Sky box to DVR?

[midsomerdave]

Morning all (UK),
Im on the verge of buying a DVR and cameras and then realised I have a Sky+ box with a 160Gb hard drive I no longer use.
The question is: Would it be fairly easy to convert a Sky box to a DVR? It has the basics...
PSU, storage and circuitry to manipulate video signals, and if I added a couple of webcams?...
Comments on this would be most welcome. My knowledge is limited to understanding a 555 circuit so not too technical please!
Thanks, Dave.

 

[(*steve*)]

Would it be fairly easy to convert a Sky box to a DVR?

If you had full information about the sky box and the skills to completely reprogram it and perhaps add new interfaces then the answer would be "Yes".

If your knowledge was...

limited to understanding a 555 circuit

then the answer would be "No".

And I very much doubt that sky is going to release to you (or anyone) the information needed from you to change that answer.

 

[Ian]

It would be a comparatively HUGE task to convert a Sky box over to a DRV - however you can pick up a DVR kit quite cheaply nowadays and it will come with things like remote access and the software required. About the only thing that the sky box has that would be useful is the Hard Drive and basic processing power - you'd need to make substantial modifications to use the video-in / network socket. Sky have locked-down the platform as much as they can to stop people from tinkering about and trying to de-code channels for free.

If you want to go the homebrew method then you could buy a little server unit (there are HP ones that are often around £75 after cashback). There's lots of free software available to turn it into a DVR (assuming you're using IP Cameras).

 

[midsomerdave]

Thanks Steve, thanks Ian.....was just a thought!