News | Technology
28 Mar 2024 23:23
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Technology

    Sky Digital TV Blackout as satellite fails

    Hundreds of thousands of Sky Digital subscribers that have come to rely on the Sky satellite service for their news and entertainment have been subjected to a prolonged blackout of all the Sky Channels.


    Sky Television
    Sky Television
    At around 7:30pm this evening, viewers were suddenly inconvenienced with incorrect messages such as:

    “Atmospheric conditions have temporarily disrupted your viewing. If normal viewing does not resume shortly, please contact your service provider.”

    Or

    “No Signal. Rain Fade. The disturbance to your viewing is due to atmospheric conditions. Your pictures will resume shortly.”

    The problem was, atmospheric conditions seemed normal in most places.

    Within a short time, the Sky 0800 759 759 customer service number was jammed and the Sky TV website (www.skytv.co.nz) became unavailable.

    Many viewers, thinking their own home setup was at faulty, attempted to adjust settings and re-power their equipment, to no avail.

    At around 8:45pm, the Sky website was replaced with a single page message that read:

    “We have an outage on SKY’s Optus B1 satellite.

    At this time there are no SKY satellite services. We will keep you updated as we obtain more information.

    SKY Sport 1 is Free to Air on UHF for the duration of the Live Cricket Awards.”

    It has been widely rumoured that Sky Digital has been relying on a single transponder on the Optus satellite and has no backup if that transponder fails. If that were the case then it would mean that Sky Digital services would cease until a replacement transponder could be commissioned. That might not be until another satellite is launched. If this rumour is true, it could mean Sky Digital customers would have a long wait for their service to “resume shortly”.

    Update 30 March 2006 10:00pm

    Sky spokeman Tony O'Brien says the signal was lost while the satellite was being re-positioned, but that communications with the ground station are restored and Optus will re-point the satellite, a maneovre which should be complete about about midnight. Updates will be published on the Sky website.

    So if this procedure is successful, Sky subscribers might breath a sigh of relief.

    © 2024 ron, NZCity

     Other Technology News
     18 Mar: How Vegemite can help break down your old computers, phones and TV sets
     14 Mar: A high-tech upgrade for a ferry service plying a Fiordland lake
     02 Mar: Elon Musk sues ChatGPT maker OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for allegedly 'perverting' mission for profit
     01 Mar: NASA's asteroid-smashing DART mission 'completely reshaped' its target Dimorphos, scientists say
     03 Feb: Ignoring work calls and emails after hours could soon become a legal right in Australia as political momentum grows to ensure people can unplug and unwind
     10 Jan: Conversation is Key: Kiwi women favour chat skills in online dating, survey shows
     02 Jan: More and more drug users and dealers are taking to social media to buy illegal substances
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The Crusaders' struggles to start Super Rugby have drawn concern from Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The Government's made a new pay offer to Police More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    The Government's made a new pay offer to Police 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Lily Allen was introduced to Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher as Rita Ora - and was too mortified to disclose who she really was 21:53

    Entertainment:
    Mel B's fiance visited her father's grave to "ask permission" to propose to her 21:23

    Accident and Emergency:
    State Highway 6 is blocked by a serious crash, South of Lake Paringa in the South Island's Tasman region 21:17

    Accident and Emergency:
    State Highway One is has now reopened between Kaikoura and Riverlands - after a two-vehicle collision at Kekerengu, north of Kaikoura, this morning 21:17

    International:
    Shopper swallowed as shopping mall floor collapses in eastern China 21:07

    Entertainment:
    Kris Jenner won't spend quality one-on-one time with her grandchildren because it would cost her too much time and money 20:53

    Law and Order:
    A person has died following an incident at a restaurant in Auckland's Browns Bay 20:27

    Entertainment:
    Halle Berry's perimenopause symptoms were mistaken for herpes 20:23

    Entertainment:
    Keke Palmer wants 10 kids 19:53


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2024 New Zealand City Ltd