Pace box problems

aok

I got one of the new pace digiboxes ( small white silvery ) over 2 months ago when I first subscribed to Sky.
From the start, there was sound interference, a kind of crackling throghout broadcasts.
Eventually they replaced with an old refurbished box and the sound was fine but I still wanted a new one and not a second hand one. After all they did give me a defective box!
So last night I got a new pace box installed and guess what? Crackling sound interference again.
So I`m back to square one and if I have to ring sky one more time, I`ll probably kill myself.
What am I to do?
Has anybody else experienced the same problem?
Please help

carrolls

Whats your signal level and signal quality during the crackling.
If it fluctuates wildly and then returns to normal, its probably something obstructing the LNB. birds, leaves etc.Maybe its a loose coaxial cable coming from the lnb.
Basically it could be anything.

watty

SCART plugs can fit well in one box and not another.
Try a different SCART
Also try turning down volume in "Services" "Setup" and UP on the TV / Hifi.

Make sure you are not listening on TV via RF and that RF is not on Ch 68 or other Channel in use (Services 4 0 1 Select then RF setup)

Capt'n Midnight

As above - unplut all the TV cables - so you are only using the Scart (BTW: 68 is close enough to TV3 ot TG4 in Dublin to cause problems)

Scart - something about pin 8 - look up satcure too
Not all tellies like RGB settings (in the manual) so you may need to change that on the scart.

Turn down the sound and colour brightness - had an old telly that used to buzz if the colour . brightness was too high..

The defective box.. technically - it ain't yours till you've passed the first year - or they could have taken it away for repair and left you with nothing until they fixed it - just the way it works these days. Yes it would be nice to get a new box in return but what would they do with the returns ?

Don't forget to keep that box cool too..

aok

Thanks for all the advice, but unfortunately I have tried all of those suggestions some time ago.

I know its not a fault with my equipment.
My amp, DVD, VCR, TV and playstation all have crystal clear sound and picture.

I have just spent a bit more time watching the new box I got the other day and have noticed that the picture is also very poor. More so than the old refurb they passed off on me ( should have settled for that! ).

The picture is very pixelated, if that`s the right term. It`s grainy and "bitty" like watching an mpeg on a PC. Hope you can understand my explanation.
To put it another way, the RTE reception that I get with just a co-ax and a coat hanger is way better than the picture through the sky box. Same goes for the sound quality. It has to be the box. A friend of mine got a Panasonic box the same time and his is great!

I`m so sick of the whole ordeal now ( 10 weeks since installation ) that I think I`m just going to cancel it and settle for RTE 1&2.
Will I have any chance of being reimbursed by sky or will they try to charge me for the dish and box?

Thanks for reading and helping.

Alan

byte

I was under the impression that as soon as you get it installed, the digibox is yours! So if you stop paying within the first 12 months, Sky will send a bill for €380 or something for cost of digibox. I think it's written somewhere on the T&C of the contract.

aok

Could the software version account for a bad picture?
I have version 5. I think I should have version 6.
I tried a download but it did`nt upgrade.

byte

I would doubt if the software version would be the problem. Unless the current version is corrupted maybe?

As carrolls asked already, what is your Signal Quality levels?

[Services > System Setup > Signal Test]

I would usually expect at least 70%

aok

Signal quality is fine. I borrowed a friends box and it was ok.
Has to be the digi box. But that`s the second one I got and it has the same fault.

watty

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
<snip>The defective box.. technically - it ain't yours till you've passed the first year -
<snip>

Don't forget to keep that box cool too..

Nope. No matter what contract or install you get all the Hardware (Box, Dish, LNB, Coax) is 100% yours from day1.

But as part of the contract you are liable to up to the value of an unsubsidesed install/Box if you default on contract terms in first year.

This means the box is a 100% yours, but if you break Sky contract then they have to persue you for breach of contract to get then money owed. In practice they generally would only get months of original year left times basic package value (Value Pack) as at any time that is what you could change to and having a mandatory phone line for 12 months doesn't mean you would actually use it.

In fact the "cheapest" way out of Sky inside the 12months is simply to change to value pack (which is bad value!) and pay by direct debit. Inform Bank and Sky the date you will terminate, in Writing.

Then the remaining payments to get you out of contract are paid and the contract ends after the year automatically.

The Card and Software is Sky's, but everything else is yours and 100% your responsibility from day1.

watty

Sounds a bit like you are on RF via Ch68 instead of SCART

OR

Dish is wrong size or out of alignment.

Some of the smaller 45cm dish are fitted here. The dish should be the Zone2 60cm.

Last few weeks the leaves on trees have come out. If a Big tree is near the path this can be a problem

(Our Terrestiral TV is terrible during summer for this reason. I may move the TV aerial to head hight to see Woodcock hill *UNDER* the tree boughs. I for sure can't get above for Terrrestrial))