Amstrad: Sky+

Lawson, on October 21st, 2009
I have been using DRX280 for lat 3 years. Eventhough it has some slight issues, I am very much satisfied with this wonderful product from SKY

Jacqui, Kent, on July 3rd, 2009
I've had lots of problems with Amstrad Sky plus over the last 6 weeks. I've had 5 different boxes, all the wiring replaced, and a new dish. It was freezing up, not responding to the remote, pausing in the middle of programmes and recordings. Deleting recorded programmes and only part recording. Kept saying the remote needed batteries even though we'd replaced them. They put in a pace box 48 hours ago at my insistance, all the problems and issues are gone. Fancy that!

John, Somerset, on May 24th, 2009
My Sky + keeps knocking out at 8-30pm every evening,phoned sky who took me through a software upgrade,alright for a week then kept knocking out at 8-57pm.Phoned them again and they told me to switch the auto standby off. This seems to have rectified it for the time being. Yes it is an Amstrad!!

Gary, Yorkshire, on May 13th, 2009
Wouldn't recommend Amstrads at all... had intermittent fault with mine for the last 2 years or so, usual faults of getting stuck in standby, lipsync/audio problems, failed recording etc. I have replaced PSU capacitors and also the hard drive and still have problems. Have now given up with it and am going to get a Pace box from somewhere...

Mel Edge, on March 19th, 2009
When it works it's great. But. Our box keeps freezing, pauses in recording playbacks, says it has no viewing card, muddles up programme synopsis, says it is receiving no signal, sometimes only part-records progs, but worst of all is the intermittant high pitched noise in background. Drives me crazy. Thought maybe I had tinnitus (!), but kids can hear it as well. Almost out of 12 month guarantee. Phoned Customer Service and followed instructions to reset things. Fine for a day then back to square one. They won't give us a new box and we won't pay for extra cover after what I've been hearing about that little scam. Very disappointed in Sky - happy enough to take your money but forget the rest. Surely they know about these faults, so why don't they do something about it?

Chris, London, on December 22nd, 2008
Now on my second Amstrad box. The first a Sky HD box had a very noisy fan or HD that drown out the TV's audio, in the end we cancelled HD for this reason and others. Now I have a Sky + Amstrad box and that also has noise problems this time form the HD which produces an extremely high frequency whine (I can pick up on higher frequencies than other people for some reason). It has also developed to other faults recently the first being that it will not go into standby mode and the second being that the picture goes extremely grainy.

Warwick, Oldham, on October 25th, 2008
Never had a problem in 4 years.

Alan, New Milton, on October 6th, 2008
why o why do they allow such poor quality products to show a sky brand

Dave, Essex, on October 17th, 2007
3 Amstrad boxes in the last year, latest one has a noisy hard disk which you can hear over the TV, and what I first thought was a lock up was a delayed response from the remote - sometimes up to 10 mins - it then proceeds to do exactly what you told it to do 10 minutes previously and then all the following buttons functions you press in frustration. Logged a call with Sky last night and was told they would swap the box - but then told me that the warranty was 3 days over the 3 months period and wanted to charge me £65, I then had a heated conversation with a so called 'floor supervisor' who was the most obnoxious, rude, and totally inflexible person I have ever spoken to, who would not move from the £65 callout. My wife then mailed Sky Customer services direct to complain, as I was still fuming. I recieved a mail this morning from Sky Customer Relations offering a free callout - so if you dont get anywhere with the call desk then try an Email to customer relations from the sky web site.

Sean, Hampshire, on October 16th, 2007
Prior to ordering Sky+, I read the reviews on this page, so when it came to ordering, I insisted I would only go ahead if I don't get an Amstrad box. As the box that arrived didn't have a brand name on it, I checked in the 'system details' after having lots of set up problems, i.e. burning smell, slow remote control. recordings failing constantly.....You guessed it. AMSTRAD !! I called SKY and got nowhere, so wrote them an email explaining the initial order caveats. Got a reply saying I don't have a choice what box I get !!!! ?? When you pay for a black suit, would you be happy with an orange one ? I wrote back advising them I am cancelling my subscription with them after many years. We will see what tomorrow brings. It'd be nice if it was a U-turn from SKY and a Pace box, but that's very unlikely. Scammed by Sky again. My standard Panasonic digital box is WAY faster than this. Absolutely disgusted and VERY angry.

Conrad Hart, Cornwall, on October 3rd, 2007
Had 2 boxes in about 15 months, the first one lasted a few weeks with failed recordings, the second seem to be as bad but soon as latest firmware was loaded in all was ok. Now at this point in time it is sitting there, can't switch it on as its stuck on standby, possible hard drive or Power error. Before it died it was switching itself off all the time, failing recordings, not playing them back at all. Response from remote was better than any freeview box tho. These boxes are the best when they work but not very reliable at all and cannot even watch tv now.Oh well back to freeview or a normal sat box maybe?

Ki, North East England, on August 27th, 2007
No problems so far, had it just installed 3 days ago to replace magic eye off box in living room. Only issue was it switched itself off after about an hour after installation.

Andy, on June 10th, 2007
I am thinking of getting a Sky+ box and have heard many reviews on people saying they have been given old boxes. What can I do to distinguish if I am getting a new or old box? I doubt the engineer will actually honestly tell me if I ask, they are bound to say "YES, it's new". Any ideas? Thanks.

Sharon, Rayleigh Essex, on March 19th, 2007
Sound dropout really bad at times, especially when we are recording on sky +. Any ideas how to rectify!

Craig, Worcestershire, on March 16th, 2007
Yeah, alright I guess

Steven, Lincoln, on March 5th, 2007
The engineer called to fit mine today, a reconditioned Amstrad box a year old and discontinued by Amstrad so I told them to take it away and not come back! I am not having old crap from Sky when I pay for the latest equipment and Sky confirmed it was out of date (Sony, Amstrad, Pace ) all no longer made but Sky has a stock of 20 thousand and they are discontinued stock no longer supported. Don’t stand for it, request a new box or not at all or you will end up with red tape guff. Ask first view it and see! If it’s in a plain brown box with one sticker it’s a reconditioned box!

Jason, Kinmel Bay, N Wales, on January 19th, 2007
Had sky now for over five years had nothing but problems, original sky + box was an Amstrad which I had problems with sound upon connection to my surround sound, contacted sky and it was replaced by engineer with a reconditioned box, same problem again (they had just got the thing out the box for god sake), engineer went back to van and brought a pace box, had no problems up until recently the hard drive appears to be making loud noises as if its working overtime, called sky and they sent engineer out and replaced it with another pace which had the same problem and also would not record two programs at the same time, called sky again sent out another engineer now been replaced with a reconditioned Amstrad although they said I would have a new one has I threatened to cancel, the customer service and products are absolutely useless I don’t believe this is just down to bad luck, if I can give anybody any advise, save your money get Freeview / TUTV.

Neil, Belfast, on December 11th, 2006
I've literally just had my Sky upgraded to Sky +. The engineers installed an Amstrad box. The noise is really bad and Sky's general reaction to the complaint has left me genuinely upset. In one simple step they've taken a loyal customer and lost him with cheap hardware. I'm disgusted that I've paid money to basically get a downgrade in service. Replacement to be installed later this week, but if not up to scratch it looks like I'll be binning Sky before Christmas.

Ian, Colchester, on November 24th, 2006
After nine months of grief, frequent so-called engineer visits, replacement boxes (not new and with only three months' warranty!) we got fed up, pulled the plug. Life is so much more enjoyable for us without those stupid boxes!