NotoriousREV

I had a problem with my Sky HD on Friday with the picture flickering and the sound dropping out. It started out being quite sporadic but worsened until it was every 2 seconds or so. I called Sky and they had me take the HDMI cable out and reconnect it the other way round, reboot the box and it was fine until tonight when it's started doing it again. I don't want to be doing this every few days as the TV is wall mounted and it's a faff. Is it the cable that's dodgy or is swapping the cable round the 2009 equivalent of the old "rub your viewing card with some toilet roll" and actually it's a (Pace) box problem that Sky don't want to admit?

MrRA

My HDMI cables are directional, and have an indicator on to alert you to which end should be connected to the source.

It's not uncommon for a HDMI cable to be duff so if you another at hand then swap them over and see if the fault goes with the cable, but then again it's not uncommon for a Sky box to be on the blink either. If you get no joy then I suspect your box may be on its way out.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Sounds like your box is on it's way out. Prepare yourself for numerous calls to Sky, trying out all their proceedures which usually end with - "I'll send a signal to your box, it can take from 2 mins to 4 hours, please call back if this doesn't cure the problem"....

Sideways Ste

As above
HDMI cables are directional mate

I was also told that there are different types which not all support true HD 1080p
It could be a case of the cable not being strong enough to carry the signal...

urban

iTrader: (1)

We'll i'll be...............

HDMI cables are directional - I guess I must have just been lucky when connecting my stuff up.

What is likely to happen if you connect the wrong way?

jsh1

iTrader: (1)

Couple of points. I used to work for one of the worlds leading cable manufacturers, making very high end audio and video cables.

1) Cables are NOT directional, the signal will take the path of least resistance through the conductors, they put arrows on them to make sure that you connect them the same way round each time.

If you connect a cable one way, over a short period of time it will improve slightly once the signal flow has run through the cable, however, if you turn it round, the same thing will happen again. It does not make any difference which way round they are connected.

2) Sky boxes cannot output 1080P, the ratified standard for broadcast HD is either 720P or 1080i

Your problem however, could be either the cable or the box. See if you can borrow another cable from a local dealer or buy one and then return it once you have worked out what is causing the problem. This will certainly be easier that getting a replacement box

Jason

Coffin Dodger

Yeah right. Show me some proof that cables have some sort of memory for which way the electrons were flowing. Fookin 'ell it's a bit of copper wire it makes no difference which way you push the electrons down it

To the OP, you can get a perfectly good HDMI lead (which will work either way round!) for a few £, why not just buy another and try that with your HD box. If that doesn't sort it then either the box or the dish, LNB, etc. are at fault so get onto Sky for them to sort it....

Leslie

It is true that cables can work better in one direction after use. I have found the same with my amateur radio equipment.

Les

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

my money is on the box, the cable will either work or it wont. the fact you rebooted the box says to me its the box, the internet is full of threads about the poor reliability of the sky hd boxes.

Coffin Dodger

I can safely say that this is b*llocks, you may perceive that this has happened but it's probably down to something like the connectors mate better with each other with the cable one way round than the other.

I have a first class honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Surrey University plus over 15 years experience in the satellite communications industry so I think I can claim to know what I'm talking about. None of the radio cables on our equipment are directional, a fraction of a decibel in signal strength can make all the difference when trying to receive a signal from 22,236 miles away so if it was important as to which way round you connect them then I think we would consider this

Sideways Ste

Isn't is Diode's which only flow correctly one way?

Coffin Dodger

Err yes, unless it's a Zener diode and you take the voltage past the breakdown point. If you reverse bias a normal diode with enough voltage it will go into avalanche breakdown but that will normally destroy it

However there are no diodes in HDMI leads

jpor

iTrader: (1)

If it's a Thompson Sky HD box then it could be the internal power supply. I have had numerous problems with mine. These have included: When switched on the screen can flicker off and on then settles to sound drop offs and picture break ups on occassion. Theres someone on the net exchanging PSUs. BAsically from what i have read that one of the capcitors on the PSU isn't up to the job and at worst can leak and kill the PSU. I have owned my HD box for over 2 years now and being out-of-warranty may mean a new box. Considering something like a Samsung at the mo.

Leslie

Thanks for all the info', but I can only speak from empirical results, having been a radio amateur for nearly 30 years and being used to working the West Coast of the States the long way round the world on the difficult radio frequency bands.

I can give no theoretical reason for this except that maybe there is a "diode" effect in some connections between dissimilar metals which could reduce a signal's strength in the opposite direction even if it is AC. You would probably be in the ideal situation to find out.

Les

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

'HDMI cables are directional'

Ant

'directional hdmi lead' LOVE IT

Jpor he has a pace box not a thomson!

Change the hdmi cable first .is your settings set to automatic or 1080 or 720. Try putting on a set value instead of automatic.

Also when you say flickering do you mean break up? If so check if there is any trees in direction of the dish to sattelite could be the tips of trees making it go now and again with the wind (that's if it was windy)

It's hard to give a diagnosis without looking and checking signals out

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Guess who makes the Power supply pcb for the Thomson boxes?.....Samsung!

Ant

That will explain why I know 2 people with samsung tvs power supplies go

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

funnily enough, I have a hyundai plasma that has gone, when I removed the back, it is all samsung internals.....

jpor

iTrader: (1)

Really! Well how come my Box has Thomson and the model number is 607120Y in the System Details?

Marvellous

Oh well be looking at another brand then

NotoriousREV

Actually I've just realized it is a Thompson not a Pace (second one, psu went after 30 hours). It's like a blip in the picture and sound and occasionally goes to a green screen followed by snow then back to normal. I don't think it's a signal or LNB problem as it also does it when viewing the planner or watching stuff that's recorded (that's already played back fine previously). My gut feel was psu again, but for a few quid I'll try a new HDMI cable (both ways )

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

man in currys " those £5.99 HDMI cables wont support 1080p so u will nedd one of these goldplated monster cables, on offer at £89.99 for a 1 meter cable"


lol

hdmi can support full hd and full true hd lossless 7.1 CH sound at the same time.

sky are nuggets for admit hardware failure, i had a day one thompson box that was fooked lol

Ant

the op originally said he had pace! I know thomson have faulty psu I see them everyday near enough

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't let that put you off too much; Its me making a point that focusing on a single particular brand won't guarantee reliability. User reviews is the best thing to go on (although that may not apply if the manufacturer changes component suppliers/specifications between batches).

Its quite possible that they could use better quality components in their own boxes. But on the flip side, they may swap to suppliers of lesser quality components at any point during production of the same model of box, or even where the same box is manufacturered in different facilities across the globe using different component suppliers.

Likewise Thomson or Pace can (and do) swap component suppliers/and/or specification mid-way through their production, so a later box of the same model maybe more reliable than an earlier one, or vica-versa.

PITA for the consumer

speedking

Yes, companies that make unreliable products should be forced to keep making them the same way with the same components so that consumers know where they stand