Sky+HD, SkyHD & Sky 3D

[Dave+in+Dublin]

I've mentioned this on the SkyHD Twitter feed but they said come here . . .

BBC changed their HD transponder from DVB-S to DVB-S2 this morning and now I cannot view BBC HD from the EPG.

I have 2 HD boxes, both Thomson 902020 models and I've never had a problem with them before -- 4E300E

143 is still BBCHD in Ireland as BBC ONE HD was never added to the EPG here  -  Since this morning when I go to 143 I get ERROR 28  -  "No Satellite Signal is being received" on both boxes.

If I remove the viewing card and reboot the boxes I get the UK EPG -- BBC1 on 101 etc... and I can view BBC ONE HD on 143 and BBCHD on 169 no problems . . .

When I re-insert the card the boxes switch to 998 after a few seconds and the Irish EPG is restored -- RTÉ1 on 101 etc...  but 143 has BBCHD : "No Sat signal is being received"

All other channels work fine --  ALL F.T.A. channels are working with the cards in AND out except BBCHD

[Robert-B]

Hi,

To allow us to look into this further for you we require some specific information. For anybody affected by this can you also post your answers on this thread to the following questions:

• What make of box and model number do you have?
• Are you using single feed or dual feed set-up?
• Does you have auto standby on or off?
• Were you tuned to BBC HD, BBC One HD or ITV HD overnight?
• What have you tried to date to resolve the issue?
• Does you have a standard Sky installed satellite dish or some other dish make (can also provide make and installer if possible)?

Your answers will allow us to investigate this issue further and we will provide any updates once received.

[Dave+in+Dublin]

+ Make / Model : Thomson - 902020 - 4E300E (both boxes)

+ Dual Feed (both boxes)

+ Auto Standby : ON (both boxes)

+ Both boxes were in standby overnight

+ Sky installed my Dish and BOTH boxes -- there is no rust on the dish and signal strength / quality are high for ALL feeds.

+ Today once I noticed this and checked on other forums that other people were also experiencing this problem, I rebooted the boxes - SAME PROBLEM

I did a planner re-build;

Left both boxes unplugged for over 30 mins;

I rebooted WITHOUT the viewing card and could view BBC1HD on 143 and BBCHD on 169 but when I re-inserted the card, the box switched to 998 after a few seconds and 143 (BBCHD in Ireland) has ERROR 28 - "No Sat Signal"

[trevorh]

I have a similar problem but it does not work either with or without viewing card.

Make / Model : Thomson - 902020 - 4E3004

Single feed

Auto Standby : ON

Standby overnight

I did a "New Install", power off reboot, forced software update.

[Red+Fan]

Same for me. Thomson box.

I contacted Customer Services in Cork they told me they knew nothing about the changes and blamed it on the weather!

[trevorh]

I should have said that I am in England not Ireland.

[derek500]

Thomson 4E3011

Dual feed.

Auto standby set to on

Standby overnight

Planner rebuild, forced update, new install, reboot.

[sarge99-sky]

Mmm - Thomson's only so far ...

Wonder if the Thomson software (i.e. the non-Darwin) copes with a 23000 symbol rate and an FEC of 8/9 that BBC One HD/BBC HD are now on - especially when the viewing card is in the box (i.e. there is decryption taking place) !

Manual tuning of such are not possible on a Sky box (especially an old one) !

Perhaps someone from Sky might want to consider that being the source of the problems

For info purposes : BBC 1HD + BBC HD are now on ...

Frequency 10847
Polarity. V
Symbol Rate. 23000
Modulation. QPSK

Mode : DVB-S2
FEC: 8/9 

[GrumpyGrouch]

My early Thomson(4E3004) will not show BBC HD & BBC 1 HD. Tried power off reboot, new install(both with card in & card out), & forced software download. Anytime is on. Auto standby is off. And the box is left in standby overnight. What's going on?

[Billo]

I have the same problem and based in London.

Using my powers of detection it appears that my Thomson box (as well as many others - mine is 902020 v.4E3007) is not able - at the moment - to cope with the new FEC and Symbol Rate; it just isn't accessible to my box at present.

I explained this to a member of the technical help team, who bless her, asked me to go onto Google and didn't know much about the problem. It would also have helped if Alex Pryde (who advised of the changes via the BBC blog) inserted the correct Technical number to contact Sky.

At the moment, it seems like a classic case of "pass the buck"; Sky blaming the BBC and saying they cant help and the BBC blaming Sky as "The BBC has been working closely with our two platform partners both before and after implementing this change". Unfortunately, the customers (as usual) are stuck in the place of the unknown with a box that cannot obtain two key HD channels. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/06/changes_to_bbc_hd_channels_on.html

At the moment, I cant say I am chuffed with how the BBC have handled this - poor notification of the what was forthcoming change - and at the moment Sky's, if indeed the BBC had contacted them of this change, then they should have ensured all boxes could cope. It seems clear my box isn't able to cope with transmissions from Astra 2D in DVB-S2 format, which I was led to believe I would as it was nigh on futureproof when I signed up to SKY HD all those years ago and was a first adopter.

For Robert's kind information, in answer to his questions...

• What make of box and model number do you have?
• Thomson 902020 v.4E3007

• Are you using single feed or dual feed set-up?
• Dual Feed

• Does you have auto standby on or off?
• On

• Were you tuned to BBC HD, BBC One HD or ITV HD overnight?
• Strangely enough, I did have it on. I noticed on BBC1HD that a message was on the description of Holby City that it would not be available between 2:00-2:30. However, this was incorrect as it stayed on throughout the course of the programme, so I dont know when it "switched" to the new transmitter.

• What have you tried to date to resolve the issue?
• Switching the plug out and back in after a minute, forced update....nada...

• Does you have a standard Sky installed satellite dish or some other dish make (can also provide make and installer if possible)?
• Standard Sky Dish

Best regards,

Paul

[ScottA]

• What make of box and model number do you have?
• Amstrad DMR-V19 v.4F3001

• Are you using single feed or dual feed set-up?
• Dual Feed

• Does you have auto standby on or off?
• Off

• Were you tuned to BBC HD, BBC One HD or ITV HD overnight?
• No

• What have you tried to date to resolve the issue?
• Switching the plug out and back in after a minute, forced update

• Does you have a standard Sky installed satellite dish or some other dish make (can also provide make and installer if possible)?
• Standard Sky Dish

[Brian+Doyle]

I also have lost BBC HD even though it is on my EPG, I cant view it from add channels either and this is the same for BBC1 HD as well as one of the ITV HD slots on add channels, it is all to do with BBC moving their HD content to DVB-S2. Please read http://www.whathifi.com/news/satellite-boxes-lose-hd-channels-after-bbc-upgrades-signal.

As I watch mostly BBC and ITV HD content despite paying for the full package of stuff I dont watch, I think I can save the subs to SKY as I dont have their Broadband options in Ireland, I dont have the phone options in Ireland, I dont have the Anytime+ options here in Ireland, I know dont have options on channels I used to watch here in Ireland and yet I pay a full sub each month here in Ireland for a inferior options package, this is the last straw, time for http://www.saorview.ie/ and a duel feed dish pointing at Astra at 19 and hotbird at 13 as well as a FTA receiver at 28 degrees and watch it all for free.

Its time to say goodbye to SKY in Ireland if the BBC options are not restored, my brother has UPS Cable with BBC HD and BBC1 HD on his EPG, clock is ticking SKY, I am well over my one year contract as I am digital for a number of years having been a non HD customer since the mid 90's, over to you SKY

[sarge99-sky]

From the information appearing here and over on the DS forums this is increasingly looking like a problem with the pre-Darwin software and the new symbol/FEC rates for BBC HD channels.

Perhaps someone at Sky when they "liased" with the BBC forgot about testing the pre-Darwin software and the new transmission rates ?

According to the BBC blog the BBC say they liased with Sky on this matter for some time ! 

This isn't a matter of buck passing - the Sky boxes should all be capable (under EU legislation) of receiving various different symbol rates/FEC's but Sky's pre-Darwin software seems very limited on that score to say the least. IMO - it either needs the BBC to go back to a different symbol rate (e.g. 22000) and FEC or for Sky to fix the software to cope (which it should have done in the first place !).

Another thought - is this why Sky are swapping out older Thomson boxes ?

[Los+Dolses]

I have no problem with any of the BBC's, 141, 142 & 143 (HD)  Also BBC 1 HD is available on "Other Channels"  I have a Sky  Pace HD box

[sarge99-sky]

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Los+Dolses wrote:

I have no problem with any of the BBC's, 141, 142 & 143 (HD)  Also BBC 1 HD is available on "Other Channels"  I have a Sky  Pace HD box

---

and unless it's a very early Pace box and is running the old EPG software (i.e. light blue (pre-Darwin) not dark blue (Darwin)) then your box should be working ok !