Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread - Page 847

You surely can keep it, but after your first power failure, you won't be able to actually use it to record. Even if you can keep it alive on a UPS, the clock is going to drift away from reality over time.

FYI, the DTVPal/CM-7000 DVR (which you also can't buy new any more) has +30/-10 built in, which I find entirely adequate, and at least it's clock will keep on ticking when TVGOS dies.
Edited by frank70 - 11/7/12 at 7:05pm

It should be pointed out though that the DTVPal/CM-7000 only has an ATSC (OTA) tuner. No QAM (cable) tuner, and no NTSC (analog) tuner.

Mark

I also enjoyed watching a 3 1/2 hour football game in under 40 minutes and not miss one play.

I don't understand how Rovi can abandon the investment they made in all that new equipment to insert the TVGOS in the digital channels. I was wondering if anyone knew of any other equipment that uses the ROVI data that may have been on the market for sale after 2005. I'm not sure, but I thought I remember hearing of some kind of legislation that came out (primarily for the fast paced computer industry) that required manufacturer support for a pre-determined time, which I thought was 7 years. Unfortunately, I'd be willing to bet that the law came out after 2005 and there was no grandfathering clause...

I'm wondering if a VCR tape of the old analogue signal would work to reset the clock? I thought some people spoke of that earlier on this forum.

Man what an emotional day! First the election results and now a message on my beloved DHG-HDD250 telling me its going to be a boat anchor any minute. I even bought a spare DHG-HDD250 that is still new in the box just in case my first one ever broke and could not be repaired. What to do? What to do? Just adding my voice to the sad and frustrated I suppose.

As frustrating as this is I don't think we can complain too much. How many computer products have become obsolete when new operating systems come out? For that matter, the same is true for software. Sony is on the ropes financially, partly because they compete with low service companies like Vizio and Samsung. They can't afford to support old products like this. They didn't sell that many of them in the first place.

I was in the A/V business when Samsung entered the market and their service and reps were horrible. No one knew anything. I could always get hold of the Sony video rep and he would at least try to help.

I would love it if Sony came up with a way to set the clock, but my wife is spoiled by the TV guide, and so am I. Lew

There is no such law that I know of, and doubt it could be enforced if there were. A video guru on a website made this claim on line a few years ago. I looked into it and found out it was a myth and he retracted his claim.
Edited by Lew Black - 11/7/12 at 11:16pm

Will the little mini guides for the tvs still work if it's ota and not connected to the internet?

Thx for tip on DTVPal/CM-7000 DVR as a possible alternative. I've lived in manual record mode before; are you saying that too will be gone? Also, when I lost TVGOS signal at time cable transitioned I lost clock only after a reset; but figured out if I rest at midnight I could get pretty close to real time; of course far from the way it should be, but when you get lemons...

Clearly, whatever contract Sony had with Rovi's corporate predecessors has expired. I just got the death notice in the window tonight in the NY DMA. (WCBS-HD) Normally, I'd applaud any downturn that Rovi suffers, but here....

I have two of these, one of which is backup for a TiVo, and the other is being used as a tuner OTA for a SD set and has cablecard. The OTA only unit will now be useless.

I wonder how many of these devices still exist. I had a conversation with a very nice tech at my cable company. When you call to activate cablecard, you have to read in the device number. He began with "It should say XX". i told him it was "YY". I recalled my tivo began with xx, and we discussed that Sony made a dvr for a short while. All the cablecards he'd activated had the tivo codes...so this was new to him and he'd assumed all activation numbers began XX. Likewise, the installer who ran cable for me a year or two ago said he'd never seen a Sony DVR before.

Any cable company would be able to query their database and know exactly how many DHG units are hooked up by these numbers. While that won't account for the many OTA units, this stat is available and would be interesting. Anyone out there have access to that number, even for one cable provider ?

Still, how do you turn existing products into door stops ? At the very least, there should be some way to "clock set". When Microsoft withdraws support for, say Windows 95 they don't brick all the existing users.

Thinking in terms of contract, when I bought these two units from the Sony Store, I was NOT warned they had a shelf life other than the usual mechanical breakdowns. In terms of Contract (I'm an attorney), the purchase price also has the listings...it was right there on the box and right there on the front of the unit and on the remote. There is no warning even in the fine print that one day Sony/Rovi will pull the plug and BRICK the machine.

I have a neighbor who is a (very) successful class action attorney, and will query her.

At the very least, Sony owes us a clockset update patch/screen.

May 13th, 2005 is the first person in this thread who confirms delivery of a pre ordered unit...eight years ?

Speedlaw,you took the words out of my mouth. At the very least we should start a class action suite.Nowhere is it said or implied that they could turn our DVRs into door stops. I have two 250s hooked ota and have alot of money invested in these. By the way,I'm not interested in getting any percent off of any more Sony products, as I can never trust them again. I'm 62 yrs old and have never seen any electronics killed like this unless there was an improvment to it IE: computers/ VCRS (DVD) even with vcrs you can still hook them up to a down converter and still use them. SONY if your watching this we're PO'd

Yea, I have my Sony DHG-HDD500, plus I have a Sony TV and a Toshiba TV (and a Toshiba DVR that I don't use anymore), all uses TVGOS from a broadcast channel.

I thought about a class action, but even if it wins, we don't really win. The lawyers will get millions, and each of us will get like $0.12 as compensation for our loss. And still no more TVGOS data.

IMHO, the problem is that Sony has stopped paying Rovi for TVGOS. At least for TVGOS from a broadcast channel. I mean, how long has it been since Sony has actively sold any device (TV or DVR) that contained TVGOS from broadcast channel?
Edited by WaltA - 11/8/12 at 4:17am

What we really need is something like the DTVPal, but instead of any tuner, uses the internet to download program listing data. Ideally, connecting to the internet thru WiFi (a lot of us have WiFi networks in our homes nowadays). We just need a device that outputs a single analog channel (like our old VCR's channel 3) that contains the TVGOS data in its VBI.

Exactly! But you'll never make a DTVPal (or Artec) do it - all the logic to encode data onto VBI is buried somewhere in a chip. The major problem with building such a box is that the VBI data format is proprietary. Once Rovi stops sending it out, there won't even be a way to reverse-engineer it.

If you put together a HTPC using Windows Media Center, you can set the jump-back and jump-forward times. There is a third party utility that will customize the jump time to the millisecond.

WMC7 doesn't have some features that the Sony DHGs have, but it is a tolerable PVR solution, and its free and easy.

I have box of VHS tapes that I have used to rebuild the DHG from a full factory restore. There are few problems.
Only manual recording can be done.
You may need to install the .13 firmware if the channel is not in the saved lineup.
The clock/date is set to whenever you made the tapes.
Most important: not all VHS decks preserve the VBI data. I have to use an early 80's Mitsubishi. Digital Mitsubishi and JVC do not work.
You will still need to do some date & day conversion.

It's easier to buy a TiVo.

I also have a N6620N (TViX) and BV-980H, which are HD, but I'd rather not talk about them. I tried a CM7400, but it didn't work with my cable feed. You can also read the PHD-VRX thread.

Mits LT-46246. I bought mine brand new in early 2009. It uses 24hr V-9 TVGOS via OTA or Cable.

I'm not trying to "sue" for any reason. The major difference is that getting rid of TVGOS is an inconvenience for most, but for the DHG users, we brick.

All I really want is to set a clock so I can use this for the remainder of the service life.


Still, the purpose of Class Action, and the REAL reason companies hate them, is that they allow consumers to seek redress for cases where the individual wrong is small, but in the aggregate, the company IS screwing the consumer. This is why all of your credit card agreements state you "opt out". When some whiz kid with a spreadsheet figures out a way to get over in small amounts, the company wants to be free of any meaningful opposition. Yes, oft the attorneys get millions and you get a coupon for an oil change, but the Company is held to account for a shoddy practice, which, hopefully, will deter them in the future. I will be contacting my class action attorney friend to see what can be done.

Just because Sony is HUGE and we are tiny, individually, does not mean that it is acceptable for them to "shut off" a bought and paid for gadget. We didn't contract with Rovi or buy Rovi products...this "buck" stops at Sony.

All I really want is to set a clock so I can use this for the remainder of the service life.





,

I just heard back from Sony about our clock and guide dilemma:

I see a wee bit of hope in there.

Yeah.. a vehwy wee wittle bit

I am transitioning to MCE HTPCs for my two Sonys... I too would like to utilize my Sonys thru their natural hardware life.

I am hoping Sony will honor the obligation we all believe they have and develop a solution. I think an appropriate and technically achievable solution is an external inserter. The inserter would be a small device on the RF inputs that gets ROVI data from internet and inserts on channel selected. DVR would know no difference.

Like a gain of sand on a very large beach. To start:
https://s01.esupport.sony.com/US/p/contact-email.pl?template_id=1

After a power up, will the clock go to 12:00, like some electronic devices?

^^^
Yes. Thursday, January 1st, 2004, 12:00am.

If you stil have data, then pull the plug and disconnect the rf input. Connect power and see what time it is. Do this a few times. Check the internal and external clock display. Internal clock is shown when you hit the guide button.

I think you will need to wait a few minutes before checking. Also, unless you reset the unit, you don't get 12:00 and that also sets the date to 1/1/90 or 1/1/2004. The 1/1/90 depends on the reset. The front panel will show --:-- until data packets start arriving and the time zone offset is set (I think). Internal time on the diagnostic menus is UTC, not local time.

A simple power failure will normally result in bad time for a short period in my experience (with data), or bad time and no front panel (without data).

I also got this on the second go around:

At the very most, they owe us the complete spec for how to craft guide data as sent via VBI on our own. So we can make adapters.

Looks like new product sold at Channel Master:

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD_DVR_receiver_for_antenna_p/cm-7000pal.htm

Channel Master replacement for the CM-7000PAL has WiFi & Internet features plus Vudu app:

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD_DVR_with_no_subscription_p/cm7400.htm

I know that It probably won't help....but Sony has a support forum.

If somebody wants to start a topic:
https://forum.sel.sony.com/index.php
Other Sony Products
General
https://forum.sel.sony.com/viewforum.php?f=34

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