Is my SKY+HD box dying?
Discussion
My SKY+ box is around 3 years old.
Over the last couple of weeks I've had a number of instances of losing signal and also failed recordings.
It seems to happen mainly when changing channels and/or a recording is taking place.
Sometimes it seems to fix itself after a few minutes and other times I have to power off, leave it a while & then power up again.
It's beginning to get on my nerves - especially when SWMBO is whinging that she's missed the new NCIS again!
Any ideas or am I heading towards a new box?
Over the last couple of weeks I've had a number of instances of losing signal and also failed recordings.
It seems to happen mainly when changing channels and/or a recording is taking place.
Sometimes it seems to fix itself after a few minutes and other times I have to power off, leave it a while & then power up again.
It's beginning to get on my nerves - especially when SWMBO is whinging that she's missed the new NCIS again!
Any ideas or am I heading towards a new box?
Sounds like you are loosing one of the satellite feeds from the dish.
If you go into the services menu and go to the spanner under there should be a tab marked signal
Check to see both signals are present.
The box has two feeds so that you can record one channel whilst watching another, they don't share a cable like freeview does.
If the box has lost a feed from the dish then it will start to fail recordings as you are using the good feed to watch.
Generally speaking when sky boxes die they tend to loose some channels and not others or keep going into standby,another common fault is hard drive failure.
The reliability of the boxes has got better in recent times.
If you go into the services menu and go to the spanner under there should be a tab marked signal
Check to see both signals are present.
The box has two feeds so that you can record one channel whilst watching another, they don't share a cable like freeview does.
If the box has lost a feed from the dish then it will start to fail recordings as you are using the good feed to watch.
Generally speaking when sky boxes die they tend to loose some channels and not others or keep going into standby,another common fault is hard drive failure.
The reliability of the boxes has got better in recent times.
The above is definitely all good stuff to check.
So DO check the signal strength for each feed running back from the dish. Post up the figures, does it get more noticeable during bad weather? (wind/rain)
Could be a dish/feed issue, though with a 3yr old Sky+ box, I'll stick my fiver on the capacitors failing on the PSU.
You could also try doing a new software download/planner rebuild - Sky will likely ask you to try this first if you call them, but you could lose any recorded programs by doing this.
Report back on the signal strengths and signal quality for each feed and we'll be able to advise the next step.
So DO check the signal strength for each feed running back from the dish. Post up the figures, does it get more noticeable during bad weather? (wind/rain)
Could be a dish/feed issue, though with a 3yr old Sky+ box, I'll stick my fiver on the capacitors failing on the PSU.
You could also try doing a new software download/planner rebuild - Sky will likely ask you to try this first if you call them, but you could lose any recorded programs by doing this.
Report back on the signal strengths and signal quality for each feed and we'll be able to advise the next step.
Yes, Common fault is ant psu not being able to power the higher voltage bands properly.
Best way to check the quality of the two inputs if one is low or dead is to swap them around and see if the fault follows or disappears.
If it follows it is a cable / Dish fault, if it stays or disappears then it is most likely the box.
V.
Best way to check the quality of the two inputs if one is low or dead is to swap them around and see if the fault follows or disappears.
If it follows it is a cable / Dish fault, if it stays or disappears then it is most likely the box.
V.
Checked the feeds and l only had one - strength & quality on the other was blank!
I've had a fiddle with the connections & l now have both again! I'm blaming the cat who loves clambering behind the set so l guess she's dislodged it.
Thanks bristolracer - a virtual pint is behind the bar for you! ;-)
I love this place!
Oops! The other 2 of you posted while l was crawling on the floor & then typing my reply! Thanks for taking the time.
I've had a fiddle with the connections & l now have both again! I'm blaming the cat who loves clambering behind the set so l guess she's dislodged it.
Thanks bristolracer - a virtual pint is behind the bar for you! ;-)
I love this place!
Oops! The other 2 of you posted while l was crawling on the floor & then typing my reply! Thanks for taking the time.
Edited by BIGDAI on Tuesday 3rd February 20:21
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