"Hints & Tips for PIO640 users"

[Urlee]

If we post an incorrect tip, we should be sent a PM to be notified so we can delete it or correct it.
That way the thread won't get cluttered with questions & answers.

My tip would be to put your blank disc in & WAIT for the word LOAD to disappear before you start your copy process with a DVD+R DL.

[ngohit]

My tip in terms of the, "Auto Start Recording:" The Disk Navigator and Home Menu cannot be accessed while something is being recorded via this feature. Basically, one can neither watch, via chase play, what is being recorded nor watch something previously recorded during this time.

Make sure to have the record mode where you want before selecting this feature, though, because what's set is the record mode that will be used.

Auto Start Recording is great for those of us who have satellite receivers. One can schedule programs for 'viewing' on the satellite receiver then have these programs recorded to the 640H. I use it all the time when away for home for an extended period of time or asleep (and have multiple satellite programs to record before I awake). When the satellite receiver turns on, the 640H starts to record and stops recording/turns off when the satellite receiver turns off.

[ACPewty]

Way to go Urlee...I wondered when one of you would pull the trigger and start this thread. Maybe the title should include the 540 and 543 which are also 2006 models?

My tips: (20% if you smile)

1) An oldie but a goodie: When copying program(s) from HDD to DVD, if you plan to ever copy back to the HDD (perhaps for additional editing or adding to a complilation,) be sure to use a VR mode DVD. With VR mode you can high-speed copy back to the DVD with no loss of picture quality. (Video mode will force a real-time copy which re-encodes and loses some pq.)

2) To have the 640 capture broadcast program names for timer events and carry forward pre-programmed title names for timer events, apply the new (hurray) firmware update 6.20 as described in this thread. Here's how to find your current firmware version.

3) To ensure recordings may be high-speed copied to video mode DVDs (for best compatibility,) be sure to record using "HDD Recording Format" = "Video Mode On" because if your recording uses speeds from MN9 through MN15, VR mode recordings use a non-standard resolution which isn't compatible with video mode rules and therefore the copy will have to re-encode to convert to video mode...this results in some pq loss.

4) To minimize playback pauses at edit points on video mode DVDs, before copying be sure to edit at key frames .00 or .15 which is enforced if you use video mode editing. For VR mode DVDs, you can eliminate pauses using seamless playback but your edit points may move.

5) Remember the "HDD Recording Format" only affects recordings to the HDD. The type of copy you get (Video mode or VR mode) for a HDD->DVD copy is determined by the way the target disc is initialized. (VR mode DVDs must be initialized as VR mode, otherwise it's a video mode DVD.)

6) If you use earlier models' remote, such as the VXX2967 or VXX2932 , you get additional features with no programming necessary: Open\Close Tray, Timer Rec, TV Control buttons and CM Skip works even for finalized recordings which is not the case with the 2006 remote.

7) Use Verbatim or TY -R/RW media for reliable results. (FF and REW has extra gears with -R, but not with +R) For dual layer, use Verbatim.

8) When editing a title name, to clear the entire name press and hold down the clear button. (Many seem to miss this.)

9) When editing titles in the copy list, note that unlike editing on the HDD there is a 2nd page of editing options (that you must scroll to) including Divide, Combine, Chapter Edit, Set Thumbnail, Recording Mode & Dual Mono Audio. (Using Combine in the copy list is the only way to conveniently combine titles.)

10) Don't let your HDD get too full. Problems seem to be rare on Pioneers but the few reported usually seem to be when the HDD is full or near full.

[dvdiva]

Auto Chapter that you setup initially only applies to real-time recordings to DVD (either directly or from the hard drive). It will overide any chapters that you insert on a hard drive recording that you transfer to DVD in real time.

To insert chapters on a hard drive recording at 5 or 10 minute intervals, use the chapter skip function to advance. Press the button 6 times for a 5 min jump and 7 times for a 10 min jump.

Harmony remotes do not allow you to set up a macro to customize a key and automatically skip to the 5 or 10 min mark

[Sean Nelson]

When you copy a hard drive recording to DVD, the first screen lets you select which titles to copy and the second screen lets you make changes to them. This second screen is called the "Copy List", and the important thing to remember is that changes you make here only affect the copy made on the DVD and not the original on the hard drive. You can do things like erase sections and change the thumbnail or title of the recording, and these changes will appear on the DVD copy only.

The next time you do a copy it will remember the copy list edits from before (as long as you haven't deleted the original recordings from the hard drive) if you select the "Use Existing Copy List" option.

[Urlee]

While in the Erase section of Editing, to get rid of the very beginning of your recording up to what you want saved, press the Reverse play button and when it stops on pause, press Enter for your Start point, then the play button, and resume on to your End point doing what you usually do to find it.

Also, "ngohit's" tip----- Or, push PAUSE then PREV to get to the beginning of the recording then push ENTER.
Likewise, to erase the very end of a recording, push PAUSE then NEXT then ENTER.
Depending on where one is in the recording, the PAUSE/PREV (or NEXT), ENTER combination is faster.

[ngohit]

The remote control default is Recorder1, but the 640H and it's remote (or a Pioneer remote for a previous year's model) can be changed to Recorder2 or Recorder3 if other devices nearby use the same frequency. Even if unplugged, once reset to Recorder2 or Recorder3, the 640H setting will not change. Every time batteries are changed in the remote, though, the remote defaults back to Recorder1 and has to be reset to Recorder2 or Recorder3.

It's easy to forget the simple step to reset the remote, so here it is:

While holding down RETURN, push the number to which the 640H has been set, either 2 or 3. Hold both down until the indicator light comes on.

[Later today I shall edit this to include instructions to change the 640H from Recorder1 to Recorder2 or 3.]

[kjbawc]

When making a DL disc, choose a thumbnail from what will be on the first layer of the disc, or you will get the last frame of the first layer as your thumbnail.

The easiest way to do your editing is to do it ALL in "Chapter Edit." Put your chapter marks where you want your edits to begin and end, and delete them in "Chapter edit," without getting bounced back to the main menu, like using "Delete." edit: Sorry, it's "Divide" that bounces you back to main menu. I still think it's easier to do it (almost) all in "Chapter Edit," because you can.

Set a chapter mark at the frame you want to use as a thumbnail while in "Chapter Edit." Then go to "Thumbnail," hit pause, then jump through the chapter points, until you get to your thumbnail pic, and enter it.

When Using Chapter Edit on a 16x9 TV, hit "Zoom 1" to make that little picture screen bigger. You won't cut off anything you need to see.

If you prefer to pick a thumbnail frame while viewing the picture at full frame size, play your HDD recording, FF until you came to the frame you want to use, and hit the "Stop" button. Hit Disc Navigator, arrow over, select "Chapter Edit." The replay will start from just before the stop point, so set a chapter mark where you want your thumbnail. Then, go to "Thumbnail," hit pause, and skip to the chapter mark you just set. This won't work by going directly to "Thumbnail," because then replay will start from the beginning of the recording.

If you are watching for the first time, just stop play, and set the chapter mark as I have mentioned, and come back later to set the thumbnail, thus minimizing the delay in viewing the picture.

[bphouston]

When entering titles for your DVDs the break point is at the “m” under the
”Input Title Name” (20 character break) so that if you want something on the second line add spaces to make the first character for the second line under the “e” (after “m”) in “Input Title Name”.

Example: Worlds Fastest Indian would give you an orphan “n”

Worlds Fastest India
n
So space (pause on remote) to the “e” and type the second line. (or add spaces between words )

Worlds Fastest------Indian (spaces indicated by -) (followed by “stop” button to enter)
Will give you two lines:

Worlds Fastest
Indian

Or whatever your title wants to be.

[BaltimoreStan]

1. To enter letters, use the keypad on the remote, rather than cursoring all over the on-screen alphabet and pressing Enter. Example: press 5-5 to get a K. It feels awkward at first, but you quickly get used to it. Many punctuation symbols are also tied to keypad keys on the remote.

2. During editing,
- the Pause key inserts a space.
- FF and REW move the cursor in the title line -- handy for inserting a missed letter. They wrap around at start or end of the title, by the way.
- the Prev Chapter key switches between upper and lower case.
- Clear erases the *last* character if you're at the end of the title, but if you're in the middle of the title it erases the *current* character.
- the Stop key saves the title and goes back to Disc Navigator. (Thanks to ACPewty and ngohit and Sean for this.)

3. In keypad editing, you still want to cursor sometimes. For instance, to get "ed" you'll press the DEF key twice for "e" in the title line. Notice that you're now positioned at "e" in the on-screen alphabet, so cursor left once and hit Enter to get a "d".

4. To enter numbers, press the 0 key and then the Clear key. This gets you to the number row of the on-screen alphabet. Then you can cursor back and forth and press Enter. (You can also press e.g. the 5 key repeatedly to get past the letters and punctuation to a 5. Some people prefer that but most prefer the "0-Clear" method.)

Others? PM me and I'll add them. I'd especially like to know about other special keys for #2 above.

[dvdiva]

When using the disc backup feature to make copies of a DVD, if your source material is a +R disc, then your copy must be made on a +R blank disc. Likewise if your source is a -R disc then your copy must be made on a -R blank disc.

[kjbawc]

I make a lot of DVDs composed of several short titles, which I have had to play into the HDD in real time. When I burn them to a Video Mode disc, I can make exact copies of the whole disc, at high speed. But, If I wanted to do a different assortment of titles, I would have to play them back in real time again.

So, what I do is make a second disc of the titles, in VR mode, because that can be read to the HDD in HS, just the title(s) I want, and they can be edited further, or just assembled differently. Unfortunately, I have found no way to do this with the same copy list I used to make the Video Mode disc. When you make your copy list, it is not format-specific. But, once you have made a copy, you can only make more copies in that format, i.e. VM, or VR. So, you have to delete the copy list, and reassemble it, to make the VR copy.

[AAntilles]

I've posted this tip about title editting before, but thought there might be some that have a use for it. It repeats some of the material in bphouston's tip, but is a little more comprehensive.

Even though you can use 64 characters for the title, if you are copying to a DVD in video mode, you will be limited to 40 characters. If you finalize your DVD with one of the thumbnail menus, your title will be split in two, 20 characters per line, and you may find your title split in the middle of a word.

If you want to avoid this, you'll have to do your own manual "word wrap" when you're editing your title. Fortunately, this is easy, because when you're editing your title, the first line will take up exactly as much space as the box around "CAPS" that appears just below your title. So if you're coming up to the end of the box, and there's not enough room to fit the next word, insert some spaces until you are just after the CAPS box, and continue.

You can also use the letter grid below your title to tell where the 40 character cut-off is. You can use up to one character past the "F". Anything after that will not be used in your title in video mode. In fact, if you go beyond that point, you may actually find your title cut off at the 39 character mark. Not a huge bug, by a slightly annoying one.

For TV shows, I like to include in my title the season and episode number, the episode title, and the date. This is how I titled last week's episode of "CSI:Miami":

5.06-"CURSE OF THE COFFIN" (2006/10/23)

There's not much room, but I can usually get it to fit. This title will need an extra space between "the" and "coffin" to be split properly so it doesn't look like this when you finalize the DVD:

5.06-"CURSE OF THE C
OFFIN" (2006/10/23)

If one of the words in your title ends exactly at the 20 character mark, there's no need to put a space between it and the next word. It may look funny on your hard drive list, but the title will be split at that point on the finalized DVD menu.

[kjbawc]

Originally Posted by kjbawc

I make a lot of DVDs composed of several short titles, which I have had to play into the HDD in real time. When I burn them to a Video Mode disc, I can make exact copies of the whole disc, at high speed. But, If I wanted to do a different assortment of titles, I would have to play them back in real time again.

So, what I do is make a second disc of the titles, in VR mode, because that can be read to the HDD in HS, just the title(s) I want, and they can be edited further, or just assembled differently. Unfortunately, I have found no way to do this with the same copy list I used to make the Video Mode disc. When you make your copy list, it is not format-specific. But, once you have made a copy, you can only make more copies in that format, i.e. VM, or VR. So, you have to delete the copy list, and reassemble it, to make the VR copy.

I'll just add a bit to the above tip. It seems that when you assemble a "copy list," the 640 doesn't ask whether you want to do it in VR mode, or Video Mode. It makes this decision automatically, based on what type of DVD you have loaded at the time you begin making the copy list. So, if you want to make a copy list and burn it to a VR mode DVD, you MUST insert a DVD, and initialize it as VR mode BEFORE you begin making the copy list. After you burn the VR DVD, you can transfer that back to the HDD, at HS, and make Video Mode copies from it then.

[wajo]

Didn't find this mentioned yet, but there is a way to make a duplicate copy of a title already on the HDD...some have said that would be useful in certain occasions.

I have a VCR set up with connections to my 640 for copying tapes, as many others have. To make a duplicate copy of a title on the HDD, you just have to make a reverse connection and set a Timer Rec program. Here are the steps:

1-Connect cable(s) from Output 1/2 on the 640 to a Line Input (L1/L2) on the VCR.

2-Set up a Timer Rec program to record L1/L2 on the 640 for the length of the title you want to duplicate.

3-Go to Disc Nav and select the title you want to duplicate (just select, no PLAY yet).

4- Select L1/L2 on the VCR (whichever you hooked up to. This will jumble the pic, but that clears up when the timer program starts...or you can use another input on your TV to see the 640 menus, then you can select the VCR input anytime.)

5-When the timer program starts, press PLAY on the 640 remote.

Once the timer program starts, you should see the title being recorded on your TV thru the normal input for the 640.

The timer program is needed 'cause you can't press PLAY on the 640 then also press REC.

(Toshiba-Proofing Notice: Toshiba users don't need this "complicated workaround.")

[HealeyGuy]

Or to make a duplicate copy of a title you could high-speed copy the title to a VR-mode DVD-RW and then high-speed copy it back to the HDD from the disc.

[Sean Nelson]

Originally Posted by wabjxo

The timer program is needed 'cause you can't press PLAY on the 640 then also press REC.

But you can press REC, then select the title to play and press "PLAY", can't you? You might have to edit the first bit out of the result, but you wouldn't need to go through all the hassle of setting up a timer recording...

But I agree, HealyGuy's suggestion of using a VR-mode DVD-RW disc seems to make a lot more sense. I've used it with great success in the past. (It would sure be nice to have the Toshiba's capability, tho').

[wajo]

Originally Posted by Sean Nelson

But you can press REC, then select the title to play and press "PLAY", can't you? You might have to edit the first bit out of the result, but you wouldn't need to go through all the hassle of setting up a timer recording...

Yes, you can connect a 640 output to an input, select that input to record, go to Disc Nav and PLAY the title, and you'll get a dup. with some "stuff" at the front that you have to get rid of.

The HS copy is easier, for sure.

[BaltimoreStan]

Even if you've got the printed manual, you often have to look in more than one place to get related pieces of information, and the index is woefully inadequate.

Download the manual in PDF from
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/vg...structions.pdf

Then you can use Acrobat Reader to seach for key words.

[ACPewty]

To find the current firmware version on your 640 and presumably the 543 & 540:

Using the remote:

1) Press [Home Menu]
2) Highlight and select: "Initial Setup"..."Audio Out"
3) Highlight "Digital Out"..."On" and then press [9] and your version will be displayed.

v6.19 = factory installed (before title name fix.)
v6.20 = with title name update installed.

[wajo]

To me, the sliding door on the 640's remote is a minor annoyance, so I removed it and like it better so far.

Easy to do: slide door all the way down, gently press thumb upwards under the sliding door (at the base of the remote) to slightly bow the door upwards, then slowly work the door back and forth (left-right) as you pull down.

This gets two tapered "bosses" on the underside of the door...which normally stop the door from coming off... high enough so the door can slide off.

UPDATE: My wife picked up the door-less remote for the first time and, within 1.37 nanoseconds, declared: "I don't like it!"

I negotiated for at least 5 minutes of use before declaring the door-less remote DOA!

My final negotiating position will be for shared custody...me primetime shows M-F, her daily soaps only! That sounds reasonable to me.

[equinoxman]

Originally Posted by ACPewty

To find the current firmware version on your 640 and presumably the 543 & 540:

Using the remote:

1) Press [Home Menu]
2) Highlight and select: "Initial Setup"..."Audio Out"
3) Highlight "Digital Out"..."On" and then press [9] and your version will be displayed.

v6.19 = factory installed (before title name fix.)
v6.20 = with title name update installed.

Does anyone know firmware version for 540

[ZZen]

Originally Posted by ACPewty

To find the current firmware version on your 640 and presumably the 543 & 540:

Using the remote:

1) Press [Home Menu]
2) Highlight and select: "Initial Setup"..."Audio Out"
3) Highlight "Digital Out"..."On" and then press [9] and your version will be displayed.

v6.19 = factory installed (before title name fix.)
v6.20 = with title name update installed.

My 640 has version 6.15. I'm way behind. I better go get that update. Hopefully a setrvice centre here will do it without me having to ship it off.

[Urlee]

equinoxman and ZZen,

Please keep this as HINTS and TIPS only.

All questions and replies, post on Pioneer DVR 640h-S User Reports thread.

Thank you.

[kjbawc]

Woo! Long time, no tips... But now I have one!

I've posted before that when using double layer discs, you must select a thumbnail from the first layer of the disc, or you will get the last frame of the first layer, instead of a frame from the second layer. I have found that to be true on at least three occassions, but I was always recording a single title on the whole disc. I just recorded a +R DL disc with three titles. It picked up thumbnails from the second side for two of the titles with no problem! So, if you want to use a thumbnail from the part of the recording that will appear on the second layer, you should be able to divide the recording into two titles, say at a fade to black at a scene change, where the slight hesitation of playing into the next title won't be noticeable, and get your thumbnail from the second layer. You could make the first title thumbnail just the opening movie studio logo, a black frame, or something else that doesn't distract from the second thumbnail, the one you really wanted.

[kjbawc]

I finally got around to taking photo j-pegs from CDs, and transfering them to DVDs, using my Pio 640. The manual leaves out an awful lot. I spent 14 hours straight, just trying to produce a few DVDs. I thought I would pass on what I have learned so far. If anyone else has done this, please add any info and insights you may have!

As is obvious, photo j-pegs don't take much storage space, in DVD terms. My largest folder, with 60 j-pegs, was only .1GB. So, you can store an awful lot of j-pegs on one disc.

But, when you finalize a photo disc, it creates a DVD slide show that is designed to play even on players that won't display j-pegs, separate from the j-peg files. This takes up a lot more space. My largest DVD, with 102 j-pegs, looked like it used 25% - 30% of the storage space, but I couldn't find any count of that, anywhere, or any info on how many j-pegs you could put on a disc, and finalize.

If you intend to finalize, creating the DVD slide show, It is important that before you copy any j-pegs to disc, you view them, and move them to be at the proper viewing angle, so top is top on the shots you took with the camera turned 90 degrees. This orientation will show up in the HDD's thumbnails, but will not show up while viewing the j-peg files on the disc, but proper viewing angle will be retained in the DVD slide show. If you don't select them correctly before copying to disc,you won't be able to righten them while viewing them in DVD slide show!

With photos, you have folders, which hold files, that are the individual j-pegs. Each CD scanned will be a separate folder.

Importing j-pegs into the HDD is quick. Burning them to disc takes a lot longer.

You cannot divide folders. You can use "multimode" to delete things from folders, or copy things from folders to other folders. But to do both of those things, you will have to select them twice.

Once you have selected j-pegs in multimode, you can only move them to an existing folder. That means you have to click on "New Folder" before you make your selections, and create an empty folder, to have somewhere to move your selections.

Surprisingly, one thing about "multimode" is very different with photos. When you use multimode to select video titles, to record to disc, they will come up on the copy list in the order in which you selected them, and you will be given the option to move them around. Not so with photos! With photos, they will show up in their original order, regardless, and you will not have the option to change their order.

Once things are on the HDD, you can enter titles for folders, and even individual files. The file titles will show up when you have their thumbnail highlighted in the menu, or when you hit the "display" button, while viewing them. But they do not transfer to disc, even when you have finalized the disc. I can only wonder if the new firmware fixes this. If any one knows, please tell!

[kjbawc]

One more note I just remembered, about the "DVD Slide Show." You might think that when finalizing that it would make a "separate" slide show from each folder of j-pegs. Not so. It takes the first 99, makes them into one "Title," with a thumbnail consisting of the first j-peg. It does not let you select a j-peg, or enter a title name, at least not so far as I can tell, and the manual doesn't say. So, j-peg #100 will be the first in the next slide show "Title," with a total of 99 j-pegs in each separate slide show title. But, that separation is only noted in the menu. If you start the slide show playing, it plays through the divisions, and you never notice... So, say you wanted to divide up various events into separate "titles" of less than 99 j-pegs, for ease of accessibility, I don't think you can do it. If someone figures out how, PLEASE post it!

[wajo]

Originally Posted by kjbawc

Once things are on the HDD, you can enter titles for folders, and even individual files. The file titles will show up when you have their thumbnail highlighted in the menu, or when you hit the "display" button, while viewing them. But they do not transfer to disc, even when you have finalized the disc. I can only wonder if the new firmware fixes this. If any one knows, please tell!

I have the updated FW and custom titles still don't transfer to the DVD.

Originally Posted by kjbawc

So, say you wanted to divide up various events into separate "titles" of less than 99 j-pegs, for ease of accessibility, I don't think you can do it. If someone figures out how, PLEASE post it!

Apparently, the only way to maintain the folder structure from the HDD to DVD is to copy each folder separately.

[kjbawc]

Originally Posted by wabjxo

I have the updated FW and custom titles still don't transfer to the DVD.

I'm not happy that is true, but thanks for letting me know!

Apparently, the only way to maintain the folder structure from the HDD to DVD is to copy each folder separately.

Well, either we aren't meaning the same thing, or that's not right. The folder structure IS transfered to the j-peg files part of the disc. But, when you finalize, with, in my case, three separate folders showing on the disc, the DVD Slide Show created at the time of finalization, produces "Titles" consisting of 99 pictures, and one title with the remainder, with no relation to the folders that still show in the j-peg section, after finalizing, except that the shots are in the same order.

[wajo]

Originally Posted by kjbawc

Well, either we aren't meaning the same thing, or that's not right. The folder structure IS transfered to the j-peg files part of the disc. But, when you finalize, with, in my case, three separate folders showing on the disc, the DVD Slide Show created at the time of finalization, produces "Titles" consisting of 99 pictures, and one title with the remainder, with no relation to the folders that still show in the j-peg section, after finalizing, except that the shots are in the same order.

Well, I was checking my test run and MY PIO FROZE UP! First time ever for either of my Pios (531 and 640). I did see the weirdness I think you were talking about...I had 4 titles that played thru, then when I tried playing via PhotoViewer, it showed three titles, mixed up pics, just plain weird, then it started freezing/locking, then totally locked up on Home Menu...I had to pull the plug!

I think that's the end of my testing...sorry!