sky+ problems....... doing my nut

[rigga]

Well recently i upgraded my original sky system to the sky + format just over a week ago.....and having problems already,main one being the volume drops dramaticly to almost nothing at times,usually in the first 15 mins after turning the telly on,although has done it at other times..... increase the volume and you can just about hear it at the max setting,turn the tv to the normal channels ie main and inbuilt freeview and all is normal,revert to sky and the volume is still muted,so pretty sure its the sky box at fault..... after a minute or so the volume returns with a bang,and generally its ok therafter.... also the first time i recorded a programe i couldnt replay it at all,every time i tried the picture was just frozen,and nothing would allow me to play the recorded clip,next day it worked fine though..... and finally tonight the whole system threw a hissy fit,frozen screen,buttons inop on the remote,nothing would work (tv worked fine on its own by the way)until i turned the bloody box off at the mains and turned it back back on again...... now the main rant i guess,sky customer services are wk,ive spent the last couple of nights on the phone,being held in a Q for 30 mins and more,unable to get through to anyone to get this resolved,tonight again after half an hour i managed to talk to a guy,who promptly told me i was in the wrong department and would transfer me if i went on hold again...AAAGGGGHHHHHHH ...said no way was i going to be pissed about again for god knows how long,he then got me someone else to talk to in "technical",who having listened to about 10 seconds of the problem promptly cut me off ....what the fk are they on down there?.... ive logged a message on a voice mail line with my reference number from the instal,and sent an email detailing the problems,but im pretty doubtfull things will move quickly considering my experience with them...i have 30 days to cancel and im seriously considering telling them to come to pick up their pile of crap and refund me my instalation fee..... total lack of customer service....

Thoughts on the problem and the company ?

Edited by rigga on Wednesday 26th November 22:09

[oobster]

Seems pretty much par for the course with Sky unfortunately.

Pace boxes are supposed to be the most reliable, you MAY need to look at where the box is situated though (just a suggestion) - they dont like anything sitting on top of them - i.e. if the box is overheating because of it's location (stuck in a corner, next to a radiator etc) or whats around it that creates heat.

[MrV]

I had the odd problem with sound in the past and simply swapped the scart lead round ,I am not sure what kind of voodoo makes this work but it sorted it

That was on a plain sky box though so no idea if it will help you

[satman]

Static can cause numerous probs...try unplugging box from mains for a cpl of mins and then connect again...wait a few mins before trying to turn back on!
Also, did engineer do software download when fitted...? This is easy to do...remove power by unplugging. Press 'backup' button on receiver (not remote)...keep finger pressed on button and reapply power and keep there until u see all lights on reciver light up or message on screen..."System update..."
This will take approx ten mins to do then will go to standby....check to see if all ok.
If not...maybe a hard drive reset....this is a little more tricky....remove power...press and hold left and right naviagation buttons on front of reciever...reapply power and hold buttons in....can be upto a min before nxt bit...look to see when green 'play' light starts...release buttons and press play...circular lights will then go anticlockwise for a mo....if green arrow shows for a few sec, hard drive reset, if red triangle shows, hard drive feeked!
Hope this helps...

[Dogwatch]

Could be the Sky+ box needs a software upgrade which (I think) comes down the phone line and can take some hours. Trouble is you have to get through to them first.

Sky+ system is very good once it's sorted.

[Mello]

I really like the Sky+ service most of the time. However, one of my favourite progs - Prison Break - just doesn't want to record properly. All blocky and breaking up sound, unwatchable. So bad that I've given up on it and will wait for the DVD to come out. Other than that it generally seems to work ok when it's not overheating and self-reboots (which is a couple of times a week).

TBH I'm waiting for the new Humax Freesat HD PVR box to come out, then it's going to be a decision...

[satman]

Dogwatch said:

Could be the Sky+ box needs a software upgrade which (I think) comes down the phone line and can take some hours. Trouble is you have to get through to them first.

Sky+ system is very good once it's sorted.

Sky do not do any upgrades via phone line...only check yr box is in place it should be!

[satman]

Mello said:

I really like the Sky+ service most of the time. However, one of my favourite progs - Prison Break - just doesn't want to record properly. All blocky and breaking up sound, unwatchable. So bad that I've given up on it and will wait for the DVD to come out. Other than that it generally seems to work ok when it's not overheating and self-reboots (which is a couple of times a week).

TBH I'm waiting for the new Humax Freesat HD PVR box to come out, then it's going to be a decision...

Prob with dish/cable/reciever....get checked....will be ok...humax wont give u optins for sky subscription channels

[Robin Hood]

I had the intermittent sound issue, jiggling the scart connections sorted it once I realised that was the problem. Not had any of the other issues mentioned though.

[Nickyboy]

Do a full system reset on the box. My box froze up and i stuck it in a cupboard for 6 months till someone told me about this, took 5 mins and its been right as rain since.

[satman]

Nickyboy said:

Do a full system reset on the box. My box froze up and i stuck it in a cupboard for 6 months till someone told me about this, took 5 mins and its been right as rain since.

as described above

[RupertTheFridge]

Question for Satman (seems to know his onions etc...)

We are having problems with our Sky+ box, it won't record more than 2 programs at the same time, is this normal.

Also, if you are recording 1 program that finishes @ 10:00pm, and 2 are set to record starting @ 10pm, the same problem as above occurs, again, normal ???

[Vee]

RupertTheFridge said:

Question for Satman (seems to know his onions etc...)

We are having problems with our Sky+ box, it won't record more than 2 programs at the same time, is this normal.

Also, if you are recording 1 program that finishes @ 10:00pm, and 2 are set to record starting @ 10pm, the same problem as above occurs, again, normal ???

You can only record 2 programmes at the same time. You have to be watching one of these too.
WRT to your 2nd question, I'm sure the box is set up to add x mins at the start and end of a set recording to make sure you don't miss anything. Therefore there is an overlap ?

[satman]

Vee said:

RupertTheFridge said:

Question for Satman (seems to know his onions etc...)

We are having problems with our Sky+ box, it won't record more than 2 programs at the same time, is this normal.

Also, if you are recording 1 program that finishes @ 10:00pm, and 2 are set to record starting @ 10pm, the same problem as above occurs, again, normal ???

You can only record 2 programmes at the same time. You have to be watching one of these too.
WRT to your 2nd question, I'm sure the box is set up to add x mins at the start and end of a set recording to make sure you don't miss anything. Therefore there is an overlap ?

Agree with above...go into your menu via services, option 5, Sky+ setup, and change start and end mins to 0. This will stop overlap, but you do run risk of losing a few mins at start or end if programme running ahead or behind schedule.