Sony DHG-HDD250/500: Official Thread - Page 326

it is beginning to sound like a local PBS analogue issue.....you DFW guys should email them.......to see if they are sending out the clock?

Here is a little test I just did on our equipment:
1. Samsung HLS DLP set
2. Old Sony VHS tape
3. Sony DHG-HDD500

The tape machine sits on top of the HDD500

99% of the time those two clocks are sync (very rare they are not - but I have seen them off a min or two........but always self correct themselves quickly)

The Samsung TV pulls it clock from wherever? This Samsung shows the time that the station is sending out "at" that point in time. The quick test through several channels show it can be up to 3 minutes off from the PBS 8-0; that is each station is a little different.

Our PBS ananlogue is 8-0

When I hit the "info" button on the Samsung for channel 8-0 its time is about 45 seconds ahead of the VHS and the HDD500.............But I guess??? The most important part about this is, I am receiving a clock time from the PBS ananlogue.

I think most Samsungs, Sony's, and Mit's TV's do this? I do not know about Panasonics?

That is not to say with 100% certainty that the PBS TV analogue time is the exact same as the HDD500 and VHS time........but I kind of think it is? Even tho there is a 45 second difference?

If you are able to get the clock thing resolve via the ANT. Then just let it "drive" your TV Guide systems as well - it would be a lot more reliable then the cable company for the Guide data. It is after all the same Guide data, you would just be receiving it from a "more reliable" source - the antenna. You can do that even though you do not watch shows on the antenna. (most of your major "7" OTA HD digital will be fantasic in most of the DFW area, with just the rabbit ears, so it can also be a great back up system)

So the question is for DFW. Does the "info" button for PBS analogue 13-0 show the time on the TV Set. That would be an antenna test (it may not be valid for cable?)

My time went away about the same time as yours. I live in Granbury and we had no power outage. So I believe it to be KERA CH13 or maybe charter. I called KERA CH13 and left a message but no one has returned my call (I called three times and left a message). I asked for the engineering department as I wanted to ask them if they were sending VBI clock data. Their number is 1 (214) 740-5404. You can press "O" for the operator and ask for the engineering department. I don't know who your cable provider is but mine is Charter (Fort Worth). It seems a coincidence that we both experienced the same problem at about the same time. Makes me believe it is PBS or Charter. I just received a call from a PBS engineer and he said they were sending a clock/VBI data. He said he checks it every day on a VCR he has hooked up. He says he gets calls all the time asking about clock data of lack of which prompted him to hook up the VCR to test time updates. I guess that leaves the cable provider or the Song DVR. Also my clock never read the wrong time. It never displayed any time it was --:--.

JOE - I know OTHERS have suggested this but so far
I have NOT SEEN you SAY - I tried it and it DOESN'T
WORK.

Can you receive your PBS station KERA CH13 OVER-THE-AIR?

Even a pair of rabbit ears should be able to receive the signal.

I am purchasing a set of rabbit ears this evening and will hook them up and see if I can get PBS station ch 13 and a clock. I live about 25 miles from Fort Worth (In the Boonies) so I hope I can receive a good signal.

I connected an RCA rabbit ear antenna and did a channel scan and it only found 3 stations. However I go to the Channel +/- menu and all the analog and digital cable channels are checked. I am hooked up to my Samsung via HDMI. Is there any other set up I need to do to the TV or Sony DVR?

Is it safe to assume you hooked the rabbit ears to the Antenna
input and NOT the Cable Input?

You should be able to ENTER CH 13 and see if you can receive
the signal.

You might have to enter it TWICE.

The first 13 will probably default to cable 13.

Enter it again - you should get OTA 13 with a little
ANTENNA symbol in the info box.

I would keep the antenna and cable both hooked up and keep the cablecard inserted. Then tune to the OTA analog pbs station in your area and then do a tvguide reset following the instructions here: http://www.spiffspace.com/TVGOS_Training_Manual.pdf

check pages 29-31. Good luck. It worked for me.

I hooked up the RCA rabbit ears (Also hooked up the cable input) and installed the Cable Card and with in approximately one (1) hour I had a good clock. The menu 9012 VBI test now displays "PASS" and VBI count increments. Filled in the correct Guide data with zip Code and answered "YES" to both "Cable" & "Antenna". This morning I had guide data but my cable provider was not among the list of providers. My cable provider is CHARTER Fort Worth (Digital). I reset the cable guide and answered no to "Antenna Connected". As soon as I finished the set up I noticed the clock go to 12:21am (actual time was about 7:30am). After about an hour the correct time came back. Now is this normal? Also I now have Guide channels although they display "NO LISTING" I assume this is correct as the guide has not had time to fill in good station data. My other question is can I after receiving good CLOCK data and GUIDE data remove the Rabbit ears from the DVR?

Since we still don't know for SURE if Charter is
blocking the clock signal or if you might have
a bad cable card - it is hard to answer that question.

Disconnecting the Rabbit Ears will tell you. I'm
not sure how often the clock info is refreshed.

IT is POSSIBLE Charter is NOT providing an ANALOG
version of your PBS station. Cable providers are
required by law to provide BOTH a digital and analog
version of the PBS signal.

I'm in Boston. PBS station is CH #2. On Comcast
CH #2 is Digital PBS. They rebroadcast CH #2 in
Analog on CH 97.

My DVR gets clock and guide data from CH 97.

If Charter is ONLY broadcasting PBS in Digital - you
are dead meat without the rabbit ears.

In a previous post - I told you how to verify the
status of your PBS Station on Charter.

I tried this. I tuned to analog PBS channel13,selected "Preferences" - "System" screen. It showed as a analog station (Digital status was NA). I then exited the Menu and went back to live tv PBS channel 13 was still selected. I input 987789987 but nothing happened. What should happen and what should I see if anything on the screen? Is something suppose to happen after approximately 5 minutes? Do I need to be in the "Preferences" - System" - "System Menu" when I type in 987789987? When in put the figures while tuned to my PBA station and no Menu Displayed I I see 9877 in the top banner then the lower part of the display says "No Program Available on This Channel"

The 987789987 Command is like all the other secret
commands. You need to be in the SETUP > down one
and enter 987789987 - It will show
VBI Search CURRENT channel.
It will take 5 minutes for the screen to clear.

DO NOTHING until the screen clears. That forces the DVR
to use the channel you are tuned to assuming it is the
analog PBS channel.

ALL THIS SECRET STUFF is located HERE

The TVGOS Training Manual is HERE

PLUS these other Codes - not published.

797654141 ID Number Regenerated
444555666 Accepting Test Patches
666555444 Declining Test Patches
777888999 Subscriptions Enabled
147412356 Warm Reset
653274147 System Reset
653214741 Cold Reset
193758246 Service Information
753159852 Diagnostics
123123123 All Channels On
114119196 Alpha Enabled
666377243 NFP Message
872253867 Ad Track Dump
872255647 Ad Track Logs
746978287 Show Stats
663366746 Demo Pin %s
736683837 Enable IR Tests
824824812 VBI Search 12
963214785 VBI Search Current Channel
533733663 Keep Demo Data
222333111 G-LINK Diag Dump
147852369 Phone Home
562333663 Load Demo Data
842656248 Toggle Phone Modem Prefix
458798565 Toggle Phone Modem Com Port
464821864 Phone Modem Beta Number
129547358 Phone Modem Test Number
998768589 Phone Modem Production Number
152368459 Toggle Time of Feed
111111111 Test
111222333 Clear Reset Info
658545256 Do Next Phone Home
789789789 Clear since-cold gclock diags
123789255 Set PM Flag 255
987321255 Clr PM Flag 255
352747373 Reset Flash Memory
352742666 Commit Flash Memory
352747283 Save To Flash Memory
352747378 Restore From Flash Memory
444555555 Enter Parameter
987789987 VBI Quick Search Cur Channel
444555333 File System White Box Test
444555777 File System White Box Recovery
474747474 Dial '1234' in each mode
971397135 Enter Factory Test Screen
882666564 Toggle TVComm Log
194219421 Start G-LINK
392378466 Generate exception
963852741 File System Shell
741236547 Purge Pgmmgr
237837837 BER Test
214532568 Fake Cable Card Insertion
325621458 Fake Cable Card Removal
951478632 Clickstream Support ON
236874159 Clickstream Support OFF
589632147 Glink Modem Support ON
741236985 Glink Modem Support OFF
515359575 Commit All Data
987456321 Sys Heap Debug Snapshot
874563219 Sys Heap Block Use Analysis
745632198 Sys Heap Space Use Analysis
179324865 Enable ATSC
147258369 Force Slicing
472749564 Toggle Graphics Log
752954783 Dump Playlist
545572824 Delete Patch File

Do the following:

hit 'guide'

hit 'menu'

scroll to 'go to service bar' and press select

scroll to 'setup'

scroll down one step to 'change system settings' and leave highlighted (don't press select)

enter the numbers 653274147

follow instructions to reset tvgos system. Make sure that the antenna, the cable, and the cablecard (if you have one) are installed and repeat the setup process.

Make sure you select 'cable' AND 'antenna' in the setup process.

Tune to your local OTA analog pbs station (ie. if it is channel 13 when you enter '13' the first channel the sony tunes to will be the CABLE channel 13. Press 'channel up' to get to the analog channel 13 (not the digital ones like 13-1 or 13-2 but just plain 13 with a picture of an antenna next to it.).

Then turn off the sony overnight.

In the morning if the guide has found the wrong available cable systems in your area or has found only one channel, select 'NO' even if the channel it lists is one of your channels.

The next screen should have all the cable cos in your area. Just select yours. The channel list should appear fairly quickly but no program info will be there. Confirm it is the right channel list and shut it off again until the next morning.

You should be good to go assuming your local pbs station is broadcasting the guide info. Good luck.

I see alot of these units at Circuit City's, usually running the SXRD demonstraion on the Sony SXRD HDTV's.

But unfortunately, I don't think CC is allowed to sell them.

I was wondering if anyone knew if these units will ever be returned to Sony, and then sent to one of their Outlet stores for retail sale.

They would probably also get some back that have to be refurbished, but they should still sell them at lower what they were before.

Just wondering if Sony is going to do this, or if they have ever done this?

I have read scattered reports of people sometimes talking them into selling one to them, but I've probably read just as many, if not more, reports of CC refusing to sell it, and telling people that it ultimately has to be sent back to Sony.

It wouldn't hurt anything to ask, though.

CC here had several new ones in stock....I attempted to bargin....no dice.........found out a few weeks later they were stolen.....most likely an inside job (no wonder CC has money problems); bet they have been moved on ebay.

I sure agree with your BET

In our house the HDD500 wins by a wide margin, it is vastly superior! It's not even close!

And for us, it is far better then any thing else that has come down the line to date by a wide margin.

Once in a while I will come across pockets of these things for sale, or small clusters of new ones. But a little stand offish, because of the future support issues.

So I placed a call to Sony and spoke to real person..........I guess you could say the un-official - official position is; the unit will not work when the TV Guide Digital replaces the Analogue. If there is news that an upgrade path is offered, then I should get that information via email and/or phone call. There is also, some indication that there could be a replacement product in place with the CBS/TV Guide digital is in place, maybe?

Naturally, I am not the first one to call them about this.........there are keeping track of what is going on........they knew about the CBS deal (of course)........and they know people do like these boxes...........and possibly they have a keen eye that more and more people are moving into OTA as their primary source of viewing.

I'm certain Sony will be introducing a new model at some point. We still have a year and a half until analog is shut off. I imagine it will be a dual-tuner model with one CableCARD slot requiring an M-Card in order to record two encrypted channels. Sony may be waiting for these to become more plentiful and for the TVGOS-D rollout to become widespread before announcing it.

Our boxes will still be usable with cable, as long as there's an analog host channel passed along there somewhere (like with limited basic), and/or if they come out with some kind of converter box. So if they do come out with new ones, we can grab one of those and still maybe get a few bucks for these. It would help to know all this stuff for sure sooner than later, though.

Problem is, nobody's gonna wanna pay retail for a new version, just like with this one - unless Sony decides to buck their usual trend - which I wouldn't count on. Especially after seeing what they're charging for their VAIO recording systems.

Maybe we'll get lucky, and there will be some other, less obscenely overpriced brands released - which is something this one never really had - competition.

I bought my 250 from Best Buy in November of 2005 with a four year performance plan. That means, I have the plan until November 2009. If by Feb 2009, the local PBS analog is shutdown and the unit becomes useless for me, I wonder if I can take it to Best Buy and demand compensation. The problem is I am exclusively OTA and there isn't anything else in the market (other than media center products, standalone ATSC cards and breakout boxes) that does what the Sony DHG does.

Anyway, we will know in less than 2 years!

I've got to say I was upset when the local Circuit City down the street (Orange, CT) closed because they opened a new one about 15 minutes away. But they re-opened it as a CC Outlet and I couldn't be happier. I go almost weekly and check out the hidden treasures. They've got a mountain of Antec NSK-4400 cases for $17 minus a $20 mail-in rebate (CompUSA has them on sale for $60)!!!! You make $3 off of them when the rebate comes in and they're great quiet cases.

Anyway, today in the return/refurb dvd player/recorder section I found a new-in-the-box DHG-HDD250. The tape had never been broken and the box was in decent shape. I brought it up and was expecting to find out the price was $300-500. Instead I found that it was $129.99!!!!!!!!! SOLD!!!!! That's less than half of what I paid for my used unit off Ebay a few months ago. For that price, I don't care if the thing works past 2009! It was made in 2005 and has 1.2.06 firmware.

On or around 24 May I lost my GEMSTAR listings, plus my units have had trouble with tuning the digital channels I subscribe to. Cox changed their international (digital) lineup within the last few days (officially 1 June). I still have one unit not getting anything digital (without the CableCARD I get analog in that unit) and none of my three units get the GEMSTAR listings.

Does anyone have a similar story? My cable guy comes on the 7th. My set up has been working fine since Oct 2006.

I have a Cable Card in a DHG HDD 250. I now also have a DHG HDD 500. Has anyone switched a cable card from one unit to another successfully? I have Cablevision and want to avoid a "service call", if possible.

THANK YOU.

I tried it on Comcast.

It worked at first.

But then 24 hours it did not.

It only took a Call to Comcast Operations Center to
turn the card back on.

I live in Fairfax also, but I didn't experience any of the problems you mention that occurred at or around June 1st with the new channels added. One of my units uses a cablecard, to get channels I subscribe to, and the other just tunes in the unencrypted digital channels available without a cablecard. I have received uninterrupted Gemstar listings on both units since the new channel
additions.

Hednic,

Are you getting channels listing for 451, 451 and 456 (Korean channels)? I think these are included in any digital package.

By the way, all my units with CableCards work now. I called Cox and asked them to hit the card in the sole bad unit (no change immediate change - i.e. no signal) then took out the card, cycled power, waited for the time to set, inserted the card and powered up. I'll wait another day and see if I start getting listings. I have yet to see the TV Guide show my on the set up the Verizon / Cox question after the initial zip code entry. I wanted my listings back.

I sent a DHG-HDD250 back to sony and they sent me a refurbished one back and I did not need to call Cox, working fine for the past 2+ months.