Sky HD box possible problem?

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

My Sky HD box is coming up to 4 years old, and on a couple of occasions recently it has frozen or similar. All of this seems to have happened since I did a Planner Rebuild, as my guide had become extremely slow.

Yesterday, when I got home from work, I turned the box on, the light turned to green, but all I got was a blue screen, no picture or sound. Last weekend, whilst rewinding live tv, the picture froze, though the sound continued 'live'. And a few weeks ago, a recording completely failed, and the box wouldn't switch on with the remote.

On all 3 occasions, I've unplugged the power from the back of the box, and this has sorted the problem, but what I really need to know is, is this the first signs of the box failing, or is there something I can do?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

My Sky HD box does strange things from time to time. Unplugging it and starting again seems the way to go. My sister recently had problems with hers too and that was solved by hitting it in the middle of the box! So if all else fells give it a whack! *smile*

 

[macdiddy]

So I may be of further assistance.

*help*

 

[RobinKidderminster]

1gb here.. Similar. Rebuild cures most and requires occasinal unplug.

 

[jjbomber]

So I may be of further assistance.

We are told on the many cables topics that there aren't any digital errors, as only 0s and 1s are sent. So how can a digital box be full of errors but cables can't make any?

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Thanks, I'm almost certain it's an Amstrad DRX890, though the back of the box is hard to get to, so I can't see exactly. The version number is 4F31D3.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

So I may be of further assistance.

*help*

Any help appreciated.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I get lip sync issues, occasional freezing, slow running menus, but mostly audio drop outs. Just watched a section of Glastonbury I recorded last year which was littered with dropouts. I then downloaded a documentary about Kraftwerk, which was initially fine, then the drop outs started again.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I get lip sync issues, occasional freezing, slow running menus, but mostly audio drop outs. Just watched a section of Glastonbury I recorded last year which was littered with dropouts. I then downloaded a documentary about Kraftwerk, which was initially fine, then the drop outs started again.

I recorded Metallica at Glastonbury, I still watch it all the time. *smile*

 

[Series1boy]

1gb here.. Similar. Rebuild cures most and requires occasinal unplug.

same here

 

[The_Lhc]

I get lip sync issues, occasional freezing, slow running menus, but mostly audio drop outs. Just watched a section of Glastonbury I recorded last year which was littered with dropouts. I then downloaded a documentary about Kraftwerk, which was initially fine, then the drop outs started again.

I'm getting exactly the same issues on recorded stuff, very irritating. Is your box getting low on space David? I've got mine back to about 18% from less than 5 but it hasn't made much difference. I need to do a planner rebuild but I can't remember the code for getting into the installer menu.

 

[michael hoy]

If you have the new Sky+ HD guide, then follow the below:[*]Press the 'Sky' button[*]Press 'Services' button on the remote[*]Press '001' and then 'Select'
When in the engineers menu, you will get options simular to below*:
[*]LNB Setup[*]Default Transponder[*]Telephone Settings[*]RF Outlets[*]Manual Tuning[*]New Installation[*]Sky+ Planner Rebuild[*]Full System Reset

 

[The_Lhc]

Excellent, thank you!

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

So I may be of further assistance.

*help*

The thread has kind of got hijacked, but I would appreciate any help you can give me.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I recorded Metallica at Glastonbury, I still watch it all the time. *smile*

Coincidentally, that's what I was watching. I've watched it before and didn't have any dropouts. I've hardly used the box over the Christmas period, in fact, not at all since the Formula One and BTCC seasons finished.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm getting exactly the same issues on recorded stuff, very irritating. Is your box getting low on space David? I've got mine back to about 18% from less than 5 but it hasn't made much difference. I need to do a planner rebuild but I can't remember the code for getting into the installer menu.

I was down to just under 20%, but I was watching a few things to delete them in order to make space for the motor sports season starting. It's now back down to about 50%, so I'll try something tomorrow night.

 

[Frank Harvey]

So I may be of further assistance.

*help*

The thread has kind of got hijacked, but I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Do you have anything sitting on top of it? Does it have space around it?

I noticed when I was plugging my HDMI cable back into the Sky box on Sunday that it was fairly hot. This is despite it sitting in standby for several months. Mine is usually sat on its own, but as I dug my HD-DVD player back out just before Christmas, I'd placed it on top of the Sky box (with a bit of polystyrene in between to create some space).

At the end of the day, it is a hard drive in a plastic box, and we all know how reliable they are. This is more or less running day in day out too (whether the box is on or not - I can hear mine as I type), so will run quite warm. I'm guessing Sky are going to take a cheaper option over a more reliable option when it comes to buying HDD drives in bulk. The cheaper you can buy a component, the more failures you can afford to have - especially when you only have to replace it within the first 12 months.

 

[blackflash52]

A tip I was given was to unplug both LNB cables from the box for 30 seconds then replug in, this resets the LNB

 

[TrevC]

A tip I was given was to unplug both LNB cables from the box for 30 seconds then replug in, this resets the LNB

The mains should be disconnected first if you do that, and by disconnecting the mains you achieve the same result as disconnecting the LNB cables anyway. Not to mention that the LNBs don't ever need resetting, there's nothing to reset.

 

[Xanderzdad]

The mains should be disconnected first if you do that, and by disconnecting the mains you achieve the same result as disconnecting the LNB cables anyway. Not to mention that the LNBs don't ever need resetting, there's nothing to reset.

I don't think that's quite true - voltage is carried to the LNB and Sky will often ask you to unplug them to ensure a 'clean' reset of the box system.

 

[TrevC]

The mains should be disconnected first if you do that, and by disconnecting the mains you achieve the same result as disconnecting the LNB cables anyway. Not to mention that the LNBs don't ever need resetting, there's nothing to reset.

I don't think that's quite true - voltage is carried to the LNB and Sky will often ask you to unplug them to ensure a 'clean' reset of the box system.

If the box is disconnected from the mains the LNBs don't have any voltage on them, which is exactly the same thing as going through the rigmarole of disconnecting those F connectors.

 

[Xanderzdad]

Probably - unless the box has capacitors that 'may' retain a voltage via the LNB for some time after the mains is switched off. Sky told me it was necessary to unplug them to 'reset' the LNB. Mind you, Sky support telling me does not make it true!

 

[TrevC]

Probably - unless the box has capacitors that 'may' retain a voltage via the LNB for some time after the mains is switched off. Sky told me it was necessary to unplug them to 'reset' the LNB. Mind you, Sky support telling me does not make it true!

Indeed. Much of their advice is geared towards getting you off the line.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Pie in the Sky then.