Streak puck keeps freezing when watching live tv

[TristanTom]

I have had a sky stream puck for over a year now, and I've had issues with it from the start.

I am an F1 fan and only really have it so I can watch live F1 races, but it frequently crashes when showing live TV.

When it crashes, I cannot recover it with either the remote nor pressing the button on the puck, the only way to get it back is to remove the power for a few seconds and plugging it back in again. Some times it will go for hours without problem, and some times it will crash every few minutes.

When streaming non-live content, it doesn't seem to have this problem.

When I initially connected it, I used an ethernet cable to connect, but I read that it may be better to connect via wifi so I do that now, though I still have a problem. I have a reliable internet connection of 60-70Mbps and no other device in my house has an issue with streaming or downloading. I have a good wifi router where I have prioritized the Sky puck so it gets a good connection.

I have tried a full reset a number of times without any improvement.

Sometimes I have had to resort to watching on my laptop via the SkyGo app and that works fine, but I'd prefer to watch on my TV.

The puck sits on a table on it's own away from any other devices, but it still gets hot. I have a small fan angled towards it to keep it cool but that doesn't make a difference.

Does anyone have advice on anything else I can try or do I just have a faulty device?

It's frustrating that I pay a lot for this service specifically to watch these live races but it is so unreliable.

[lettice]

Having a good local network broadband reach is key to Sky Stream.
Not just broadband speed to your house and router, but for your local network supply via wifi or ethernet, that can be affected in a busy household.

See from your post you may have noted some of below, hope some of it may help.

Sky recommended minimum broadband speed of 25Mbps.

Or 30Mbps if you add an extra Sky Stream puck or to watch in UHD

Live TV or On demand is what needs the recommended speeds and will be more problematic in its need for a reliable and interference free connection than any of the apps.

The apps do have a lower speed threshold and will generally work and cause less issues.

Best way to test is via a network speed test on each of your Pucks.
Launch Netflix on your pucks (you do not need to be logged into it, if you do not use netflix) and scroll down the left menu to Get help.
Choose Check Network.
Would suggest running the test a few times, over say a half hour period during tests.
What is your speed for each puck?

Going out in the latest QS036 software is now a new wifi reporting option.

The QS036 is being rolled out over a month or so period, so you may not have it yet.

You can find this new feature upfront in Settings>Network

It will report a number of differing messages, based on your current wifi connection

Also, it may be suffering from interference,, the puck much like a Sky Q box can for some customers suffer from this at times. More often seen as an intermittent blip.
Not always a cure, but the following may help to resolve;
Make sure you have a good 6-8 inches free on all sides of the puck.
Do not stack the puck on top of any other device.
Best not to sit it on a glass shelf. Wood is generally the best.
Make sure the puck is in the open, not tucked away in a cabinet or sat directly behind the TV.
Make sure you have no other devices that can cause interference closeby, like cordless phones, radiators, baby monitors, smart meter in home displays, microwaves and the like.
You should be using the Sky supplied hdmi cable or a high speed equivalent one.

Plus, change both your pucks to following recommended settings set in Settings>
Turn wifi OFF under Network if connected via ethernet.
Set Network standby mode to ON and Overnight power saving toOFF.

More information like the above on the Sky FAQ help pages link here; https://www.sky.com/help/home/sky-tv/sky-tv-stream/fixing-a-problem-sky-stream/fixing-sky-glass-sky-...

[TristanTom]

Thank you for your reply.

I have tried a number of speed tests through the Netflix app and the average was 67Mbps.

The puck is well away from any other devices that could cause an issue and is on a wooden table.

The build version is QS035.016.00P, hardware model is IP061-ef. There is a 'Refresh apps' option which states it would update apps, would this install QS036 or is it best to wait for it to automatically update?

I would have thought if it was a speed or connection issue the picture would pause or be degraged for a short while but that does not happen, the image just goes black. Pressing anything on the remote doesn't do anything, even the standby button. Also, pressing the standby button on the puck doesn't do anything. The light stays on but it doesn't turn off, even if I press and hold for a while.