Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread - Page 821

One does not need to predict "what time the DHG thinks it is," just read it. The schedule manual recording page will show this.


The DHG may not trust its time setting, but it still is set to something. Again, just read it.

1/1/2004 12:00am is the date mine has always gone back to with a 9012 reset. Some of the screens in the 753 menu shows dates of 1/1/90. There are basically three clocks in the DHG. The GMT clock on the 753 menu screens. The TVGOS clock at the upper left corner of the guide, and then the front panel clock. After a reset the TVGOS clock gets reset to 1/1/2004 12:00am, the GMT clock gets set to 1/1/2004 0:00, the front panel clock can indicate anything from --:-- to some other bogus time. Within about 20 minutes (mine takes 12 minutes). The GMT clock is set to the correct time. The TVGOS time is still 1/1/2004 but is running. Until a timezone packet arrives, the DHG will not set the front panel clock time. If you go to set a manual recording, the TVGOS clock time is used as the start time (this is how you can tell what date the DHG thinks it is). Once you get a timezone packet, the TVGOS time is set as well as the front panel clock.

Edit: After looking at my TVGOs pictures, the GMT clock definitely gets set to 1/1/2004 0:00. I couldn't find any 1/1/90 times in any of my post reset pictures.

Mark

Only place I see the 1/1/90 is on the reset error tracking screen. I wish I could figure out what makes that happen, but without a time reference it's hard. I have it on my testing unit, but has been reset twice today. I am very happy that the clock will run without any TVGOS data.

Seems fine. Easy test is to use current time for the DHG time.

I'm not complaining, but it would be more user-friendly if the date was a cell and the time was a different cell. Anyhow, I hope I never need to use it, but having it will make me feel better if my unit ever gets nuked and the guide goes to heaven. Great job.

Don't know if this can help anyone but, if you have a cable hookup in your house, connect it to your Sony DVR to pick up Guide Data, even if you don't subscribe to cable. You won't be able to see any cable programs(all mine are encrypted) without a cable card subscription, but for some reason my Sony picks up alot more Guide data than does my other OTA only connected DVDPal DVRs, including program info on more obscure local OTA stations. It might also help with maintaining the onboard clock too? YMMV.

The DHG has a real hunger for TVGOS data. I scanned only digital channels yesterday yet last night the DHG found my legacy feed. If the data is there, they will find it.

FWIW, there have seen various dates show up on various screens at various times or results of actions internal or external. None of which I can remember. The one thing interesting to me are the pre 2005 dates. The only explanation I can come up with, is that these various dates revert back to firmware and software that was all made previous to the manufacturing date.

This picture shows one of the 1/1/90 dates after some type of reset. Since it was a year ago, I have forgotten what type of reset it was. Wow, it's been since October 2010 since I did a reformat. LOL

Can one of you really nice smart users verify that I can run 653274147 twice to blank all my TVGOS data and not lose HDD titles? I want to get my new host and clock set channel. Right now I'm losing listings one day at a time on one unit since it won't switch host or clock after three days. Newest unit switched in one day, oldest is being stubborn, and middle age unit has right clock set but old host.

Joe-

If you're talking about "losing recordings", I think the only way that happens is with a "Restore Factory Defaults" or a "Format Disk". There is no TVGOS reset that causes you to lose recordings.

I think that means that the unit lost power.

No need to reset. Just change your zip code to another zip code in your area. This will blank your host channel, and the DVR will have the new host channel tomorrow morning. If the zip code you are using is your favorite for some reason, and you don't want to change it, just change it to a different zip code, and then change it back. Don't change it to 00000 since this is a special zip code that won't blank your host channel

Mark

DUH!

Thank you. I didn't even look, I did that "assume" thing. Again.

Is my 500 done for after unplug and plug back in. Say "BOOTING" then after awhile "BOOT FAIL" ? ? Is ready for the junk yard? ?

Neither Sony nor Rovi will ever release a new firmware update for these bought, paid for, out of warranty, laregly forgotten about by the general public devices which have long ago been calculated into their balance sheet and writen off as an expense and reported out to shareholders.

Furthermore the source code for either the TVGuide or devices firmware will never be seen by us as it would be an attack vector to access the encrypted content stored on the hard drive(s) and you all know how paranoid Sony is being a love/hate hardware/content provider.

I agree that be responsibility rests on Sony's shoulders since they sold you the device and provided the warranty, not Rovi. Furthermore they are responsible for the specifications, integration, and performance of the product.
When you have a warranty issue with your Apple cell phone-who do you go to? The manufacturer, who cannot say "Oh so sorry, but the touch screen is bad and thats made by samsung, so you will have to contact them", or on the software side, if you have a problem with Windows does Microsoft say "oh our networking stack was done by a middleware company so contact XYZ Incorporated if you have a problem"????

OTOH-I hope I am proven wrong.

Anyone using their Sony with Verizon FIOS ? FIOS just came to my area, I'm wondering what would be the difference using FIOS vs Time Warner Cable.....
With cable, I get all the broadcast networks in HD using QAM before the cable box. Wondering if FIOS also sends a QAM HD signal prior to hitting the
FIOS DVR or whatever it is they use. Also concerned about picture quality...
both my OTA HD pic and cable line HD QAM pic look exactly the same on the
Sony.....I've read varying opinions on the FIOS PQ right here on AVSForum

Yes, FIOS sends the broadcast networks in clear QAM. Picture is perfect.

I think Opinionated is trying to say that when a major channel (50) has subchannels (50.1 50.2, etc.) they must compress something, since (50) is still 6MHz wide. The more you send on 50, the worse it could become. Unless you can verify that 50.1 has no other 50.x channels, you could assume it's the best you can get. It, like my cable, knows there is a scrambled 50.2 and 50.3, so my 50.1 doesn't get the whole road, just one lane. My TV indicates a scrambled 50.2 and 50.3 and with basic cable, like TNT & USA they may put 10 subchannels under my main channel. Such is the fate of us second class cable viewers.

Money is the guiding issue, since the "-2" world loves to get a piece of your bandwidth to send out channels like RTV, Antenna TV and other subchannels. NBC has been pushing their "sports" channel for a while. Soon there will be no OTA 6MHz channels doing just one station. And quality will fall, even if you can't see it.

I don't have FiOS, but have asked. They don't respond. I would love to lose cable for better quality, but unless I buy a 500' tower I must live with cable.

Hook it up and scan. My cable system (cablevision) is a mish mosh of analog, unencrypted QAM and encrypted QAM. I'd be curious what comes out of a FIOS box....

I think the "answer" is in how many devices use TVGOS 8, and how long the contracts between Sony or other CE company and Rovi last. I don't have those answers, but I would guess that the "latest" TVGOS 8 device release date plus ten years would be the answer....of course, this is just a WAG. The only party that can "go after" Rovi would be a CE maker who made products including TVGOS and used that as a selling point..they would be responsible to customers...a perfect fact pattern for a class action suit....

This screen normally comes up only if you do the .21 FW update. If you are done at 'boot fail' then the unit should go back to sony for repairs. Prior posts say that they no longer list the repair service, but they DO still fix them if parts exist (someone else had a board fail that is out of stock) but I think drives are still replaced. You have to ask, but they still fix them.

joecass; Verizon FiOS does not use SDV (no need for it), TWC does. Huge difference.
IOW's CC's work on Fios, but not on TWC.

Been there, done that. SDV is a joke and unnecessary if they get rid of analog and provide 1st tier customers w/o a QAM tuner a STB. They could/would save tens' or hundreds of thousands of dollars when everything is taken into account.

I wasn't referring to SDV, just QAM. My TWCable line before the cable box provides me with 3 rooms of QAM cable, for recording HD broadcast channels.
Don't use a cable card with my Sony DHG, just the cable QAM and OTA.
If I can switch to FIOS and replicate my current 3 setups, then FIOS might be worth it, if indeed their line sends HD QAM signals and the PQ is equal.

I've listed one of my DHG-HDD500's for sale on the AVS Classifieds for what I think is a reasonable price for a quick sale, $350 plus shipping.
Remote, Original Packaging, Power Cord, and Original Manual included. The DHG's was working fine when I unplugged it, before shipping I will
plug it back in just to be sure . . .

AVS ad with more pictures: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/vbcla...do=ad&id=16960

That's a bargain. The HDD500 usually goes for over $500 on eBay. A few posts back Mark described the procedure for sending out a "clean" unit. One of my used units came in with power-on guide and output set to analog. It took me hours to figure it out.

mabuttra:

Where can I find the procedure you authored regarding recovering your TVGOS from a total reset? I'm kicking myself that I did not print a hard-copy of your procedure after I used in about a year ago (it worked flawlessly BTW).

My bookmark to your link is dead and searches on Google and this forum have come up empty.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Looking for this:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post13032927
?

Unfortunately my ISP (Cox) decided that their users don't need their own webpages, so they axed those pages in early December. I have a stand alone version, but zipped, the file is more than the 500 kB that they allow to be uploaded as attachments (the zip file is 5 MB). If you are running the 1.2.21 firmware there really isn't much to the procedure. You reset the DVR, setup TVGOS, and wait and wait and wait for a grid to appear. Anywhere from 24 hours to several months. If you still want the stand alone version, just PM me your email address.

Mark

Really??? $500?
I need money to pay my taxes... $500 really?

Guess we need to quickly watch all those Entourage and Psych recordings.....

I just sent you a PM. Thanks!