We're now on our second box, after the first sky + box went tits up, but now we're having problems with this one too. The problem is that live rewind doesn't seem to want to work. Now, I hadn't noticed this myself (though I don't use it that much) but my Dad mentioned it earlier, I tested it, and nothing was rewinding</p> So, has anyone had a similar problem? Does it seem my only option is to (yet again) call out sky to come repair it? Just fed up of paying the money for the boxes to then break eventually </p>
Rewind seems to be a common fault on PVR's - after live pause or during playback. When you do that on my Thomson box you will often end up back at the beginning whether you want to or not.
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">you need to do a new install - it will remove all the recording you have on the box. another option is a sky planner rebuild that sometimes works.You need to be in the installer menu that can be accessed by pressing 'Services 4 0 1 Select':</font></p><p align="center"></p>
Either that or... get rid of Sky Plus, save yourself some serious cash and stick to freeview with a decent PVR like a Topfield. Never had a minutes problem in 4 years with mine. The hard disk size of Sky + boxes is pathetic as well - is it still 40gb? A decent PVR gives you at least 250gb these days.
turn the box off at the wall, go to the back of the box and there should be 1/2 cables that screw into the back of the box, unscrew them make sure they are not bent, turn the box back on give it 30 seconds turn the box back off at the wall, screw the cables back in and turn the box back on, should be fine
RE: but There are certainly good value PVR's that let you record 2 channels at once The Humax ones have a good reputation - In fact you can even record 2 channels and watch a 3rd as long as its on the same MUX as one of the 2 you are recording. The dowside though is Freeview doesnt carry Skysports etc
RE: but My Thomson box lets you record 2 things at once, has a 250gb drive, does series link and has a card slot for Top Up TV, Setanta etc. The downside is they are very temperamental (I'm now on my 3rd box in less than a year). The usual problem is that your recordings end up corrupted and won't play back. Was only £80 though.
Also check in settings that you have live rewind set up - theres an option for how much it keeps, just check it's not set to 0 mins.
RE: Also Don't think that would be defaulted to '0' though. He would have to have been in there and changed it at some point.
Technology can often do bizarre things There have been times when I've switched my tv off, gone to bed & the next day, turned the tv on to find it's decided to turn the speakers off. No idea why it does it & it's simple enough to solve but it's bloody annoying! Thrappo may not have set live rewind to zero, it may be a case of his Sky+ suddenly deciding to play silly buggers.
RE: Technology can often do bizarre things Strange things do happen - usually when I've been drinking though!
RE: but My Topfield does the same as Pontyender's Thompson - lets you record 2 at once and will let you watch a third at the same time if it is on the same mux as one of the 2 being recorded. It is an open source-code box which allows people to write software for it, which is all accessible on toppy.org.uk. Therefore, if you don't like the default EPG or File listing mechanism, which admittedly is a bit basic, then you can replace it with a multitude of better ones that people write and support - take your pick. It handles series link, although I don't use it, as the add on program I use, called MyStuff allows the creation of control timers, which means you set up a library of things you want it to record, what channel to check, when to check etc, and it takes care of it. Honestly - best bit of technology I ever bought eg. Anything on any BBC Channel, Monday to Friday, between 7 and 10pm that has the word 'History' in it. Seems at this stage that this concept of control timers is more reliable than series link which relies on the broadcasters sending the right data. The Topfield is at the top end of the price range for PVRs at around £200 ish, but even at that, cancelling Sky would pay for it in 4-5 months. Get a setanta Top up card if you want a bit of Football fix - if you think about it, can you honestly say that you get £50 quids worth of value out of what you watch on Sky. My mate dumped it last year and never regretted it.
RE: but The thing with Sky is that they market and advertise Sky + as if they are the only people that ever thought of the concept of recording telly on a hard disk. In reality there are a myriad of boxes that do the job for freeview, from simple cheap crap that have only one tuner and a smallish disk to top end stuff that will do anything sky + will do. I know I'm on my soapbox but Sky just seems to be such a rip off. I think this recesion will hit them hard when people realise that they don't need to spend £600 quid a year for telly that they mostly don't watch. The advent of the decent PVR is what killed the VCR!!.