Soundbox Problems

[otherps]

I've had a soundbox for a while and it has been working fine - but now it's often unresponsive and doesn't seem to pass the HDMI signal from the Sky Q box to the TV. So most days I have to switch everything off and on again at the wall.
I've tried resetting both Sky Q and the Sound Box - but it's still not working right.

Sometimes if I remove the HDMI lead from the TV and put it back in it will work.

Do I need a new box or is there something else I can try?

[mike+simmonds]

Hi @otherps 

Do you have a different "known to be working". hdmi cable you can try 

Try a different cable in both positions If you can (sky box to soundbox, soundbox to TV)

When you have reset, have you turned off the boxes for a minimum of 1 minute to give the boxes chance to cool down 

[cuke]

@mike+simmonds Firstly I would like to say I think you are doing a grand job with answering all the questions posed in this thread.

Funnily enough I have experienced the same circumstances on a number of occasions randomly since our recent purchase of the Sky soundbox. Mostly a shutdown and reboot of the box has worked however, and more worryingly most recently, this didn't and everything suggested within this forum did not work forcing me to disconnect the soundbox completely and have my SkyQ box reconnected directly to my TV.

After a few days, just before I was about to contact Sky to obtain a replacement, I tried reconnecting the soundbox ,in the exact same way as before, and hey presto it worked and has only gone into a sulk once.

Now, as a IT Technician of some 20 years this doesn't make sense to me,. Basing it on the similar experiences of other owners this doesn't appear to be a on off and random event. It suggests that either something isn't quite right with the firmware coding or a substandard electric component that Sky hasn't fully tested yet.

Now Deviant are a very respect speaker manufacturer, there own speakers can cost thousands thus we can assume, hopefully, that this issue isn't one of their making but with whatever Sky have added into the formula.

Personally, as I have to deal with the support sections of many large IT companies, Dell for one with our servers, I would be interested in talking directly with the development side of Sky's Soundbox department so I could share my own experiences, if one exists. Hower I am sure making pigs fly would an easier achievement;-)

[mike+simmonds]

Hi @cuke 

It's very interesting to hear from an expert like yourself and to read what you have to say 

I've found a surprising amount of soundbox problems are caused by strangely unclear cabling instructions in the Soundbox printed booklet 

Rather than just saying - plug one end of the HDMI cable in the pink soundbox port and the other end into your TV - the guide complicates things unnecessarily 

Also - it doesn't make clear about the Soundbox not supporting ARC so people are sometimes unclear what route the audio is taking 

You'll know a lot more about it than me, but the cooling down of powered off components seems to be a factor in here.  

I don't even know who makes these boxes other than according to Devialet it's not them. I chatted to them once and they were involved in the design but not the manufacture. I guess that's why they cost £250 rather than £1000 plus 

[cuke]

@mike+simmonds Hi Mike and thanks for your reply, I can only agree, many issues are down to the connection however this is quite a frustrating product. After working ok for a couple of weeks I have just turned ours on only to find, even though the sound is passing through ok, it has locked again and not responding to the remote or the buttons on the top of the box. Judging from a few other similar posts I am not alone with this and Sky really need to investigate why this is occurring to many of us..

[mike+simmonds]

Hi @cuke 

Sorry to hear yours is being temperamental 

Mine has been fine (although I now wish I hadn't just typed that 🙂)

You are correct that I've seen quite a few posts where people have had lock ups etc 

I've no idea how many of these Sky sell - so I guess the problems could be 1 in 50  or 1 in a 1000?

I think Sky are usually fair with warranty replacements if yours is fairly new. If you have regular problems I'd maybe go down that route now rather than persevere for a couple of years and suddenly find you can't get it replaced 

[cuke]

@mike+simmonds Hi Mike and thanks for reply. After leaving it unplugged I fired everything up again and it is completely unresponsive now, not even through putting a picture, so looks like I will have to reset it again in the hope that works, it didn't last time until I was about to return the box. I am not sure about the ratio but for something Sky retails at £799 occurrences of this type should not be happening at all.

If my desktops and servers were like this I would be out of my job. I would be happy to discuss this issue with them on a more technical level, as I stated, but more than likely I will just get someone with a crib sheet insisting I am not very good at this sort of thing.

Edit: holding down the power button and vol - made no difference. Losing the will to live as it looks like I will have to disconnect it again.

Actually that method of reset is so quick from red to amber it doesn't appear to do anything. Have disconnected the box now and thinking of returning it and getting my money back...

[cuke]

So I spoke to Sky technical help this morning and they're sending me another soundbox. Fingers crossed this one works..

@otherps My apologies for hyjacking your thread and I hope you get your issues resolved as well..

[otherps]

I'm glad you got sorted. I plugged it into a different HDMI port on the TV and fingers crossed, it's been okay since

[cuke]

@otherps Glad you have yours sorted out now too. Actually, in the manner in which you've fixed yours, I wonder if the soundbox has some HDMI handshaking issues. Certainly, if mine locks again, your fix gives me some other diagnostics I could try doing.

[DaveAshdown]

You mentioned complicated cabling instructions.  What do you recommend is the best way to connect the soundbox ?  P.S.  I find the hdmi sockets on mine to not be a tight fit with the plug being a bit slack. Any body else have the same observation or remedy ?  I bought my sky box second hand on ebay, does that mean that sky won't help me with any problems or replacement ? Also I find the option to select what speech mode I want just disappears, so I have to switch it off for a minute ate the mains to get it back. Any thoughts welcome please. thanks Dave

[mike+simmonds]

Morning @DaveAshdown 

You need an HDMI cable out of your Sky box and in to your Soundbox (the black HDMI port in the middle )

Then another HDMI cable out of your Soundbox (the pink port) and in to your TV

Then if you are using any other AV boxes, they go direct from the device in to your TV  by HDMI

Then optical cable out of your TV and in to your Soundbox. 

If your HDMI cable is loose, try another. If all cables are loose that sounds unusual and possibly a problem with your port. 

I think it's unlikely Sky will help you with a Soumdbox you've bought on eBay but that would be up to Sky 

For the "speech mode" have you checked that HDMI control in your Sky Q settings (audio visual) is turned on ? 

[DaveAshdown]

Thanks, do you know why the Sky Q box and the soundbox both have USB ports ? They don't seem to have a purpose.

[mike+simmonds]

Hi @DaveAshdown 

So far as I know they are both there for doing a manual  firmware update. 

I think it's about 4 years since a Soundbox firmware update was released and I think unlikely for there to be any in future 

For the Sky Q box these would usually be done through the dish so again - unlikely to be used in practice

I see no reason why these USB ports couldn't be used to say / charge a phone or some USB lights - that type of thing although that's not what they are there for. 

[DaveAshdown]

Thanks for your reply. Dave