Please Help!!

OkiDoki

Standard Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Points
30
I have just tried to get into our planner, but it is displaying the following message:

"System Fault 21-52R

Sky+ Playback and Recordings are Unavailable"

When I came out of it, the box froze.

Do I need to be worried or call Sky?
 
I think the box has given up the ghost. I unplugged it, left it for about five minutes, plugged it back in, gave it about the same amount of time, and thought it was going to be okay once it had powered up again. However, when I tried bringing up the TV Guide, it went into standby mode.

I have read about this problem after googling it and am now wondering if it is an EPG update gone wrong or the weather wreaking more havoc.

I have now unplugged the box and will call Sky in the morning. I can not be bothered with that hassle at such a late hour. Did I do the right thing by leaving it unplugged? If the HDD has died, I don't think it will make much difference, but if it can be fixed, then will it being without power for that period of time cause more problems?

Many thanks.
 
Leaving it unpowered was OK but then if it still doesn't work it's time for a replacement.
 
Leaving it unpowered was OK but then if it still doesn't work it's time for a replacement.

Thank you for replying. I phoned Sky this morning and that was quite an experience. I did a bit of research on this fault and it appears to be due to a bad software update that the box was unable to cope with. I already knew bad updates could cause problems, but not as severe as this. Anyway, we went through several procedures and the guy said I would have to do a full reboot (thereby deleting all the recordings). I am unwilling to do this for the following reasons. For at least a year-and-a-half, I've been recording things my two favourite actors have been in. I spent considerable time going through each film/show, determining the timings of their scenes, so I could manually record the scenes from repeats (in order to save disk space). I must have done this at least fifty times (taking many hours). I was waiting to get a DVD recorder, so I could back all those recordings up and transfer them to my computer. I have been editing their scenes from downloads and DVDs, then uploading them to YouTube (please see YouTube - NattieChristopher's Channel). I was going to do the same with what I have recorded on the Sky box. What makes this even more annoying is that I was going to get a DVD recorder for Christmas. Already had one picked out too. :( My reasoning might seem a bit silly to you, but hopefully you will see why I do NOT want the recordings deleted.

Back on topic. The last thing suggested was to get an engineer out and I was told we'd need to pay for it. I said that I'd researched the fault and that them wanting to charge us for the call-out was more or less Sky not taking any responsibility for their fault. I then threatened cancellation of our subscription. There was a silence for several moments. He told me he was checking the system for engineer times and dates. They are coming on Friday afternoon. Result! :cool:

However, back to the recordings. Is there anyway at all of saving them? Either through Sky or other means. I really don't want to lose them.
 
Copy+ ?
 

Many thanks for that. I tried to register on the forum, but got the following error:

"Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 20971520 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 1749087 bytes) in /home/fhlinux165/s/skycopyplus.co.uk/user/htdocs/forum/includes/acm/acm_file.php on line 688"

I was going to ask how it worked. Do you need to be able to watch the recordings? I meant to say before, that the box is continually going into standby mode, so would that make any difference?
 
I have never used it. I am sure someone on here will answer your questions.
 
Nobody would be happy about losing their recordings but I can certainly see that you have a stronger reason than most for wanting to keep them!
Impress that fact on the Sky employee - he won't have an engineer's degree! - and let us know the result.
 
The installer will swap your Digibox and, if you complain, he'll tell you to contact Sky for compensation - a credit on your account.

If you want to keep your recordings, you'd better remove the Hard Drive before the Sky Installer arrives!
 
The installer will swap your Digibox and, if you complain, he'll tell you to contact Sky for compensation - a credit on your account.

If you want to keep your recordings, you'd better remove the Hard Drive before the Sky Installer arrives!

I thought we'd get to keep the box. When we upgraded to HD, they never took the old one. Are you sure they'll definitely want to take the box? Also, should I phone them to confirm that they will have a spare box? I don't want to have to wait on a replacement if they haven't got one.

I'll be complaining alright. They are not going to get away with this. When I was researching the fault, I came across several posts from last year stating the exact same problem as we've had with ours. So, they have known about it for that length of time and done nothing about it. Would this not be the same as Microsoft releasing updates that would harm your computer? If so, they would surely be compensating/apologizing.
 
But you aren't upgrading this time. You are asking Sky to fix a fault. The quickest/easiest solution for Sky is to swap your Digibox.

But the first thing the installer will try is to wipe the Hard Drive.
 
Update:
 
When the engineer arrived, the first thing he did was to check the back of the box. He said straight away that it was "goosed." He never tried any of the usual procedures. The first thing I said was that I was unwilling to lose any of the recordings and explained why. His reply to that was that I would have to as he was going to take the box. I argued that the box was (in my opinion) my property and that I didn't think Sky were legally allowed to take it against my wishes. After all, the box was bought by myself, and was about a year-and-a-half old (thus being out of warranty). He phoned his manager and was told to let me keep it. However, the guy insisted that taking the old boxes was procedure.

Anyway, I thought our troubles were over now that we had a new box. I was very much mistaken. I recorded about half-a-dozen programmes on Friday and they were near impossible to watch. The picture kept jumping about and quite a few green streaks flashed across the screen. On Saturday, there wasn't as much jumping, but there was more of the green streaking. Additionally, one of the recorded programmes (which was thirty-minutes in length) came up as being more than 200-minutes in the planner. Have any of you got any ideas as to what can be causing these problems?
 
I am in the process of writing a letter of complaint to Sky. They seriously need to revise their policies, software updates and the quality of the equipment they give to customers. I mean, they were quick enough to want to charge for the call out to fix something they more than likely broke. Yet, they wouldn't let me retain a faulty box. Over the years, this household has given them thousands of pounds, and they were most reluctant to let us keep a piece of equipment I had PAID for!! If the box had been rented, then I'd understand them wanting it back. But, I had bought it outright, so how exactly does that make it Sky's property?
 
As you have already been told rather than try to fix a problem Sky choose to replace your box with a refurbished one. The operative word being replace there are more than enough lengthy and very full explanations on this site if you wish to search for them but they are of course well within their rights to take the box.
 
I hate to say "I told you so", but I did. It's lucky you were there. Sky charge a fixed price to fix the fault. If the Digibox is faulty, the price you pay covers the part-exchange cost. They take your box and "refurbish" it to give to some other poor sod. It sounds like you got a "refurbished" box, which is faulty.

I can't see the make and model of your old Digibox or your location. If you are anywhere near Derbyshire, I recommend you contact Michael and see if he can do a quick repair. TV, VCR and Digibox (Satellite receiver) repairs, spares, sales - UK service
 
Last edited:
The make and model of the old faulty receiver are relevant, if you'd like to tell us what it is.
 
As you have already been told rather than try to fix a problem Sky choose to replace your box with a refurbished one. The operative word being replace there are more than enough lengthy and very full explanations on this site if you wish to search for them but they are of course well within their rights to take the box.

I will do a search, but a link would be greatly appreciated. Everyone I speak to can't believe the arrogance of Sky. It is an absolute disgrace that they get away with this nonsense. I feel so strongly about this that I am willing and ready to take the situation a lot further. After years of good custom, they turn round and shirk any responsibility of sending bad updates and supplying faulty equipment.

Not good enough!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sky's call out fee of £65 includes repair of anything required to give you a working system. Sky choose to operate their "repair" scheme on digiboxes by exchanging your non-working box for another box and returning the duff one to a repair centre for "refurbishment" and future supply to another customer. In the past some people have been able to insist that their box was taken away, repaired and returned to them but in your case that would appear to have no advantage to you as from the symptoms you quote it would appear that the HDD has gone faulty and all the recordings are probably lost. The last time I searched on their website the terms and conditions of their service scheme were posted which makes their scheme completely legal and in most cases the most sensible solution to giving continued viewing to their customers.

Are you technically qualified to state as you did in a previous post that this is a software fault and not a failed HDD as would appear most likely.

You are out of warranty and even under the "sale of Goods Act" if the fault is hardware related as appears most likely, Sky (and any other retailer) are legally entitled to charge a "repair fee" commensurate with the usage you have had from the equipment.
 
Last edited:
Forgive me but I'm a stickler for accuracy. Sky installers don't "repair" anything. They simply make substitutions.

They repair the system by replacing anything necessary.
 
Yes of course but I wanted to remove the ambiguity because a lot of Sky customers expect an "engineer" to turn up with a soldering iron and a bag of spare parts.
 
For example a poster reported recently that his engineer "took a look at the back of the box" and diagnosed that there was something wrong with it. :D
 
I just cast a glance at a UPS and diagnosed that there was something wrong with it. Of course, the fact that it had keeled over during a lightning storm and wasn't working was a useful clue. ;)

The customer "thought it might be a fuse" but, since it doesn't contain a fuse, I explained to him that it was wishful thinking.

Curiously, my own ADSL router went BANG during the same storm and emitted a puff of smoke. It still works perfectly. A glance inside shows scorch marks on the PCB but no damaged components!
 
Last edited:

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom