picture quality is vastly superior on component 4:4:4 which only Thomson boxes seem to support. Got another Thomson Box today - superb picture. My original Thomson HD box is ovewr 3 years old and has always worked perfectly. Best picture quality by far.

Stewart, N Ireland on March 21st, 2009
Had Amstrad HD box installed 3 weeks ago. Very quiet in operation and picture excellent on Panasonic Viera plasma.

Kay, Bristol on March 14th, 2009
Just had the Pace HD Box recalled due to product manufacturing fault - tho nothing wrong with mine! Thomson one been in place just 2 days and already broken down NOT IMPRESSED!

libra bolton on February 18th, 2009
absolutely awful

Chris, Halifax on February 9th, 2009
Very VERY noisy, and the x30 fast forward/rewind isn't any faster than x12

Eric, Leicester on November 5th, 2008
What a bloody noisy contraption this is, my wife sums it up, by saying it sounds like there is a "gale blowing outside" I can hear it wailing away whilst the sound level is set at 40. It spoils my viewing and when not watching tv I have to turn the box off at the plug, because even in standby it is still running.

John Raffetti on August 13th, 2008
My HD+ box is great, wont work with my (early) Panasonic 42" Plasma either, because its HDMI 1 the standard BEFORE everyone agreed on HDMI 2 which the Sky box is (and most else) (extra digital copy protection). So I have to use componant output, but it still looks great.

Marge, Cambridgeshire on August 4th, 2008
Love it. Had it a couple of months and no problems thus far.

bs, Scotland on June 19th, 2008
Not bad picture, ok recordings & sound. slow epg, Very poor connections set up,No RF output for feeding a wmc, only 2 phono and 1 toslink for audio. very small harddrive for program storage in this day and age. HDCP limits tv options for HDMI output. AVOID unless its the only HD reciever you can get

Ivor, Clydebank on June 18th, 2008
code for your remote is 0000 press tv then red and select buttons together then tv button again and then enter 0000 then point your remote at your tv and presee tv then stand by keep doing this until your tv turns off then when it turns off press select to store it on your remote, bbc hd you can find on your tv guide for what channel the HD channels are .

Peter, Livingston on June 12th, 2008
HD box is great when it works but it freezes, misses start and end of recordings, fails due to power cuts which haven't actually happened and has a Technical Fault 30 which Sky know about and say they are fixing. I've had Sky talk me through software refreshes and the simple pull the power plug fix but none of these lasts more than a week or two. Sky even had an employee talk to me on the phone as though he was an engineer and say that I was being affected by new software testing which a small number of viewers also had problems with. This was bullshit! The HD box isn't as reliable as my previous Sky+ box that never let me down but I wouldn't do without it. Could just do with a little more openness and honesty from Sky. I'm using it with a Panasonic 42" plasma for Dave's interest and so long as you make the correct setting on the TV and HD box, the picture is great.

Lee, London on June 5th, 2008
awful,another 21st century con for mankind,unreliable system,overpriced,and for most of the time hd channels are s__t quality!! avoid like the plague,buy freeview or freesat ,i am-nuff said.

C J S, Spain on April 21st, 2008
My Thomson HD started losing channels one by one now nothing, only no satellite signal is being received. Only 18 months old not impressed won't buy another going back to Sky plus.

LozzaG on March 26th, 2008
Awful.Started OK, had Box 16 months but recently losing picture, failed recordings, switching off. Cost £300 now Sky want £65 to send engineer and refurbished box. Disgusted so cancelled subscription completely. Common problem apparently.

Paul, Malmö, Sweden on March 17th, 2008
My Sky HD Box died recently and lost all channels with the exception of National Geographic HD. Planned recorded TV programmes would suddenly disapear, Anytime TV would be available one minute and then none the next and when watching Sky, dropouts in Audio and then a deafening white noise which in turn makes one head for the off button. I also will be cancelling my subcription with Sky until such time the HD boxes last more than 18 months and more programmes on HD become available. I shall now be watching more HD channels without a HD box via Swedish Cable.

ME, Tonbridge on October 14th, 2007
My Thomson HD box died on me this morning after 15 months. However, when it was working it was slower than normal sky+ boxes, prone to crashing every couple of weeks, recordings disappeared regularly, typical SKY poor quality. Can't say I've been impressed. The box dying now gives me an excuse to cancel my D subscription. I won't return until the majority of main channels are HD full time. I only remembered to switch to HD channels once or twice a month. NEVER was there any of the promised exclusive D only content. Waste of money. Teaches me to be an early adopter.

StooMonster, Kent on May 23rd, 2007
Easy to use system, but a few bugs and susceptable to heat (even when in standby) so needs good ventilation and has noisy fans. HDMI output good, but has been known to have HDCP problems. Analogue output blurry and soft on component, and scart not as good as old Sky+ boxes. Digital 5.1 sound good on optical S/PDIF but HDMI sound limited to stereo. With SD content FF and RW previews only really work at x6, the two faster speeds have problems.

DS London on May 22nd, 2007
Just got the box via e-bay. Great picure via BBC HD on a 40 inch Sony Bravia Seems a bit slower on the EPG the my previous Panny box. But I can't fault it.

Ed Wilts on March 23rd, 2007
A great box. Remote doesn’t seem to want to do rapid page up or down - whole thing freezes til I scroll up or down one programme then it's ok again.

Kneller Danbury on March 14th, 2007
Freezing picture - slow to change channel. Installed today 14 March, 2007! RDK

Kevin, West Mdlands on March 8th, 2007
Fantastic box used with Philips 37" LCD. Agreed FF & Rew search not as good as Pace. HDMI works on my Sharp and Philips LCD's. Could have had a bigger HDD though HD recordings soon fill it up.

Rob, Crewe on February 21st, 2007
Just got the HD Box, so far...very poor, noisy in HD mode and HD recordings freeze and crash.

Dave Lieghfield, Glos on February 20th, 2007
I have a Panasonic 42" plasma with two HDMI sockets, and cannot get the HDMI sockets working with Sky HDMI out. The sockets work with a Samsung HDMI DVD player, and have got the Sky HD box working with a shops pioneer plasma. Sky said that I will have to buy another TV that works as they have not tested it with the Panasonic TV. The TV in question is a TH42PX E. Is there anyone else with the same problem?

Dennis, Flitwick on January 16th, 2007
Seems fine. However, when using Fast Forward when playing back a recording, it seems very jerky compared to my previous Pace Sky+.

Michael O'Byrne, Kilkenny on January 16th, 2007
Just got this HD box. Would like any person to give me the codes of BBC HD and also where I can tune remote and get codes for Sony TV.

Nik, UK on January 11th, 2007
An amazing system, easy to use and couldn’t imagine life with out it.

JG,Brussels/Belgium on December 29th, 2006
The best box. Very efficient in Belgium (with 30cm dish/0,2 db Titanium lnb/2x20m-vatc17 cable).