Problems with Sky + box

jessmist

Hi,
I have been having problems with my sky plus box,it just switches itself off at various times and the only way to get it to work again is to turn it off at the socket and wait a while for it to reset.
I have got it covered with sky protect so i rang them yesterday and the talked me through a disk clean up to see if this would sort it and if this fails i will have to do a full system restore but i would lose everything in my planner.If my box needs replaced will i have to have the new HD box or would i just get a sky plus box.As i do not want to pay £10 a month extra.

Thanks

neonraindrops85

I don't have a Sky+ box but have normal Sky box. Do you get a message saying it's about to go onto standby?

jessmist

neonraindrops85 wrote: »

I don't have a Sky+ box but have normal Sky box. Do you get a message saying it's about to go onto standby?

No it justs gives like a popping sound and just goes off.

jimbms

Sounds like power supply fault. easiest method is let them supply a new box. SO get watching everything on the planner. Even if they gave you a HD box in the hope you would subscribe they cannot force you to pay the £10 for HD but if they do offer it then I would get it if you have a HD TV, it is worth it and a better box.

jessmist

jimbms wrote: »

Sounds like power supply fault. easiest method is let them supply a new box. SO get watching everything on the planner. Even if they gave you a HD box in the hope you would subscribe they cannot force you to pay the £10 for HD but if they do offer it then I would get it if you have a HD TV, it is worth it and a better box.

They seem to want to try everything else before they supply a new box.
I have got a Hd tv but i do not fancy paying a extra £10 a month.

spike7451

jimbms wrote: »

Sounds like power supply fault. easiest method is let them supply a new box. SO get watching everything on the planner. Even if they gave you a HD box in the hope you would subscribe they cannot force you to pay the £10 for HD but if they do offer it then I would get it if you have a HD TV, it is worth it and a better box.

More than likely a Thompson Sky+ as their PSU's are notorious for blowing up,Eventually it'll fail alltogether.You can get the PSU replaced cheaply enough (see the list at the top of this forum)
Sky will replace the box on a like for like basis but the box you get will be a reconditioned second hand one.Nine times out of ten,the original fault is still on the replacement box as it was on my one & the box may be older than your current one.

Spike (ex Sky Engineer)

jessmist

spike7451 wrote: »

More than likely a Thompson Sky+ as their PSU's are notorious for blowing up,Eventually it'll fail alltogether.You can get the PSU replaced cheaply enough (see the list at the top of this forum)
Sky will replace the box on a like for like basis but the box you get will be a reconditioned second hand one.Nine times out of ten,the original fault is still on the replacement box as it was on my one & the box may be older than your current one.

Spike (ex Sky Engineer)

Ye it is a Thompson sky+ box and it is coming up to three years old.
I don't like the idea of getting a reconditioned one.

macman

All the new boxes are HD, this does not require you to take an HD subscription though. But most likely you will get a recon. Much better to get your own PSU properly repaired if you don't want to take up the HD option.

jessmist

macman wrote: »

All the new boxes are HD, this does not require you to take an HD subscription though. But most likely you will get a recon. Much better to get your own PSU properly repaired if you don't want to take up the HD option.

Thanks for the reply.
I take it sky don't supply just a sky + box now.
So even if they give me a HD box it will probably be reconditioned do they not give out new ones.If i got a hd box given and i don't take the HD pack will i be able to watch bbc and itv in hd.

Thanks

spike7451

jessmist wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
I take it sky don't supply just a sky + box now.
So even if they give me a HD box it will probably be reconditioned do they not give out new ones.If i got a hd box given and i don't take the HD pack will i be able to watch bbc and itv in hd.

Thanks

Nope,Sky binned all the other boxes & now only do the HD although they still have to supply the older boxes to existing customers on Service Calls.(not sure if you can get the bog standard ones on multi room tho....mmmm..)
If you upgrade to the HD (Which is what it'll be) you'll get a new HD box,you can get it without the HD sub for £49 one off.

will-in-estoril

The advice given so far is excellent.

Just a couple of things to add:

1. A repair could cost as little as £30, if you can avoid postage charges, at least with those repairers in the north west.
2. You could buy a working second hand HD box from an auction site, or you could buy a faulty one for as little as £20 - £25, then have that repaired as above. Once repaired, the box is unlikely to fail for many years.