Sky+ HD Recording & Playback

[Malcolm-M]

Hi folks, I have seen several of you reporting issues with part or failed recordings and also issues on playback. While this may be a result of individual equipment or setup problems I'd like to gather all these posts in one place so I can highlight the reports to the relevant people.

If you are experiencing repeated issues despite following the usual advice of trying a planner rebuild, checking the signal and carrying out a connection check please post your reports here.

Please include the version number and model number of the box. Include details of the recording(s) affected including time, date channel and a brief description of what the issue was including the reason for failure/part recording if present. If you were dual recording or recording back to back programs it would be helpful if you could mention the details as well.

[Horty]

Sky 1TB HD Box

S/W Version SYSF26.59.01

EPG Version 40.0.14.1

Have installed this new S/W update as above but still having major problems with HD recordings.

Playback will freeze/stutter at random places, if you pause at these points then un pause, playback will continue for a few seconds then freeze/stutter. Sometimes if you rewind then play it will playback OK until the next "freezing point".  Again if you leave playback to get through this problem point it will eventually correct & play OK for a few minutes to next problem point. During these problem points remote response is very sluggish, some times non responsive.

These are stand alone HD recordings, i.e. not dual or back to back.

Very frustrating - have had to schedule all recordings for SD channels as have no problems with SD playback 

[True+Romance]

New fw and still the same play back problems:-( Picture will freeze every few minutes on every HD recorded program and some SD programs. Not impressed, £10 per month for HD that is unwatchable when recorded. Will be getting on the phone when I get home as this is past a joke now!

*Great, now all the call centres are down, anyone would think we'd never seen snow before;-)*

OS - SYSF26.59.01

VER - 4F3151

EPG - 40.0.14.1

MAN - Amstrad 895

[IAN+THOMPSON]

So far since downloading the recent software. i've had no problems at all with recordings or playback and the speed of the the EPG is very fast again. So at least i'm one happy customer.

Ian.

[Gary+Best]

Pace box with latest software downloaded on Friday.

I'll paste what I've posted in a previous thread:

Bad news - I'm STILL have problems with my Pace box after the software update.

I still get random freezes on playback of recorded programmes - recordings made before and after the software update.

These freezes seem to cluster in small groups within a few minutes of seemingly any programme.

Playback freezes - before this latest update I could just fast forward through them and continue watching, but now, with the latest update, attempting to fast forward through the freeze just locks the box up entirely and I have to power it down to resume watching.

Very, very, VERY frustrating.

Before I had the Darwin software downloaded to my Pace box a few months ago, I never had these freezing problems.

When I first encountered the freezes, I did a forced download of the old software, prior to the Darwin one, and had zero freezes.

The Darwin software was then pushed to my box again, and the freezes came back.

I even did a full system reset to see if that would help, but it didn't.

I was hoping this latest update would solve the issue, but it clearly hasn't.

------

Update to the above - it doesn't happen on every recorded programme - maybe 1 in 5. Also seemingly happens on any channel that's recorded. Definitely Channel 4 HD, Sky One HD, and Watch.

The freezes now just lock the box up entirely, and it needs to be powered off and on again. Whereas on the 39.0.4.2 software, I could Fast Forward briefly once it had frozen, and then continue watching as normal (except I'd get 2-4 freezes in very short succession, maybe over the course of a minute, but could FF through them all).

The freezes can happen at any point during playback.

I'm more than happy to give more detailed info if anyone from Sky wants to contact me directly - especially if it'll help with a fix!

[antmum]

Just about ready to ditch Sky.  Last week we did reset or reload that lost all recordings we had because we suffering from failed recordings - error7.

Now the playback stutters and sticks randomly and the box ceases to respond to the remote or button pushing.

Sky wont answer the phone, we are paying a lot of money for nothing.  Cannot get to the menus to find software version or anything else. The only bit that works is live TV.

[Pete+H2K]

Come on guys.

Sky are trying to address the issues at hand.

They opened this thread so people can post model and versions of boxes still having issues. Only ONE person has posted this info. If you don't use any method available to you, to inform Sky of issues you are experiencing, with details, then its going to take longer to resolve. I cant do this for you, Sky cant tell who you are and what equipment you have via this forum unless you tell them.

The phone lines, because of the weather, Sky get a huge increase in phone calls, inducing a delay in answering. They weren't the quickest off the mark to answer the phone in the first place, and people will call sky to ask why have they got no signal and how to fix it. Don't forget, the TV signal has to travel 84600Km before it reaches your TV. It might not be raining out side your house, but if the weather is really bad anywhere between transmission site to the satellite and back again, then you still might get a degraded signal resulting in signal loss on your box.

So, tell them what you are seeing and version, and soon we will all see a better system and service from Sky.

Pete

[Lukeydeluke]

Amstrad

Model SYSF26.59.01

Version 4F3151

Operating System SYSF26.59.01

EPG Software 40.0.14.1

Anytime - not working - can't see

Planner - not working - can't see - says initialising

Freezes on channels so can't change

Can't see programme listings

It would be easier to say what is working - thats a very short list.

Been like this since 10/11/10 and its now the 29th!

Its difficult to describe how annoyed I am at such appalling service............. 

[kt265]

thomson box

problems

anytime not working

planner not working

freezes on channel change

info button not working on any programs

started begining of november

[shropshire+lad…]

We have had the same problem with two programmes in the last week. Pulse - Pink Floyd and Desperate Housewives last evening. The former only recorded 53 mins and the latter 33 mins. Information says it is fault 7.  I deleted desperate Housewives before checking HD or not but Pulse was on Sky Arts HD.The box is only monthsold. This is pretty disturbing. Other people indicate that a rebuild does not work so what should I do? why am I paying so much a month?

No good ringing sky . I have tried that . their call centre is in Scotland and with the snow they do not have enough staff to man the phones.

[Pete+H2K]

Hi kt265.

As your box is a thomson box, your issues are different to what the guys are experiacing here.

for you, I would advise you to perform a software download and planner rebuild.

However, the symptoms you are experiancing could be due to a faulty power supply unit which is a known issue with Thomsons.

have a look at this post and if this does not help, let me know.

Cheers

Pete

[Gary+Best]

---

Pete+H2K wrote:

Come on guys.

Sky are trying to address the issues at hand.

They opened this thread so people can post model and versions of boxes still having issues. Only ONE person has posted this info. If you don't use any method available to you, to inform Sky of issues you are experiencing, with details, then its going to take longer to resolve. I cant do this for you, Sky cant tell who you are and what equipment you have via this forum unless you tell them.

The phone lines, because of the weather, Sky get a huge increase in phone calls, inducing a delay in answering. They weren't the quickest off the mark to answer the phone in the first place, and people will call sky to ask why have they got no signal and how to fix it. Don't forget, the TV signal has to travel 84600Km before it reaches your TV. It might not be raining out side your house, but if the weather is really bad anywhere between transmission site to the satellite and back again, then you still might get a degraded signal resulting in signal loss on your box.

So, tell them what you are seeing and version, and soon we will all see a better system and service from Sky.

Pete

---

With respect - who are you anyway? We're not children - and if you have no affiliation to Sky, perhaps cool down with acting like you own the place.

I know you're trying to be helpful, but you're coming across as a bit "holier than thou".

And if Sky need the exact Pace model of my box, it's 9F3002.

[kt265]

pete have done all the things u have suggested ..all i get now is a message telling me that i need a sky+ subscription if i go on my planner ? apart from that still nothing ...(yes i do have a HD subscription before anyone asks) help centre said the only thing i can do is get an engineer out .. if sky come out does that mean i will have to pay £65 + the cost of a new HD box ? if so i cant afford that and will have to just cancel sky instead

when i check my system details it says

op sys version 1.32b12

epg software version sky+8.3.2

is it because its a thomson box they are so different to everyone elses or am i just being dumb ?

[Pete+H2K]

Hi KT265

Has your box been unplugged for a while ? It shounds like the software is "better", the version is correct - its what I have.

It could be that the card has not received the entitlement for a while - this is renewed every 30 days hence the requirement for 31 days notice to cancel.

Leave the box plugged in on a sky channel for a bit and see if that happens.

if it doesnt, you can try a front panel reset but this will delete all your recordings.

1. turn the power off at the mains

2. press the left and right buttons down on the set top box

3. re-apply power and wait until the circle display starts running then press select.

This will take a couple of minutes to complete and then will reboot.

Let me know if that helps.

Cheers

Pete

[Pete+H2K]

Hi Gary Best.

No, you have a valid point.

I'm sorry if you (and others) feel I am treating you like children but as quoted from Malcolms original post

Please include the version number and model number of the box.

The way I see it is Sky acknowledge there is a problem, and people are telling them what the problem is. No dis-respect to KT265, but that box (as mine) has not received the update this thread is focused on. So telling Sky about the issues that box is suffering from could be leading Sky off in a different direction.

In the end, it could be delaying the roll out to my box. However, as KT265 did read the initial post, and did include his box details, that information can be ignored for the purpose of this thread and others like myself can advise on those issues.

But how many people are replying to this thread with boxes which have great issues, which can be the deciding factor to stay with Sky or leave, but which have not received the updated fixed software ?

Sorry this appears to be another essay, but the sooner Sky fix these issues, the sooner they will get to rolling out anytime+ to my box.

Cheers

Pete