Not sure what to do now with Thompson box

[Rich Marshall]

I have one of the original Thompson boxes.
I've had the usual problems in the past so I changed the PSU with the recommended upgrade and the HDD to a new 1TB WD.
Since the upgrades it has been fine for a year or so but lately the box is running very slowly through the menus to the point of being unresponsive and also I have picture drop-outs almost every other day.

I do regular planner rebuilds and the picture drop-out can usually be fixed by switching the HDMI input on the TV and switching back.

Any ideas on how to fix the above would be good, or is it time to attempt to get a new box from sky or a second hand one on ebay?

Can't afford a new box, I'd rather just cancel Sky and get a freeview HD/freesat HD recorded if It's going to cost hundreds.

 

[holiday]

I am sorry to hear that what you can do is contact jeremey darroch and his executive support team can give you either a free sky hd box or pay £49 towards a 1tb box. See you hou get on they reply within 24 hours.

[email protected]
there is the contact email address. let us know what happens

 

[Tight Git]

You should have absolutely no problem getting a replacement from Sky, hopefully without going down the complaints route .

 

[holiday]

Tight Git, when i phoned up sky they were sending a free refurb box and not a brand new box and the support team were suprised that I was getting a refurb box when it should have been a free brand new box... I am not complaining but if you do want something done and need a replacement just go directly to the exec team. the exec team did say I can contact them in reagrds to anythin apparently

 

[Rich Marshall]

Thanks for the replies, should I tell them I have upgraded the box or keep it quiet?

 

[holiday]

Just be quiet as it has invalidated your warranty

 

[holiday]

Dear Mr Darroch

My name is Mr XXXX and I am a subscribing to Sky Sports and Entertainment Extra. Currently I am have a Sky+HD box and suddenly I am having numerous problems with my television services as there is picture break up and sound break ups. Your technical team have resolved the issue previously but it is happening more often.

Therefore your your technical team have given me the opportunity to have a free service call on Wednesday 14th December 2011. The agent who I was discussing my problems with was not very helpful, as she said to me that she was not certain that if I was getting a brand new replacement or a refurbished Sky+HD box. Can you please inform me via email as I am unable to speak to you on the phone as I have meetings all day until 5.30 this evening to inform me if it is a brand new box or refurbished box. The reason I am asking you this is because I have been a customer since 2006 and having Sky+HD services in 2008 therefore I believe to expect a brand new box not like a refurbished box as I am out of warranty.

Like your slogan has informed your customers to believe in better I believe this is the opportunity to make your slogan come true and provide me with a brand new box not a refurbished box as I want to believe in better.

My contact details are:

Mobile Number: XXXXXX

Email Address:XXXXX

Sky Digital Account Number:XXXX

I hope to speak to you soon in regards to this.

 

[holiday]

Try this template as it helped me and I hope it helps you

 

[961]

Thanks for the replies, should I tell them I have upgraded the box or keep it quiet?

It will be of no interest to them at all

You should, as said, get a new box either free or for under £50. But if you hope to get it for Christmas you'd better get cracking today

 

[peter hogben]

I was brought up to believe that with anything made by Thompson it is best to throw it in the Harbour and get a different make. You've just reminded me.

 

[HD sceptic]

I was brought up to believe that with anything made by Thompson it is best to throw it in the Harbour and get a different make. You've just reminded me.

That is a bit harsh, I have an old Thomson widescreen CRT, styled by Phillipe Stark, it looks awesome, and the picture quality was superb compared to similar spec TV's at the time.

 

[logiciel]

is it time to attempt to get a new box from sky
if it's going to cost hundreds.

It's way past time - you should have had it ages ago.
It won't cost hundreds, it won't cost anything.
Begin the simple way as dozens of other posters have done:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/1452677-replacement-pvrs-supplied-sky-request.html
The first step is a simple brief e-mail on the form at MySky.
If that doesn't work first time, repeat the process.
If that doesn't work use the Complaints form at MySky.
Only in the unlikely event that that doesn't work need you bring J D into the matter - again quite briefly.
Polite Persistence Pays in this and in most things to do with Sky.

 

[Rich Marshall]

It's way past time - you should have had it ages ago.
It won't cost hundreds, it won't cost anything.
Begin the simple way as dozens of other posters have done:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/1452677-replacement-pvrs-supplied-sky-request.html
The first step is a simple brief e-mail on the form at MySky.
If that doesn't work first time, repeat the process.
If that doesn't work use the Complaints form at MySky.
Only in the unlikely event that that doesn't work need you bring J D into the matter - again quite briefly.
Polite Persistence Pays in this and in most things to do with Sky.

Sorry for being thick but what 'form at MYSky' are you referring to?

been on the help forum (if that's what you meant?)

Got this reply from a member

"You have a couple choices have it repaired ( this something sky do not carry out),replace or have an engineer call out which would include a replacement box if that is what is reqd,this comes with a 90 day warranty costing £65.00"

No mention of free or £49

 

[holiday]

Just email JD and ask him and use the template which I posted to you

it really works I had the choice of getting a Sky+HD box with free install or pay £49 for the 1TB box

I have had a reply as well:

I would like to confirm as per our telephone conversation that I have arranged for a 1TB box for 49.00GBP to be installed by the special heights team on the 14/12/11.


I would also like to add that your current box will be left for you as you have had this box for over 12 months this is your equipment to keep.


I hope this email confirms the matter for you,


Kind Regards


Executive Support Team

Sky Executive Email Address: [email protected]

 

[davemurgatroyd2]

I was brought up to believe that with anything made by Thompson it is best to throw it in the Harbour and get a different make. You've just reminded me.

The usual faulty component in the Thomson Sky HD box is the power supply which was actually subscontracted out to Samsung - the rest of the box is pretty reliable. So in this case it should mean throwing everything Samsung into the Harbour.

 

[holiday]

I sometimes think that Samsung has the upper hand though

 

[simon194]

That is a bit harsh, I have an old Thomson widescreen CRT, styled by Phillipe Stark, it looks awesome, and the picture quality was superb compared to similar spec TV's at the time.

Most of the old Thomson CRT TV's used a Philips chassis and tube so the comment is a bit harsh.

 

[logiciel]

Sorry for being thick but what 'form at MYSky' are you referring to?
been on the help forum (if that's what you meant?)

That's OK - all Sky customers should have an account at MySky, where the Contact link at the bottom of the front page takes you to that first form, and naturally enough the Complaints link takes you to its form.
The comments that you saw on their forum are valid but there are much more than the couple of choices that are only a small part of the possibilities that are open to you.
Holiday has skipped several stages and has been successful, but I still recommend the step by step method, with J D and the EST as the last resort.
You'll see from the Replacement thread that many people have been successful that way, and T G is right that you're likely to be the same without even going as far as the "complaint route".

I sometimes think that Samsung has the upper hand though

If I understand that correctly I agree and would go further and say that sometimes should read always.

 

[Rich Marshall]

Update:

Just been on the live chat thing at MySky.

The nice advisor has arranged for an 'engineer' to visit tomorrow afternoon with a "hopefully brand new" box. He/she will be taking my old box away though - I'll ask the 'engineer' about that and about it being new when he/she rings to confirm appointment.

I'll be removing my 1Tb drive and PSU if they do require it back!

 

[holiday]

Sky should are not allowed to do that as you own the equipment they should just give you the box. If you read my earlier post you will understand what I mean.

 

[Broadz]

Sky should are not allowed to do that as you own the equipment they should just give you the box

Sky are "replacing" all old Thomson boxes to take them out of circulation because their component output means that they are circumnavigating HDCP copy-protection which is enforced via HDMI. They aren't just giving out free HD boxes to all and sundry. Removal of the Thomson box means that the OP isn't going to call up in six weeks time and tell them, again, that he has a Thomson HD box which isn't working and he wants an Amstrad box instead.

 

[Rich Marshall]

They're welcome to the damn thing - remember it's not working properly anymore. Also I didn't mention that the magic eye power supply failed years ago so will be nice to get that back for the bedroom.
I'll drop the old broken 300Gb HDD and broken PSU back in today.

 

[logiciel]

That was a remarkably rapid success story.
Good to see you put the so-called engineer between his quote marks!

 

[davemurgatroyd2]

Sky should are not allowed to do that as you own the equipment they should just give you the box. If you read my earlier post you will understand what I mean.

Cobblers - try reading the terms and conditions relating to "service visits" - where faulty boxes are replaced on an exchange basis. Sky have always operated their "repair scheme" on service visits in this way.

 

[holiday]

Cobblers - try reading the terms and conditions relating to "service visits" - where faulty boxes are replaced on an exchange basis. Sky have always operated their "repair scheme" on service visits in this way.

But when I contacted JD's team they said I get to keep the box as its my own equipment