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Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread - Page 56

post #1651 of 28407
12/7/05 at 8:25pm
Looks like Sony is gearing up to release a next generation HD recording system. Even though the 250 was in the Sony winter catalog, the 250 and the 500 are gone from the website. Looks like Blu-Ray is ready to take over. It's sad. I really hope Sony puts out a combo DVR/BD-R(W) player. You can't beat having everything in one place, rewritable, and the enhanced live tv watching features.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #1652 of 28407
12/7/05 at 9:21pm
I'd like a DHG-HDD1000 with Firewire out please!
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post #1653 of 28407
12/7/05 at 9:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by s002axb View Post

if the S-Video out on this unit could be used to display to a standard TV

Yes, as cosmicvoid has noted. I use the S-Video output to dub to my older SD DVR/DVD recorder, which receives the signal as a 4:3 TV would.

You need to set the display format to "SD Out" (not "480i") so that the menus, on-screen displays, closed captions and EPG appear on the S-Video output instead of the HD output (component or HDMI). To do this, press and hold the FORMAT button on the remote until the current display format appears on the front panel display. Then release and press the FORMAT button repeatedly, which cycles through the display formats, and stop when you reach "SD Out". After a few more seconds, the format will actually change.
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post #1654 of 28407
12/7/05 at 9:52pm
You can also hasten the change by pressing SEL/OK once you get to the format you want.
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post #1655 of 28407
12/8/05 at 1:28am
Found a front panel service menu this evening. This is dangerous stuff, so don't try this unless you are having a problem and your unit is already out of warranty.

When the unit boots up, the instant Welcome appears, press and hold Menu and Format simultaneously. Keep holding until the display says Repair?. Release both keys.

Then press and hold one of the following keys:
  • Format to get Clear NVM? (NVM = non-volatile memory)
  • Select to get Zero HDD? (resets CPRM code? does not appear to modify the disk itself)
  • Exit to get Wipe Unit? (performs both a Clear NVM and Zero HDD in one operation)
Release the key.

Once one of the above questions is displayed, there is a lengthy confirmation step to actually execute the operation. You'll notice there's a 1 displayed above the operation name.
  1. Press and hold Guide until the number changes to a 2 (takes about 5 seconds).
  2. Release Guide and press Exit until the number changes to a 3.
  3. Release Exit and press Format until the number changes to a 4 - the operation will then begin.
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post #1656 of 28407
12/8/05 at 4:02am
Does anyone know the part number for the service manual? If I can get my hands on that, then I think...thinK...get the service manual.

thanks.

HDaddiction
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post #1657 of 28407
12/8/05 at 4:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Fontana View Post

fsck.cramfs reports "bad magic" (incorrect header) with both normal and byteswapped versions of target.cfs.

Sometimes embedded device designers include a header which needs to be stripped off to find the cramfs in a file. Perhaps the magic could be found a short way into the file if we knew what to look for. (Time for me to find and read the source for fsck.cramfs).
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post #1658 of 28407
12/8/05 at 4:49am
Just to add a quick note to the various answers about displaying from the Sony onto a "regular TV" I wanted to mention that I use the component out to my circa 2001 Toshiba TV, and the picture is absolutely wonderful. As previously mentioned, it is necessary to set the output to 480i via the format button.
When I bought the unit, I wasn't certain this would work, and was planning to use the SD out via s-video. But a "regular TV" that has component input will work ver nicely with the Sony.
Marc
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post #1659 of 28407
12/8/05 at 7:24am
I had punched in a whole bunch of programs to record so I would have a nice buffer of TV to watch when needed. But I was not careful to select quality thinking I'd do it later when the drive started to fill up or had time to fiddle.

Well I had some time and started to set all the non HD programs to lower quality, because it was waste of capacity. So I looked in the book for what the different qualities meant. There is a little note there that says the Quality option has no effect on DTV (HD or SD). And it will record the raw digital stream and it will use what ever it uses.

So as most of you know even though a station may be broadcasting SD material it is still often using a HD format (i.e. 1080i or 720p).

So I went back and checked % usage of the dozen or so programs which 3/4 of them are not HD. And everything is recording at the HD quality clip. That is, I only have 30 hr's of capacity no matter what I record and no matter what the quality setting is set to. I only watch DTV stations.

This is not putting the product down or anything, just making folks aware of what capacity to expect.

Come on Mark, we are gonna need that 2nd drive more than I realized.
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post #1660 of 28407
12/8/05 at 7:51am
Third day and still no TVGO listings but the clock is correct and I have recorded shows. The system shows nothing for host channel, it is just empty. I have called TVGO help for 3 days and I haven't received one return call. I emailed my PBS station to see if they are the TVGO host with no response. Anybody have any ideas where I can go from here?
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post #1661 of 28407
12/8/05 at 9:03am
mswlogo, that's indeed one of the reasons I want a second drive. Here in the Minneapolis area, the FOX affiliate has both HD and SD subchannels. I guess this results in about 20% lower bandwidth for the HD one, but the SD one is handy for taping SD shows like The Simpsons, King of the Hill, etc. On the Sony, I just edited the analog FOX channel 9 in TVGOS and pointed it at the SD subchannel instead (9-2). They both get the same guide data, and I can just choose to record the SD version depending on the show. Works great. Our UPN affiliate has both HD and SD subchannels too. Wish WB did- I've been recording all those South Parks WB's been running in syndication (two episodes every night), but they suck up a lot of space in HD...
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post #1662 of 28407
12/8/05 at 9:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Third day and still no TVGO listings but the clock is correct and I have recorded shows. The system shows nothing for host channel, it is just empty. I have called TVGO help for 3 days and I haven't received one return call. I emailed my PBS station to see if they are the TVGO host with no response. Anybody have any ideas where I can go from here?

How long after you fired the dvr up did the correct time appear? I assume you are programming by setting start and stop times and channel. Correct?
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post #1663 of 28407
12/8/05 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by verriere View Post

How long after you fired the dvr up did the correct time appear? I assume you are programming by setting start and stop times and channel. Correct?

Yes. I am just recording manually which is fine. I was just curious on why I do not have a host channel. Funny thing is that TVGO called me last friday and left a message. I had orginally bought my first Sony the first of November and had many conferences with Sony before I found this web site. Anyway called TVGO 4 times now and left messages and they still haven't called me back. Sheesh they call me first and never want to call back? Wierd and stupid. Anybody every talk to them? The clock became the right time less then two hours after plugging in the unit. How does that happen without a host channel?

I must ad feel like a semi-expect because of the great input on this site. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!
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post #1664 of 28407
12/8/05 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Yes. I am just recording manually which is fine. I was just curious on why I do not have a host channel. Funny thing is that TVGO called me last friday and left a message. I had orginally bought my first Sony the first of November and had many conferences with Sony before I found this web site. Anyway called TVGO 4 times now and left messages and they still haven't called me back. Sheesh they call me first and never want to call back? Wierd and stupid. Anybody every talk to them? The clock became the right time less then two hours after plugging in the unit. How does that happen without a host channel?

I must ad feel like a semi-expect because of the great input on this site. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!

Are you getting your signal OTA or cable?
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post #1665 of 28407
12/8/05 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by verriere View Post

Are you getting your signal OTA or cable?

Just using OTA.
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post #1666 of 28407
12/8/05 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Just using OTA.


You are getting time signal probably from your public tv station.
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post #1667 of 28407
12/8/05 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mswlogo View Post

I had punched in a whole bunch of programs to record so I would have a nice buffer of TV to watch when needed. But I was not careful to select quality thinking I'd do it later when the drive started to fill up or had time to fiddle.

Well I had some time and started to set all the non HD programs to lower quality, because it was waste of capacity. So I looked in the book for what the different qualities meant. There is a little note there that says the Quality option has no effect on DTV (HD or SD). And it will record the raw digital stream and it will use what ever it uses.

So as most of you know even though a station may be broadcasting SD material it is still often using a HD format (i.e. 1080i or 720p).

So I went back and checked % usage of the dozen or so programs which 3/4 of them are not HD. And everything is recording at the HD quality clip. That is, I only have 30 hr's of capacity no matter what I record and no matter what the quality setting is set to. I only watch DTV stations.

This is not putting the product down or anything, just making folks aware of what capacity to expect.

Come on Mark, we are gonna need that 2nd drive more than I realized.

I have nearly filled my hard drive with sitcoms. If it gets too close to full I will start recording some of them from analog stations.

Another thing you can do is set the unit to record to the "vcr" outputs, and use a vcr or dvd recorder for some of the SD shows. This is a cool feature. The channel and time are controlled just like recording to the hard drive, but the show is only output to the connections on the back of the unit.
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post #1668 of 28407
12/8/05 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Third day and still no TVGO listings but the clock is correct ...

Are you sure that all of the analog channels found in your setup channel-scan are actually "on"? Have you tried going thru the TVG setup again, and re-scanning fresh (not add new channels)?

I suspect that the time setting can come from any station that puts clock data in their VBI data stream.
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post #1669 of 28407
12/8/05 at 1:07pm
I just noticed that the DHG-HDD250 is no longer listed on Best Buy's web site. The 500 is still there, at $1000, but it has to be shipped from the warehouse, no in-store pickup.
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post #1670 of 28407
12/8/05 at 3:57pm
I got tired of waiting for a return call from Sony on my failed HBO recordings so I called them back. Once I got hold of a "product specialist" he said he would research the issues and would call me back. Well he actually did call me back and he said if there is any "flag" in stream, meaning non-zero value then the recording would not be allowed and this is the correct behavior. I tried telling him that 0x02 was "Copy Once" and it should work but he said he called Comcast and confirmed that the recording should not work. I have a hard time accepting this issue but it looks like it is FAD, at least according to Sony.
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post #1671 of 28407
12/8/05 at 4:07pm
Sony CSR's have given me totally erroneous information about the HDD500 after "speaking to a supervisor" or "researching the issue". Your CSR called Comcast? He probably spoke to someone who knew even less.
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post #1672 of 28407
12/8/05 at 5:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Third day and still no TVGO listings but the clock is correct and I have recorded shows. The system shows nothing for host channel, it is just empty. I have called TVGO help for 3 days and I haven't received one return call. I emailed my PBS station to see if they are the TVGO host with no response. Anybody have any ideas where I can go from here?

I suggest that you check the zip code entry. Also, make sure that the channel for the analog PBS station is being received.
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post #1673 of 28407
12/8/05 at 5:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinCLovesU View Post

Looks like Sony is gearing up to release a next generation HD recording system. Even though the 250 was in the Sony winter catalog, the 250 and the 500 are gone from the website. Looks like Blu-Ray is ready to take over. It's sad. I really hope Sony puts out a combo DVR/BD-R(W) player. You can't beat having everything in one place, rewritable, and the enhanced live tv watching features.


Im amazed the prices on these units never went down all that much before they are going off the market. I got a great deal on an open box from vanns on the HDD500. Almost half the list price.
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post #1674 of 28407
12/8/05 at 8:57pm
I was hoping to have a look at Sony's modifications to the XFS package (which they have posted here), but the xfsprogs.tar.gz download on that site is just a big file of zeros!
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post #1675 of 28407
12/8/05 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Fontana View Post

I was hoping to have a look at Sony's modifications to the XFS package (which they have posted here), but the xfsprogs.tar.gz download on that site is just a big file of zeros!

Fuel for a legal threatening, maybe?

It sure would be great if we could do the same thing that was done to the Linksys WRT54G wireless router

Not sure who it was, but an FOSS advocacy leader politely threatened Linksys to release the whole source code for that router. So Linksys released the full source including all drivers to the deepest innards. It fueled a great and lasting hacker community around that router.

Sure would be nice in our case, 'cept for the daunting DRM issue with the CableCard Labs liscensing. Probably a no-go with that part should Sony be so kind for us at all
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post #1676 of 28407
12/9/05 at 6:48am
Some good news: I got my HDD250 working again, using the front panel service functions described a few posts ago. Wipe Unit did the trick (and without clearing out any vital data, such as my unit's serial number). I think the HDD error was caused by accidentally leaving the disk's jumper in the Master position instead of the Cable Select position. The Wipe Unit operation was apparently needed to clear the unit's "I need factory service!" status.

The bad news: still haven't got the Sony to boot up and use the second drive. The closest I've come is ERR 1000000 at bootup. The error bitfield indicates just one error condition, but I don't know what it is.

Once I figured out how to recover the unit using its original drive, I tried doing the same thing with the second drive instead. This failed, so it looks like you can't just throw a replacement drive in these units if the existing one fails. The replacement disk will probably need to be prepared on a Linux PC first.

Maybe someone with an HDD500 can let us know how the second drive is partitioned once their unit is out of warranty...
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post #1677 of 28407
12/9/05 at 7:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray1938 View Post

I suggest that you check the zip code entry. Also, make sure that the channel for the analog PBS station is being received.

Strange thing is that I got listings the beginning of November when I got my first unit. They disappeared, I think, when everyone else also lost theirs about 11/10. Never got them back. Since then returned the unit and bought another which is the source of my post. All channels are listed as open. Zip code is correct and have changed it a few times. Still can't get TVGO 1-800-386-7380 to call me back. PBS analog station is working. Anyone from the Boise Idaho area? Still love the unit and need it for the tuner. Just need to write down what I record because it says unknown. Am I the only one in America not getting the listings at all???
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post #1678 of 28407
12/9/05 at 8:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Fontana View Post

Some good news: I got my HDD250 working again,

Maybe someone with an HDD500 can let us know how the second drive is partitioned once their unit is out of warranty...

Mark, would you hazard a guess that one could make a image backup of their 2nd disk drive? Then take that image and clone that image to a new same size disk drive, and then put that 2nd hd into the unit, would that work, you think?
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post #1679 of 28407
12/9/05 at 8:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Fontana View Post

I think the HDD error was caused by accidentally leaving the disk's jumper in the Master position instead of the Cable Select position.

Did you by chance try adding the second drive using a "Cable Select" cable instead of the more normal master/slave configuration?
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post #1680 of 28407
12/9/05 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan58 View Post

Strange thing is that I got listings the beginning of November when I got my first unit. They disappeared, I think, when everyone else also lost theirs about 11/10. Never got them back. Since then returned the unit and bought another which is the source of my post. All channels are listed as open. Zip code is correct and have changed it a few times. Still can't get TVGO 1-800-386-7380 to call me back. PBS analog station is working. Anyone from the Boise Idaho area? Still love the unit and need it for the tuner. Just need to write down what I record because it says unknown. Am I the only one in America not getting the listings at all???

There are various forums here, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45, for local broadcast and cable TV. Is there one for Boise? If so, maybe you could ask in that forum if anyone has TVGOS and how it's working etc.


Mitch
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