Sky HD Box issues

[13 DJP]

Morning Chums

Can anyone help me please. I have 2 x Sky HD boxes (standard ones, not 1tb ones) and the one downstairs has started playing up

It works ok for about 20 minutes, then just hangs on the channel it`s on. You can input a different channel and the box picks it up and diplays the numbers on the screen, but nothing happens.

I`ve tried re-booting it and it works ok for 20 minutes again then hangs again.

I`ve found the hidden engineers menu and done a complete factory re-boot (where you loose the recordings etc) and it does exactly the same, works for 20 minutes, then hangs again.

Is there anything left to try or am I doomed to having to buy a new box

(typically turned a mates one down last week as had no need for it and he`s now given it someone else!)

Cheers
Dave

[MissChief]

Try a software download. Switch the box off at the mains. Hold back up on the top of the box and plug it back in. Keep holding backup until all the lights on the box come on. Go and make a cuppa, maybe even talk to the OH or one of the kids for 10 minutes. Come back and try the box again.

[13 DJP]

Cheers for that, just done it and it`s working again.

Will see how long it lasts or if it`s worked for good.

Thanks again

[13 DJP]

Bloody thing`s hung again, worked for just over an hour

[recalluk]

13 DJP said:

Bloody thing`s hung again, worked for just over an hour

Sky will replace it for 60 quid ... have a complain and tell them its a rip off and you can just cancel and they will swap it for free.

[13 DJP]

Yeah, did that 18 months ago and this is the box!

I think I`ve got grounds to complain.

[VEX]

No, TADT.

Lowest ever sky production costs cause heat failure in the components.

I usually stick them on laptop coolers to help and they usually stay alive for quite bit longer.

V.

[maffski]

You often get this sort of problem when the power supply is on the way out - take the top off and have a look if the capacitors are domed or burst - often it will work when cool but as it heats up the capacitors drop out of their design tolerance and it all goes wrong.

Disclaimer: I don't have a sky box so haven't seen this myself, but had a Toppy freeview box which did the same sort of thing and this was the issue

[Freakuk]

Any clunking noise coming from the box? Had a hard drive failing in my last one slow to change channel, freezing etc as everything is being recorded in the background for sky+ the drive caused these symptoms.

[13 DJP]

Cheers chaps, no clunking or otherwise.

I have now done a deal with Sky and have given them £49 for a new 1tb box, far too much cocking about and still not overly happy with them, but the best outcome I feel.

I`ll pop the top off the old one afterwards and have a look at the capacitors etc

[Not Ideal]

Hi all - I have a 1yr old Sky+HD 1TB box and I am having a problem whereby the majority of my HD recordings are coming up as Part Rec and when playing them back the signal seems to be getting interrupted every so often and the programme stutters.

It only happens on playback and not when watching a programme live.

It also only appears to happen on HD programmes.

I have done a planner rebuild and a full reboot thing but the problem still persists.

Any further ideas please..??

Much thankings.

[13 DJP]

That did happen to me before and it turned out to be interference from dect house phones!

Sky engineer who came said it happens all the time, moved the phone to another room and it stopped happening.

Might be worth a try if you have a digital phone in the same room?

[Not Ideal]

DJP thanks for that. I do have a DECT phone in the same room but it has a filter on it - does that make a difference..??

I have disconnected it so will see how it goes.

Thanks for your help.

[13 DJP]

No the filter won`t make a difference, mine had filters, but thinking about it I had 2 and I think they were talking to each other, so sending "waves" through the room which in turn was interfering with the Sky box.

[dunmow70]

The recent Sky programme guide update has screwed up a lot of boxes. Check out their support forum:

http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-HD/bd-p/hd_3d

If your problems only started after the update, do NOT under any circumstance pay Sky the £65 they recommend you pay them for an engineer to come out. They screwed up the software, they need to fix it, don't give in to them.

[Not Ideal]

Thanks guys - I tried the phone out trick but the problem is still persisting. Damn.

[Silver940]

We had issues with one of our boxes, would hang on a blue screen, not rewind etc. Other box was fine after the update. When hung sometimes I could get to the signal test and it would have NULL in the Lock and quality fields.

One difference between our 2 boxes was that the failing one had a lot of channels under parental lock control, I removed all the controls ( they are stored on the card not the box ) and voila it's been fine since. I haven't tried putting them back to see if it breaks it though.

Another idea for you?

[dunmow70]

Silver940 said:

We had issues with one of our boxes, would hang on a blue screen, not rewind etc. Other box was fine after the update. When hung sometimes I could get to the signal test and it would have NULL in the Lock and quality fields.

One difference between our 2 boxes was that the failing one had a lot of channels under parental lock control, I removed all the controls ( they are stored on the card not the box ) and voila it's been fine since. I haven't tried putting them back to see if it breaks it though.

Another idea for you?

I'd be interested to see how that pans out for you. I did the same thing on mine, it worked fine for about 48 hours then the problem came back.

Check the model numbers of the two boxes you have. Are they the same?

[Silver940]

dunmow70 said:

Silver940 said:

We had issues with one of our boxes, would hang on a blue screen, not rewind etc. Other box was fine after the update. When hung sometimes I could get to the signal test and it would have NULL in the Lock and quality fields.

One difference between our 2 boxes was that the failing one had a lot of channels under parental lock control, I removed all the controls ( they are stored on the card not the box ) and voila it's been fine since. I haven't tried putting them back to see if it breaks it though.

Another idea for you?

I'd be interested to see how that pans out for you. I did the same thing on mine, it worked fine for about 48 hours then the problem came back.

Check the model numbers of the two boxes you have. Are they the same?

Been working fine for several weeks now. It would lock up within a few minutes before removing all the parental locks, including the age related blocks. The only thing I left was removal of the adult channels.