Summary
There have been a number of threads where people are asking things like "My STB says "Err3" what does that mean?". Cable
Forum has collated the information into one knowledgebase article for your use.
More Information
Quick STB reset
To clear many problems with the STB, you just need to reset them. You can always do this by turning the power off for a few seconds at the wall socket, but the boxes can also be reset using the buttons on the front panel of the box:
- Scientific-Atlanta V+: Press the RESET button.
- Any other box: Press and hold the Standby button until the display says 'StoP', then let go.
If in doubt, just switch off the power at the wall socket for 10 seconds.
Freezing, Crashing, Locking
If your STB has problems freezing or crashing, try resetting it as described above first. This clears the memory.
If your STB locks up totally, try switching it off at the wall socket, and leave it turned off for a few minutes to cool down. Make sure the ventilation holes on the top and bottom of the box aren't blocked. Remove the smartcard, carefully wipe the gold chip with a clean dry cloth, & then re-insert the card. Make sure the card is correctly inserted - chip side down, with the chip end of the card inserted first. Then switch the STB back on. (On Pace boxes, the card is behind a door on the left hand side of the box. On the V+, the card is at the rear).
Note it is normal for the smartcard to become discoloured over time. This is nothing to worry about as long as the STB is working ok.
Also, always check that the cables are correctly plugged into the back of the STB.
Sometimes a problem may simply be caused by a loose connection. This webpage may help you work out which cable goes where.
Loss of picture and/or sound, or abnormal colour
Check the SCART leads are properly plugged in, both at the STB and Television ends.
Error codes
Any of the following codes displayed on the front-panel indicate a STB hardware fault. If you get one of them, ring the Faults team on 151 from a Virgin Media landline, or 0845 454 1111.
Err1
Err2
Err3
Err4 (displayed for more than a few seconds)
Err5
Err9
88:88
PACE (displayed for more than a few seconds)
---- (displayed for more than a few seconds)
If the display gets stuck on "tune", you need to report it to the Virgin Media Faults team. But you
may be able to get it working temporarily by turning off the power at the wall socket, holding in the down-arrow button on the front of the STB, then turning the power on. Keep the button pressed until the display says 'boot'. (But even if this works, you should still ring the Faults team to get it fixed properly)
If the display says "stop", "bint", "cont", or "sync", turning the power off at the wall for a few seconds will usually clear it. But if it keeps happening, report this to the Faults team.
If there are no lights on the front of the box at all, firstly switch off/unplug the power at the wall socket. Then check the mains cable is plugged in properly at the rear of the STB. Then plug in again at the wall and switch on the power.
If this page does not help, you should call 151 from a Virgin Media landline, or 0845 454 1111, and then select the option for Faults. They will be able to advise you further, or arrange a time for a technician to be sent out. Or ask on the forum!
This article was originally collated by Matt D with the help of many kind forum members.
Now maintained by spiderplant. Please PM me with any comments or questions
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