Sky+ Question

[Interpol Shrimper]

Right, I had Sky around yesterday as I've been getting intermittent problems with my signal (5th time they've been this year, the last time they gave me a brand new Sky160 box).

However, the guy yesterday said again it was the box which was at fault. As I lost a whole load of stuff I'd recorded (the Northampton playoff semi & other memorable L1/Championship goals were the major casualties), I insisted that he left the faulty box with me, so I "could set it up again & DVD-R those programmes I wished to keep".

Now, I've also got multiroom upstairs (with a standard box but no phone connection). If I whip out the standard box and install the old Sky+ one, will I still be able to record single programmes (I know it won't be able to cope with watching one/recording another or recording 2 at once as the cabling's different)?

Anybody got any ideas?

 

[WestRoadShrimper]

I had this problem the other year; kept having boxes swapped until exactly the same solution - given a new 160 box.

Just a couple of points:

1) Persumably you've kicked up a stink, but if not do it big style. I got the 2nd - 4th callouts free, despite being well out of warrenty. Also got 3 months half price when mentioned that Virgin offered a good service in my area;

2) If it happens again, check it actually IS a new box and not just a reconditioned one (again, you may have done this). Boxes marked PVR1 and PVR 3 I am led to believe are recons, whereas PVR 2 is a brand new box.

3) Get them to do a TOTALLY fresh reinstallation - the cabling in the end proved to be the reason why I was getting problems, but the engineer said changing the lot would certainly cure the problem. They obviously don't WANT to do this, but when faced with you going elsewhere.....


Anyway, the box - should work fine so long as you ring Sky and match the viewing card up to it. However, if it's the box that's been playing up you've probably got a good chance of it causing the same problem in the new location.

Hope that's of some help.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I had this problem the other year; kept having boxes swapped until exactly the same solution - given a new 160 box.

Just a couple of points:

1) Persumably you've kicked up a stink, but if not do it big style. I got the 2nd - 4th callouts free, despite being well out of warrenty. Also got 3 months half price when mentioned that Virgin offered a good service in my area;

2) If it happens again, check it actually IS a new box and not just a reconditioned one (again, you may have done this). Boxes marked PVR1 and PVR 3 I am led to believe are recons, whereas PVR 2 is a brand new box.

3) Get them to do a TOTALLY fresh reinstallation - the cabling in the end proved to be the reason why I was getting problems, but the engineer said changing the lot would certainly cure the problem. They obviously don't WANT to do this, but when faced with you going elsewhere.....


Anyway, the box - should work fine so long as you ring Sky and match the viewing card up to it. However, if it's the box that's been playing up you've probably got a good chance of it causing the same problem in the new location.

Hope that's of some help.

Cheers for all that mate.
Unfortunately, where I live is 1/2 a mile off the cable network, so other than going down the freeview route (which I'd never do) Sky have got the monopoly, so unfortunately that rules out the threaten to switch to Virgin Media option.

Well, I made it plain I wasn't happy on the phone when I reported the fault again on Monday. I guess this is why I got such a quick callout as well as the guy was apparently an "Installs Supervisor"

Didn't know they put out reconditioned boxes, I'll check that later.

In terms of the cabling, of the 4 or 5 guys that have been out since my initial installation last year, at least 3 of them have commented on how dodgy the cabling appears to them (basically the initial guy couldn't be ar5ed to put the dish in it's most logical point and put it up at the point it was easiest to place his ladder). I mentioned this to the guy yesterday but he said in his opinion there's absolutely nothing wrong with the cable installation and he would have done exactly the same.

Also, I feel with all the flickering pictures the problem has caused over the past 9 months or so, I think this has caused a problem with my LCD TV, I also mentioned this and he couldn't have cared one bit and put it down to coincidence!

I think what I might do is write a strongly-worded letter (they surely must have a Customer Services address, things just don't seem to ever get actioned if you complain over the phone to call-centres) detailing all my issues and see where that gets me.

I'll have an experiment with the old box tonight & see what happens when I plug it in upstairs! Will they be OK about matching up the box to my viewing card or will they think I'm pulling a fast one, maybe if I say I'm just installing it so I can record all my old Sky+ programmes it will be OK?

 

[WestRoadShrimper]

Don't know about the last bit, but as the engineer left the box you'd have to connect it up at some point anyway.

It's the cancellation department that you need to call - ring customer services and in a rather strict tone ask to be put through; they never argue if you sound a bit offish as it means they don't have to deal with you. Cancellation can pretty much cut whatever deal you put to them rather than lose your cash each month.

I seem to remember a phrase along the lines of "I'd rather be back watching terestrial tv than put up with this rubbish" also seemed to work quite well.

Good luck!

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

I have had two Sky+ boxes in the past. In the end I bought one off the internet as it was cheaper than the same box sky were offering. Oh yeah they give you a replacement for £60 or something but its a refurb of the same old junk! The last one to fail came up with a system fault and while it still worked, none of the Sky+ features did and I lost me QPR game and ManU game recordings.

I bought a PVR3 (card slot in the middle) I think it was...brand new and touch wood has been fine. I think it was £130 but Sky said I would have to pay £200. I phoned up the number which comes up when the card and decoder dont match up and within a few mins I was sorted albeit they do say it can take up to 24 hours or something but it was more like 20 mins if that. It does need to be connected to a phone line when you do it tho. I was just honest and said I bought a replacement. They were ok with it.

Also, you can buy replacement hard drives aswell for the Sky+ box and they are on the internet aswell. Most offer instructions on how to do it aswell.

I assume someone has checked your dual LNB out if you are getting flickering pictures?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I assume someone has checked your dual LNB out if you are getting flickering pictures?

They did a line test, a signal & a LNB test (I presume) over the phone the other night!

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

Birds perching on your sat dish? (I have had that one!)
Trees blocking the signal when the wind blows? (The previous owner of this house had that one!)

You can do a full reset of your own sky box through the secret menu. You will tho lose your recordings. I have done that in the past but it was only a stay of execution before the box gave up and "expired".

If its an intermittent problem then doing a "signal test" will only show the strength at that time. If you arent having any problems with your pic at that time then it would be fine. If your flickering pic is from a live feed and not a recording then you might want to suggest trying a new LNB to see if it helps. It could also be the cabling from your sat dish to your sky box.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Whilst we are on topic...

My remote control has been missing for over a week.

I suspect my 14 month old daughter has something to do with this but I'm not getting a lot out of her.

I have checked all the obvious places (down the side of the sofa etc) but have so far drawn a blank.

Any ideas?

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

At that age and you "not getting a lot out of her" then I would suggest she has eaten it and it is perhaps creating a bowel blockage.

Recommendation: Seat child on knee in front of tv and bounce child up and down, to see if channels change.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Whilst we are on topic...

My remote control has been missing for over a week.

I suspect my 14 month old daughter has something to do with this but I'm not getting a lot out of her.

I have checked all the obvious places (down the side of the sofa etc) but have so far drawn a blank.

Any ideas?

I'd say all TV privilliges (e.g. Peppa Pig, Fifi, In the Night Garden) are revoked until she plays ball and finds the remote for you! :p

 

[MK Shrimper]

Diverting this thread (sorry)... how do you connect a SKY + box to a PC to records stuff? Is there a firewire port?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Birds perching on your sat dish? (I have had that one!)
Trees blocking the signal when the wind blows? (The previous owner of this house had that one!)

You can do a full reset of your own sky box through the secret menu. You will tho lose your recordings. I have done that in the past but it was only a stay of execution before the box gave up and "expired".

If its an intermittent problem then doing a "signal test" will only show the strength at that time. If you arent having any problems with your pic at that time then it would be fine. If your flickering pic is from a live feed and not a recording then you might want to suggest trying a new LNB to see if it helps. It could also be the cabling from your sat dish to your sky box.

Neither birds nor trees for definite. They tried to blame it on adverse weather but Monday night was dry, calm with no wind & not that cold.

I personally think it's the cabling!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Diverting this thread (sorry)...

You, divert a thread, no never, surely not :p

how do you connect a SKY + box to a PC to records stuff? Is there a firewire port?

There's a USB port in my box, but I think the main issue is there's no software to allow you to copy the Sky+ recording & decode it into something watchable on a PC!

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

You could always drive over to Livingston and beat em up!

They are on the ind estate just near that big shopping centre place....cant remember the name of it. Or atleast they were....

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

You could always drive over to Livingston and beat em up!

They are on the ind estate just near that big shopping centre place....cant remember the name of it. Or atleast they were....

Yeah I know! You mean MacArthurGlen or whatever it's called.
Right by the Livi football ground too.

Also another contact centre in the near vicinity of where I work!

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

You, divert a thread, no never, surely not :p



There's a USB port in my box, but I think the main issue is there's no software to allow you to copy the Sky+ recording & decode it into something watchable on a PC!

You can download stuff from Sky Anytime cant you? Not your own recordings admittedly. Sky encrypt all their stuff so dont think you can do anything with it from there either other than watch it on that PC, ie you cant burn it to DVD, etc for safe keeping.

Cant you copy the files from Sky+ to a DVD recorder and play that on a PC? Never tried it so no idea if it works or not. Suspect Sky encrypt all that aswell though so you will probably need their software to even view it.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Whilst we are on topic...

My remote control has been missing for over a week.

I suspect my 14 month old daughter has something to do with this but I'm not getting a lot out of her.

I have checked all the obvious places (down the side of the sofa etc) but have so far drawn a blank.

Any ideas?

What channel is it stuck on?

That will give you a clue as to the identity of the culprit.

 

[MK Shrimper]

If it's the one with the pretty ladies who wiggle around in their bra and pants, it certainly wasn't me.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

You can download stuff from Sky Anytime cant you? Not your own recordings admittedly. Sky encrypt all their stuff so dont think you can do anything with it from there either other than watch it on that PC, ie you cant burn it to DVD, etc for safe keeping.

Cant you copy the files from Sky+ to a DVD recorder and play that on a PC? Never tried it so no idea if it works or not. Suspect Sky encrypt all that aswell though so you will probably need their software to even view it.

Ah ha, another question from me. The new box has got Sky Anytime as the red button option on the EPG but if I go in, it says "you have no content at this time", do I need them to get them to switch me on for this?

I've DVD-R'd stuff off Sky+ before (SUFC goals of season 05/06 in fact), or is that not what you meant?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I think what I might do is write a strongly-worded letter (they surely must have a Customer Services address, things just don't seem to ever get actioned if you complain over the phone to call-centres) detailing all my issues and see where that gets me.

You'll be far better off ringing. The trick with call centres is to get your call passed onto a supervisor, and sometimes even up a stage again. If the person can't give you what you want (and the monkey answering the phone is unlikely to) demand to speak to someone who can sort out you problem and be persistent.

With Sky threaten to cancel over the shoddy service, even if its an empty threat. Their cancellations team can give you all sorts of offers to entice you to stay that their customer complaints team wouldn't be allowed to offer.