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#1 ·
Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread

HERE'S A LINK TO A RESOURCE GUIDE OUTLINING OPERATION OF THE SONY HDD250/500, INCLUDING OPERATION OF THE TVGOS SYSTEM:

spiffSPACE.com Sony HDD250/500 FAQ
 
#15,121 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WS65711 /forum/post/16120040

http://www.spiffspace.com/sonydvr.html#Section1110

Thanks. Mines went out today. I found a fat32 usb drive, put in the files, updated my box, and found out what digital channel is outputting the data packets. CBS for my town. My clock updated correctly. So now I turned off my box and hopefully tomorrow evening I should get some tv guide screens filled in.
 
#15,122 ·
Comcast (New Haven, CT) began passing the digital TVGOS from the local PBS channel (24.1) today. After passing the G-Test, I used the 963... code to perform the VBI search. A few hours later I came back to the channel grid/line up and the host set to 24.1. A few more hours and I have almost all the listings w/descriptions for 8 days. Oh yeah, I have the ads back too, yay!


Now to see if the host channel sticks. I realize that people have had problems with the host channel. However, I also read that a lot of people without channel grids (me included) had a digital signal but still no channel grid. So, maybe Macrovision has changed something. Or maybe the local PBS and/or Comcast made a difference. Hopefully things are getting better.
 
#15,123 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sisson_dog /forum/post/16126094


Comcast (New Haven, CT) began passing the digital TVGOS from the local PBS channel (24.1) today. After passing the G-Test, I used the 963... code to perform the VBI search. A few hours later I came back to the channel grid/line up and the host set to 24.1. A few more hours and I have almost all the listings w/descriptions for 8 days. Oh yeah, I have the ads back too, yay!


Now to see if the host channel sticks. I realize that people have had problems with the host channel. However, I also read that a lot of people without channel grids (me included) had a digital signal but still no channel grid. So, maybe Macrovision has changed something. Or maybe the local PBS and/or Comcast made a difference. Hopefully things are getting better.

I wouldn't doubt your getting your grid from analog since it appears Macrovision turned on the analog signal again because of all the problems.
 
#15,124 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray1938 /forum/post/16124549


My TV is 50 inch 4:3 CRT - rear projection, which produces 46 inch picture in HD. These sets became obsolete because most people prefer thin TVs.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) based rear projection TV's have very small CRTs. The image is bounced off mirrors onto the screen. With the old fashioned tube TVs (direct view), the CRT is the screen. The 43" Sony is the biggest I've ever heard of. I think it weighed around 350 lbs.
 
#15,125 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by nascar24 /forum/post/16126227


I wouldn't doubt your getting your grid from analog since it appears Macrovision turned on the analog signal again because of all the problems.

I don't think so. I'm north of Hartford, CT and have now gotten a grid and filling in listings from a "cold" start. The ONLY analog host we ever had here was the local PBS station which switched off that source at then end of Feb and switched on digital last Thursday. This was reported by a station engineer on our local thread.
 
#15,127 ·
Hardly worth mentioning, but just to let Sony know of my existance, I posted notice to them on their support website under "Television" the number of HDD 250's I own and their status, asking for notice when firmware/software was available to function in the digital enviorment. Received the following reply:




Customer input and response is invaluable in the continued support and

development of our products. We want you to know that we appreciate your

feedback.


Thank you for your time.


The Sony Email Response Team

C623

Gary>


At least it was not negative.
 
#15,128 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Kristol /forum/post/16125255


Well, what do you know! Last night I noticed that my DHG had found a (digital) host channel. (Comcast north NJ. Channel is 90-1, the actual cable channel for 13-1, PBS.) I didn't have channel line-ups yet, though. But this evening I was asked to choose a channel line-up. No program listings yet, but I have hope that they'll be there tomorrow.


For reference: I haven't done much of anything to the DHG for several days. I had successfully re-acquired a clock set channel (also 90-1), but I had made no further progress... until yesterday.

Follow-up: This morning I have partial program information: many, but not all, titles, some program information. I didn't do anything since last night when I peeked at the guide. And the channel I left it on was not the Host Channel.


Dave Kristol
 
#15,129 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTheOne /forum/post/16124034


You have this backwards. ...................

If only they could build a 50+ inch CRT television.

You did not read my post closely enough. See pages 74 amd 75 of your Sony manual for better detail explanation. Different TV's will respond differently to the Sony Recorder. Most (not all) will respond correctly to your HDMI options and choices. Component offers a more reliable choice on older TV's - this is in regard to selecting the Sony's output resolution.


I have lost count of the HDTV's we have had in our home. One of those "required" component "native" to function correctly. Another worked best with Variable 2 choice of 1080i/720p via HDMI - that was the only way a particular older Samsung could handle it. But all the others worked perfectly with AutoHDMI. If you look closely at the bottom of page 75 double asterick for AutoHDMI, the Sony will change its output format automatically for the best picture IF the monitor (your TV) CAN actually process it correctly.


AFAIK, most HDTV made during the last two years can process AutoHDMI correctly. Those made as recently as 4-5 years ago, IMHO had a 50/50 chance of doing this correctly, and that would often require a "forced" output selection on the Sony Box.
 
#15,130 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rockin robin /forum/post/16121950


Hi all!!


Yesterday, under the PROMOTIONS tab on the TVGOS menu I saw an entry for "Guide system re-initialization." When I scroll down to this item, on the bottom left it reads (in the place where the ads would normally be) "Are you having trouble getting a lineup or listings?" When I pressed the INFO button (or left arrow) the screen instructs you to go to the SETUP menu and use the Zip 00000. Then turn unit off for 5 minutes and when you turn it back on again use your correct zip. It claims that listings should return within 24 hours.

I am pretty sure I have seen this reset method posted on other threads in this forum but this is the first time I had heard of it appearing on the PROMOTIONS menu within the TVGOS menus.


Worth a try!


Robin

Has anyone tried this yet to see if it works?
 
#15,131 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by theratpatrol /forum/post/16127060


Has anyone tried this yet to see if it works?

I've done the 00000 trick before but just through the normal setup screen. Not sure if it makes any difference where it's accessed. If you're not getting TVGOS data it won't make any difference anyway.
 
#15,134 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonPerson /forum/post/16127020


You did not read my post closely enough. See pages 74 amd 75 of your Sony manual for better detail explanation. Different TV's will respond differently to the Sony Recorder. Most (not all) will respond correctly to your HDMI options and choices. Component offers a more reliable choice on older TV's - this is in regard to selecting the Sony's output resolution.


I have lost count of the HDTV's we have had in our home. One of those "required" component "native" to function correctly. Another worked best with Variable 2 choice of 1080i/720p via HDMI - that was the only way a particular older Samsung could handle it. But all the others worked perfectly with AutoHDMI. If you look closely at the bottom of page 75 double asterick for AutoHDMI, the Sony will change its output format automatically for the best picture IF the monitor (your TV) CAN actually process it correctly.


AFAIK, most HDTV made during the last two years can process AutoHDMI correctly. Those made as recently as 4-5 years ago, IMHO had a 50/50 chance of doing this correctly, and that would often require a "forced" output selection on the Sony Box.

I read your post just fine. I know how auto HDMI works. As written, your post claims that a TV may prefer to receive some stations as 1080i and others as 720p. This simply is not so. If you have an LCD or Plasma set, it only has one native resolution and that is the only resolution it prefers. Using the Auto HDMI setting allows the Sony to determine what that one resolution is via the HDMI handshake that occurs and the recorder then uses that format for all output. The Auto HDMI setting is for those people who regularly change the monitor to which the recorder is attached, those who don't know the native resolution of their monitor, or those who are too lazy to set it to the desired value. Using Auto HDMI defaults you to using the scalar chip in the recorder to convert non-native signals to native format. If you have experienced a problem with Auto HDMI not functioning properly, you should install the Sony firmware update (.13). As I understand it, there were display connectivity issues with some of the earlier firmware versions. As far as your comment about the double astrisk at the bottom of page 75, the comment for the double asterisk has no relavance whatsoever to this discussion and you are misreading the line on which it appears, which is telling you exactly what I have said above, that the recorder selects the one resolution it uses for output based upon the monitor. It does not mean that the recorder changes its output resolution because the monitor has changed its native display resolution and told the recorder via the HDMI interface to send a different format.
 
#15,136 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gmucklow /forum/post/16127431


Maybe you could get time packets from WMPT on 22-1 in the DC area. What zip code are you using?

I realize that you are trying to be helpful here, but you have jumped into the middle of a series of ongoing posts regarding testing. I am not having problems with my recorders at all. I have been using one of my recorders on and off over a long period of time to test recovery from a complete TVGOS reset in a digital-only environment. I have developed test procedures to simulate the digital-only environment and have been trying to prove that these recorders will not become bricks as a result of a full TVGOS reset after the cessation of analog broadcasts. Using a time zone packet from an analog source defeats the purpose of the test (I have no problem getting these from the analog stations around here, quite the contrary, I have to take special measures not to get them). During the testing process, I have discovered that 9.1 does not seem to be broadcasting TVGOS time zone packets, although everything else seems to be present. I have tried receiving time zone packets using 9.1 as the VBI channel and running a G* Test. I have also tried this using 9.1 as the host channel to receive downloads while the recorder is turned off. Neither method was successful. However, others have been able to get time zone packets from a digital channel so either the CBS digital broadcasts are deficient or the others weren't careful in their tests and observations. I think that the former is more likely than the later.
 
#15,138 ·
What is the consensus of opinion today, what we think we know seems to change daily, is it possible to go from a total TVGOS reset to upgrading the software and getting a clock and data with just a digital host?


With the unit at my mother's not getting any data for a couple of weeks and then freezing at every occurrence I was forced to do a TVGOS reset. I did the unfreeze procedure in total.


Right now it is just directly attached to cable and for two days no clock or anything else.


The worst news is that the G-test fails on the usual channel that Cablevision was using, the scroll TV listing channel 14. I don't get this part, because I also use Cablevision, about 10 miles away, and the G-test on 14 passes on my two units (although one still is getting nothing and the other some very sparingly).


Continuing, my mother's unit is now a brick- except for the couple of recordings still available to be watched. If nothing happens in a couple of days I will bring it to my home and try something here. Maybe try off the air digital- I get a much better reception here then at her location.


So, if I can't get anything from cable, is it thought today possible to, from scratch, get a clock, and the software update at least, from a digital OTA host? I think I read - much too many posts here- that it may have been done.
 
#15,139 ·
For those of you who are following my recovery testing...


I'm nearing the end of my third day with both recorders set to a digital host channel and a digital clock set channel. Surprise! During the last 8 hours each recorder received 1 time zone packet (the first received from a digital source in both cases).
I know that these are supposed to be broadcast with much greater regularity, but where there is one there has to be others. Right? Hope beckons yet again.
And yes, the download timers list entries from the digital download schedule. Also, listings are almost entirely filled in through 7:30PM of day 7 with no listings from 8:00PM of day 7 through the end of day 8.


The reception of a time zone packet from a digital source means that I can resume recovery testing with some expectation of success (although the tests will run much longer than anticipated if I'm going to need to wait 3 days for the clock to be set
).
 
#15,140 ·
After a full factory reset it took me 2 weeks to reacquire the Grid and listings. On Monday, I forced the host channel to digital just in case the TVGOS Analog feed from Channel 28 (Orange Ca) is turned off again. Yesterday, I was recording News Hour on 28.1 when the unit froze, the front panel indicated that it was recording but, the remote would not respond to anything. I have a feeling that the procedure of forcing a digital channel as a host has a lot to do with these lock ups/freeze ups as this only happens when I do this procedure.


I did a soft reset and to my disgust found out that I have lost not only the clock (expected), but also my grid and all listing. Previously when I the unit freezes up, the soft reset only affected the clock and when I do the VBI search from my digital host, in my case 2.1 (CBS) the clock would update in a couple of seconds. No so this time, the clock read 1:14am when it actually was 6:45pm.


Checked clock this morning and it is 1 hour late, at least there is progress

At lunch when I go home I will to enter zip code 00000, turn the unit off for 5 minutes (as I read in the previous post) turn the unit back on and enter my correct zip code.


I am keeping my fingers crossed. It looks like the only alternative I have should the SONY become obsolete is the Moxi. At $799.00 it is still expensive, but before Sony discontinued the DHG series I got my 250 for the same amount. Although I must admit that, after seeing a 250 at Best Buy for $199.50 I bought that and returned the one that I bought for full price.
 
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