Sky box acting up.

KazDub

We're just back from our holidays, during which our Sky+ box was unplugged for two weeks. I'm not sure if this unplugging has anything to do with the problems we've since encountered.
(1)Programs saved on to the box won't play. They look as if they've saved, but if we go to 'play', the screen stays the same (on the player page) but the sound starts up from the saved programme. So, for example, you can hear the theme music but are looking at the information relating to the recorded programme.
(2) The only way to get back to live viewing is to turn off the box, using the remote and turn it back on again.
(3) There is a significant delay in channels changing when using the remote. As it appears that you haven't hit the up/down button you press it again.......and then you suddenly jump up two or three channels at once.

I've unplugged the box from the mains and left it for a few minutes, but this had no impact.
We also remembered last night that since we moved to UPC a few months ago for our phone and broadband, our Sky box has not had a phoneline connected to it. UPC weren't able to install their box where we wanted it (can't remember why at the moment) so it is now upstairs in a back bedroom, nowhere near where the Sky box is, (downstairs in the front room). Before I go resetting the box and completely wiping the stored programmes, has anyone got any ideas or suggestions?

mad muffin

I had this on my old Thomson box. Programs recorded but when pressing play nothing happens and I had to reboot thenbox to watch live tv.

It just got progressively worse, nothing helped. Called Sky, they wanted €100.

Told them to cancel my subscription, they gave me a new box for free

MrFrisp

[QUOTE=KazDub;
We also remembered last night that since we moved to UPC a few months ago for our phone and broadband, our Sky box has not had a phoneline connected to it. UPC weren't able to install their box where we wanted it (can't remember why at the moment) so it is now upstairs in a back bedroom, nowhere near where the Sky box is, (downstairs in the front room). Before I go resetting the box and completely wiping the stored programmes, has anyone got any ideas or suggestions?[/QUOTE]




I presume that you still pay a subscription to Sky??

If you don't,you won't be able to play what you have recorded..You need an active sub,and even if you don't want the channels they offer,,you'd have to pay them €10 a month (I think that's how much it is here) to use the Play,Pause,record,,etc..

Hopefully this is your problem..;)

KazDub

I presume that you still pay a subscription to Sky??

If you don't,you won't be able to play what you have recorded..You need an active sub,and even if you don't want the channels they offer,,you'd have to pay them €10 a month (I think that's how much it is here) to use the Play,Pause,record,,etc..

Hopefully this is your problem..;)

Yes, we still pay them. To be honest, we didn't think through the consequences of the phone line being moved in relation to the Sky box until it started acting up. It wasn't a conscious decision not to reconnect it. We were just told by the UPC engineer that he couldn't install the phoneline in the same location that the previous one had been in. So, as we're still fully paid up subscribers there isn't any reason why we would have services switched off.

MrFrisp

Well,I still wouldn't think it's your phone line..That's only there for updates,feedback,,etc..

Lots of people,like Myself have sky+ and no phone line connected. I never have.

Seems it could be a box problem.....Is it old?

If it's more than 12 months,it's Yours,so you'd have to pay to get it replaced,but that wouldn't bring back what you have recorded.

sattv

Try unplugging your box at the back of it. (Remove the power lead from the box)
Once you have done this put your finger on the back up button on the box and plug the power lead back in while keeping your finger on the back up button until the front lights of the box come on there will be 4 lights when they are all lit a message will come on your tv saying updating do not switch of or disconnect. This will do an updated software download and may reslove your issue

KazDub

That's going to wipe recorded programmes though, right? I was hoping to avoid this, but if that's the only way.......

Cantona's Collars

KazDub wrote: »

That's going to wipe recorded programmes though, right? I was hoping to avoid this, but if that's the only way.......

It won't wipe your recordings-it just updates the software on the box.Leaving the box unplugged probably resulted in it missing or getting a bad update.Just do as was posted above-Hold back up button on the box,unplug it and plug it in again,takes about 15 minutes for update to complete.

In future don't plug the box out-it switches itself off anyway to save power(it can still record like this),plus if you have stuff series linked it won't record it if it's plugged out.

sattv

Thanks Zerks for answering that one. As we say it will just do an update and all your recordings will still be available.

KazDub

Tried that and just changed old problems for new. I can finally watch recorded programmes but now the channel changes for a while and then settles on one for good. I have to unplug the box in order to be able to change channel again. Thanks for all the help so far.

mad muffin

KazDub wrote: »

Tried that and just changed old problems for new. I can finally watch recorded programmes but now the channel changes for a while and then settles on one for good. I have to unplug the box in order to be able to change channel again. Thanks for all the help so far.

Like I said before your box is on the way out…

KazDub

Yep, I think it's time we did the decent thing and let it go with dignity. Then replace it with a newer, younger, snazzier model!

To add to our pain, my 2 year old somehow managed to rip the sky card out of our older box that we have upstairs in the bedroom and now we only have the UK channels on it; BBC, ITV etc.

Ahh, life's little joys.

thanks for the help though folks. Now off to Sky to try and blag a free upgrade to HD!