Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread - Page 13

ay221, that ought to work fine. The warning is probably intended for less A/V-savvy people who might get confused when, connected this way, the DVR can't itself tune in everything the external STB can.

Here's a little tip for Pronto NG owners: to make the DHG-HDD500 feel more responsive, set the minimum IR duration time to 0.17 seconds for each code.

(Note that you'll need the latest Pronto NG / ProntoPro NG firmware and editor for IR duration support.)

Does anyone know if TV Guide On Screen is broadcast on any stations in the Toronto area? I get full Rogers Cable and Toronto/Buffalo stations via antenna. In the Guide setup I selected "Canada", put in my postal code, and indicated that I have both cable and antenna.

18 hours later, I had nothing - not even a clock (I have three VCRs that get clock info fine over cable and one that also gets VCR+ channel mapping). Now since there's NO WAY to manually set the clock on this thing I've been a bit concerned.

I entered the TVGOS diagnostics screen (the instructions provided for the LG earlier work fine) and under "Host Chan" it showed nothing, but under "VBI Host" it said "0:0-17". Now analog channel 17 is PBS received via antenna, so looks like something might be working - but why no clock? Under the VBI reception screen it had a whole bunch of packets listed as "received" (but 0 for Host Channel and Current Channel) but like I said, nothing had yet downloaded.

So, I decided to try another approach: tell the guide I only have antenna and give it a Buffalo zip code. I did that about 2 hours ago and I just looked and the front of the box and it is FINALLY showing a clock. However I have not turned it on to check the guide yet since I don't want to interrupt anything right away that might actually be working.

Now the problem is there's no point in me telling it I have cable when I've entered a Buffalo zip code since the channels are completely different in Toronto (I don't just mean mapping, I mean even the selection of channels). Was I just too hurried in my initial waiting period? Or should I maybe try changing back to Canada and if that doesn't work removing channel 17 analog and see if it can lock into something else offered by the cable lineup?

Later on today I'll check to see if there's any guide info and what the diagnostics page says.

But at least I finally have a clock...

Does anyone here have a Motorola CableCARD working in the Sony DVR? If so, who is your cable company and where are you located?

I ask because Comcast in Chicago cannot get mine going. I have no channels when the card in inserted. The card is shown as present, and that it finds the network, but just won't get authorized. A fourth service call today with a tech and a supervisor yielded no results.

Sony says, given the above description, that the problem lies entirely with Motorola and Comcast.

Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

Can someone point me to an online users manual? I am curious if the box can behave like my dish pvr box, where when watching tv, you decide you want to record it, you can reverse back to the beginnin when you tuned o that channel and record all of that time to the present.

My CableCARD is a Motorola. My cable company is CableOne. It took a while for them to get right, but its working. There is more info on this earlier in this thread.

It does do that I tried it last night. I tuned to watch a channel and about halfway through decided I wanetd to record it. If you just push the record button it tags it as a manual recording and it shows up in the listings as "Unknown," but it does record the beginning that already passed. If you want it to have a correct title, then you have to go into the TV Guide and hit record when you have the listing highlighted. The default for recording live TV is 30 minutes in the past, but you can change that setting to longer if you wish.

Thanks. You had some problems with individual channels, but it appears your card was "authorized" immediately and you were able to receive most channels. Is this correct?

It appears that they didn't do a full authorization. Yes, I was getting most channels, but not a select group. Once they finally found someone who knew how to authorize the card properly, everything was available.

Thanks for the info Mark and inlogan.

Okay, some further details: after about 24 hours off I've just turned the DVR on, loaded up the guide, and there's my antenna-based channels complete with logos and about 2 days worth of guide content. Interestingly, US HD channels seem to be already mapped as well. If I check out the channel list editor there's a total of 346 off-air and US-cable-based channels in there, about the first 200 with logos so far, but nothing Canadian except for the off-air networks.

Checking the diagnostics screen, the Host Channel is shown as 0:0-17 (off air PBS), but the VBI Host is showing as 0:0-51 - which, if I check it, is an extremely fuzzy PAX. Perhaps I should remove 51 from the DVR's list to prevent any attempt at locking onto such a weak channel?

In the meantime, I've re-enabled Cable in the guide and have again entered my Canadian postal code in an attempt to get Canadian listings. If it doesn't work in a couple days I'll go back to the Buffalo zip code.

From other Sony products sold up here (like the DVD-R/HDD unit) it SEEMS I should be able to get TVGOS...

Have you had any conversation with Sony about this? Of course, they will probably try to send you to the TV Guide people, who don't tell you anything. But if Sony sells the DVR in Canada, then it should work in Canada.

I took delivery of my DHG-HDD500 on Thursday. Read all the posts here before I ordered. Thanks for all the good info!

I did the setup Thursday night. Friday morning, time was not set, no guide data. So I changed the zipcode to another one used in the area (thanks to whoever posted that idea). When I got home last night the time was set and there was roughly 2 days of guide data.

Recording functions work as expected. PQ is as expected. The system menu and diagnostic pages had more information than expected.

Unfortunately the guide ordering is worse than expected -- ouch! You guys were very kind in your descriptions.

Only had it for a couple days, but we're off to a good start.

Ignoring the guide issue for now (nothing has yet happened with the new postal code), it seems I've got a bigger issue.

Format switching. Whenever I try to start up the DHG-HDD500, connected directly to the DVI/HDCP port on my Sony KF-60XBR800, one of two things happens:

1) The DVR starts up in 480i mode and I have to manually hit the "FORMAT" button about 6 times to get back to 1080i (similar to a previous poster).

2) The DVR supposedly starts up in 1080i mode but I get NO PICTURE, just a black screen - I have to turn the box off, change the TV's input to another, and try again. Tonight it took THREE TRIES before I got any picture. After that, it works fine - I can switch inputs on the TV, turn the box on and off without difficulty... until everything's been powered off for a few hours, and it starts all over again.

I had no difficulty with my previous Samsung SIR-T165, connected directly via DVI - it never ever switched away from 1080i.

This is extremely annoying behavior.

Mine often switches to Auto DVI on start up, but not always. I'm not sure what circumstances trigger this.

Yes, mine says its it's in Auto DVI as well, but if you were on a HDTV station previously it would still be in 480i, so there only seems to be one available Auto format.

I'm seriously considering switching to "no negotiation" component.

1. How good is the tuner included with this unit, compared with HDTV set-top boxes? Anyone have a comparison, or subjective impression?

2. How much noise does this unit make when it's "off" -- is there still a fan running?

3. How much light does this unit emit when it's "off" -- about like a VCR (very little) or more like a night light?

1. HDTV wise I have no complaints yet compared to my SIR-T165. Analog wise it's not nearly as good as the one built-in to my TV (softer resolution and more grain); digital cable wise it seems the same as my SA 8300HD.

2. First, the hard drives do seem to run 24x7, so there's a soft whirring sound there. If there's a fan - and I can't really tell one way or the other - it's no louder than the drives in my setup, and those are very quiet. And, if the Guide software is searching channels, you might hear a relay click between the different inputs. Overall it does make SOME noise all the time, however for me it's not objectionable (not high pitched or whining or erratic). I'm not sure how it would fare in a totally silent bedroom environment, however.

3. When off there's only a small clock on the front display. It's smaller than most VCRs, so shouldn't be as bright.

I'll mainly echo what Daniel said, but here goes:

1. I have a SIR-T451 sitting (now unused) next to it. No difference in PQ that I can detect.

2. The hard drives (I have the HDD500) run all the time. I have to be within 6 inches of the unit to detect the whirr; since I sit back some 9 feet from it, this isn't an issue under normal conditions.

3. When off, it emits very little light. Nothing at all like a night light. :-)

1. How good is the tuner included with this unit, compared with HDTV set-top boxes? Anyone have a comparison, or subjective impression?

I have a SIR-T451 sitting (now unused) next to it. No difference in PQ that I can detect.

Slightly different question: How good is the Sony at pulling in distant stations? I've had a Zenith HDV420 and now have a SIR-T451, and the Zenith seemed a little better even though it was (I think) older technology.

That's a good question. When I switched to the Sony box, I also switched antennas, so I'd be comparing apples and oranges. To date, I haven't tried the Samsung unit with the Sony's antenna to compare. I'll check into that and see if I can come up with anything useful to report.

Well, best I can offer is it's better than my previous Samsung SIR-T165 - I was able to lock on to 4 new long-distance digital stations that I was never even able to get a hint of before. Steady reception over a pretty wide sweep of the antenna, too.

The Sony does a very slightly better job of tuning than the Zenith HDV420, which I just disconnected. There seem to be fewer dropouts. Because Zenith held the OTA (broadcast or tuner?) patents, the HDV420 was advanced compared to its contemporaries.

OTA quality is the reason I went with the HDD250, compared to the Dish 942, which has a uniformly poorly reviewed tuner. So far I am very happy with it.

***USEFUL TIP**** : Many complaints about TVGuide channel reordering. Try this: In TVGuide, go to setup, then change channel display. With any channel highlighted, press the left arrow. A channel ordering number with up and down arrows will appear at the left end of the channel line. Move the channel to where you want it, using up and down arrows! Found this quite by accident. It is not in the manual.

Something that should be commented on: the trick play operation of this DVR is extremely nice, at least compared to my 8300HD. It's quick, responsive, has numerous fast forward (including 90X), rewind and slow speeds, has a nifty auto-backtrack feature and works at a high framerate.

The 8300HD has this annoying 1+ second lag whenever you start or stop anything and looks something like a slideshow at high speeds.

OTA HD is much better than my Sammy T165 or my Sammy T150.

That trick on channel ordering is pretty dang cool!

Anyone find some remote key which adds "last channel" changing? I'd love to switch back and forth between 311 and 294 without punching in the numbers or hitting the up and down channel buttons repeatedly?

Has any one got the HDD500 in New York City??

The lack of a 'jump' button is annoying.

Earlier in this thread, the standard approach was noted:
menu : recent channels : down arrow : select

probably quicker to just key in the old channel number and wait a second

I have codes for "Previous Channel" and discrete On and Off for the HDD500. They are contained in a .ccf file sent to me by another member. I hesitate to post the file because it contains errors when I load it into the HTM MX Editor .ccf browser (for my MX-700 remote). There are more than a hundred codes with no labels other than numbers. This is dangerous. One, for example, performs some sort of disk format, although I did not lose any previously recorded programs.

The Previous Channel code does some odd things when you first start the DVR and have not yet changed channels. Once you have changed the channel at least once, it acts as expected.

I have no way to manipulate or create .ccf's. Is there someone here who can extract the three useful codes (I know which ones they are), label them, and post the file for others to use?

If you can simply post the button numbers along with what they do, that would be enough for me to create and post the needed Pronto hex. Or, since discrete power has already been posted in this thread, just the number for Previous Channel.

Incidentally, if you kept notes on what other buttons did something (even bad somethings), that would also be useful.

108 = Previous Channel
46 = On
47 = Off

I went through the other buttons, but found nothing useful and did not keep notes. They were mostly codes that you can learn directly from the Sony remote. Again, beware of the Format code. I think it was in the twenties, but I'm not sure.

It might be useful to have these three codes for BOTH code sets (50 and 51) of the dvr, as set in the menus. The codes I have are for the default set.