Very good - Well done!

excuse me this upgrade should be done also for Grundig?
thanks

yes, if your Grundig does not have the latest (v3.4) EPG software installed already.

v.3.4 I have it already but let me know I will move living in Ireland for work so should I force download (changing subscription) for irish channels?
thanks

i have a pace box its got a old not too old card in it did a forced update successfully to 3.4.4b and 1.2S4FE

i tried new install without the tell line in but i cant get c4 or 5 eny sub card is supposed to become f v card
Last edited by alias alias : 29-07-2006 at 00:56

(That was tough reading, or should that be tuff!)
Leave it on Sky News for a day or so, and it should pick up the new data it needs to give you C5 and five.

M

thanks

I know the low battery warning thing has been mentioned some where in this thread before, so I may as well ask here.

I assumed this had (sensibly) been removed with one of the last EPG updates as I have not seen it since last year, but all of a sudden it's back again, and just as annoying as ever.

Did they perhaps mess up and leave it out of one of the updates and then add it back with the most recent update (3.4.4b)? Since I always use rechargeable batteries, and because of their lower voltage they are incorrectly seen as being flat, though I can't say that the low battery warning is accurate for normal batteries any way since I tested some it said were low and my tester said they were fine.

This has to be the most stupid thing Sky have added and I wish they would remove it, or atleast give subscribers the option to turn it off.
Last edited by Hiro : 04-08-2006 at 16:28

As you don't mention your Box Make/Type it is difficult to know how to respond - However, if you have a DRX550, then several people have had "Low Battery" problems which turned out to be a faulty Box.

I don't think it is safe to assume that today's problems are Software related.

You aren't helping yourself, though, by using Rechargeables (Are they NiCd or are they Ni MH?)
Last edited by rai uno : 04-08-2006 at 16:38

The software always has had this indicator, usually inaccurate. If you report the fault to Sky (Customer Care), I'm sure they can pass it on to the software team, which could even see if there is a bug, or not. I have never had any problems, but rarely use rechargable batteries in remote controls.

The box is a Grundig GDS3000. I use rechargeable batteries because disposables are a waste. They should have taken the fact that people will want to use these in to account when they (for whatever reason) decided that having this feature was a good idea.

I've used both NiMH and NiCD, and like I say, I've not had the icon or the warning message since last year, which is why I thought they had perhaps decided to remove it. But now it's back again. It appeared for the first time last night and has done it several times today. Odd that it should start again if it's always been there and had no problems with the batteries I've been using.

And as mentioned, it is inaccurate even with disposable batteries. I have a battery tester and whenever it used to say the disposable batteries were low, it was wrong. They were always at least 75% good. I wonder how many people are throwing good batteries away because of it. Wasted money and waste to the environment if people simply throw them in the bin (green bit over).

But why did they put it there any way? Are they trying to say we are stupid and don't know when a battery is running flat?
Last edited by Hiro : 04-08-2006 at 17:12

Green rants always welcome

Hello Hiro - I totally agree!

I have a Grundig GDS3000 too, and since installing a TV-Link to the bedroom, I occasionally get battery warnings when using a pukka Sky remote to control the bedroom TV and the Digibox.

Yes, I use rechargeables. 2300mAh NiMHs, usually, but it depends what I've got handy and charged at the time.

But whatever I use, the battery warning is ALWAYS wrong, when it occurs.

I've even got up out of bed, wandered into the living room and pointed the self-same handset at the digibox directly, and bingo... no warning. Even from a greater distance away from the box than in the bedroom, it still doesn't show a warning. But wander back into the bedroom, and ping it at the TV-Link again from five feet, and 'bleat, bleat, battery warning' again. Load of tosh.

I wouldn't mind, if the stupid thing didn't actually PREVENT me from using the remote. I could live with the pointless warnings if I could still change the channels when it's having one of its 'moments', but no, Sky think it is more important that I get told about this flawed 'alert' to the detriment of actually being able to use my remote at all. Doh!

I'm with you, frankly, Hiro... to ENFORCE use of non-rechargeables in this way is a disgusting waste of resources, and not good, in this eco-friendly era. It is surely not beyond the wit of the pleb designing the circuit board inside the remote to COPE with voltages that are marginally lower on rechargeables. It's not rocket science, even slightly. I have a wireless mouse that bleats in a similar fashion, when used with rechargeables, and I hold that in similarly low esteem. But at least that is consistent... when it bleats about low voltages, a recharge is all that I can do... but with the Sky box, as clearly demonstrated by getting up and walking into a different room and skipping the TV-Link part of the transmission, it works fine - which just proves to me that Sky's 'detection' is flawed, somewhere along the line.

Regards

Simple answer - DON'T USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES IN REMOTE CONTROLS!.

It's really a very bad idea!, rechargeables are NOT a direct replacement for normal batteries, they have a much lower terminal voltage, and self discharge a great deal faster. Remote controls are a VERY poor place for rechargeables.

Really anything you use rechargeables in should be specifically designed for them!, although some items work reasonably with them? - but usually performance is noticeably reduced (frequent charging required, lower volume, higher distortion, dimmer torch).

You offering to buy disposable batteries for me and Hiro in perpetuity, then Nigel?

While (speaking as a technician), I KNOW that using rechargeables in some kit is sometimes troublesome, it is ENTIRELY because the kit is badly designed and has not taken the global march towards green-ness at all seriously.

There is no LOGICAL reason why ANY electronic kit CANNOT be designed for rechargeable batteries. None at all. It's either pure laziness, lack of competence, or a desire to keep the economies of their subsidiary battery companies profitable.

Disposal batteries are an expensive luxury these days; they're a waste of resources, and they pollute the planet far more (per hours of usage) than most rechargeables.

While I accept the 'actual truth' of your statement, it won't stop me railing against the 'reality' of its total lack of necessity, and the general crapness of manufacturers that PERSIST with this 'use disposables' garbage. They should be FORCED, by eco-legislation, to support rechargeables, imho.

And besides (he says, mildly narked that you obviously haven't actually READ all of Hiro's article fully), the Sky box will still complain about ORDINARY DISPOSABLE BATTERIES, which are still perfectly viable, so in those cases your 'advice' would help precisely nobody. Except maybe Duracell

I use them in everything now, and I can't say they run down any quicker than disposables. And it's no great deal to give them a charge for a few hours compared to spending yet more money on some that won't last that much longer, not enough to warrant the extra money. All my other remotes have no problems with rechargeable's. It's only the Sky one (or rather Sky?).

I also have a one4all remote, that will operate up to 6 other items, but for Sky I kind of prefer to use the Sky remote (out of familiarity I suppose). The batteries in the one4all have been in it for ages now without a need to be recharged, and it gets used to operate all my other TV/Video equipment.

To comment on some of the others, my torch is fine with them, and just as bright. The batteries are charged fairly infrequently. I'm not sure what you mean by 'lower volume, higher distortion'. I use them in an mp3 player and I notice no sort of distortion.

The biggest hog is my digital camera. Disposables last for about a few dozen images at full 8MP size, whereas my rechargeable's last for several hours and several hundred images.

I'd hate to think how much I would have spent on disposables over the years if I didn't use any rechargeable's. And then there is the problem of disposing of them properly. Where I live they are not allowed to be thrown away with household rubbish, but I wouldn't do that any way. So that means trips to the local PC world, which then cost money in travel, and adds more fumes to the environment. So it's actually two fold with disposables.

@ Big Jacko

Very good to know you are still around - I do like your "Quality better than Quantity" approach.

Having a mental block moment, it's more likely that charging them up every so often (before they run fully flat, which is possible, being memory free) has become so routine now that I have lost perspective of time. You are of course right Nigel, left alone they do run out a lot quicker than disposables in most things. Left unused they also slowly dissipate their charge.

i use Duracell rechargeable batteries in my sky remote with no problems at all that bold bit is a complete liy probably got sued

Recharge your ordinary alkaline and titanium batteries up to 15 times with this nifty charger! Using an advanced computer chip, it detects the type and size of battery in each of its six slots and recharges them accordingly. The five-in-one, universal, multi-chemistry charger will recharge most common battery sizes, including AAAA, AAA, AA, C, D, N, 9V and 6V lantern batteries, as well as standard Ni-Cad batteries (not suitable for Duracell alkaline batteries). The unit measures about 23.5cm by 15cm by 6.5cm.


http://www.qvcuk.com/ukgscripts/detail.dll

that takes you to a search screen. What are we searching for?

i shud off check the link is called rezap

Item Number 420168
Rezap Battery Engineer Universal 5 in 1 Multi-Chemistry Battery Charger

QVC Price £42.50
Last edited by alias alias : 07-08-2006 at 14:43

It would be best for anyone having doubts about whether they have the latest software download to 'phone the Sky Technical Department (8p per minute) on 08702 435000 and you will be told in seconds whether you have the latest download for your particular make and model number.

To view the above information press Services on your remote control, then System Setup followed by System Details.
Last edited by Emrys Davies : 18-08-2006 at 12:05

All Sky Digital boxes are on 3.4.4b, there is no need to phone up anyone. IDTV's should be on iDTV 3.2.11, that's it.

You are referring to the EPG Software Version which on mine is, like you say, 3.4.4b, but when I spoke to Sky they were only interested in the Version Number which on mine is 9F0304

The version number has very little to do with software, except for when the boxes get the software. ALL Sky Digiboxes are on 3.4.4b, unless your box has a fault, in which case you should get Sky out immediately.They will be able to tell what software is for your version number, but like I said: All Sky Digiboxes, regardless of the version number, are on 3.4.4b.