# Sky magic eye problem



## wolliwuk (Feb 11, 2008)

I have a sky magic eye connected to my hd box running up an outdoor cable to my Panasonic 42" plasma in the loft. Just recently it has started to go funny. 
The picture will continue but the sound goes fuzzy and no clear sound is audible. Also I am unable to change channel or input any commands from the sky remote. 
Has anyone any ideas what the problem could be? Would changing the RF outlet channel make any difference?

Thanks in advance


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## Autotec (Aug 3, 2007)

sounds like the magic eye is at fault. try a new one and see how it goes. the other option is to pull the power out of the sky box and leave for 20 seconds and then see if that helps.
it always seems to fix mine.


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

Firstly try removing the MagicEye and connecting the cable directly to your TV (the MagicEye only carries the IR remote commands back to your Sky box so the picture and sound should be unaffected).

If you still have picture or sound problems then check the connections at either end of the cable to make sure they are still secure. 

Has this happened very recently or could it have coincided with the recent Freeview retune? It could be that your RF2 channel is now being affected by a change in frequency of a DTV channel so you should also try setting a different RF2 channel and retuning your loft TV. Or simply remove the aerial input at your Sky box and see if there is any change.

If that makes no difference then it could be a cable problem - is the cable foam-filled and is it properly clipped/secured? If it is loose and blows around in the wind (and if it is cheap air-spaced cable) then it could have damage.

For the MagicEye, is the red light still showing when it is connected? If not then either the RF2 power from the Sky box has failed or the eye is faulty. You could try plugging it directly into the Rf2 connection at the Sky box and seeing if it works there.


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

^^^ Top advice there :thumb:

Recently had to change my RF2 out channel for sky following a digital retune, only had to move it one channel (was 68, now 67) but that cured the diagonal interference lines and the picture is now crystal clear again


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## wolliwuk (Feb 11, 2008)

Hi
I live in Cumbria and we have had Freeview since forever so there hasn't been a retune in our area recently. I will do as you suggested tonight and try plugging the cable in without the magic eye to see what happens. The cable is firmly clipped to the outside of the house and I dont think it can move around. This happens intermittently with no particular pattern.
If I were to try a different RF channel which would you suggest?
The red light still shows on the magic eye even when it has it's little hissy fit.


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

We had a digital return recently (most of the UK did) due to channels getting moved around to free up spectrum for 4G, so you may also have been affected.

Is the Eye in a position where it gets direct sun or do you have a 3D TV with active infra-red glasses? This can flood the area with IR a d prevents other equipment from working.


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## Strongey (Apr 16, 2013)

Have you checked the cable that runs outside for damage? Small nicks etc or wearing where it bends into the brickwork


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## Geordie_1982 (Jun 12, 2010)

Bit off topic but what's a Magic Eye :tumbleweed:


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## chr15rey (Jun 17, 2008)

Geordie_1982 said:


> Bit off topic but what's a Magic Eye :tumbleweed:


it is a remote receiver for sky boxes, plugs in-line with an aerial wire from rf2 out on sky box which lets you turn sky over in another room, its a small box with a receiver on a wire


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## Geordie_1982 (Jun 12, 2010)

So i could watch sky in my bedroom (no sky) using my sky hd box in the livingroom


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

^^^ Yup

It utilises the RF2 out from the sky box to feed another TV (or in my case a loftbox splitter that then feeds other rooms  )

Stock 'Sky magic eye' in google and you'll see what you need


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## wolliwuk (Feb 11, 2008)

I have tried changing the Rf channel to both 67 and 69 but I dont even get a picture on these channels. I have checked the RF out cable on the back of the sky box and that seems to be firm. This problem is intermittent and usually happens once a night. If I switch it off then come to it the next evening it works for a while. The light is on all the time on the magic eye and at the moment I cannot remove it as my plasma is wall mounted and the cable and magic eye is butted right up agains the wall and impossible for me to get out without some help.


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## wolliwuk (Feb 11, 2008)

If the cable were damaged would I not have this problem all the time?


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

If you do a rescan of your digital tuner you can watch and note the channel numbers that carry the channel muxes, and then try setting RF2 to a channel well away from these. I use channel 21 for my RF2 channel as in my region the DTV channels are in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

You can also disconnect the aerial feed while testing RF2 output (remove it from the first device that is fed from the roof before it ets distributed around the house). That will definitely allow you to rule out DTV interference.

I'm a bit worried about how you describe your aerial connection the back of the TV. It it has been kinked or squeezed into a tight 90 degree bend because there is not enough clearance between the wall and the back of the TV then it could have damaged the cable, and this could now be the reason you are having problems.

Does your TV bracket not allow you to tilt the bottom of the TV away from the wall to give limited access?


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## wolliwuk (Feb 11, 2008)

I will have a look tonight to see if i can tilt it to get it out. The magic I goes directly in at the back so was looking at one like this that should allow connection without the arial cable being kinked.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LABGEAR-M...CI%2BUA%2BFICS&otn=21&pmod=330837113360&ps=54


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

That one looks good for your kind of installation as the right-angled connection means you don't need to force the cable into a tight 90 degree bend where it connects to the TV.


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

That does look a good solutiuon to your install.
The other way to do it, is to fashion a connection from the eye to the TV, so you can bend the coax, but that adds another connection, which in turn will erode the quality slightly.


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## jonnyMercUK (Apr 19, 2012)

I have one of these, although it doesn't look right on the picture. It came with a cable for between the tv and the magic eye box

http://www.screwfix.com/p/slx-27833r-digi-eye/30854


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