Sky+HD Digibox hints and tips

Here are some hints and tips for looking after your Sky+HD digibox.

These hints and tips apply to the DRX890 and DRX895 Sky+HD digiboxes

The difference between these two are that the DRX890 has a 500gb hard dish drive, and the DRX895 has the 1 or 2 TB hard dish drive.
A DRX890W or DRX895W means that the Sky+HD digibox has wifi connections available.

Most issues with a Sky+HD digibox arise due to issues with the hard disk drive. The Sky+HD digibox is basically a PC, and the hard disk drive is running all the time that the box is turned on. Sudden power cuts can cause a loss of data, and even a physical failure of the box.

Performing a Planner Rebuild

As you record and delete programs on your Sky+HD digibox, your hard drive will become fragmented, data being read and written all over the hard disk drive. This can cause some performance issues as if your hard disk drive is too fragmented the hard disk drive mechanism has to work overtime.

A planner rebuild helps sort out your data orders on your hard disk drive.
To perform a planner rebuild on a Sky+HD digibox :

Services
Select help
Select Sky+ Rebuild
Press select to confirm

The Planner rebuild is also available via the “secret” installers menu

Services
0
0
1
Select
Right to Planner Rebuild
Down to activate the screen
Press select to confirm

A Sky+HD planner rebuild will check and reorder the data for your recorded and scheduled programs. This process may take some time, and will stop all recordings, and will also reboot your Sky+HD digibox.

A Sky+HD planner rebuild will NOT delete any recorded programmes.

Sky+HD Digibox System Reset

Sometimes, if a Sky+HD Planner Rebuild has not solved the issue, a System Reset may be required.

A System Reset will perform a low-level format of your hard disk drive.

Unlike the Planner Rebuild, this System Reset WILL erase all your recorded programs and delete your scheduled programs from your Sky+HD digibox.

The System Reset is available via the “secret” installers menu

Services
0
0
1
Select
Right to System Reset
Down to activate the screen
Press select to confirm

This process may take some time, and will stop all recordings, and will also reboot your Sky+HD digibox.

Sky+HD Digibox Full System Reset

A Sky+HD Digibox Full System Reset is a bit more through than the System Reset.

It is also useful for when you cannot access the menu system to perform a System Reset, as you can perform the Full System Reset using the buttons on the top of the Sky+HD digibox.

A Full System Reset WILL erase all your recorded programs and delete your scheduled programs from your Sky+HD digibox.

Turn the power off to the Sky+HD digibox
Hold down both the left and right buttons on the top of the digibox.
Whilst still holding down the left and right buttons, turn the power back on to the box
Keep holding the left and right buttons and the blue circle on the front of the Sky+HD digibox will light up
Press Select button on the box – the blue circle on the front of the Sky+HD digibox should spin backwards indicating the reformatting of the hard disk drive
You can now release the left and right buttons
After a while the blue circle should turn off and the blue play light should illuminate to say the process is complete
If after a while the the red record light is illuminated, then the full system reset process failed. Repeat the process
Allow the Sky+HD digibox to reboot and start up

Sky+HD “Diskless Mode” error message

If you get the “Diskless Mode”on screen error message, then this means that your hard disk drive in your Sky+HD digibox has a serious data corruption, or physical failure. This is usually caused by a power failure when the Sky+HD digibox was writing data to the hard disk drive.

If the Planner Rebuild, System Reset and Full System reset methods above do not solve this problem, then the only solution is to replace the hard disk drive.

And maybe consider getting a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) unit that can continue to provide power to the Sky+HD digibox when there is a power failure.

Sky+HD Digibox Error Codes

The error code on a Sky+HD digibox can give some clue as to what the problem is.

Technical Fault 5 – One of two recordings failed – Error when two recordings at same time resulted in the failure of one.

Technical Fault 7 – Hard disk drive error

Technical Fault 10 – Signal loss – Temporary loss of signal for channel being recorded, for example during bad weather.

Technical Fault 30 – No Signal – possible satellite dish installation problem with cable connections, wiring, LNB, satellite dish alignment or satellite dish size.