Sky+ playback not available

Wig

Holy heck! - Just so there is no confusion it is not actually my box, hence I don't know anything about the current subscription and I can't phone Sky, because the account holder is not here..

I have this message play & record are not available. Last thing recorded was last weekend.

Searching has found this thread
http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-sky/779840-sky-playback-recording-unavailable.html
where they did contact customer service, and they wanted £65 for a service call out. So they tried a hard drive format which didn't work and he tried installing a new HDD and still had no luck, then he stopped replying to the thread.

I also found that this message
http://www.sky.com/helpcentre/tv/sky-plus/error-messages/recording-live-pause-not-available/
can appear just because your subscrition has run out! How bad is that! the "record & play" facility on the sky box which you purchased and is your property is subscription based :mad::mad::mad: I didn't know that.

Is there any way of checking the subscription on the machine itself? For example is there a particular channel available to all subscribers but not to non subscribers? I still have access to the free channels. Which is all I had before, I think.

Please tell me, in the event it is a subscription based fault.
How much is the cheapest subscription and for what period, just so I can clear my HDD and never use it again?
Or can I install it into another household where there is a subscription and access it that way?

In the event the subscription is still valid and it is a system error....
are there any work arounds that work and let you access the recorded material? For example remove HDD and connect it to a PC?
Found this
http://www.techradar.com/news/television/how-to-extract-free-to-air-recordings-from-your-sky-hard-disc-to-a-pc-603109
Will this work? If it's subscritpion problem this would solve everything

spike7451

In order to use the pause/play ect on the Sky+/HD box you either have to subscribe to Sky's packages or pay them £10 a month.

penrhyn

You might be able to go to interactive on the box to check the account, it may be possible to use the last 4 digits of the viewing card as the PIN.

Wig

penrhyn wrote: »

You might be able to go to interactive on the box to check the account, it may be possible to use the last 4 digits of the viewing card as the PIN.

Ok I just found the viewing card hidden inside the front cover, Cannot contact customer accounts.

spannerzone

Well if you can't speak to Sky customer services as it's not your account then you're stuffed I'm afraid! - if the viewing card has an active Sky subscription then it should allow record/playback features to work. If the subscription has been cancelled then it stops working as a PVR and only allows free to air channels to be viewed live in real time.

Usually if you try to play or record something and the card isn't valid it should display saying to upgrade/subscribe or such like.

Wig

The subscription ran out in Sept so it is subscrition related,,,,

Eventually I will remove the hard drive from the unit and connect it to a PC to get the data off it.

Not renewing subscription, no need for it with the freeview and freesat offering better picture quality and plenty of other devices under the TV have hard drives including one on the TV itself! Sky+ in the bin.

Kurtis_Blue

All the data will be encrypted and will need a current Sky card to view.

How does freesat have a better picture quality when it uses exactly the same streams as sky??

Heinz

Wig wrote: »

Eventually I will remove the hard drive from the unit and connect it to a PC to get the data off it.

You may be able to get the data off it but you'll never be able to use it.

Just put the Sky+ on ebay - you'll probably get £10 or £15 for it.

samba

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

All the data will be encrypted and will need a current Sky card to view.

How does freesat have a better picture quality when it uses exactly the same streams as sky??

The streams may be the same, but the decoding circuitry is not, and I've heard is said before that the Humax foxsat box outputs a better picture than sky boxes.

Kurtis_Blue

samba wrote: »

The streams may be the same, but the decoding circuitry is not, and I've heard is said before that the Humax foxsat box outputs a better picture than sky boxes.

Ah, the Humax may well be better but Humax is not freesat, there are numerous freesat boxes.

almillar

Humax Foxsat HD specifically is better hardware than SkyHD+ boxes. Also I think OP is talking about an SD sky box, so we're talking about a picture transmitted to the TV via HDMI insted of SCART at a guess, plus some of the content will actually BE HD.