Now TV Box (v2??)4200SK not working

[TheDJ]

Hi all,

I have just acquired a pair of now TV boxes I believe that are version 2 the 4200sk a version.

They have both been in a cupboard for over two years

Both of them when I've connected to the Internet show the old now TV pink logo and then stop working.

I guess they need the new software that came over the air a while ago.

is that a way of forcing it to do anything??

I've tried pressing reset.. pressing and holding reset, powering off and all the usual but it just goes round the cycle of old now TV logo.... let's get you going..... and then off

any help greatly appreciated

[gavs82008]

@TheDJ 

Have a nosy at this link.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/set-up-your-now-box

Are you able to connect the boxes via Ethernet?

[commanda6]

Hi @TheDJ 

What you have is indeed a second generation Now box

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_(Sky)

Follow what @gavs82008 has said above 

[TheDJ]

Hi all,

So I've tried the hard wired network but no different

I've left them powered up overnight hopefull of an update... But no. 

Tried to do anything but can't interact with either one. They are stuck in a loop

They power up, 

Displays the purple screen with the old Nowtv logo where the O becomes teeth, football popcorn cricket ball ballons etc

Display goes off and replaced with grey screen and the words "Let's get started >"

Then goes off again and round the loop again.  Back to purple screen. 

Tried reset button in different ways. But no change.

I'm sure it just needs a forced firmware update. 

Is it possible to access a service menu or insert a USB update??

Be a shame to just bin them

[commanda6]

Hi @TheDJ 

There is a force firmware update function, but it can't be used via USB. It can only be used via an Internet connection. This means that you would need to get the box to perform its basic first time boot and then connect to the Internet, either via ethernet or Wi-Fi. Then and only then could you force a firmware update via a maintenance menu that can be accessed through the following remote command

• Homex5, FFx3, RWx2 

Can I ask where did you get these boxes from? Was it eBay or some other similar marketplace, by any chance? The reason I ask is that by streaming hardware standards. What you have here was released in 2015. This hardware is getting very long in the tooth now. It's not unheard of to find very old hardware like this on sale on marketplaces like eBay for say 5 pounds, but the hardware is actually non-functional. In other words, you might have been scammed. I haven't seen any well-known retailers sell the boxes you have here since early 2019. Now themselves stopped selling their own brand hardware quite a while ago now

I apologise for being the bearer of bad news. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear ☹️

[nst]

@commanda6 

I dont think you are bearing bad news at all.

As you correctly say in the world of technology and especially in rapidly evolving standards... something like a set-top-box might well be somewhat obsolete in 6 years.

There are of course exceptions such as the AppleTV box which is still working great a number of years on.

With the cheaper NOWTV boxes however you cant really expect them to have a super long life.

Nowadays, although NOW no longer make their own branded streaming devices, its fair to say that the budget device of choice is Amazon's fire stick which has the best support from NOW.

A Firestick can be found for £20-£30 and therefore at those prices its just not worth messing about with old hardware.

Be green.. by all means - dont send the box to landfill but use a local electronics recycling option to ensure you are being as kind to the planet as possible!

[commanda6]

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@nst wrote:

@commanda6 

A Firestick can be found for £20-£30 and therefore at those prices its just not worth messing about with old hardware.

---

Hi @TheDJ 

I have to agree with @nst the Now box you have there doesn't owe anybody anything they were sold for £14.99 when they were released in 2015 if you take it to a suitable recycling centre. I'm sure someone could make could use of the materials it's made from.

Either a fire TV stick or a standard Roku , which is of course what now hardware was based on. To be honest, if you're going for budget hardware. I would have to recommend standard Roku over a fire stick. Be careful where you buy a Roku hardware from only buy it from somewhere that sells it officially such as Amazon UK. There are a lot of other places you can get Roku hardware from but just make sure you get it from a UK seller. don't get it from somewhere like eBay, as these are often US imports, which don't work very well in the UK as there are significant software differences between the UK and US models.

The reason I would suggest Roku for budget hardware over Amazon hardware is that Amazon hardware to come with quite a lot of bloatware which means your overall experience may be better on Roku. Roku hardware is often on sale as well so you can often get it cheaper than the typical list price. But if your budget stretches a little higher than the higher end Amazon hardware would be fine as it would just power through all the bloatware. Amazon hardware also has access to a few apps that are sadly missing from Roku such as 'rakuten Viki', if you like overseas content.

The world is your oyster. As they say 😀

[TheDJ]

Hi,

Cheers for the reply.. 

I'm getting to think both boxes are dead. 

I did manage to get into the service menu (home x5 etc) but find the box is only responsive for about 10 seconds before it reboots to the now tv logo.

It does the usual stuff in that 10 seconds... But then poof... Reboot no matter what you try be it normal menus or service menus.

Im not upset if they are no good, the were the father in laws from his cupboard that he never used so stand me at nothing. 

It's as though it gets an IP address and crashes. 

Looks destined for bin.. 

[schnapps]

Hi @TheDJ 

I am surprised both boxes are showing the same issue.

My generation 2 black box is still running perfectly fine.

I am assuming when you factory reset the boxes you held in a small pin in the reset hole for around 30 seconds with both the television and box powered up on the right HDMI input source.

Are you using a standard ISP Router and haven't added any third party software to the Router ?

It's a shame you can't test the boxes on somebody else's Network like a friend or family member in a different home to see if the same symptoms still happens.

Anyway either a Roku player or Fire Stick is the way to go if looking for a cheap reasonable price replacement.

[TheDJ]

OK...

Killed the WiFi and ethernet...

And it no longer reboots

Only when it can get online does it crash

Even on a different router 

[nst]

@TheDJ 

I admire your "repair shop" mentality here...

But really... the box cost all of about £15 from new AND even if you got the thing to actually boot up... you'd be left with something that was glacially slow..... no recent software or firmware updates and also more importantly the NOW app that you find on that box is woefully outdated and probably not even supported anymore.

Get a £20 fire stick lite and move on 🙂 

... on the plus side you have inspired me to dig out the 2 old NOWTv boxes i have in a drawer and take them to the recycle centre.

[TheDJ]

So... 

Been declared worthy of the bin. 

Only downside of being ecological and taking to be recycled is I drive a van and they don't alow them on site or me to just carry them in. 

Bin for them then 

[RoyB]

@TheDJ @nst 

Make sure you Factory Reset them first. A bad actor may succeed in getting them going where you have failed, glean some account details, and snaffle memberships in your/ your father in law’s name, unless he has already set a Payment PIN on his account.

Actually, do both things.

[nst]

I dont think you need to worry about Danny Dyer.

[RoyB]

@nst 

But I do, I always think his surname is spelt wrong 😢