TiVo Community Forums Archives - Restarting Sky Box

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Restarting Sky Box
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Posted by: Donny

A couple of times recently I've noticed that the Sky Box is in off mode (red light). As far as i know Tivo won't be able to change channel at this time.

Anybody know why this happens to the Sky Box?

Is there any way that Tivo can be set-up to re-start the box?

Is using a timer on the power to the Sky box with a daily on-off mode the best (only?) method to prevent long term downtime?

Many thanks

Posted by: sanderton

As long as you are using the Grundig 20016 IR code on the TiVo, it will wake it up from "off".

Posted by: steveroe

If you use code 20016 under Grundig (use Grundig even if your box isn't) then TiVo will send the "Sky" key before the channel change, this should turn the box back on if it is off. You may need to play with the speed settings to get the delay right before it sends the channel change after the sky key.

Generally a sky box will only turn itself off if there has been a power failure or a software update.

The latest software on the sky boxes seems fairly stable, but you can use a mains timer. Try to use a digital one and set it to power off each day for a minute sometime you are unlikely to be recording anything (e.g. 5 am)

Edit: Beaten to it by Stuart!

Posted by: Fred Smith

Sky is currently sending out a software update, have been for the last six weeks or so. Although if you had a Pace 2200 it will have probably gone to standby at 6.03 PM most days of the week and sometimes overnight for the last three months! If you have another box it might not have happened so regularly. Using a time switch won't help.

Just got to live with it, annoying as it is, but I think the roll out is coming to an end soon. Both my boxes have received the update and have behaved since receiving it.

Posted by: Donny

Thanks Guys,

I've changed to Grundig 20016(Slow); put my Sky box in standby mode and set a short manual recording. But no luck. The light on the front of the box only appeared to flash twice, and fairly quickly. On the recording there is no sign of the channel digits appearing one by one. Actually I initially get a recording of me navigating through Tivo - the manual recording started instantly (it was for a five minute slot and I requested it mid slot). I suspect this is due to my wiring set-up when Sky is switched off.

I repeated the process with the Sky box on. It works as normal, the light flashing three times slowly as the channel is transmitted.

I'm using an RF2 Link with the front blaster switched off. In the set-up I have requested no prefixing zeroes. I've assumed it doesn't matter since all ky channels are 3 digits anyway.

Anymore clues as to where I'm going wrong? Anybody got some time to fill at the moment and want to run a trial like mine !!!

I agree that the Sky software appears reliable nower days. Suffered more from this a couple of years back and did use a timer for five minutes in the early hours when we went on holiday. I came down this morning and found Sky in standby. Its the third or fourth time I've seen this in the last month or two. No sign of any power cuts so its very strange. What I really want to avoid is going away for a week or two and finding all my recordings fail.

Thanks again

Don.

Posted by: sanderton

quote:
Originally posted by Donny
I'm using an RF2 Link with the front blaster switched off. In the set-up I have requested no prefixing zeroes. I've assumed it doesn't matter since all ky channels are 3 digits anyway.

I'm not sure you can send the Sky key over the RFLink.

Posted by: Donny

Fred,

Just seen your reply. I've got an Amstrad. As yet I've not missed a recording because of this. Although once I got up just about 6:30am to see it in standby, having been scheduled to basically record from 12am to 6am. I expected multiple failures, but all were ok. The switch to standby must have been very recent.

Don.

Posted by: Donny

Stuart,

That would explain a lot. Since I'm getting 100% success with RF2 (I wasn't before), I'm loathe to remove it, particularly as its yet to cause an actual problem. If I can reach, I may remove the RF" Link purely for experiment.

For holidays I may consider trying a timer again, experimenting beforehand ofcourse.

Don.

Posted by: ozsat

You can send the 'Sky' (switch-on) key via RF2 - but it does not enable SCART switching. It will power on.

Posted by: Donny

Ozsat,

Apologies, but I didn't quite unerstand your comments (my lack of knowledge I'm afraid !)

Is there something I need to change regarding the Scart settings?

It looks like I should be able to do what I need, but i don't seem able to actually put it into practice.

Thanks

Don.

Posted by: ozsat

If you watch your Sky box via the SCART - you see that when you press SKY your TV switches to Sky automatically (if the TV is not already in SCART mode).

If the SKY command is received via RF2 then it doesn't switch the TV as it assumed that the commands are coming from a different location.

You can't change this.

Posted by: Donny

Okay. I've realised I've been down the path of Grundig 20016 before, and it doesn't work. I have reverted back to Amstrad 20014 which used in conjunction with the RF2 Link gives me 100% success rate in changing channels. The only exception to this is IR interference, but I can avoid that by taping over the IR receiver on the Sky box.

With Grundig 20016 I was only getting two numbers sent, be it through automated recordings or direct channel changes with the Tivo remote. Now perhaps the first number is being used as the "wake-up" message, I don't know.

Now either I've got something set-up wrongly, or perhaps Grundig 20016 isn't the holy grail it is made out to be. Any ideas?