Fault? Random messages appearing on-screen etc

[Gordie]

I am hoping someone can help me here. I don't live in a cable area, so I have no experience with the virgin box.

My 81 year old dad has had his cable box for a good few years now. He recently got a new TV (37" Panny Plasma), and ever since I connected the virgin box to it, he has had the following problems:

Message - Replace batteries in remote (3 times in 2 weeks). He changed them yesterday and has been prompted to replace them again tonight.

The box automatically turning the subtitles on (nearly every night).

The main menu popping up, again without even being anywhere near the remote.

It has also completely switched off (just the 2 green lights on the front of the box - no channel numbers). It locked-up and he had to unplug the box and leave it for 5 mins before trying again.

And when I was over tonight, waiting on something to happen, the number 1 appeared in the top left hand corner (as if I was going to change channel).

All these issues/messages are coming from the cable box.

Surely this has nothing to do with the new TV? Has anyone had any experience of these issues.

We thought the ghost had disappeared years ago !!!

[mike7]

From what you say there is no indication as to whether the fault messages are actually from the TV or the cable box. If you have an aerial, try the TV with a normal Freeview signal and see what happens then. That will overcome any problems that might be coming from unfamilar Tv controls. Batteries last years not weeks unless there is something wrong with the remote and a button is permenantly stuck 'on'. If the Tv seems OK with a aerial signal it must be a fault in the Virgin Box, or the Virgin remote control.

It is very unlikely that a new TV will affect a box that worked normally before. Make sure all the connections are firmly in place. Is the Scart connected properly. Has the installation been moved with the new Tv being put into place?. Failing all that call and ask for a Virgin engineer to come out and check things. There is no 'call out' charge.

[Gordie]

Thank's for your reply Mike. The messages are definately coming from the cable box as he need's to press the "Back" button on the virgin remote to remove them. I also asked him to go onto freeview to see if the subtitles come up - which they didn't. Flicking back to AV1 (Virgin Box) and the subtitles were there.

TBH, I was convinced that he may have been pressing the buttons inadvertently, but witnessing it for myself last night ruled that out.

I have asked him to phone them today to report the fault and await the outcome.

Thanks again
Gordie

[dante01]

What type of lighting is used in the room where the STB is? I know that some energy efficient light bulbs cause problems with the remote and the STB. Also, strong light sources also cause problems.

It could also have something to do with the plasma TV, either its remote or signals the TV itself is emitting?

[lostboybinns]

What box is it? The pace boxes are renound for having problems with plasma tvs. Ours did something similar so I rang Virgin and demanded they swap the box for the samsung one else I'd leave. They did and its worked ever since.........V+ box works great too

ntl remote problem

[m.stephens]

My LCD TV manages to block the VM remote control completely until it warms up so it wouldn't surprise me if your problems were related to the new TV emitting something which the STB thinks are Infra Red control signals. For some reason, these problems only seem to happen with the older PACE boxes which use IRDA instead of the normal infra-red system used by just about everthing else on the planet.

Might be worth telling VM that you want a replacement box - if they are awkward and say that the TV is the problem, you could point out that the Pace 1010 (assuming thats the one you've got) doesn't properly format the UKTV channels which has absolutely nothing to do with the TV and everything to do with the box being cr*p.

[lostboybinns]

welll report back then dude!

[Gordie]

Sorry for the delay in updatting this thread guys.

Well My dad phoned Virgin on Friday and explained what was happening and he said the woman he spoke to was very helpful. He's not great at explaining things, so here's what he told me:

She got him to go to the front of the box and press the buttons she asked. She then said that the box was fine and then got him to press certain buttons on the remote. Each time he pressed the remote button, he had to tell her what it said on the screen. She said that out of the 5 buttons he pressed, 2 of the messages were wrong. She then said that the remote is faulty and that it was a known fault. She is sending out a new remote to him to try.

I'll let you know how hw gets on.

[lostboybinns]

yeah thats what they told me.....but I already had 2 remotes and tried them both

[Gordie]

Originally Posted by lostboybinns

yeah thats what they told me.....but I already had 2 remotes and tried them both

Well the replacement remote didn't help at all. When I went to see him last Thursday, he said that he kept getting a message up on screen saying that it couldn't recognise his viewing card and to make sure it was in properly (as well as still getting the subtitles message). So I phoned VM probably about 7.30pm and the guy said that he would get an engineer out the following morning. I wrote down all the problems he had been having and as soon as the engineer read it, he said that it looks like the box is knackered and within 20 minutes, my dad had a new box - and never had any problems since.

All in all, apart from waiting about 20 minutes to speak with someone, I didn't have any complaints with the service my dad got.

There was a funny bit while on the phone. The guy said that there needed to be someone in the house over the age of 16 to let the engineer in - or it would cost £10.00 for the call-out. I asked why someone under 16 meant it was a £10.00 call-out, but if they were over 16 it was free!!!

I do have blonde hair.

[dante01]

Originally Posted by Gordie

I do have blonde hair.

Don't let VM know or they'll charge you double!

[Gordie]

Well that's my dad's new box packed-in as well (at least I think it has). He was on the phone there saying he isn't getting a picture at all, and the front of the box has "RP31" on the display instead of a channel number.

Anyone know what this code means?

Cheers
Gordie

[dante01]

Originally Posted by Gordie

Well that's my dad's new box packed-in as well (at least I think it has). He was on the phone there saying he isn't getting a picture at all, and the front of the box has "RP31" on the display instead of a channel number.

Anyone know what this code means?

Cheers
Gordie

It is part of the boot sequence, but the box is failing to complete the process and is sticking and therefore fails to progress any further. It could be the box, but is more likely to be the network that is at fault. You can phone VM and they'll probably arrange for an engineer to visit you, but you'll find that the problem rectifies itself and your dad will sit in waiting for the engineer that VM have cancelled without telling him. Been there, done that.

Ring VM and ensure you emphasise that you suspect the problem is related to the network and that you don't believe the box itself is at fault, ensure that the person you speak to checks for area outages and network problems.

[Gordie]

Thanks for your reply Dante. You are right, it looks like it didn't boot up properly. I asked him to unplug the box and try it again, and this time it came on, but after about 10 minutes.

I have told him to keep an eye on it.

Thanks again
Gordie