Digital Upgrade Head Scratcher

Marge · 16-09-2006, 18:46

My neighbours have upgraded to digital from analogue yesterday and so far it isn't going well and I'm scratching my head as to why.

My neighbour has a Pace STB, I have a Samsung.

My neighbour cannot get the PACE STB to work, it starts up ok but won't load the start up screen. I have plugged my Samsung into all her connections and it works perfectly fine !!

I brought her PACE back to my house, plugged it into my upstairs connection and it works, absolutely no problem (in fact I'm watching Top Gear on it now). I tried plugging it into my downstairs connection and get the same problem as my neighbour, it won't load.

At the risk of being completely stupid, what am I missing?? Why will it work upstairs but not downstairs ??

All answers to Fed Up of Manchester, I've been home since 5.30 pm trying to sort it out and not even had my tea yet

Paul K · 16-09-2006, 18:48

But have you called NTL CS??

What signal levels have you got downstairs and up?

16-09-2006, 18:52

If you plug your sammy into your connections, do you get much difference in the SNR, etc, between each of them 'Marge' - but get your tea first, before trying that

- I'm just wondering if the Pace box is marginal on what it thinks are decent levels?

<oops didnt see Pauls reply, till now

>

Marge · 16-09-2006, 19:25

tbh I can understand my house might have different levels (which on checking it has) but my neighbour has only one connection, her SNR is 46.1 and the return power is 44. Maybe the Pace Box can't cope with one of the signals she has, I don't know what is a good or bad level.

They have phoned Faults twice who have just sent signals which has not really achieved anything, I think they need someone back out to investigate further and stick them a Samsung in

Just noticed in the Event Log it has "SDT Transport error"

sstainer · 17-09-2006, 15:55

no idea why the pace box dont work etc does it boot up ok but show no channels except 0 and if press page up page down & blue key [remote] does it say software something like 3.1? it might be simple that it was not connected to system but as you say it works on your cable connections ok one of them well weird?

get hold of ntl and ask for techy visit this is not right and for a new customer even worse well be put of if it was me LOL

Nedkelly · 17-09-2006, 16:14

Yes i agree with sstainer this it not good .Send rehits to the box will do nothing it sounds like the box might have issues a tech is needed

To check it out have you tried bootng the box with the down key on front of the box held down ?

17-09-2006, 16:30

An SNR of 46.1? Are you sure? Thats a very strong signal!!

The STB's are designed to work within a 10dB window. I think its from 0dBmV to -10dBmV (thats the forward path TV signal). I'd guess that as already has been said the signal is marginal in your friends house. Or the STB may just be a little 'deaf' and needs a little more signal.

monkey2468 · 17-09-2006, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creative

An SNR of 46.1? Are you sure? Thats a very strong signal!!

The STB's are designed to work within a 10dB window. I think its from 0dBmV to -10dBmV (thats the forward path TV signal). I'd guess that as already has been said the signal is marginal in your friends house. Or the STB may just be a little 'deaf' and needs a little more signal.

Any less than SNR of 25 and you would have issues!

17-09-2006, 18:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkey2468

Any less than SNR of 25 and you would have issues!

I'd have said less than 31. However as I said the value of 46.1 is very very high. Too high in my opinion to be a valid reading. A reading of 46.1 would mean the signal level was more than 128 times stronger than it would be at 25

monkey2468 · 17-09-2006, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creative

I'd have said less than 31. However as I said the value of 46.1 is very very high. Too high in my opinion to be a valid reading. A reading of 46.1 would mean the signal level was more than 128 times stronger than it would be at 25

My SNR is at 44.2, and has always been ok.

17-09-2006, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkey2468

My SNR is at 44.2, and has always been ok.

Then I'll shut up!
I don't remember SNR's being that high even in the headends. Though its been a couple of years.
I remember when this was all fields......

quadplay · 17-09-2006, 19:51

Just to drag this back to somewhere approaching the topic...

Sounds like the tuner's dying. Book a box swap.

Marge · 17-09-2006, 20:02

Thanks to all, they are going to ring Faults again tomorrow. They are quite happy atm as they have one of my Samsung boxes that works perfectly but I can imagine they would be really unhappy if they had just been sat looking at a blank screen all weekend

Does anyone know of what the difference is between the Samsung and Pace as to why one will work and not the other ??

I know the levels are right because I took all the readings myself (just what I wanted to do after a days slog as well

) in my house and theirs

Bob · 17-09-2006, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marge

Does anyone know of what the difference is between the Samsung and Pace as to why one will work and not the other ??

If you are in a Langley region, the Pace STBs use the DAVIC return path whereas the Samsungs use DOCSIS. Whether that would have an affect on what you have described, I haven't a clue lol!

Marge · 17-09-2006, 20:41

I'm on the Bromley one Bob, wonder if Quadplay or BBKing might know why?