HD Remote won't work after SKY HD Software update

seanbirkhead

Hi,

I had a message on my HD box yesterday morning saying that the HD box had had a softwate upgrade (Samsung Box). Now my HD remote won't work.
Obviously I was immediately suspicious but knowing that I will have to spend ages on the phone with SKY I did a lot of troubleshooting first.
So, I have done all of the following and it did not fix the issue :
1. power cycled the box.
2. Forced a software update.
3. Powered down, disconnected and then reconnected the TV(HDMI cable) and powered up again.
Experiments:
4. Tried another HD remote - does not work
5. Tried a Sky+ remote - this DOES work!
6. Tried HD remotes via magic eye from other rooms - this DOES work.
7. Tried HD remotes via Slingbox/Slingplayer - this DOES work.

So, the Box hardware must be OK since the box accepts Sky+ remote signals.
The remotes must be OK since they work via magic eye and slingbox. The only thing left is the software update which I can't do anything about.

Has anyone else encountered this and better yet is there a fix before I ring Sky!! ?

Thanks,
Sean

seanbirkhead

Found the problem and reported it to the manufacturer as follows: (If anyone has the same problem please post here to support my claim with the manufacturer!)

"Hi,
I use a SPC4 GLO73A Super Plus Combiner.

Yesterday, Sky did a software upgrade on some or all HD boxes to enable internet connections on their boxes.
I had the message on my screen yesterday morning notifying me of the upgrade (Samsung HD box).

After the upgrade my Sky HD remote would not operate the HD box via the front panel.
After a suggestion on a web forum I reprogrammed the remote to work as a "Sky+" remote (using Select and "i" programming option 1) and the
remote worked fine via the HD box front panel but it would not control the HD box via magic eyes (although it was controlling the Sky+ box via magic eyes)
I then reprogrammed the HD remote to work as a "HD only" remote (select+i+2). It would then work via the the HD box front panel but not via remote eyes.
I then reprogrammed the HD remote for the correct SPC4 port (using select and blue programming) and the remote once again works via magic
eyes but ,again, NOT via the HD box front panel.

So, in summary, it appears that there is a conflict between the new Sky software update and the SPC4 super plus combiner. It is now only possible to
operate a Sky HD remote via the front panel of the HD box OR via the magic eyes but NOT both. Obviously both worked before the Sky software update.

Is there a solution to this please? "

seanbirkhead

Hi Just getting the chance to update now but here is what happend :
I managed to dig out the instructions that originally came with the SPC4 combiner and read them again. At the very end I found some "small print" that stated that after programming a remote to operate via the SPC4 then it "might no longer be possible to use the remote via the front panel of the decoder" and that to revert to working via the front panel the remote must be programmed back to port "0".
I also managed to speak to someone on the manufacturers support desk.
He re-iterated the above and said that the only way a remote would work via both the SPC4 and the front panel is if the HD decoder in question was connected to port "0". I did state quite clearly that the HD box was definitely on port "1" and that I definitely could do both prior to the Sky upgrade and that nothing else had changed on my setup. While still incredulous , and unwilling to believe it, he had to accept that the only explanation was that previous Sky firmware was allowing my setup wheres the new firmware is not allowing it.
Anyway, since the "small print" does say that this could be a know consequence there really is no comeback as far as I can see.
I now have my HD remote reprogrammed back to port "0" as the front panel is where I use it most and I am debating whether to buy a new remote for the room where I want to control via the SPC4.
One othe person on a different forum posted that they did have the same problem and had send a mail to the manufacturer.
I did ask the customer service guy to drop me a mail to let me know if anyone else had the same problem. It will be interesting to see if he lets me know about that report!

Anyway, hope this helps in some small way - at least we know there is no hardare problem and that it is possible to get the remote working again via the front panel if required.......

steveon

I had exactly the same problem over 2 yrs ago using exactly the same equipment you have except my customers box was manufactured by "Pace".

No matter which port I tried I couldnt get it working, in the end after spending countless hours wasted I ran another cable back to the main room where the hd box is located and simply connected it to a magic eye.

That completely solved the problem, and have had no issue whatsover since. I have also tried the newer version of the Spc4- which has F connectors instead and had exactly the same problem.

So my advice if you can would be to run another cable back to your main room if its feasible for you...