Problem With Sky Card

JoeDuffy

I received my new Sky card last month. After a few days an 02 information bar started to appear on the screen "For Your Information - There is a fault with your viewing card. Please ensure that your SKY card is inserted correctly." This screen would appear for 30 seconds and then disappear. Contacted SKY and got the run around and finally they sent me a new card two weeks later. The new card has the same problem.

On a related (?) issue, I can no longer get the interactive facility to work on any SKY channel. However, before yesterday I could get the Wimbledon interactive coverage on BBC.

I have a Grundig 2.38 decoder, software version 3.1a.5. The signal strength is full, but the signal quality jumps between 50-70%.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know, as SKY are not being very helpful. However, they seem to have no difficulty in taking my money.

ShaneOC

Welcome Joe,

The interactive functions sometimes disappear on some boxes. It used to happen on my Grundig box. To check that it is the same problem, try accessing teletext on BBC. If you get a message saying to access teletext press tv followed by text then it is the same problem I had.

To resolve the problem, plug out the digibox for about a minute and then plug it back in again. All the interactive services should be back.

But as you might have seen in another thread Interactive Wimbledon is no longer available to ROI viewers.

Not sure what could be causing the 02 Information message.

JoeDuffy

Cheers for the reply Shane.

I've tried unplugging the decoder, but this doesn't resolve the problem. I have heard some negative stories about the Grundig decoders. Is there any way of forcing a software upgrade?

The situation with Wimbledon interactive seemed to have happen last year also but I remember that BBC turned it back on again after a short time.

ShaneOC

Are you missing all interactive services, eg Sky News Active, Sky Text, BBC i, etc?

To force a software update do the following

1. Unplug the digibox from the mains
2. Remove the viewing card
3. While holding down backup on the digibox (not the remote) plug back in the digibox.
4. Keep holding the backup button until all of the lights on the digibox light up.
5. You will see a message on the screen if you are connected by SCART, nothing if connected by RF.
6. Wait for about 10 minutes until the box goes into standby.
7. Replace card
8. Turn on the digibox.

JoeDuffy

The interactive features do not work on any SKY channel. For example when I press the red button on SKY News nothing happens. The same happens on SKY Movies, Sports, SKY One, The Amp. I can get SKY text, and BBCi text.

I'll give the software upgrade a try tonight.

ShaneOC

Curiouser and curiouser.

The s/w update may sort it out.

JoeDuffy

Ran the software update last night.

Initial success on SKY News interactive. Got all 8 screens, and was able to navigate between them. However, after a few minutes the message "This service is unavailable at this time please try later" appeared. All successive attempts have proved fruitless. Same problem on SKY Sports.

Meanwhile over on BBC, I was able to enjoy Wimbledon interactive without any problem.

I'm assuming that this rules out a signal problem, and means that yet again SKY have sent me a dodgy card. Have to get this sorted before champions league starts!

ShaneOC

Yeah, it sound like your card is buggered.

Try powering off your digibox again and before you plug it back in take the card out and put it in upsidedown. You will get the FTA EPG and you should be able to use Sky News active. If you have no problems you can definately say it's your card.