Tech support for more Sky HD boxes abandoned

[Analoguesat]

I havent seen this flagged up here so its worth mentioning.

Support for the Thomson HD boxes were abandoned years ago, but support for these:

Pace TDS850NB
Samsung HDSKY & HDSKY500
Amstrad/Sky DRX780s

has also been withdrawn - so no new firmware updates for these receivers.

http://skyepginfo.co.uk/Firmware/SkyPlusHD.php

 

[Ghostleader]

Not just the "fatter" older boxes either, I'm sure that at least one of the Samsung models there was the smaller footprint box that is the standard now.

Sent from my T5 using Tapatalk

 

[Captain Jack]

I am sure my Amstrad 890 from 2009 is older than Pace 780, so odd that it's being canned. It's working fine, though, so no reason to change.

 

[davemurgtroyd]

I am sure my Amstrad 890 from 2009 is older than Pace 780, so odd that it's being canned. It's working fine, though, so no reason to change.

There is no Pace 780 - it is either an Amstrad 780 or Pace TDS 850. Also manufacture by Pace (and Samsung) ceased at around the same time as the Amstrad 980 was released although old stock lingered around for some time - Sky having purchased Amstrad's satellite operation some time before this and began development on the 890.

Yes no reason to change at present but future updates to Sky's broadcasts may lose some facilities - first most likely one will be change to encryption for replacement cards which are now overdue.

 

[Captain Jack]

Sorry, I meant the Amstrad 780 - the single tuner HD box.

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Sorry, I meant the Amstrad 780 - the single tuner HD box.

No the DRX 780 was a twin tuner PVR - the single tuner non PVR HD box is the DRX 595 which also came out after the Pace was discontinued.

 

[archive10]

Well, I have one of the Thomson boxes, and despite web-lore (including tales on this forum), it is showing now sign of not working...
Yes, it's been switched off for a few years, and yes it's big, clunky, and makes some noise when on, but it continues to work.
Just actually used it for a case study on PVR conflict resolution. (I know it's NDS (later Cisco, now Technicolor) software, but the thing still works!)
And has one of the blue-house cards in it, which allows the PVR to work without active subscription.

Was considering sticking a larger HDD in it, and deploying it in the summer house.
But the Humax 1010S works way better, so I will leave it in the museum for now...

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Well, I have one of the Thomson boxes, and despite web-lore (including tales on this forum), it is showing now sign of not working...
Yes, it's been switched off for a few years, and yes it's big, clunky, and makes some noise when on, but it continues to work.
Just actually used it for a case study on PVR conflict resolution. (I know it's NDS (later Cisco, now Technicolor) software, but the thing still works!)
And has one of the blue-house cards in it, which allows the PVR to work without active subscription.

Was considering sticking a larger HDD in it, and deploying it in the summer house.
But the Humax 1010S works way better, so I will leave it in the museum for now...

Software support withdrawal does not mean it will stop working - merely that no further updates to the firmware are provided. In the case of the Thompson this has resulted in its loss of ability to decrypt subscription HD channels.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Has there ever been tech suppport ? It was always 'we can have another box delivered to you but it will cost 60 quid for the privilidge' when my customers ran into trouble.