BBC and ITV pixelated after using apps!

[redin63]

Sky stream is rediculous, either the software or hardware, but probably both, need a real fix and not just lip-service! I have to reset my puck every day or so to stop the pixelation and broken pictures on BBC and ITV channels. I've done everything including changing the puck, setting up with cable rather than wifi etc etc. by the way I have a super fast connection running around 600 mbps. I notice there are many other customers with the same issues. It's very frustrating and getting to the point where sky stream is about to be binned all together! Does anyone know if Sky have any intention of addressing this issue?

[mikealanr]

Hi @redin63 

Given that we are fellow customers here no one can tell you what sky's intentions are. I have 4 pucks and don't have such issues, it would be interesting to see if there is a common theme with those who have issues. Who is your ISP? What router do you have? It would be useful to to try and pinpoint commonality.

MikeAlanR

[redin63]

Hi, My router is a vodaphone UltraHub 1-0. Although I only have one puck, I've exchanged it once so can confirm the issue remains the same with both. I also manage my parents sky account for them and they have the latest BT SmartHub and two Sky Stream pucks which also exhibit a similar pixilation that requires a power off reset! Therefore, of the four pucks I have had contact with 100% have this issue. It is also unlikely to be a geographical issue as they live 300 miles away from me!

I have just spoken to sky tech support again (weekly occurrence since I joined at Christmas) and they are sending me a third puck which apparently has the very latest software and firmware upgrade which they believe "should" cure the pixilation. In the meantime I shall not be holding my breath!

[Jporch316]

The majority of time the pixelation issue is due to the puck receiving a weak WiFi signal leading to a loss of internet  stability and speed (there are exceptions to this but they tend to affect a lot of users at the same time)

best way to test this is run the network check in the native Netflix app settings and report back on your speed. Minimum you want to see is a constant 30-35mbs. Better for it to be more than 40mbs in a busy household. 

also worth plugging in an Ethernet cable from the puck to your router and turning off WiFi in the settings of the puck to see if the pixelation still occurs 

[redin63]

Hi, thanks for all the help here, I appreciate it, but all the usual quick fix solutions have been tried over the last couple of months. Very early on in this process I removed the possibility of Wi-Fi issues by connecting via Ethernet cable and the cable has been changed a couple of times to ensure that is not the problem. My internet connection runs at 600+ mbps steadily while using apps such as Netflix.

I've just received my latest (3rd) puck this morning complete with the "very latest updates", a fantastic service from yesterday's chat with tech support who got the new equipment to me in less that 24 hours! Unfortunately it makes no difference to this particular issue and my normal terrestrial channels (BBC, ITV etc) are still pixilated over sky stream. I've narrowed this down to the transition between apps and terrestrial channels. I can watch BBC and ITV for days without a problem, but once I view an app based programme (Netflix or Discovery Plus in particular), then go back to terrestrial like BBC it pixilates and I then have to unplug and reset the box, which then works fine until the next transition. So frustrating and obviously unworkable so probably time to  give up on Sky Stream!

[Jporch316]

Appreciate your predicament although the circumstances seem unique to your setup as there isn't a plethora of these type of posts nor have I seen many in the past .

[Jporch316]

I seem to remember a few posts on here possibly @mikealanr  who had Vodafone routers and saw an immediate improvement when swapping providers and getting a different router 

[mikealanr]

Hi @Jporch316 

I was with Vodafone a few years ago. I had such a bad experience, the router would lock up and disconnect all devices etc. reboot wouldn't fix and had to connect via ethernet disable DHCP and re-enable it.

Struggled with streaming and network congestioneft right and center. After many complaints I was allowed to terminate penalty free.

MikeAlanR

[redin63]

Its taken me a while but I'm slowly narrowing it down to an issue with one app. Although initially it was very difficult to explain because it appeared to be an intermittent fault, I can now replicate the fault quite easily. The Discovery Plus App causes the pixilation to happen, after watching the app in sky stream and switching back to any normal sky stream channel the pixilation can be seen and will only be cleared by a power off reset. Unfortunately Sky Tech support no longer seem interested in solving it. Essentially at the end of the "tech support flowchart" the options are: move to Sky Glass, Sky Q or just cancel Stream!

Having spent a couple of months on this, it's a bit frustrating that they are no longer interested, albeit understandable if it is only a small number of people being affected. Cheers for the help by the way, it's appreciated.

[redin63]

Re: The Vodaphone router problem; I also had a very bad experience with vodaphone broadband a few years ago and also cancelled my contract. However, I decided to give them another try when they brought out their latest UltraHub 900mbps connection. It's been really good with all devices, including Sky Stream, no connection issues in the four months I've had it and it runs steady between 600 and 700mbps. My particular pixilation problem is only happening when I switch from the Sky Stream Discovery Plus app back to Sky Stream BBC/ITV channels!

Cheers again, grateful for all the input.

[MarkGoldsmith · Accepted solution]

@redin63  Does that still happen if you fully exit the discovery + app (keep pressing the back button until it closes) rather than exit it by pressing the home button?

[redin63]

@MarkGoldsmith Genius! That's it, I've been racking my brains trying to figure that out for so long.  As you suggest exiting the app using the 'back' button clears the app and stops it running in the background, which appears to be where the interference came from. A bit of a pain having to press the back button 4 times, rather than a single press of the home button, which I assume is how Sky think it should be working? Hopefully Sky will be able to update the software in some way to allow the easier method, rather than back x4! 

It took me a month to explain to my 88 year old parents how to use their sky stream remote with the home key, when they get lost they just press home. I don't know how they'll cope with back, back, back, back!😂

Thanks again for taking the time to help👍

[Anonymous]

Yeah they keep it running in the background because some apps might benefit from being on whilst you're browsing the sky guide. For example, Spotify or BBC Sounds.

Ideally SkyOS would improve apps running in the background to free up resource a bit more intelligently automatically and I'm sure this is something they're constantly working on.

[MarkGoldsmith]

It would also help if the Discovery + app had an exit button available on the menu like Netflix does.

[Jporch316]

I quite often find that the YouTube app plays up if o don't exit it properly