All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Michael WS: Its really impossible to be able to advise on this without knowledge of your location (pref: post code or one from very nearby) as your indoor aerials built in amplifier may well claim 42db but that doesnt help unless the aerial is positioned where a signal exists, as "if" you are in the Crystal Palace area then the BBC is massively high powered compared to the ITV transmitter.
Further advice on knowledge of location.
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Dave Hunter: If carrying out a signal strength check whilst on ITV3 isnt the mux channel associated with the signal level shown?
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Malcolm Prior: The only reason for me having suggested a "reset" is, that if a plain retune is carried out in some TV or boxes this doesn't necessarily blank out everything stored in the tuners memory and is inclined to add to it, and lost channel problems are frequently caused by this not having been done, especially in boxes of older design.
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Martyn Smith: Well I suppose its somewhat easier to cope with excessively high signal levels so long as all the multiplexes involved are at about the same levels as each other rather than the frequently experienced problem of reception in some areas where they are not, the balancing act you refer to being the order of the day.
That said though, this type of situation is mostly experienced before final DSO when some commercials are at ludicrously low levels compared to the main PSB muxes, such as applies with the situation at Sudbury.
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sparky: Thanks for the update re software version etc, v5.7 suggesting that you do have the T810 chassis, the dastardly thing about this type of problem being that come the 18th you will likely find that it wont then just be confined to the BBC but all channels.
Although unsure of what site you have been having a look at, but the whole situation with these download into PC then transfer to PVR procedures have elements of the hit and miss involved, as in some cases although an upgrade might possibly have cured one problem its frequently found that another has cropped up, this is why that even I as engineer don't find the effort and sheer inconvenience to be worth the bother, especially if a device is a few years old.
By the way I only requested you try a recording with the set top aerial as signal strengths (especially excessive) can actually result in certain type of problems these older boxes are prone to being exaggerated.
Regarding the Hitachi HDR325, one of my PVR's is the older version of this box but later than your own one, and although I also have Humax PVR's (inc Sat version) the sheer user friendly logical arrangement of the menus used in Vestel chassis beats Humax any day with the HDR325 retaining this system, as I have installed these for a couple of relatives recently who aren't exactly the sharpest when it comes to operating modern equipment and feedback suggests them being delighted with the box.
By the way this box also has an eco friendly standby as well as auto power down, but thankfully these are switchable from the configuration menu and left off, as when on they break the RF loop through to the TV after about 5 minutes or so when the box is placed in standby.
PS : I noticed that Argos is offering £10.00 off if over £100.00 is spent, so that makes the HDR even better value for a 320gb twin tuner PVR.
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Paul Jones: That problem suggests that you have the TV aerial lead looped through the Sky box but the Sky boxes RF output channel is set on the same channel that the BBC Freeview transmitter uses, go into the installation menu ("services" then 0-0-1-select) and set the RF channel above 62.
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Dave Hunter: If your box offers you a regional selection option and you have chosen East Midlands and yet it stores Belmont then that's a problem with the box, as it doesn't matter where your aerial is facing it should not store channels that do not carry data associated with East Midlands, even if only a few are being picked up from Waltham.
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Pat: What model of Philips box are you referring to? as these "are your sure" warnings are usually associated with letting a user know that all of their stored channels or personal settings will be lost if they procede, but with OK (or YES) being clicked as that's the whole idea, so it intrigues me as to why only the YES option is offered.
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Saturday 7 April 2012 9:32AM
gabby: Well it would suggest that the dish has moved out of alignment, as if you have tried both of the leads from the dish in turn into the boxes No1 input (dont use 2) then its nearly impossible for both sections in the LNB to have developed a fault at the same time as they totally independent of each other.
Cant you reach the dish? as if you can then a slight tap on one side of the dish or the other might get the picture back again, as the movement necessary to lose the signal is so small that it cannot be detected by looking at it.
Needless to say leave the Sky box on its signal check screen whilst you are touching anything, as variations in the strength / quality indications will be seen well before any picture can be resolved and that why it should be left on that menu for instant visual feedback on what is happening during any alterations made.