sky+ box failing...

I have a 3 month old sky+ box that has started playing up in the last
month.

We record children's programs for our litte daughter so they get played back
a lot of times.
But more and more of the stored programs are suffering from this problem:

Press select to play it and you get a stationary "play" icon on the screen,
and a frozen frame of the current satellite channel, that's all. Backup
still works to get you back -the whole box isn't locked up.
We're also getting stuttering on playback and fast forward on some recorded
programs - this seems to be the early stages of the problem described above
, and each program seems to go through it eventually ...

Programs record OK and play the first few times OK. The problem happens even
if no other program is being played/paused etc.

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out, if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?
Is this common?
If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner or will I be
completely without sky until fixed?
Is there some way to diagnose better?

Thanks to anyone who can offer advice.
keith

"keith dulwich" wrote in message
...
I have a 3 month old sky+ box that has started playing up in the last
month.

We record children's programs for our litte daughter so they get played
back
a lot of times.
But more and more of the stored programs are suffering from this problem:

Press select to play it and you get a stationary "play" icon on the
screen,
and a frozen frame of the current satellite channel, that's all. Backup
still works to get you back -the whole box isn't locked up.
We're also getting stuttering on playback and fast forward on some
recorded
programs - this seems to be the early stages of the problem described
above
, and each program seems to go through it eventually ...

Programs record OK and play the first few times OK. The problem happens
even
if no other program is being played/paused etc.

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out, if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?
Is this common?
If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner or will I be
completely without sky until fixed?
Is there some way to diagnose better?

Thanks to anyone who can offer advice.
keith


In the past I've been able to get the box back to working correctly by doing
a full reset which wipes the disk. I suspect under some circumstamces
(failure or bug) the disk is not left in a clean state, as a result of which
it write info where it shouldnt and over time things get worse. As long as
its just that, and not actual disk failure, a full reset should get you a
properly working system. You'll lose all stored programmes.

FWIW when my hard disk failed we were able to watch OK.
--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

"keith dulwich" wrote in message
...
I have a 3 month old sky+ box that has started playing up in the last
month.

We record children's programs for our litte daughter so they get played
back
a lot of times.
But more and more of the stored programs are suffering from this problem:

Press select to play it and you get a stationary "play" icon on the
screen,
and a frozen frame of the current satellite channel, that's all. Backup
still works to get you back -the whole box isn't locked up.
We're also getting stuttering on playback and fast forward on some
recorded
programs - this seems to be the early stages of the problem described
above
, and each program seems to go through it eventually ...

Programs record OK and play the first few times OK. The problem happens
even
if no other program is being played/paused etc.

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out, if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?
Is this common?
If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner or will I be
completely without sky until fixed?
Is there some way to diagnose better?

Thanks to anyone who can offer advice.
keith


In the past I've been able to get the box back to working correctly by doing
a full reset which wipes the disk. I suspect under some circumstamces
(failure or bug) the disk is not left in a clean state, as a result of which
it write info where it shouldnt and over time things get worse. As long as
its just that, and not actual disk failure, a full reset should get you a
properly working system. You'll lose all stored programmes.

FWIW when my hard disk failed we were able to watch OK.
--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

keith dulwich wrote:

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

No. Unless you wear out the disk space it is recorded onto.


Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out,

It certainly is. Either that or a formatting problem.


if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?

It may. It's worth trying as Sky won't swap the box without trying it
anyway.


Is this common?

Yes.


If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner

Yes. A Sky+ without a hard drive displays TV in the normal way, as
mentioned.

As your box is only three months old I see little point in delaying
the warranty service call.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/yvnsy
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

keith dulwich wrote:

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

No. Unless you wear out the disk space it is recorded onto.


Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out,

It certainly is. Either that or a formatting problem.


if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?

It may. It's worth trying as Sky won't swap the box without trying it
anyway.


Is this common?

Yes.


If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner

Yes. A Sky+ without a hard drive displays TV in the normal way, as
mentioned.

As your box is only three months old I see little point in delaying
the warranty service call.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/yvnsy
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

mine did simular, hard drive was KO'd

get sky out and they will replace.

"Jomtien" wrote in message
...
keith dulwich wrote:

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

No. Unless you wear out the disk space it is recorded onto.


Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out,

It certainly is. Either that or a formatting problem.


if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?

It may. It's worth trying as Sky won't swap the box without trying it
anyway.


Is this common?

Yes.


If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner

Yes. A Sky+ without a hard drive displays TV in the normal way, as
mentioned.

As your box is only three months old I see little point in delaying
the warranty service call.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/yvnsy
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

mine did simular, hard drive was KO'd

get sky out and they will replace.

"Jomtien" wrote in message
...
keith dulwich wrote:

Can you wear out a given recorded program by playing it back too often?

No. Unless you wear out the disk space it is recorded onto.


Is this looking like a hard disk on its way out,

It certainly is. Either that or a formatting problem.


if so will a full reset
somehow patch out the damaged bits? - and stop it happening again?

It may. It's worth trying as Sky won't swap the box without trying it
anyway.


Is this common?

Yes.


If the disk does fail will I still be able to us the tuner

Yes. A Sky+ without a hard drive displays TV in the normal way, as
mentioned.

As your box is only three months old I see little point in delaying
the warranty service call.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/yvnsy
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)