topic Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live... in Sky Q

DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:22:09 GMT

Recently changed my broadband provider away from Sky. This has given me the much documented 'remote network failure' when downloaded content on demand (Sky has two DNS servers for on demand and has only whitelisted my new ISP for one of them, so 50% of downloads fail)

Tried to explain this to the call centre, but the don't care / listen and decided to send an engineer out, despite me telling them it was pointless and trying to link them to the relevant post on their forums

So th gu came out, read the forum post, saw 50% of downloads fail and said, yeah, Sky and your ISP needs to talk to each other.

Do I now leave Sky? Because we all know this isn't going to be resolved!

Meanwhile, to cheer me up, he changed my box to the HDR one...my TV has HDR and works well with IPTV producing a verifiably HDR picture

So, I've spent a couple of hours downloading stuff I presume is HDR (it's not labelled HDR, but why would Sky help a customer out?!?), but it is UHD and various forums have linked me to films / series thst are HDR

The Sky test tells me my box is HDR, I know my TV is HDR, but it doesn't matter what I throw at it, it's not switching my TV to HDR mode..

Any ideas?

Just downloaded dTrue Detective, S4, ep 1, stated to be HDR...it plays it fine, just not in HDR...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Chodley — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:33:53 GMT

If it's not labelled both UHD and HDR, it's not HDR

edit: just saw you said true detective is labelled HDR - yeah, PandJ's question on 10bit output being selected?

You sure the original issue is DNS servers? Not something that usually gets "approved", unlike geo-IP locations.

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

PandJ2020 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:31:19 GMT

@Craigv9 wrote:
The Sky test tells me my box is HDR, I know my TV is HDR, but it doesn't matter what I throw at it, it's not switching my TV to HDR mode..

Any ideas?

Does the TV support HLG?

Have you set to 2160p/10bit?

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:48:26 GMT

I am set to 10 bit

I'm guessing my TV is not HLG compatible?

It's HDR, but 20 years old so probably predates HLG

Will dig the manual out and check...

Thanks

Think I'll be leaving anyway, over the download issue!

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

PandJ2020 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:00:08 GMT

@Craigv9 wrote:
It's HDR, but 20 years old so probably predates HLG

Are you sure it's actually HDR - as many sets had a 'pseudo' mode rather than genuine HDR.

Proper HDR in TV's hasn't been around 20 years...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:00:54 GMT

Sorry...10 years old

Ths you for successfully answering this...Ve just checking in with A.I which tells me my model of TV predstes the HLG format so it's not compatible

Given my other issue, which I know from the forums will never be resolved, it seems like my time with Sky is coming to an end

As a family, we've been with them from the start, but times change. They are not responsive to issues. They're probably no better or worse than anyone else, but when you are telling them there's a problem and they literally don't listen. When you're pointing them to a very detailed community post explaining the issue...and they won't look at it. When they send an engineer despite you telling them that it's like less to do so and when their only input is from an engineer saying: Your ISP will have to talk to Sky'...that's not a solution

The fox is simple. Sky need to whitelist my ISP so that I can access their own demand content via my new ISPs broadband

Its a tick box. But it's a box they won't tick...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Chodley — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:07:27 GMT

@Craigv9 wrote:
Sorry...10 years old

Ths you for successfully answering this...Ve just checking in with A.I which tells me my model of TV predstes the HLG format so it's not compatible

Given my other issue, which I know from the forums will never be resolved, it seems like my time with Sky is coming to an end

As a family, we've been with them from the start, but times change. They are not responsive to issues. They're probably no better or worse than anyone else, but when you are telling them there's a problem and they literally don't listen. When you're pointing them to a very detailed community post explaining the issue...and they won't look at it. When they send an engineer despite you telling them that it's like less to do so and when their only input is from an engineer saying: Your ISP will have to talk to Sky'...that's not a solution

The fox is simple. Sky need to whitelist my ISP so that I can access their own demand content via my new ISPs broadband

Its a tick box. But it's a box they won't tick...

Which ISP is it? We've had this fixed for other people (on Starlink recently for example)

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

PandJ2020 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:31:08 GMT

@Craigv9 wrote:
The fox is simple. Sky need to whitelist my ISP so that I can access their own demand content via my new ISPs broadband

Its a tick box. But it's a box they won't tick...

That's not true - we've seen such issues resolved on the forum.

I think we can escalate to the forum team but it may require your ISP involvement too.

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:09:00 GMT

My ISP is Kloud9

No one at Sky has shown th slightest inclination in fixing this

Is there someone I should be speaking to in order to get a resolution.

It does seem to me that I shouldnt have to spend dozens of hours being fobbed off when the solution is available and apparent?

It's VERY frustrating being a Sky customer

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

PandJ2020 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:44:18 GMT

I've escalated this to Sky and they should be in touch with you soon about it.
Look out for a message from Sky on your email and Sky Community private messages.
Look out for the blue chat bubble within your Sky community.
More about an escalation here;

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/forums/replypage/board-id/skyq/message-id/669820

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Mr+Flibbles+86 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:23:36 GMT

Thanks for escalating this. We’ve sent an invite to @Craigv9 to chat.

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Chodley — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 21:32:52 GMT

Hmm

hope they can resolve but wondering if this is the issue with some DNS not getting the lookups propagated correctly for the ad-insertion services

rather than geo-blocked IP ranges.

if so changing to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 DNS might resolve it. No reason you have to use your ISP's DNS.

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:03:27 GMT

Thanks. I've tried those with no joy

I did get to chat with Sky and they said they'd resolve this within 73 hours and get back to me via chat...

Though that chat does seem to have disappeared...

Time will tell...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

PandJ2020 — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:40:57 GMT

It does timeout - we can re-escalate if needed...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Craigv9 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:03:25 GMT

Hey,

I wonder if this could be re-escalated?

72 hours have passed and the issue is unresolved. Sky has been keeping in touch via an open discussion, but I fear that that has timed out

I wanted to give Sky the day to get back to me. I can't and won't keep paying for a service I'm not receiving

Grateful for the help so far...

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Chodley — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:21:57 GMT

Sure. Done

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Lisa-P1987 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:26:28 GMT

Thanks for escalating, however our chat is still active and open with @Craigv9.

There has been engagement on both sides within the last 2 hours.

Re: DNS, HDR and losing the will to live...

Chodley — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:12:42 GMT

@Lisa-P1987 oh weird. Maybe he lost track of the chat popup earlier

Utterly shambolic from Sky

Craigv9 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:05:39 GMT

Very long story short...

Sky TV and broadband customer. Left Sky broadband at the start of October. Their speeds are abysmal and I'm a rural customer. A rural broadband provider stepped in with gigabit broadband...happy days

From day one of that broadband service, Sky's on demand downloads have had a near 50% failure rate ('failed: remote server problem')

Searching these forums revealed the very specific problem and very specific solution...all my issues, failure rates, error messages ALL matched the lroblem and solution presented

Sky has 2 servers upon which they store their on demand content....like some other broadband providers, it appears my ISP is only 'whitelisted' (allowed access) to one of them...hence the 50% failure rate on downloads...

The solution? Sky simply ticks a box somewhere and allows my ISP access to the other server...

Except, talking to customer services is like lobotomising yourself using a brick wall. They wanted to send an engineer out. I told them that was pointless. I linked them to the forum post. I gave them the solution. They clearly dont understand it or care

The engineer came out. I showed him the problem and solution. He said his visit was pointless and that my ISP needed to be whitelisted...we agreed on that!

A complaint has now been lodged because I was promised a solution with 72 hours...that's not happened.

I've even been put to work by Sky...doing daily downloads, logging times, dates and failure messages and sending them in. Not sure why, as customer services today confirmed nothing is being done with them?!

Customer services obviously know nothing of 'whitelists' and don't get past the 'turn it on and off again' flowchart

Their suggestion this morning was for ME to trawl the forums, find the poster who provided the solution and ask them which Sky person / department resolved the issue for them because customer services can't resolve it 'and don't know who to contact'?!?

I understand Sky have just lost £200m and I can see why. Their 'get up and go' has got up and gone. There's no creativity, thinking outside the box, nor professional curiosity. No one I've spoken to since being 'escalated' has even asked who my ISP is?!? No one can confirm or deny that my ISP is or isn't whitelisted. Someone has stated this isn't the issue? How do they know? They are refusing to speak to my ISP (my ISP told me this, not Sky, obviously)

The whole thing is baffling. I'm locked in to a 12 month contract, but rang this morning and gave 1 months notice. Sky have said they won't hold me to my contract due to the unresolved issue and seems very happy to leave it at that

I have made a complaint. I will refer the matter to Ofcom. I understand not maintaining an up to date whitelist is a serious matter, it's seen as anti competitive as it forces you to stay or return to Sky if you want the service they are denying your new ISP

I guess my question is kinda simple

If the problem is known (it is)

And the solution is known (it is)

Why won't Sky fix this?

Have I just been unlucky by being blocked at ground level or is this a genuine attempt to block competition?

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I cannot fathom why they wouldn't action the solution that's available to them?

Does anyone know anyone at Sky that actually sorts out these issues? A hands on tech guy, so I can go round customer services and deal with someone who can get this sorted?

It's kind of a matter of principle now because it leaves me wondering how many other customers Sky are blocking. I'm sure Ofcom will look in to that

All very strange and frustrating!

Re: Utterly shambolic from Sky

lettice — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:16:42 GMT

Often the solution we have seen for others with a similar problem is to escalate this to our Messaging team, who can investigate for you.

Who is your new ISP by the way to help others going forward?

So, I've escalated this to Sky and they should be in touch with you soon about it.
Look out for a message from Sky on your email and Sky Community private messages.
Look out for the blue chat bubble within your Sky community.
More about an escalation here;