Can`t record from sky+ to dvd recorder

O

owl123

Guest
Can anyone offer an explanation or advice PLEASE?
"upgraded" from regular sky to sky+ (pace DV3) last month.Tried last night to copy a programme from planner to dvd recorder (sony rdr hx725).Got the message "the picture cannot be recorded" on the screen from the sony.
Spent several hours altering connections and wasting time speaking to sky tech.
By the end of the evening I have found that I get the same message when trying to recor d from anything on the sky+ box.With the exceptions that I can record BBC1,BBC2,ITV and the sky info channels 998 and 999.This shows that the connections are OK,so does anyone out there know what is the problem and a solution before I go nuts......
 
i had that problem with certain channels,don't use the planner,just play back the prog you recorder and record from there
 
That doesn`t work either I`m afraid.
It`s any signal from the sky+ box, from the planner or a live broadcast.
The only exceptions being that I can record BBC1,BBC2,ITV and chans 998 & 999.Everything else just get the message "the picture cannot be recorded".It`s like the picture has copyright protection but from what I have read on this forum,I can`t see anyone else having any problems.:mad:
 
Don't these boxes prevent many programmes recording for copy protection reason?
 
The answer to the above is no. Macrovision protection is mostly used on box office films.

Owl123, when you start the playback on Sky+ is that the error message that appears on your screen?
 
The message "the picture cannot be recorded" is being sent to the screen by the DVD recorder.What is confusing me is that it can record the picture for channels 101,102,103,998 &999 but not any other channels I`ve tried,:mad: or anything in the planner.
 
Now that is strange, it's the first time i've heard of this happening.

Now when you you setup everything on your Sky+, and select copy and get it playing, when does the recorder kick in with it's message?
 
its a quite common problem.i had the same thing with my tommy pv3

can you record bbc1 on the sky+ box then play it back to record on dvdr no problems?or any free sat channel.

here is what to try.

1.first switch off box at the mains for a few minutes then back on try to record say sky one on sky box then play back to dvdr for recording.if this works you have fixed problem but see note at bottom of page.

2.take the keep function off your recordings if you have it on and then try to record.(its said to have worked for some people)

3.try the copy function to see if that will allow you to record to dvdr.

if none of that works then its the last option.
ring sky and tell them that you need a new card(they will try and palm you off telling you that you dont need one but persist)also note that they will cut off your current card straight away none of the above worked for me so i got a new card and it sorted the problems.

i worked out it was the card because i couldnt even record live tv to dvdr except bbc1/bbc2 ect so i swaped it for my multiroom card and sorted the recording live tv.so i persisted for a new card from sky.

also note that all of my recordings on the sky+ made with the old card could not be recorded to dvdr even after i got the new card but anything i recorded to the sky+ with the new card after that could so i had to watch and delete the lot.
 
That sounds like the exact same problem Sugarhigh.
I cannot record live broadcasts either except the 5 channels mentioned.
I`ll try what you suggest and let you know how things work out.
Many thanks:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
Cheers sugarhigh,
You were spot on.
Have had to make several calls to Sky over the last week,each time having to explain what was wrong and each time having to go through the charade of being told that my connection must be wrong or that my DVD recorder and video recorder were the problem.
"I have never heard of this before.There can`t be anything wrong with your card or it would say so.It is working correctly."
They wouldn`t swap the card but sent an engineer last week.He could do nothing.I told him what I`d learned from your reply and he also said he had never heard of that and could not see how swapping the card could help.
Eventually after 2 more calls I got them to send a new card and guess what?--Everything works like it should!
Once again Thank You.If I had not received your reply,I would have been ripping up my Sky subscription and telling them where to put it!!!:clap:
 
I had a similar problem when I got the message "card not authorised" either watching pre-recorded or live (SKY platform programmes only). After phone calls to SKY and a new card, an engineer came out with a new box (ÂŁ65).
I complained to SKY that as I'd been without SKY+ for about 4 days and spent about 3 - 4 hours on the phone, had to take 1/2 days leave from work for the engineers visit, would they give me any credit.
Answer? - To date have not been charged for the callout.
 
Cheers sugarhigh,
You were spot on.
Have had to make several calls to Sky over the last week,each time having to explain what was wrong and each time having to go through the charade of being told that my connection must be wrong or that my DVD recorder and video recorder were the problem.
"I have never heard of this before.There can`t be anything wrong with your card or it would say so.It is working correctly."
They wouldn`t swap the card but sent an engineer last week.He could do nothing.I told him what I`d learned from your reply and he also said he had never heard of that and could not see how swapping the card could help.
Eventually after 2 more calls I got them to send a new card and guess what?--Everything works like it should!
Once again Thank You.If I had not received your reply,I would have been ripping up my Sky subscription and telling them where to put it!!!:clap:


glad to be of help:smashin:
 
if none of that works then its the last option.
ring sky and tell them that you need a new card(they will try and palm you off telling you that you dont need one but persist)also note that they will cut off your current card straight away none of the above worked for me so i got a new card and it sorted the problems.

i worked out it was the card because i couldnt even record live tv to dvdr except bbc1/bbc2 ect so i swaped it for my multiroom card and sorted the recording live tv.so i persisted for a new card from sky.

Hi, I have realised Sky's MASSIVE mistake with Sky+ installations when the buyer already has an old sky box and more importantly an OLD viewing card.

The engineer decided to install the OLD viewing card in the NEW sky+ thompson box and the NEW viewing card in the OLD sky box for multiroom.

This is my theory:

The reason why the copy protection problem shows up is because the new sky+ box is using an outdated (in my case about 5 years) chip on the viewing card. This old viewing card was matched with my old sky box so why not keep it with that box? Assigning the new viewing card with a new and updated chip to the old box is completely backward. This new card should have been used in the new sky+ box!

As a test I too swapped the cards round and surprise surprise the new viewing card in the new sky+ box allows me to record onto my dvd recorder without the copy protection message showing up.

Of course, because the new card is not programmed to work with my sky+ box, it won't let me record to the planner or let me playback anything.


also note that all of my recordings on the sky+ made with the old card could not be recorded to dvdr even after i got the new card but anything i recorded to the sky+ with the new card after that could so i had to watch and delete the lot.

When I put the multiroom card in the sky+ box I could not playback any of my programmes in the planner...does this mean that once sky cut off my current card that I will not be able to view my programmes or will I be able to view them once the new card is inserted into the sky+ box?

Thank you very much for your help!

Why didn't Sky do the obvious thing and assign the new card to the Sky+ box in the first place so I and many others wouldn't be having this problem!? It just seems like the best thing to do...because we all know how old hardware/software can very well be incompatible with new hardware/software . Grrr at sky!
 
The existing card you have being placed into the new sky+ is the way Sky have always done it. This is because the existing card is your 'primary' card and a sky+ box (or Sky HD if you have it) will always be designated the 'primary' box and the two have to go together. Any new card should be used in a multiroom box.
 
The existing card you have being placed into the new sky+ is the way Sky have always done it. This is because the existing card is your 'primary' card and a sky+ box (or Sky HD if you have it) will always be designated the 'primary' box and the two have to go together. Any new card should be used in a multiroom box.

But clearly this is causing issues and I still see no reason why the new card cannot become primary card. They're just cards with numbers on them...

Does anyone know what will happen to my programmes in the planner once my primary card is deactivated? Will I still be able to view them with the new card or do I have to watch everything before the current card is deactived?

Thank v much.
 
Well, when the new system was first launched they announced with great fanfare that there was no longer such a thing as a primary card and any card could now be designated as the primary card. This worked great for new customers signed up from august 2005 as they were all on the new system. However, when all the other accounts were pushed onto the new system serious issues arose about primary and secondary cards and all sorts of errors, bugs and general trouble occured. 3 months later it was decided to re-instate the primary and secondary card rules and things went a lot smoother. yes there have been troubles since then but nothing like on the scale previously.

Sorry, forgot to add, any program recorded from a FTV or Sky channel will become unwatchable. Anything recorded from BBC's, ITV's or any FTA channel you'll still be able to watch.
 
Sorry, forgot to add, any program recorded from a FTV or Sky channel will become unwatchable. Anything recorded from BBC's, ITV's or any FTA channel you'll still be able to watch.
What's the difference between FTV and FTA? I understand that without a viewing card present most channels are unwatchable and recordings from these channels will not playback without a sky+ subscription card but what you don't make clear is that when I receive my replacement card will this allow me to resume playing back all my previously recorded programmes or will they not play on the new card?

Thanks again.
 
Ello just wondering if you could answer my questions above before I give sky a call. Thanks and sorry to pester!
 
What's the difference between FTV and FTA? I understand that without a viewing card present most channels are unwatchable and recordings from these channels will not playback without a sky+ subscription card but what you don't make clear is that when I receive my replacement card will this allow me to resume playing back all my previously recorded programmes or will they not play on the new card?

Thanks again.


As far as I can tell, only programs on channels you can receive without a viewing card (BBC's, ITV's and about 100 foreign and shopping channels!) will playback with your new card.
 
hi, i have posted the question below on the forum today and although my problem is with a vcr it does sound remarkably similar.

Before i go ahead do you think this is the same problem?? many thanks !!

------------------

had a Pace sky plus box installed yesterday and all is fine with it, or so
I thought until I tried to record something on my VCR. The VCR is connected
via scart to the sky plus box which in turn is connected via scart to the tv
as described in the sky plus handbook and how it was connected on my old sky
box.

When I turn the VCR on the scart does its duty and the sky
picture appears through my VCR as normal but when i press record on the vcr
the picture goes alot darker and sometimes even goes blank/bluescreen before
reappearing but still dark.
Press stop on the vcr and the picture returns to normal.
I have tried a different scart lead, vcr tape and even vcr but with no
change. A sky engineer came round to look at it but says whatever the
problem is it is not the sky box as he tried a replacement box.

The vcr records fine from terrestrial and also does fine from BBC channels,
ITV 1 - 4 and sky news through sky+ ( most of the free to air channels ) but strangely not Channel 4, channel 5 or the other sky channels like sky sports.

If anybody can help it it would be great !!
 
Yes it is the same problem because I tried to copy to vcr and got the same dark, flickering image which is the macrovision kicking in.

You need a new card. I'm still trying to watch everything and stop the rest of my family recording new things onto the planner from the problem channels before I ring up Sky but it's taking so long!

Let us know if you decide to ring Sky.
 
will do, i am in the same boat of trying to find the right time to go ahead with this as my planner is backlogged with programmes from the sky channels that i want to watch before losing them. Am i right in thinking that the stuff i record from the FTA channels will be ok to watch?

but thanks for the forum, i havent been able to find anything to explain this problem anywhere else, at least now i know what the problem could be. Its been driving me mad for days now !
 
my new card arrived on saturday and all is working fine now.
Just so you know, when you call sky for a new card they pretty much cancel the old one immediately. You can still watch the FTA channels and any recordings you made on the sky plus box from these free channels are still fine to watch, so you dont need to watch everything on your sky planner before you order the new card. I called wednesday and the new card was here saturday.
When i put the new card in, the old recordings on the sky planner from the FTA channels still worked as well, something i was not expecting.

But i tried recording from sky sports and channel 5, etc and all is fine.
good luck with yours.
 
Great news thanks! I haven't got round to asking for a new card so will be waiting til after Christmas now as I don't want to risk being cut off and not receive the card before the post ceases!
 

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