Sky Plus box

MattW · #1 31-03-2011

Anyone know much about Sky plus boxes?

Have recently acquired an older type Thompson white sky plus box. However, it doesn't seem to want to power up! It's sat there with the red glow from the power button - which appears to be standby mode. You can tell that something is happening - as you can hear/feel the HD trying to do something.

I haven't got the remote for it - but I wouldn't have thought that mattered, as surely I should be able to power it up from the front Push button.

Any ideas?

mdb_75 · #2 31-03-2011

I've got one that does the same! It was working fine, we had Sky HD fitted in it's place so I then put the old white sky + box upstairs in place of the basic sky box that was aleady up there, but I can't get it to turn on again.

MattW · #3 31-03-2011

Exactly the same as what i'm doing.

I left it plugged into power for about 20 mins, and then it started powering up fine. Powered off/on a few times. Then un-plugged it, and plugged back in, and then wouldn't power up again - even after being left in.

Got it apart now, and looks like the capacitors on the power supply are dead - which searching on line, looks VERY common. With the "test" that I did above, it makes sense as well.

Got the caps i.d'ed now, so job for tomorrow is to find some!

mdb_75 · #4 31-03-2011

I don't suppose they would be the same capacitors in the basic sky box or that the psu would swap from one to the other? I don't think I threw my + box away......!??

Richard Lowe · #5 31-03-2011

All Thompson Sky boxes are pants in my experience, went through a couple of Thompson PVR3 HD boxes - both were really sluggish when Sky moved to the proper HD planner and both had their power supply capacitor's dry up

A bit of nagging got Sky to send me one of the newer Amstrad PVR5 boxes which has been much, much better. A friend had exactly the same problems with his Thompson HD box, got Sky to swap it for an Amstrad and all issues are gone