Channels Freezing

Dub13

A few channels are freezing on my Sky Plus box,they only ones I have noticed are E 4 & C4.I have checked the signal and its fine,any ideas..?

von Smallhausen

Try resetting the box Dub...Should solve it.

Dub13

Danny_B wrote: »

Try resetting the box Dub...Should solve it.

I will give it a lase,I presume I will lose anything on the hard drive..?I better clear it with the boss if so.

greendom

I've had this problem for ages with the Ch4 family (E4 More 4 etc, not Film 4 though) and have been calling up Sky regularly. Eventually they sent out a technician to sort it out but he was unable to. It's very inconsistent - sometimes it works and sometimes not. Sometimes they are not working when you access them by the EPG but are fine through manual tuning.

I have a soon to expire UK card which I use for FTA and the channels are always fine on this.

Sky have hinted at a network problem. It's driving me nuts ( I missed the second part of Red Riding last night).

If it's the same problem I have then wiping your hard drive may not solve the problem

Dub13

Thanks,it sounds like its the same.I checked all the stations last night and as you said its just the C4 family ones that are effected.

pa990

Dito.
Parents having same problem with C4, More4, E4

dominoman

Ah yes this sounds like the old phone problem. DECT phones (as well as lot of other WIFI equipment and even domestic microwaves) are well known for causing interference to satellite reception - usually affecting one or two channels only on specific frequencies loke C4 and E4. Try switching the base station off at the mains when you next get the problem - if it then clears reception you have located the source of your problem and will have to move the base station as far as possible from the satellite receiver and cables from the dish to box as possible.

Apogee

The Irish (encrypted) version of C4 is transmitted on 12480 MHz. The LNBF downconverts this to 1880 MHz (12480 - 10600) which is smack bang in the region where DECT phones and other wireless devices transmit.

So if you have a DECT phone either try moving it or temporarily disconnecting it. If the interference is coming from next door, then you need to check your internal cables. If it's aluminium foil RG6 muck, then you need to replace it with CT/TX/WF100 grade copper foil cable instead.

digitaldr

Very interesting - have been experiencing the same issues too. Also channel4/E4 programs that are scheduled to record get stuck i.e. appear to be recording in the planner long after they're finished - only way to remedy it is to reboot the box. Have been relying on 4OD + Tunebite (to remove the DRM so can watch when I want) and then stream to my xbox 360. I'll plug out my dect base station and see if that makes a difference.

greendom

Amazing - I've had this problem for months - if only I'd known this earlier - more to the point if Sky had known :rolleyes:. Anyway last night I was channel hopping and noticed CH4 was frozen. Unplugged the cordless phone and instantly I had a perfect picture

RESULT - Many thanks to apogee and Digitalman - and to Dub 13 for posing the question

Just to satisfy my curiosity I'd be interested to know why this is an intermittent problem. After all the DECT base station is always plugged in

staker

try setting up c4 in the extra channels menu.
you won't be able to record it but you'll be able to watch live tv and not have to get off the chair to plug out the base unit..:)

pa990

My parents are out in the country.. they dont have a DECT phone, and no other houses nearby (300yds away is the nearest)

The freezing has only been occurring recently. We even had the dish realigned, but to no avail

Apogee

pa990 wrote: »

My parents are out in the country.. they dont have a DECT phone, and no other houses nearby (300yds away is the nearest)

The freezing has only been occurring recently. We even had the dish realigned, but to no avail

AFAIK mobile phones/masts operate at 1800 MHz but can transmit up to 1880 MHz. What is sort of cabling is used?

pa990

Apogee wrote: »

AFAIK mobile phones/masts operate at 1800 MHz but can transmit up to 1880 MHz. What is sort of cabling is used?

The sat cable is over 15yr old. And the other cable going around the house is over 20yr old
It's all inside the walls.
I don't know what type it is, i'm guessing that it's a mix of ct100 and something else

Apogee

I'd be a small bit skeptical that an install done 15 years would have used CT100. Easy to remove the F-connector at the end of the cable to check though.