All Digital TV cmrs read this thread...

[Jonessie]

WARNING: I need to determine, if this is just happening with existing NTL customers with NTL Smart Cards only. If this is happening with new Virgin Media customers with Virgin Media Smart Cards from your STB then please let me know. If you are not experiencing any problems with your STB then please do not clog up the thread with “mines working fine, I have never had a problem or issue with my STB” I just want to hear from members who are experiencing the problem outlined in the thread, regarding software build 20061013.

Good morning all Cable TV subscribers,
Ever since Virgin Media installed a V+ STB in my house and moved the secondary STB from the existing location and Virgin Media updated the software build on all, old and new Cable TV STB’s (Set Top Box) all customers right across the board have been experiencing major problems with the following symptoms which accrue on a regular basis. As an engineer myself, I have a gut feeling what is causing the problem, I have put this to a friend of mine who’s a senior cable engineer, and he said, my theory makes sense and could possibly be the cause of the problem, all customers have been experiencing since February of 2007.

These symptoms are for standard STB only not the V+
1. You have to reboot the STB every day, probably 3 -4 times per day.
2. Your STB freezes when changing channels (sometimes this requires a reboot).
3. Movie Channels (RED Button) works intermittently.
4. Alert message comes up on movie channels, (it has not been possible to tune the requested channel at this time try again later) after entering the PIN number to the view the requested channel.
5. CA IPPV Status “UKNOWN” (this will show what has been purchased, i.e. films from Filmflex).
6. Card Status Waiting... (This should be showing as “OK”)

How to locate your smart card...?
Existing NTL: customers (like me) will probably still have the same smart card in their STB as they did when the STB was first installed...? then I don’t need to explain where your smart card is located, for those who, actually don’t know where their smart card is located, then just look to the front left hand side of your (standard STB) and you will see a flap. Open this and you will see a white smart card with the old original NTL: logo printed on the front of the card. If this is the case then you have an old smart card.

Some of you may have been experiencing problems with your STB and the engineer has decided to renew your STB and you notice the new STB has Virgin Media printed in the left hand corner, with the flap opening for your smart card. Again the engineer will continue using the same smart card, with the new STB and when he’s left and all your channels have come back on an hour later, you are still experiencing the same problem...? But before I can go to Virgin Media, I need some solid feedback from all members of Cable forum who have been experiencing the problems outlined above. I appreciate and understand that some people will have all the luck in the world and say, “I have never had a problem with my cable TV...” if so then don’t bother replying to this post please.

Customers with a V+ STB the smart card is located at the rear of the STB, you should not be affected by 3, 4, 5, 6 of the faults, although I am aware of freezing channels and rebooting your STB V+ on a regular basis does happen. You might be getting Attention messages as well with the error code 1010.

How to access your settings?
Standard STB’s pick up your remote and to the top left you will see a blue button called “settings” press and proceed to the Settings menu, go to number 6 or (press number six on your remote) press the Red button until you come to the following...

CA IPPV Status UKNOWN
Card Status Waiting...

V+ STB will be the following, “home” then go to 8 or (press 8 on your remote) “Settings” and then 6 or (press number 6 on your remote) “Technical Stuff”. This will probably be working ok Card Status should be OK and IPPV Status No Purchases if you have not viewed any movies.

Thank you and I look forwards to your feedback. Please take some time to also use the poll to try and calculate the percentage of customers with original NTL: old style smart cards.

[m419]

Well i'm in a Telewest area and have had loads of powercuts and everytime the power goes off, the set top box reloads back to the channel we were watching but on-demand and mini-guide does not work and we reboot the box and it then fails to reload and then we reboot again and we get blanking and freezing pictures. Apart from that we can be watching TV some day and a message will just come up saying 'insert smartcard'

[spiderplant]

1. You have to reboot the STB every day, probably 3 -4 times per day.
2. Your STB freezes when changing channels (sometimes this requires a reboot).
3. Movie Channels (RED Button) works intermittently.
4. Alert message comes up on movie channels, (it has not been possible to tune the requested channel at this time try again later) after entering the PIN number to the view the requested channel.
5. CA IPPV Status “UKNOWN� (this will show what has been purchased, i.e. films from Filmflex).
6. Card Status Waiting... (This should be showing as “OK�)

You don't need a poll. You need to get on the phone to VM!

1 to 3 are all are STB faults, probably unrelated to the smartcard.
4 is a known software problem - for now, you have to retry tuning to the channel.
5 and 6 are normal behaviour.

[Nedkelly]

Please make sure you put the card back in the way you took it out .

[Jonessie]

Originally Posted by Nedkelly

Please make sure you put the card back in the way you took it out .

Yeah well spotted, although you would have to be a little dim to put the card back in upside down really, because it would not work...?

Not that I'm saying your dim mind, I'm just basically saying, people in general...

[PS1]

Originally Posted by Jonessie

Yeah well spotted, although you would have to be a little dim to put the card back in upside down really, because it would not work...?

Not that I'm saying your dim mind, I'm just basically saying, people in general...

indeed,i worked for ntl for 6 years and you wouldnt belive the ammount of faults i went out on,only to find the sub. had done exactly that,either,card upside down,back to front or on the phase 1 boxes ,even in the wrong slot.People who dont know what they are doing really should leave things like this alone,stop fiddling around and just watch the pretty pictures known as programes.