Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread

[Opinionated]

Originally Posted by PhilB

What is that code, please?

This was by trial and error (using "searching for your code 9-9-1) . I was only able to get it to work on the cable/satellite button, not PVR.

From reading how many times it blinks, I believe the code is 1006.

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by Opinionated

I was only able to get it to work on the cable/satellite button, not PVR.

From reading how many times it blinks, I believe the code is 1006.

That code sounds reasonable. Some of the one for all remotes use code 1006 for a Sony cable box.

-phil

[Opinionated]

Since one can program this with a second remote code (Page 36) maybe someone can find another oneforall code.

Is there a way to set this unit so that when it is turned on it tunes to the last channel rather then the TV Guide Screen?

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by Opinionated

Is there a way to set this unit so that when it is turned on it tunes to the last channel rather then the TV Guide Screen?

Yes, see the bottom of page 69 in the manual regarding thte Auto-Guide feature.

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershopro...250_manual.pdf

-phil

[Opinionated]

Thanks

[philspice1]

Ruidh,

To lock the video window while browsing the listings, highlight "Listings" on the "Service Bar" and press Menu. That will call up a small menu below the video window with an option for the video to be locked or unlocked. The channel changing drove me nuts until I found this setting.

[nascar24]

Originally Posted by nathan118

How are all the new alien shows? I watched previews for all of them, but none excited me. I want real aliens attacking earth, not using biowarfare or anything silly. Good old Space: Above and Beyond kind of stuff.

As for "new" shows I want to give a nod to Prison Break. So far it's great, don't know how it will fare over a season or two, but I like it.

I love all the alien/super natural stuff this year. Must have been inspired from last years lost. So far Im liking them all but based on past years some will probably get the axe. They are all really well done and them being in HD makes them that much better

[Daniel Tonks]

The DHG-HDDxxx use the same remote codes as stand-alone Sony TiVo units.

[HoustonPerson]

"TV Guide" and "Tuner" Nightmares.

About three weeks ago I purchased a Mit's WD-52628 1080p set.....stunning picture.......but when you turn on the TV Guide system, within a couple of days (if not just a few short hours) the TV becomes possesed and loses it's mind........setting up so many duplicate and triplicate channels that you can no longer get the station you want!..............after you "reset" the TV ( I have done this several times now) and leave the TV Guide system off, the tuners in the set work fine (does not add multiple bogus stations)

There are now so many good OTA HD shows on each night, we wanted to add the Sony HD recorder..............and I thought I would use the Sony's TV Guide system............then I saw the post(s) here..................WOW same problems (maybe not quite as bad as what I have with the MITs) additional bogus stations are set up.

I am beginning to think that the TV Guide system does not work correctly with ANY of the new TV sets or recording equipment.

It looks to me like all the companies have rushed this stuff to the field without testing it. In three weeks I have owned this very expensive TV I have gotten nothing but the run around.

Does anyone on the Forum have any information that may help?

[buccikong]

Originally Posted by Daniel Tonks

The DHG-HDDxxx use the same remote codes as stand-alone Sony TiVo units.

Daniel,
I added the Sony SVR-2000 as a PVR device on my Harmony 659 remote, but it doesn't control anything on my DHG-HDD250. The SVR-2000 was the model number I found for the stand-alone Sony TiVo by searching the Web. Are you aware of any other model number that I can try, or any other way to get the previous channel code into my Harmony remote?

Thanks.

[inlogan]

Originally Posted by HoustonPerson

"TV Guide" and "Tuner" Nightmares.

About three weeks ago I purchased a Mit's WD-52628 1080p set.....stunning picture.......but when you turn on the TV Guide system, within a couple of days (if not just a few short hours) the TV becomes possesed and loses it's mind........setting up so many duplicate and triplicate channels that you can no longer get the station you want!..............after you "reset" the TV ( I have done this several times now) and leave the TV Guide system off, the tuners in the set work fine (does not add multiple bogus stations)

There are now so many good OTA HD shows on each night, we wanted to add the Sony HD recorder..............and I thought I would use the Sony's TV Guide system............then I saw the post(s) here..................WOW same problems (maybe not quite as bad as what I have with the MITs) additional bogus stations are set up.

I am beginning to think that the TV Guide system does not work correctly with ANY of the new TV sets or recording equipment.

It looks to me like all the companies have rushed this stuff to the field without testing it. In three weeks I have owned this very expensive TV I have gotten nothing but the run around.

Does anyone on the Forum have any information that may help?

I'm strictly OTA and have not had any problems at all with my Sony DVR. From following this thread it seems that most problems are affecting people who get the TVGOS data through cable.

[nathan118]

Originally Posted by HoustonPerson

"TV Guide" and "Tuner" Nightmares.

It looks to me like all the companies have rushed this stuff to the field without testing it. In three weeks I have owned this very expensive TV I have gotten nothing but the run around.

Does anyone on the Forum have any information that may help?

What does your TV have to do with the sony box? They're completely different animals.

[bestlab]

Looks like Gemstar (GMST)[TVGuide] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=GMST&annual --
is hanging on by its toenails - maybe Sony, Pioneer etal have some plan- I hope so!

[HoustonPerson]

Originally Posted by nathan118

What does your TV have to do with the sony box? They're completely different animals.

Because my new high price TV is having the same problem listed in this thread.....the TV Guide and the tuner do not work well together........so this is not just a Sony/TV Guide problem it is also a Mit's/TV-Guide problem...........specificantly the part about setting up bogus stations.

[alerion]

Originally Posted by inlogan

I'm strictly OTA and have not had any problems at all with my Sony DVR. From following this thread it seems that most problems are affecting people who get the TVGOS data through cable.

Not quite true. My DHG-HDD250 OTA-only has added a few random analog channels at the end of the Guide. They are real stations, but very weak. I turn them off and they come back. The main body of stations are fine, the guide and DVR work fine, and the picture quality is extraordinary. I have done an extensie side-by side comparison with the Dish 942, which is their latest HD DVR. The Sony has a stronger and more stable OTA tuner and the random wierd guide issues are about the same. The difference on the Sony is the guide is free!

[inlogan]

Originally Posted by alerion

Not quite true. My DHG-HDD250 OTA-only has added a few random analog channels at the end of the Guide. They are real stations, but very weak. I turn them off and they come back. The main body of stations are fine, the guide and DVR work fine, and the picture quality is extraordinary. I have done an extensie side-by side comparison with the Dish 942, which is their latest HD DVR. The Sony has a stronger and more stable OTA tuner and the random wierd guide issues are about the same. The difference on the Sony is the guide is free!

That's why I said most ;-)

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by bestlab

Looks like Gemstar (GMST)[TVGuide] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=GMST&annual --
is hanging on by its toenails - maybe Sony, Pioneer etal have some plan- I hope so!

I don't know. It looks to me like Gemstar has made a pretty good turn around improving from a $6.4 Billion operating loss three years ago to a $94.4 Million operating loss last year.

My worry about guide data is what will happen once the PBS analog broadcasts are shut off. Hopefully Gemstar and Sony have a plan for converting our boxes (and all the other TVGOS capable receivers out there) to get their data from the ATSC broadcast signal.

-phil

[bestlab]

Looks like Gemstar (GMST)[TVGuide] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=GMST&annual --
is hanging on by its toenails - maybe Sony, Pioneer etal have some plan- I hope so!

Originally Posted by PhilB

I don't know. It looks to me like Gemstar has made a pretty good turn around improving from a $6.4 Billion operating loss three years ago to a $94.4 Million operating loss last year. -
My worry about guide data is what will happen once the PBS analog broadcasts are shut off. Hopefully Gemstar and Sony have a plan for converting our boxes (and all the other TVGOS capable receivers out there) to get their data from the ATSC broadcast signal.-phil

that 6.4 billion is 5 times the current market cap for GMST
I was relating the recurring losses to the book value of only $300 million - including "goodwill and intangiible assets" $530 mil -
"net tangible assets" of negative $135 million (bankrupt?)-
the stock price slide from $75 to $3 presently over the last 5 years seems to confirm a skeptical outlook -
I noticed that the sony has ATSC packets received on the TVGOS system info screens - I'd hope they will implement PSIP TVGOS data with a gemstar download when necessary - Hopefully

[philspice1]

From what I have heard, part of Gemstar's trouble is the declining sales of TV Guide magazines. That is why they just did (or are planning to do) a major revamp of the magazine. Supposedly, their sales are down because more and more people get their tv listings on a cable or satellite EPG or online.

[philspice1]

Has anyone else experienced audio dropouts when using the optical output to a surround receiver? I have noticed this phenomenon with other HD products such as a Samsung HD receiver and the Motorola HD DVR I used to rent from the cable co. I have never had this problem with any DVD player or a regular digital cable box. Is this common on all HD receivers?

[pri9908]

Originally Posted by Ruidh

Grrrrrrr!

The Sony dropped my scheduled recordings for Bones and House last night. They were just gone off the scheduled recordings list. I didn't notice until Bones was halfway over.

Very pissed here. Anyone else missed recordings? Ever figured out why?

I have had programs drop from time to time too. Lately, I have had to check daily at the scheduled recordings to make sure that the list stays accurate. Shouldn't have to do it with
a $700+ piece of equipment but what can I say?

[pri9908]

Originally Posted by philspice1

Has anyone else experienced audio dropouts when using the optical output to a surround receiver? I have noticed this phenomenon with other HD products such as a Samsung HD receiver and the Motorola HD DVR I used to rent from the cable co. I have never had this problem with any DVD player or a regular digital cable box. Is this common on all HD receivers?

I have not only experienced dropouts from time to time but I have also witnessed audio sync problems. The audio sometimes lags behind the lips of the characters onscreen.

[tasm]

Is there an input for an antenna on the DHG HDD500 so i can record OTA Hi-DEF signals?Also,does it have a tuner in it necessary to do that,or would i have to get a stb?

[pri9908]

Originally Posted by tasm

Is there an input for an antenna on the DHG HDD500 so i can record OTA Hi-DEF signals?Also,does it have a tuner in it necessary to do that,or would i have to get a stb?

Yes to both questions

[tasm]

Where did some of you get your DGH HDD500 players.The reason i ask,is because i don't want to buy from a site that may be a fake site and lose that much money. I still might get a jvcd-vhs instead.Not sure yet. Also, on the dgh hdd500.can i record a football game and EDIT it so i just end up with my favorite plays from the game instead of having to keep the whole game?I want to be able to record hi def and in the future,record it to HD-DVD,but HD DVD players probably won't have component or HDMI inputs.

[bestlab]

Originally Posted by tasm

on the dgh hdd500.can i record a football game and EDIT it so i just end up with my favorite plays from the game instead of having to keep the whole game?I want to be able to record hi def and in the future,record it to HD-DVD,.

The HDCP will probably keep you from making a HiDef copy from the Sony - During playback - pressing the Select function leaves a Chapter mark on the recording - I don't know how many - they could be used to manually jump over commercial and boring stuff - but as far as I know there is no Editing of the HD "Episode" on the Hard Drive - and any edited copy would be HQ-SD at best. - I bought mine from J&R thru Amazon and as far as I can tell from reading the warrantee - If you have a receipt and the unit wasn't "as-is" you're covered. Amazon lowered their price to match - so they are as cheap as anyone I know of. about $800 with shipping for the 500

[HoustonPerson]

I am thinking about getting the Sony HD Recorder and have a couple of questions:

1. Can you set the system up and leave the TV Guide system turned "off" and still set up a recording list with dates, times, channels etc. (just like the old VHS recorders)?

2. If you do turn on the TV Guide system and it screws up the internal tuners, is there a system reset to clear everything out?

3. Are you able to record 2 HD channels at the same time - perhaps from the "recorders" tuner and the "TV's" turner?

4. Have you received a software upgrade from Sony? If so, what is the software version and was it installed via the USB port?

[inlogan]

Originally Posted by HoustonPerson

I am thinking about getting the Sony HD Recorder and have a couple of questions:

1. Can you set the system up and leave the TV Guide system turned "off" and still set up a recording list with dates, times, channels etc. (just like the old VHS recorders)?

2. If you do turn on the TV Guide system and it screws up the internal tuners, is there a system reset to clear everything out?

3. Are you able to record 2 HD channels at the same time - perhaps from the "recorders" tuner and the "TV's" turner?

4. Have you received a software upgrade from Sony? If so, what is the software version and was it installed via the USB port?

1. You can set manual recordings only once you get the correct time delivered over the TV signal. There is no way to manually set the clock. However all manual recordings show up as 'Unknown' in the recording listsings and there is no way to change the title. You'd have a hard time finding things you recorded.

2. There is a reset and if you search this post I believe you can find the remote codes to do that.

3. You can only record one at a time. There is only a cable and an antenna input on the back.

4. I've received no software updates. I haven't needed any so far anyway.

[tasm]

Bestlab writes-----The HDCP will probably keep you from making a HiDef copy from the Sony - During playback -


I thought HDCP only applied to Hollywood movies.If i record OTA football on DGH-HDD500 or even a D-VHS vcr,shouldn't i be able to transfer it to HD DVD? I thought the big fight with movie studios was preventing Hollywood movies ONLY from being copied and not OTA football or regular tv shows.

[bestlab]

Originally Posted by tasm

I thought HDCP only applied to Hollywood movies..

HDCP as I understand it is a hardware handshake that keeps any device not identifyable as display -eg - a nasty HD recorder - from getting any HiDef signal from a HDMI/DVI port - - It is also illegal to make a device to "correct" that - or to make one that allows recording of the Component HD 720/1080 signal -gotcha!