Sky Software upgrade

notahappycamper · 20-03-2007 10:55AM #1

Anyone notice a software update that occured overnight?

My signal quality on my 2 Sky HD boxes for the "Signal 2" inputs has increased by 10% and both the "signal 2" quality bars for the two boxes are now at 100% with the signal quality bars for the "signal 1" inputs still at 90%. Should all signal quality bars not have the same read out?

JohnC. · 20-03-2007 04:18PM

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a44105/sky-helps-reduce-energy-with-automatic-standby.html
A new feature to switch Sky+ and HD boxes to standby automatically overnight if they are inactive is being rolled out. Being sent to HD boxes starting today apparently, with Sky+ boxes getting it later. They are exploring the possibility of sending it to standard boxes.

mathias · 20-03-2007 04:22PM

Yup , same here , and there is a new HD channel , prem plus , with programs starting on the 31st , and also the hd channels have moved on to the main menu where before they were on the red button on the home page.

Dont know what else they did , read somewhere about an auto standby mode to save energy also.

willg · 20-03-2007 04:34PM

From Digital Spy today. I reckon this is what happened last night on your boxes respectively. They didn't waste any time doing this did they?

Sky rolls out Sky HD software update

Tuesday, March 20 2007, 10:41 GMT

By James Welsh, International Editor
Sky has rolled out a software update to its Sky HD personal video recorder boxes in preparation for the launch of its Anytime video on demand service.

The 5.02f version of software includes automatic standby - a feature announced yesterday that is designed to reduce overnight power consumption of unused Sky boxes - and changes the electronic programme guide in advance of the launch of Sky Anytime on TV. Some Digital Spy forum members have also reported improvements to fast forward/rewind functionality.

So far, mention of Anytime has not appeared on the main TV Guide screen, where it will eventually be available by pressing the red button. For details of how the Anytime service will work, click here for a picture special and click here for a full review.

DigiDec · 20-03-2007 07:49PM

Ths feature has been on my HD box for the last 3/4 weeks, its just an on/off option in the sky+ system set up menu, if there is no activity on the box for 2 hours the box will go into standby.

byte · 20-03-2007 09:08PM

Will it actually save much in the line of energy? I know with standard boxes, that all that goes off is the AV outputs.

Maybe with the PVR's though the energy is saved as the HDD's spin down.

Maybe the HD box at work has the update, I did notice that HD Channels option is now in the main guide Option 2 (no longer press red in Guide menu)

watty · 20-03-2007 10:24PM

It can only be the Disk Drive?

byte · 20-03-2007 10:45PM

I'd imagine so, yea.

legend99 · 21-03-2007 10:16AM

DigiDec wrote:

Ths feature has been on my HD box for the last 3/4 weeks, its just an on/off option in the sky+ system set up menu, if there is no activity on the box for 2 hours the box will go into standby.

Does that mean if you're watching a move that is 2 hours long that the box goes into standby 2 hours into it???

stanley1 · 21-03-2007 11:44AM

I think "inactivity" is the keyword here.

slave1 · 21-03-2007 06:20PM

AFAIK the box will pop up a banner before shutting down so it won't suddenly just turn off.
Prob minimal savings on power for 1 box, but when you take a couple of hundred thousand boxes then the overall savings will be noticable

There is also a system health check on the menu now, prob. been there for a while and I just didn't notice it until today

DigiDec · 21-03-2007 07:23PM

Yeah I was watching a movie channel and hadn't touched any button for 2 hours and the box when into standby with no warning, its easily switched off, and very unlikeky in my house that no button would be pressed for a 2 whole hours !!

digitaldr · 21-03-2007 09:29PM

slave1 wrote:

There is also a system health check on the menu now, prob. been there for a while and I just didn't notice it until today

I tried to do a health check but it was looking for a PIN - didn't seem to like my regular sky one!

notahappycamper · 21-03-2007 10:06PM

digitaldr wrote:

I tried to do a health check but it was looking for a PIN - didn't seem to like my regular sky one!

Yeah, noticed that system healthcheck option. It used to be an option on my standard sky box before I upgraded to HD. Haven't got it to work yet! You probably need a code from sky "customer service" if you can call it that!!

Anyone know what it does when you do input a correct code?

pma · 21-03-2007 10:48PM

guys sorry if this is off topic but i was wondering does anyone know what the ethernet port on the back of my sky HD box is for?

Rosser · 21-03-2007 10:58PM

Pity they couldn't do an upgrade that would allow me to add my 'other channels' into my favorites and a back button would go astray either

byte · 22-03-2007 09:54PM

pma wrote:

guys sorry if this is off topic but i was wondering does anyone know what the ethernet port on the back of my sky HD box is for?

The ethernet port may (or may not) be used for Sky's VoD service (Sky Anytime?) I'd presume it would be wired to a broadband connection where it would download stuff to the harddrive using the hidden hard disk space.

pma · 22-03-2007 11:00PM

byte wrote:

The ethernet port may (or may not) be used for Sky's VoD service (Sky Anytime?) I'd presume it would be wired to a broadband connection where it would download stuff to the harddrive using the hidden hard disk space.

Thanks byte.

digitaldr · 22-03-2007 11:24PM

I'm not a 100% sure on this but I think Sky Anytime is not a true VoD service. Instead an editorial team in Sky select "recommended" programs and they are recorded overnight (probably via a hidden channel). You can then select what you want to keep.

pH · 23-03-2007 12:47PM

byte wrote:

Will it actually save much in the line of energy? I know with standard boxes, that all that goes off is the AV outputs.

Maybe with the PVR's though the energy is saved as the HDD's spin down.

I think it's funny that Sky announce their new energy saving at night shutdown almost in the same breath as announcing their new Anytime service which will basically keep the box on for most of the night recording stuff that you might watch.

Sky Software upgrade

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