How are people finding MySky ?

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272 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#30482 11-Mar-2006 07:49

JohnPorter:
manaia: 2) They're planning a separate change to their EPG that will fix the "..searching" problem when programmes are booked on TV1 and TV2.

Thanks for the info! Good to have something solid to work with!

I assume the breaking of existing series links means the ..searching lines will disappear by themselves, so we need to keep an eye on that and rebook? Or do we need to delete them ourselves and rebook?

I am in Christchurch, and I think both downloads have been received (9.105.14 and 1.0.5XS), and the ..searching lines are still there. So the change you are talking about is a subsequent change to the EPG data itself that is continually streamed? In other words the software to handle it is in place, but the data processed by it has not changed yet?

Hi John,

The software upgrade isn't necessary to fix the ..searching problem: the fix is purely in the EPG data. I don't know exactly when the data change will take place, only that it has been tested and is imminent. If you're in Chch then the ..searching lines should stop occurring (gods willing) and you will have to redo your series link manually. For me deleting the ..searching lines hasn't screwed up MY SKY, though it does go a bit wobbly sometimes in terms of showing a channel in black.

The 9.105.14 is the overall stb/software identifier (14 = PVR, 105 = software bundle). 1.0.5XS is the EPG version. It is coincidental that the EPG version and software version match - in the future they may look different. SKY downloaded just once - the 105 bundle.

Cheers,
M.

TonyAndrewMeyer

22 posts

Geek

#30485 11-Mar-2006 09:08

JohnPorter: 3. Series link info is entered by humans, and therefore prone to error. Then again, everything that comes out of any computer was entered by humans! As a computer programmer, I know these things. :)

While this is true, there is considerable difference between getting a human to carry out a repetitive process and having a program do it. Each time the human does the task, there is the potential for error. With a program, there is the potential for error once: when the program is created.

An automatic system to add the series link data for programs would be vastly superior to having a human do it. As a programmer, I too know these things ;)

Scarz

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#30495 11-Mar-2006 14:23

We're loving MySKY, and I would reccommend it (notwithstanding the $499 one-off fee with second decoder option).

We're not watching more TV, but we are more discerning in what we watch. The kids are now saving interesting stuff from Discovery (e.g. Mythbusters) and Prime (e.g. Life in the undergrowth), rather than watching endless Cartoon Network reruns. My wife is filling up the HDD with Living Channel and Food TV. The Live pause takes some getting used to. Now, if my wife wants to talk I don't have the option of postponing till after my programme finishes!

Following the postings from manaia I've noted the latest versions in the system settings - no problems with upload.

The ..searching issue has been a pain, but not a major. We learnt not to delete them.

I have a query about the VCR SCART that folks may be able to help with. The User Guide says it is for compositie video in/out etc. Does this mean a signal from an external device such as DVD or VCR can be received by MySKY and saved to the HDD? I asked the install technician about this and he said "I couldn't possibly comment".

Thanks for very useful discussions.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#30497 11-Mar-2006 15:08

When I got my first hard drive recorder 2.5 years ago, I eventually learned to use the Pause button all the time. Much better than Stop. On a VCR, you can't pause a lot due to wear on the heads, but with a HDD that's not an issue. Stop invariably results in something distracting being shown instead, and sometimes makes it hard to determine where you left off. Pause doesn't have either of those problems. And it killls the sound too! I never use the Stop button on MySky. I just Pause until I decide what I want to do next - usually unPasue and continue watching or GoBack to the planner (using the GoBack button, not the Planner button) to delete.

Very handy that GoBack in this case takes you directly to the program you were just watching. Using the Planner button takes you to the top of the list. GoBack is also useful if you are booking multiple programs from the Guide. If, after booking the first one (which leaves you in the Planner) you use GoBack, it takes you back to the Guide where you left off. Handy if you want to book something on TV2 and TV3 tomorrow night. If you use the Guide button for the second booking, you have to start over.

There is no option that I can see to record from anything other than a "channel", either on the Guide or the manual recording channel list. So I doubt there is any way to do it. Clearly it would be technically feasible, but they don't offer that feature.

Note that the Pause vs Stop discussion applies only to HDD, not DVD. Using pause on a DVD (or leaving it on Top Menu) can leave the disc spinning and the laser on. Ok for short pauses, but don't leave it that way for hours.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#30507 12-Mar-2006 01:55

manaia:The software upgrade isn't necessary to fix the ..searching problem: the fix is purely in the EPG data. I don't know exactly when the data change will take place, only that it has been tested and is imminent. If you're in Chch then the ..searching lines should stop occurring (gods willing) and you will have to redo your series link manually.

The letter I just got says "new software" will be downloaded tuesday at 6am. Hmmm. But they also refer to the ..searching line as "an extra entry". I assume everyone got the letter? Or maybe just Wellington and the South Island?

BTW, just saw an ad for Foxtel IQ on History channel - the box and planner screen are identical except for the logos. And theirs has TV Guide instead of Guide on the planner page, and a colon in the time instead of a decimal point. Other than that, they look the same.

manaia

272 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#30515 12-Mar-2006 06:58

I have a query about the VCR SCART that folks may be able to help with. The User Guide says it is for compositie video in/out etc. Does this mean a signal from an external device such as DVD or VCR can be received by MySKY and saved to the HDD? I asked the install technician about this and he said "I couldn't possibly comment".

Hi,

MY SKY has no ability to save anything to the HDD other than programmes recorded from the broadcast. The AV inputs on the VCR SCART are meant to provide input for a 'loop through' mode that outputs on the TV SCART. If you play a DVD on the VCR SCART input and hit the 'av' button on the remote then you should see it playing on the output of the TV SCART. (If your DVD has a SCART as well then just playing it will put MY SKY into pass-through due to control on pin 8).

Regards,
M

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manaia

272 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#30517 12-Mar-2006 07:07

JohnPorter:
The letter I just got says "new software" will be downloaded tuesday at 6am. Hmmm. But they also refer to the ..searching line as "an extra entry". I assume everyone got the letter? Or maybe just Wellington and the South Island?

BTW, just saw an ad for Foxtel IQ on History channel - the box and planner screen are identical except for the logos. And theirs has TV Guide instead of Guide on the planner page, and a colon in the time instead of a decimal point. Other than that, they look the same.

Hmmm indeed. I'm pretty sure that the letter refers only to the "..searching" fix. SKY CS might have confused headend changes with software downloads. Couple that with an actual software download (which isn't normally flagged to customers) and you have extra confusion.

You're right, MY SKY is almost identical to the Foxtel IQ PVR (and is closely related to the BSKYB SKY+).

Regards,
M

Scarz

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#30521 12-Mar-2006 08:54

Hi

Thanks for comments on my query about saving VCR/DVD signals to My SKY HDD. I'll give up on that idea.

danzo

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#30646 13-Mar-2006 22:18

Hi. I've discovered an interesting bug which I haven't seen addressed yet here. We have a series link on a show called "Little Einsteins" on Disney Playhouse. It's my 4 y/o's absolute favorite show. When he requests a viewing (which is way more than we let him watch), he usually requests a specific episode. We have to wade through about 20 of them in our planner; there's no episode title on the planner's top level, only the series title (a litany of 20 items that all say Little Einsteins). That alone is a bit of a pain. But that's not why I write - here's the problem: The program information under "i" starts off correct but, with time, becomes wrong. When we only had a few stored, each was correct. And when getting pgm info for a live episode, it's always correct. But somewhere some slippage occurs. The result is that even though the pgm info says the episode is the "Great Sky Race", it's actually "Tulips" or some such. Our son gets pretty upset when, after sitting through the title sequence, we find that it's NOT the episode he wanted to watch. [I know, you all will say something like "just tell him to grow up and get over it".] But the point is: when there are several of a series on the drive, there's a disconnect. Episode descriptions cease relating to the program underneath the Select button. Anyone else experience this?

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#30651 13-Mar-2006 23:31

I just checked about 15 recorded programs, all from series link, and the synopsis was always correct. For most of them I have 3 or 4 episodes of each series on disk at the moment.

Are you sure all 20 had the correct synopsis when they were recorded? Seems more likely to me that they were mislabelled originally rather than became wrong with time. I assume the synopsis is recorded with the program.

There is a vague memory of a synopsis being wrong once, but I can't quite place it...

danzo

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#30662 14-Mar-2006 07:05

JohnPorter: I'm 97.5% sure there's been some slippage. I'll triple-check and get back to you. Thanks.

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JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#30702 14-Mar-2006 11:24

Well, it's after 6am now. I deleted all TV1 and TV2 bookings yesterday. Added them back just now - all looks ok so far, no ..searchings. Fingers crossed! Left the other bookings in place. NASCAR race 9am today recorded correctly.

One News didn't record again yesterday. I'm sure its ..searching line was there the night before. Booked it again for tonight and series linked. We'll see what happens.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#30729 14-Mar-2006 22:11

Sigh.

After the EPG change this morning, in addition to One News, Joey and Lost, as a test I also booked and series linked Ellen (TV1 weekdays 1pm) and Criminal Minds (TV2 tuesdays 8:30).

One News recorded the full 72 mins - hooray for once! We'll see if it does tomorrow. I think it may have always recorded the full length the first time, and truncated subsequent times off series link.

Ellen and Criminial Minds were recorded today, so that's good. They recorded the full 72 min, so that's good.

Unfortunately, the only one of those that showed up as a future booking was Ellen. No Criminal Minds, no One News, and 3rd Rock (Sky 1) had disappeared too (it has been recording ok all along). I rebooted, and they all showed up. That was the first reboot since the EPG change.

So it appears that a reboot is required to finish the EPG change? Perhaps the old versions of EPG data were still in transient memory and needed a reboot to fix them.

Maybe they would have recorded even though they didn't show in the list, I don't know. Someone else can test that! :-)

TonyAndrewMeyer

22 posts

Geek

#30740 15-Mar-2006 07:55

manaia: The AV inputs on the VCR SCART are meant to provide input for a 'loop through' mode that outputs on the TV SCART. If you play a DVD on the VCR SCART input and hit the 'av' button on the remote then you should see it playing on the output of the TV SCART. (If your DVD has a SCART as well then just playing it will put MY SKY into pass-through due to control on pin 8).

Note that the important part here is that you have to actually use SCART-SCART cables, and not some sort of conversion cable. So, if your equipment doesn't have SCART input/output (does anyone in NZ?), then you won't be able to use the loopthrough feature.

manaia

272 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#30743 15-Mar-2006 09:41

TonyAndrewMeyer:
manaia: The AV inputs on the VCR SCART are meant to provide input for a 'loop through' mode that outputs on the TV SCART. If you play a DVD on the VCR SCART input and hit the 'av' button on the remote then you should see it playing on the output of the TV SCART. (If your DVD has a SCART as well then just playing it will put MY SKY into pass-through due to control on pin 8).

Note that the important part here is that you have to actually use SCART-SCART cables, and not some sort of conversion cable. So, if your equipment doesn't have SCART input/output (does anyone in NZ?), then you won't be able to use the loopthrough feature.

You do not have to use a SCART-SCART cable. If you hit the AV button on the remote then MY SKY will go into loop-through mode.

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