Sky Q Apps pixelating

[Adamnich82]

Anyone getting it with the sky stream box? We are

[JibbaJoy]

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@Adamnich82 wrote:

Anyone getting it with the sky stream box? We are

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I did see a thread about pixelating on the Sky Stream discussion board a couple of weeks ago.

[Mister_Dalek]

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@Adamnich82 wrote:

Anyone getting it with the sky stream box? We are

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Yes, it's currently a 'thing' being investigated by Sky. Seems to happen a lot on live sports channels, particularly UHD, but has also been reported on other channels too. It apparently only affects the live channel streams, not the third party apps on Sky Stream.

[Adamnich82]

I'm getting it on netflix. Even had an audio sync issue on there

[type-r]

Just rollback to the last version of working software from mid-July that worked on all Q boxes and Stream, and then work on a fix offline. It really should be that easy.

Instead they've released a faulty update which has been live for 3 months, given absolutely no timeline for a fix and in the process frustrated and annoyed many customers. Rollback, work on a fix offline, test it thoroughly and then release when absolutely ready. Shoddy software development process to release and then keep live software that has bugs!

[Macculus]

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@type-r wrote:

Just rollback to the last version of working software from mid-July that worked on all Q boxes and Stream, and then work on a fix offline. It really should be that easy.

Instead they've released a faulty update which has been live for 3 months, given absolutely no timeline for a fix and in the process frustrated and annoyed many customers. Rollback, work on a fix offline, test it thoroughly and then release when absolutely ready. Shoddy software development process to release and then keep live software that has bugs!

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This. It ain't rocket surgery! All not doing this does is alienate and lose customers. Me included, as soon as my contract is up. I'm still none the wiser as to whether they've even actually identified the issue, so I'm not hopeful of a fix before Christmas.

[Meldrewman]

I think a major frustration is that there are STILL Sky employees who seem oblivious to the problem. 

engineer calling tomorrow. Let''s see ...

[JCT9632]

So after having many phone calls and emails over this problem over the last couple of months, I rang Sky again today and explained that I had done everything they had asked of me, refreshing apps, internet, updated to the latest software but none of this had worked.  I told him that I have the original box from 2017 and that the only thing we hadn't tryed was to replace the box, he asked me to wait while he checked what box I had, he came back and said they had been authorised the swap out of the old boxes, I asked would it be the latest version and would it have a external power supply to which he answered yes.  The box has been dispatched so should be with me by the end of the week, so we will see what the out come is.

[Bob+Niro]

It appears to me that SKY are banking on people watching their apps on their smart tvs which  means they can minimise cost of having to replace boxes. They will offer replacements if people ask for one. It's similar to SKY waiting for long term customers to ring for discounts when their contract is up. If you don't do anything they won't do anything. Very greedy practice of squeezing every cent out of their loyal customer or in this case saving every cent they can.

[Jpgrady1]

My apps haven't worked for a few months now. Like most of you I've tried everything from a rest, refresh and turned off the box for a bit. Not had worked. 

What's happening to sky

[Laing1]

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@type-r wrote:

Just rollback to the last version of working software from mid-July that worked on all Q boxes and Stream, and then work on a fix offline. It really should be that easy.

Instead they've released a faulty update which has been live for 3 months, given absolutely no timeline for a fix and in the process frustrated and annoyed many customers. Rollback, work on a fix offline, test it thoroughly and then release when absolutely ready. Shoddy software development process to release and then keep live software that has bugs!

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@type-r which would be the perfect solution if 

A it was a faulty software update

and

B if was affecting every Dky Q box/customer

We know it's not affecting every customer as many have stated that having a box change to a V2 box with an external power supply works for them and there has been reports that not all V3 boxes are affected either all Q boxes whatever version use the same software version so seems a bit strange that it's only affecting some of the Q boxes and not all over all the versions 

[type-r]

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@Laing1 wrote:

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@type-r which would be the perfect solution if 

A it was a faulty software update

and

B if was affecting every Dky Q box/customer

We know it's not affecting every customer as many have stated that having a box change to a V2 box with an external power supply works for them and there has been reports that not all V3 boxes are affected either all Q boxes whatever version use the same software version so seems a bit strange that it's only affecting some of the Q boxes and not all over all the versions 

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@Laing1 

In my limited opinion it almost certainly is a software problem. Go back to early July, when regardless of the hardware used by any Sky customer (V1, V2, V3 Q boxes or Stream) - everyone was able to use the apps perfectly fine. For the odds for it be a hardware issue simultaneously affecting a lot of different people would be a remarkable coincidence. 

The problem is almost certainly software related that is causing certain versions of hardware to pixelate, whether that is through overheating, decoding data or whatever. It should be fixable, short term, if they simply roll back to the software that was fine previously, whilst they work on the fix in the background. 

[Thondwe]

Agreed to some extent that it's a software problem.  But I agree with others that the device is running need it's limits.  Under the covers it's running Linux (I assume) and the Apps maybe coming via Android emulation (which I think means that they are shared with Roku etc?)  

Anyway, inevitable changes to Linux over which Sky won't have control over and the 3rd party Apps - mean that they demand more resources over time and the Sky Q box is just too slow (having the external power block means the CPU overheats less).  If Sky Stream is also seeing this, then same applies - software has grown much for current hardware.  

I've moved to using a lot of apps on an Apple TV (though iplayer doesn't have subtitles on that platform - known problem with "standards"!) and may consider Sky Now in future and stop paying the hardware rental premium for the Sky Q/Satelite disks etc.  With the added benefit of reducing the need to deal with Sky support!!

[MohsinAwan]

I've just had a 1tb sky q UHD box a couple of days go , going from stream to satellite. It says hardware as 32B2 which I am assuming is V3 . Apps on my Samsung S90c UI run fantastic but on sky whether it be sky stream or this box are terrible in terms of quality so it doesn't affect me much but I tried netflix and it's been fine . Prime video however has terrible pixelation , YouTube seems fine too. Sky stream has issues with their broadcast on UHD sports channels with pixelation which is the same , no date by which it'll be fixed by which led me to go back to satellite. I was following this forum so when changing to satellite I did ask them if they can to send the sky q box with external PSU , the guy mentioned he didn't have the option to select that which was a bit poor but I've had that many problems with sky now , I couldn't be bothered anymore

[Chodley]

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@MohsinAwan wrote:

I've just had a 1tb sky q UHD box a couple of days go , going from stream to satellite. It says hardware as 32B2 which I am assuming is V3 . Apps on my Samsung S90c UI run fantastic but on sky whether it be sky stream or this box are terrible in terms of quality so it doesn't affect me much but I tried netflix and it's been fine . Prime video however has terrible pixelation , YouTube seems fine too. Sky stream has issues with their broadcast on UHD sports channels with pixelation which is the same , no date by which it'll be fixed by which led me to go back to satellite. I was following this forum so when changing to satellite I did ask them if they can to send the sky q box with external PSU , the guy mentioned he didn't have the option to select that which was a bit poor but I've had that many problems with sky now , I couldn't be bothered anymore

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Yeah I think a 32B2 is a v3. You get no HDR support on the v1 (the only other model with an internal power supply)