What are the latest software update versions for sky digital?

PK - the king

Hi, I just got sky installed today, and was wondering what the most up to date software for digiboxes are eg. EPG versions and firmware versions. I think the software on my digibox is quite old, even though the box is brand new, as I do not have any of the "Second Point Picture Format" menus or anything on my box.

Thanks.

mickeyboymel

Pk it is always a good idea to do a forced download on a new box as you never know how long it has been lying in the warehouse/store.

The second picture format is now standard on all digiboxes (not Sky+) so a forced will do it.

EPG 3.2.11, OP SYS 1.2S4 F3 is what you are looking for.:)

PK - the king

Yeah, I did a forced download last night, so I am now have EPG version 3.2.11 on my Panasonic DST40 ( I think that's the model number ) .

knucks

How do I do a "Forced Download"?

mickeyboymel

Power down your box at the socket,wait a few minutes,keep the backup button on your box pressed in while you switch the power back on,keep backup pressed until all the lights are lit on your box, release backup and leave it to update which may take 20 mins,do not interrupt the process ,when finished,(when all the lights are off again) power up as normal.

If you are using a scart connection to your telly,you will see a message on screen that the unit is updating its software.

Warning: Only do this if you have not got the current (see above) software on a digibox, or if you have not got the dual record on a Sky+ Box.

This new EPG has not been released to Sky+ Boxes yet,so a forced download will not enable the new features as of yet. (Second Location Picture Format,Messages etc etc)

knucks

Hmmm...... Thanks for that...

Is there any particular reason why I would do this? I am from a computing background so I am used to patching software and flashing bios etc etc, but for the (non sky +) digibox that I have, is there any advantage in doing this? What is the second picture format that is mentioned?

mickeyboymel

This article from Media Bullet back in Feb shows all the new changes and screengrabs which are now standard. http://skydigital.mediabullet.co.uk/index.php?page=newepg04

knucks

great..... I might as well try it:)

PK - the king

Mickey - I did the forced download on my Panasonic DSB 40 digibox. I have a 16:9 widescreen hooked up as my main television in the sitting room, using a scart lead, and I have a 4:3 20" television connected in another room via the RF lead, and a VCR connected to Scart 2. I have the first TV set as 16:9 and the second point as 4:3 (not letterbox). The 16:9 picture appears fine on my first tele ( the widescreen ) but my tv connected via RF cable shows a 16:9 picture too! Why is this? It's pretty annoying. Is it a software glitch?

mickeyboymel

PK, this function is primarily designed for the use of a "Magic Eye" TV Link,on the second RF output. So you can set say a widescreen television on 16:9 at location 1 and say a normal television on 4:3 at location 2.

The format of the picture displayed is dictated by where the box got its last signal from, so if the remote is used at location 2,it triggers the picture control and the output on both screens changes to 4:3 and vice versa, as there is ever only one signal coming from the box at any given time.

If you had a magic eye,linked back to your telly via RF2 and used the remote at that location, your second telly would display the correct (4:3) setting.

Basically it gives control to the viewer to dictate the picture format for their location.

In theory you could have two people with two remotes at two locations fighting for control of the picture format, as by pressing backup you can change the format.

Confused yet? I know I am

Try driving the second television through the RF2 output set to 4:3

PK - the king

That makes no sense whatsoever!!! Why did sky go to all that effort to write such a complicated feature into the code, when they could have just done it straightforward??!!!

PK - the king

Oh, and as regards the RF 2 output, yes I have tried that (the TV is actually currently connected to the RF2 output but to of no avail). I also switched on the 9V output to see if that would work by tricking the box into thinking a sky eye was there - but no.

mickeyboymel

Its hard to follow isn't it.

The second location needs to trigger the box to set the format,via a magic eye, based on the principal that everyone watches the main telly at the same time and then everyone moves to the second location later on and rather than going into the services menu,can just change the picture by pressing backup!!!!!

It is a bit misleading to say the least.

In order to achieve true constant second location format,the box would need two independant outputs.

Ah me head is fried..........:dunno:

PK - the king

you're not the only one It just makes no logical sense to me at all