Sky + HD box broken

Bobokerr

Hi all, my Sky + HB box (1TB) recently froze up and I could not record, stop, rewind, or access planner. I could however watch TV and change channels though the box would freeze a lot.
When I rang Sky they took me thru the software update process which did not work. So then I tried the full reset. This did not work either and my box is now completely frozen mid-reset and according to Sky, and engineer is required.
This will cost €100 as the box is 2 months outside warranty.
Pretty poor service for a customer who pays > €100 a month.

Has anyone else had recent issues with the Sky + HD box?
Has anyone any tips for opening the box and doing something to fix the reset?

I only just realised that the Sky engineers should not have taken my old boxes when I upgraded to HD, because those boxes were actually mine.
When I said this to Sky on the phone, they had the cheek to give me a mobile number for the Sky engineer who did the upgrade in Sep 2011 and ask me to resolve it.

Not a good experience with Sky, and they clearly don't mind jeopardising their future business with customers.
If anyone has any quick fixes for the faulty box, I'd be most appreciative.
thanks

Stinicker

Ring up Sky and explain that you are cancelling your account as you cannot watch it with a faulty box. They will most likely offer you are free repair there and then especially if you are paying them €100/month. If not go ahead and give the 30 days cancellation notice and you will be nearly guaranteed a call back during this time offering you the free repair and whilst you are at it battle them down for 50% off too.

Worst case scenario cancel and resubscribe for a new contract and free equipment.

Bobokerr

Hmm thanks for the reply, after my 3rd complaint they just offered to reduce it to €75 for the call-out but I told them I am still planning to cancel at the end of the year.

If I go thru with the cancellation and they call my bluff, I assume there must be some conditions around return customers resubscribing, and they'd try to get me that way?

basill

Had a problem with my box as well. Spoke with Sky and they wanted to charge me an engineers fee - I use that term very loosely as they are the most unqualified bunch of muppets known to mankind. All they will do is swap out a box if needs be and there is no guarantee of it being new either. More than likely one returned to the warehouse and reboxed.

So I called the independent installer I used initially to setup our system. He popped around but couldn't get it going either. I quizzed him on the old threatening to cancel trick and he said that Sky are now getting wise to this. As far as he can work out their customer database has some sort of random control built into it. If you push them hard and the database says let you go then they will cancel you irrespective of how much a month you pay and how long a time you have been a customer. Often it would appear that there is no discretion for the cretin at the other end of the phone to override.

Also he was saying that the old trick of cancelling the contract and starting up a new account availing of the discounts at the old address may no longer work. Apparently their databases are much more sophisticated now and they match phone numbers and addresses.

Much better to go onto adverts.ie and source a 2nd hand box or from one of the independent satellite suppliers than throw your money at Sky. Then just call them up and pair your card to the new box.

Its a ludicrous situation to be fair. Really the EU should step in and make them open up the technology so that the viewing cards will work in any old box. At the moment their crappy boxes even 2nd hand hold artificially high prices.

swoofer

first off whats the make of box and has it got new epg?

Bobokerr

GBCULLEN wrote: »

first off whats the make of box and has it got new epg?

Hi its drx895-C. Its stuck with blue light spinning in reset mode

swoofer

oops , is it am amstrad? and does it have the new epg? and it is quite likely the hard drive, do you know how to do a forced software update but dont do anything yet ?

steveon

Have u done the reset again?

1. Power the box off at the mains power supply.

2. Locate the left and right arrow buttons either side of the select button on the front/top of the box.

3. Press and hold both the left and right arrow buttons in together, and while holding power the box back on and continue to hold the buttons after the red light comes back on.

4. Continue to hold the buttons, you should see within 60 seconds, the blue/green circle light in the centre of the box light up a full circle.

5. Let go the buttons then press select button on the box twice.

6. You should see the blue/green circle light moving anti-clockwise and the record and play lights in the centre flashing on/off.

7. Once the lights go off, the box will have rebooted and you will now only have the red standby light lit on the box.

8. If you can now wait 3 minutes before switching the box back on from standby to see if the fault has resolved

Bobokerr

Yes it is amstrad with new epg, I assume an automatic update caused the issue.
I have done numerous software updates and system resets etc though I haven't tried it exactly as per those instructions, will try again tomorrow and advise.
The updates done so far involved holding backup, then powering on, and this prompts the update.
However after this, when switched on the blue light starts spinning and everything more or less freezes. I can still access settings menu but basically, since I first tried the full reset, the box froze mid-reset and can't seem to be reset correctly.

steveon

Bobokerr wrote: »

Yes it is amstrad with new epg, I assume an automatic update caused the issue.
I have done numerous software updates and system resets etc though I haven't tried it exactly as per those instructions, will try again tomorrow and advise.
The updates done so far involved holding backup, then powering on, and this prompts the update.
However after this, when switched on the blue light starts spinning and everything more or less freezes. I can still access settings menu but basically, since I first tried the full reset, the box froze mid-reset and can't seem to be reset correctly.

holding the backup button does a software update, doing what I showed will reset the drive and box back to factory default, it will wipe the drive clean and this should hopefully get the box back up and working for you.

If the box doesnt detect the drive in perfect working order it will not boot up...possible causes of damaged hard-drive include unplugging at nite or a power cut during recording etc..

swoofer

the new epg is bricking some amstrads, sky send out an engineer with a replacement box, no mention of a fix, steveon looks like a good idea and may work so be sure to report back.

steveon

Havent seen any new amstrads being bricked with the new epg, first I've heard of it.....the new epg has now been done for the pace boxes...

Not sure if its out for the samsung boxes yet....?can any1 confirm

Stinicker

Bobokerr wrote: »

Hmm thanks for the reply, after my 3rd complaint they just offered to reduce it to €75 for the call-out but I told them I am still planning to cancel at the end of the year.

If I go thru with the cancellation and they call my bluff, I assume there must be some conditions around return customers resubscribing, and they'd try to get me that way?

Once you have been a Sky subscriber for longer than 12 months you are out of contract and can cancel when you like but you have to give them 30 days notice. I've cancelled and resubscribed a good share over the past few years with a few different addresses or use a different name. Don't tell them you were a subscriber in the past and they won't know any different. They might call your bluff and let you cancel but as soon as you do cancel you will have a phone call within a few days looking to know why you cancelled and offering you a reduction to stay on, I'm pretty sure they will offer to fix your sky for free that way.

A few years ago both my Sky box and LNB on the dish went faulty and like yourself they wanted €100 for repairs, they called my bluff and I cancelled giving them the 30 days notice. In the meantime I resubscribed to get a new box and LNB, during the 30days Sky rang me offering a free callout to repair everything so I accepted and got it fixed. However I cancelled a month later again telling them I was emigrating as I had the new contract and equipment on a 12 month contract and I didn't want to be paying two Sky subscriptions simultaneously.

I've done the exact same thing for the last 3 years in a row and have been on introductory half price sky since 2009, cancelling at the end of the 12 months and getting a new sub and equipment each time for to get their half price for the year deal.

It is stupidity from Sky as they treat their existing customers like dirt and only care about getting new ones. I have cost them three Sky+ HD boxes and the call-out fees, wheras if they just left me on half-price sky all the time I wouldn't have to go to all the rigmarole of cancelling and resubscribing and Sky would have more profit out of me as a customer wheras they are making far less when you extract the Sky+ HD box cost and installation costs which must be close to €200 each year I've cancelled and resubscribed.

If I did not have Sky for half price I would cancel for definite as it is totally overpriced and it is a disgrace that they charge extra for the High-Def channels when High-Def is standard now. The only redeeming function of Sky is the Sky+ functionality and I rarely watch live TV anymore due to all the adverts. A Freesat+ PVR is just as good and if Sky gets too expensive I will spend the money instead on faster broadband and download what I want and use that in conjunction with the Freesat and Saorview alternatives.

Bobokerr

Steveon I tried your reset solution but as with previous reset attempts, I cant get by your sixth step. The blue light just keeps spinning indefinitely, it never fully resets. Probably time to give up on it

winston_1

Stinicker wrote: »

Once you have been a Sky subscriber for longer than 12 months you are out of contract and can cancel when you like but you have to give them 30 days notice. I've cancelled and resubscribed a good share over the past few years with a few different addresses or use a different name. Don't tell them you were a subscriber in the past and they won't know any different. They might call your bluff and let you cancel but as soon as you do cancel you will have a phone call within a few days looking to know why you cancelled and offering you a reduction to stay on, I'm pretty sure they will offer to fix your sky for free that way.

A few years ago both my Sky box and LNB on the dish went faulty and like yourself they wanted €100 for repairs, they called my bluff and I cancelled giving them the 30 days notice. In the meantime I resubscribed to get a new box and LNB, during the 30days Sky rang me offering a free callout to repair everything so I accepted and got it fixed. However I cancelled a month later again telling them I was emigrating as I had the new contract and equipment on a 12 month contract and I didn't want to be paying two Sky subscriptions simultaneously.

I've done the exact same thing for the last 3 years in a row and have been on introductory half price sky since 2009, cancelling at the end of the 12 months and getting a new sub and equipment each time for to get their half price for the year deal.

It is stupidity from Sky as they treat their existing customers like dirt and only care about getting new ones. I have cost them three Sky+ HD boxes and the call-out fees, wheras if they just left me on half-price sky all the time I wouldn't have to go to all the rigmarole of cancelling and resubscribing and Sky would have more profit out of me as a customer wheras they are making far less when you extract the Sky+ HD box cost and installation costs which must be close to €200 each year I've cancelled and resubscribed.

If I did not have Sky for half price I would cancel for definite as it is totally overpriced and it is a disgrace that they charge extra for the High-Def channels when High-Def is standard now. The only redeeming function of Sky is the Sky+ functionality and I rarely watch live TV anymore due to all the adverts. A Freesat+ PVR is just as good and if Sky gets too expensive I will spend the money instead on faster broadband and download what I want and use that in conjunction with the Freesat and Saorview alternatives.

All the Sky new customer offers are just that, a loss leader to get new customers. Old customers are not being treated like dirt at all. What you are doing is (almost) fraudulent but clever all the same.

steveon

Bobokerr wrote: »

Steveon I tried your reset solution but as with previous reset attempts, I cant get by your sixth step. The blue light just keeps spinning indefinitely, it never fully resets. Probably time to give up on it

definetly sounds like a hard drive problem bob....how old is the box?

steveon

Stinicker wrote: »

Once you have been a Sky subscriber for longer than 12 months you are out of contract and can cancel when you like but you have to give them 30 days notice. I've cancelled and resubscribed a good share over the past few years with a few different addresses or use a different name. Don't tell them you were a subscriber in the past and they won't know any different. They might call your bluff and let you cancel but as soon as you do cancel you will have a phone call within a few days looking to know why you cancelled and offering you a reduction to stay on, I'm pretty sure they will offer to fix your sky for free that way.

A few years ago both my Sky box and LNB on the dish went faulty and like yourself they wanted €100 for repairs, they called my bluff and I cancelled giving them the 30 days notice. In the meantime I resubscribed to get a new box and LNB, during the 30days Sky rang me offering a free callout to repair everything so I accepted and got it fixed. However I cancelled a month later again telling them I was emigrating as I had the new contract and equipment on a 12 month contract and I didn't want to be paying two Sky subscriptions simultaneously.

I've done the exact same thing for the last 3 years in a row and have been on introductory half price sky since 2009, cancelling at the end of the 12 months and getting a new sub and equipment each time for to get their half price for the year deal.

It is stupidity from Sky as they treat their existing customers like dirt and only care about getting new ones. I have cost them three Sky+ HD boxes and the call-out fees, wheras if they just left me on half-price sky all the time I wouldn't have to go to all the rigmarole of cancelling and resubscribing and Sky would have more profit out of me as a customer wheras they are making far less when you extract the Sky+ HD box cost and installation costs which must be close to €200 each year I've cancelled and resubscribed.

If I did not have Sky for half price I would cancel for definite as it is totally overpriced and it is a disgrace that they charge extra for the High-Def channels when High-Def is standard now. The only redeeming function of Sky is the Sky+ functionality and I rarely watch live TV anymore due to all the adverts. A Freesat+ PVR is just as good and if Sky gets too expensive I will spend the money instead on faster broadband and download what I want and use that in conjunction with the Freesat and Saorview alternatives.

Sky are now starting to log addresses, names and bank details, phoneline numbers and sharing details with UPC to stop people resigning as a new customer, they are also blocking people coming from the UK who might owe them money. I have had a large numbers of failures lately from people who claimed never to have sky for these exact reasons so be warned any1 who tries to cancel it numerous times... as sky are clamping down on it.

zenno

Looks like the firmware update fried the box as i have read about many in England as well that have had this major problem. Demand that they fix it asap as it is a fault with their equipment.

You could try taking out the viewing card. Disconnect all cables. unplug it from power socket. wait 20 minutes, then power on without any connections to satt, leave it powered on for 2 minutes, power off and reconnect all connections to the box and insert viewing card and power on and see if it sorts anything.

swoofer

steveon you are an installer so you should declare you have a vested interest in spouting that drivel. viz " sharing details with UPC" get real.

by the way if you know so much how come you dont know about the new epg frying boxes?

Extinction

It isn't drivel. Since January of this year Sky have been clamping down on customers who cancel and re sign. I have had many customers try the same thing with me this year and Sky have rejected the sales for various reasons but most often its because the bank details match an active or previous account. I have had new customers rejected because previous tennents of the same house still have accounts with the same address and at the moment I am quite close to loosing my authorisation from sky due to a customer who told me they hadn't had sky before, I put the sale through and did the installation but the callback to activate the card was from a phone number that matched an active account (that was pending disconnection) at the same address. A few days after install the customer got a letter titled 'welcome back to sky' and it advised him that the cost of the HD + box was €239 and the HD box was €99 and this would be taken from his bank account with the first subscription.

It is because of the amount of people who have blatently lied to me this year and the amount of rejected sales that I have that I am about to loose a part of my livleyhood, the consequences of what is being suggested here to people never seems to cross the minds of the people who openly encourage people to defraud SKY. I couldn't care less whether sky make millions or even billions but I do care when others encourage people to do things that can potentially affect me. The mods realy need to take a look at what has been suggested in this thread.

St Senan

1 of the reasons i surrendered my ASA was that I could not cope with the amount of (turn and churn) Re-Reg accounts. I am coming across people now who are bad mouthing Sky because Sky are taking 2 payments from their bank accounts, Straight away I say to them did you have a previous account and then signed up under your partners name to get some deal.

jca

Anyone reading the title of this post?? Since when did any poster ask to hear the woes of sky installers....

Bobokerr

Well I know nowt about the woes of Sky installers but it sure makes sense that Sky would try to stop people constantly cancelling and re-subscribing.

anyway, the box is 14 months old. it seems it just cant recognise or connect to a disk (e.g. when first tried to do planner rebuild it said "cannot execute in diskless mode").
I'll try Zenno's procedure too but I know it wont work.
Might open the box meself and have a goose, wouldnt have a clue what I'm looking at but why not, its my box now, and sky confirmed that the Engineer will provide a new box no matter what the state the old box is in.

Extinction

When you are doing a download or reset on the box remove the card while doing so, ocasionally a box wont reset while the card is in the box.

Its not just the woe of sky installers but also the woe of some sky customers who have resigned and ended up paying for two accounts or like my own costomer who has ended up paying over €300 euro for his re sign when he could have just paid sky €100 for a service call.

micratoyota

steveon wrote: »

Have u done the reset again?

1. Power the box off at the mains power supply.

2. Locate the left and right arrow buttons either side of the select button on the front/top of the box.

3. Press and hold both the left and right arrow buttons in together, and while holding power the box back on and continue to hold the buttons after the red light comes back on.

4. Continue to hold the buttons, you should see within 60 seconds, the blue/green circle light in the centre of the box light up a full circle.

5. Let go the buttons then press select button on the box twice.

6. You should see the blue/green circle light moving anti-clockwise and the record and play lights in the centre flashing on/off.

7. Once the lights go off, the box will have rebooted and you will now only have the red standby light lit on the box.

8. If you can now wait 3 minutes before switching the box back on from standby to see if the fault has resolved

can you do this to the old sky box as well. Some of the channels seem to be missing on my sky box which I use as FTA Thanks

uck51js9zml2yt

is it possible to do a firmware update?

SPAWKER

Ailani Famous Hockey wrote: »

is it possible to do a firmware update?

Yes it is,power off the box at the mains and then power back on whilst holding down the back up button on the box till all the lights on the front light up.This will take about ten minutes and will update the firmware.