Sky+hd blue screen

[misterhelpful]

Hi guys,

I have a small problem with my digibox which means when I exit an interactive service, eg skytext or live pause, it leaves me with a blue screen for 5-10 seconds. That in itself isn't a major problem although it never used to happen, however, more recently it has occasionally stayed blue and I have either had to change channels or rewind to get the picture back. I've also begun to notice that the remote signal isn't being picked up so well. I've done the obvious - changed the batteries, turned off the box etc - which have failed to rectiy the issue.

As said, it's not a big deal, but can anyone shed any light on whether it is the sign of further problems to come or if there is something I can do to stop it please.

Cheers,
mrH

 

[Sam Gangee]

That's rather vague. Which Digibox? (What's the make and model number on the label?)

You mention "rewind" so that narrows it down to one of the many Sky+ or Sky+HD models.

 

[misterhelpful]

Hi, Sam, and thanks for the reply.
Sorry for the delay in responding but I was away for a week and completely forgot I had posted this query until the situation arose again earlier.

As the topic title suggests, it is a Sky+HD box. The make is Amstrad and the model is DRX780UK - I didn't realise this would be required otherwise I would have posted it previously.

Hopefully you, or someone else, will now be able to give any relevant advice. As said, it's more of a nuisance than a serious problem but I would still like to stop it happening.

Thanks,
mrH

 

[Sam Gangee]

If it's in warranty, get Sky to replace it (you'll lose any recordings). If you want to save your recordings, send it to a repairer such as http://www.digifixltd.co.uk

 

[misterhelpful]

If it's in warranty, get Sky to replace it (you'll lose any recordings). If you want to save your recordings, send it to a repairer such as http://www.digifixltd.co.uk

Cheers Sam,

Unfortunately, it's well out of warranty so will wait for something to go dramatically wrong before paying for a repair. I was just hoping there was some settings I could play about with to help.

 

[Sam Gangee]

Are any power supply capacitors bulging?

 

[misterhelpful]

I just removed the cover and there are none noticeably bulging, however, there was quite a bit of dust (possibly mortar dust caused by the electrician who installed some extra sockets ) covering some of the components on the one side, so I used my mini vacuum cleaner to remove it. I tried the interactive services after switching it back on and there is no delay in returning to the tv screen now, just the normal split second blue screen. Hopefully this has solved the problem and it will now continue to work correctly.

Do you think it's likely to be the dust that was causing it, Sam?

 

[Sam Gangee]

It is certainly theoretically possible for dust to conduct electricity, dependent on its composition, layering and moisture content.

But bear in mind that simply rebooting a Digibox can effect a "cure" in many cases.

Also, this model has a reputation for scorching the Sky card (take a look), which could be indicative of a power supply fault - possibly intermittent.