Sky+ Android App - Just doesn't work?

[stoofa]

I had the Sky+ app installed on my Android phone for ages and it used to work. In fact impressively so.
I could be out and about, suddenly remember something I meant to record and set it from my phone - and the program would record.

Just recently I've been trying to use it and simply put - it just won't work for me.
I'll get "Bad Connection" error or I'll press record, choose single or series and nothing - back to the screen with the record button.
Does anyone else regularly use this app? Do you see any issues or does it just work (as it always used to for me)?

Just this moment I've attempted to add something - I'm on a wireless internet connection via work, very strong signal. But nothing - just press record, scrolling wheel appears for a few moment and back to a record button.

 

[TheVoice]

Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling it, clearing the app cache etc?

I use it on both my phone and my tablet and it works okay for the most part. Sometimes I get some phantom recordings showing up on the TV guide grid on it (programmes with the red R next to it but aren't actually set to record) and on my tablet it often seems to lose sync with my box. I only tend to use it when I'm at home though so it's connected directly to the box, as opposed to via the internet.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

sometimes the app does that, i think it's because your box isn't connected to the internet.

my box has a wireless connector, and if i do not use the wireless connector frequently enough it goes into "standby mode", i need to go back into settings on the box itself to get it out of standby mode.

once it is in normal mode, the app works perfectly.

but with the wireless connector in "standby" there is no feedback from the box back to the phone, therefore it cannot tell whether it will record or not.

i think if they cannot send the signal through the internet, they send the record signal down the satellite themselves.

therefore the show will record but it wont tell you that it is set to record.


therefore if you want the app to work like it did before, make sure you download something using your sky+ hd box everyday, to keep the connector working in "normal" mode.

or connect your box using an ethernet wire to the router, so there is no "standby" mode to go into and it will always be connected.

the problem lies with your wireless connector, not with the app.

 

[ping8781]

Not sure that's completely true.

My sky+ HD box hasn't been connected to a phone line for over 2 years, have moved during that time as well and still get EPG updates and the SKY+ app works perfectly from my phone, never has any problems with it

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Not sure that's completely true.

My sky+ HD box hasn't been connected to a phone line for over 2 years, have moved during that time as well and still get EPG updates and the SKY+ app works perfectly from my phone, never has any problems with it

i'm not talking about connecting it to a phone line

 

[stoofa]

Ninja Bump!
I made this post oh so long ago and then forgot about it....until today when I once again attempted to use the App and once again it failed.

So to a point made earlier. I used to use this app when my Sky box was NOT connected to the internet at all. That was no phone line and no wireless/Ethernet.
I'm assuming the app sent an OTA signal to my box - as that was the only possible way for Sky to communicate with my device.
It did work in the past without my box being connected to the net.

Right now my box is only connected via Ethernet.
Now I don't know how the App/Sky now communicate to my box - yes it has an Ethernet connection (via my Asus Router).
However that will be behind a firewall so how would Sky be able to communicate with it? So surely they are still connecting OTA?

So anyway, using the app I got "Bad Connection" the first time and then subsequent attempts I press "Record" I get the spinny icon and then it refreshes back to a "Record" button - so hasn't actually set the program up to record.

 

[TheVoice]

Ninja Bump!
Right now my box is only connected via Ethernet.
Now I don't know how the App/Sky now communicate to my box - yes it has an Ethernet connection (via my Asus Router).
However that will be behind a firewall so how would Sky be able to communicate with it? So surely they are still connecting OTA?

So anyway, using the app I got "Bad Connection" the first time and then subsequent attempts I press "Record" I get the spinny icon and then it refreshes back to a "Record" button - so hasn't actually set the program up to record.

If you're able to view your planner via the app, then obviously it's connected to the box via your LAN; it uses uPnP. If not (or when you're away from home) any record requests you send are sent to the box via the dish, but obviously you can't view your planner or delete recordings etc. I'm pretty sure the app will tell you either way.

Try clearing the cache on the app, uninstall it, reinstall it etc and see where you go from there. If you're only having problems when you're using the app at home (i.e. on the same network as the box) then you may need to look into your router settings. Presumably your box has a working connection to the internet, can download on-demand content etc?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So anyway, using the app I got "Bad Connection" the first time and then subsequent attempts I press "Record" I get the spinny icon and then it refreshes back to a "Record" button - so hasn't actually set the program up to record.

have you set up remote record?

you need to do that manually on sky's website.

also i sometimes press record and the spinny icon does it's thing and it goes back to a record button instead of a red R dot, this doesn't always mean the tv show isn't set up to record and it will actually be recorded, it is hit or miss though and i press it a few times to be safe.

 

[stoofa]

The box itself is now connected to the internet - Box to Powerline adapter to GB Switch which in turn connects to my Asus router.
The box can get out onto the net - I can and have downloaded on demand things, so that side of things is working as should be.

I've not tried to use the remote record from inside my own network - to be honest if I'm at home I can just switch the box on and record from there.
I have setup "Remote Record", as I said it ahs worked in the past before I had the box connected to the internet.
I've not tried to browse my box from the app - I've only ever used to look at EPG data to find programs I want to record and then hit the "Record" button.

Earlier this morning I was experimenting with "Never Miss" and whilst there I used the website to setup some things to record. There was no error message, so I'll check when I get home to see if that worked or not.

 

[stoofa]

So just as an update - all of the programs that I clicked "Record" on via the "Never miss" part of the website did successfully make it to my box - all of them were listed in my planner as ready to record when I got home last night.
So the Sky system can update my box which I click "Record" on something from the website, however can't when I attempt to use the Android app.

I'll try removing it and reinstalling.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So just as an update - all of the programs that I clicked "Record" on via the "Never miss" part of the website did successfully make it to my box - all of them were listed in my planner as ready to record when I got home last night.
So the Sky system can update my box which I click "Record" on something from the website, however can't when I attempt to use the Android app.

I'll try removing it and reinstalling.

do you actually have a data or wifi connection when using said android app?

mine always works, no matter what, in fact you should take a look at the sky + app on a tablet, on my nexus 7 v2, it's got even more features, much better layout and much nicer to use.

 

[stoofa]

Phone has a data contract. At work I'm attached to WiFi which has new access.
I shall try an app reinstall and see if that works.

 

[flasher]

Never had a problem using mine... as long as I had a good internet connection on the phone it worked fine.

On a side note the sky box is hooked up to the router with power adapters, not tried the Wi-Fi box yet.