Magnavox 537, 535, 533, 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575 - Page 407

Yes but we each contribute in our own little way to keep technology rolling along. What hurts is these days technology changes too fast so it is felt harder. In seven years those with SSD's will wonder how those with HDD's ever managed.... unless something else replaces those.

While I don't see how it could hurt to update the firmware, I also would not expect it too help, since there are a fair number of 2160As out there using the old firmware(Mine has the original firmware in it), and I don't recall anyone else reporting your problem.

If I followed you correctly, you often, or always, get a freeze, which you can detect from the front panel display, when you power down and up.
In your situation, I would try minimizing the connections to Mag2 to see if it is being upset by something.
I would disconect all the inputs and outputs to Mag2 except for a direct connection to the cable jack, and with nothing else connected to that cable jack, and try a number of power cycles and see if I still got a freeze. If I did, I would stongly suspect a problem with Mag2.
If I could get Mag2 to power cycle with just cable RF-in connected, I would then try a basic connection to a TV. I would use the Composite/S-Video now connected to Mag1. I would also make sure that Mag2 and the TV were plugged into the same power strip that the TV is now plugged into. I would also unplug anything on any other TV inputs.
Since Mag1 works with the TV, if Mag2 would not not work with the same TV using the same cables, I would suspect Mag2. If Mag 2 became reliable in that basic configuration, I would then try to grow the configuration to see what breaks it.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck.

Troubled unit identified by me as Mag2 is not HDMI connected.

Based on your conclusion and advice, should I forget wajo's red-line suggestions and forget FW BE 718 update.

Thanks for your post. Please see 234's latest advice to send the unit for repair. Your suggestions are well taken and I'll likely pursue these and others. I'm fairly certain this Refurbished 2160A purchased June 1, 2010 is no longer under warranty.

First, the 515 is connected to Satellite receiver (SAT) and HDTV as shown on Mag manual page 19, with the following 2 changes: 1) RCA video/audio Out from 515 to HDTV uses HDMI cable (HDMI #1 Input). 2) RCA video Out from SAT to 515 video In uses S-video In and the RCA audio Out of the SAT to the 515 audio In (L1).

Also, the HDTV still has 2 HDMI inputs available and also ColorStream HD2 input (ColorStream HD1 input is used by a DVD player), and, a Video 1 input.
The SAT has an unused HDMI output, and, Component Output.

QUESTIONS:
A) What connections need to be made in order to have the option to by-pass going through the 515 when recording is not desired, but, can still watch SAT programing? Picture degrading?
B) Are coax spitters required? Where? What type?
C) Can the SAT HDMI Out be connected to the HDTV's HDMI #2 In and still provide a picture? What other connections need to be made?
Thanks for all suggestions.

It should. What is the make/model of your TV? Perhaps someone here has the same and give you detailed help. I used to have my 2160 connected to my TV via an HDMI A-B switch without any issues. You could also specify the make & model of your SAT box. That could help too.

TV is a Toshiba, model 47ZV65OU, Sat receiver, Dish Network VIP211K HD.

You have a simple configuration but RCA is a connector type and RCA Video/Audio Out is the synonym for Composite Out. Are you using some kind of Composite/HDMI adapter cable from or is it really 515 HDMI Out to TV HDMI In?

SAT -- S-Video/Audio --> 515
515 ------- ???? -------> TV


You need a direct connection to the TV.

SAT ------- HDMI -------> TV


Unless you have an antenna you have not told us about, no.


Yes and None.

As a rule of thumb, all outputs on electronic devices are active unless the user's manual says differently e.g. on the recorder you have to choose between S-Video and Composite for L1.

FWIW, Colorstream is a trademarked name which most people would not know, and is generically known as Component Video.

Please excuse my ignorance, but can you use this machine to record VHS tapes? I assume you'd have to connect the two players somehow.

So, we watched Fringe last night that we recorded the night before - it was crappy looking. Dark, muddled, etc. Of course, no CC coming through at all. We bought a brand new Panasonic Viera plasma about 2 weeks ago. I just hooked up this DVR to it via HDMI.

Today I was checking all of the settings to see if something was wrong to make such a bad picture. I noticed, by accident, that when watching a show via the DVR's built-in digital tuner that the picture was about HALF as bright and brilliant as it was to watch the show directly with the HDTV's built-in digital tuner. It totally matched how bad the recorded Fringe show looked.

It's as if, now that an HDTV is in the mix (vs old CRT) that the DVR doesn't know what to do. I've watched DVDs that I made previously on the same DVR and they look fine on the TV. But stuff I watched directly, or stuff I tried to record, from OTA digital TV today - it all was dark and bad looking.

Any idea what is going on???
thanks

I can venture a guess. It's only a guess. My TV has the ability to define almost every screen & picture parameter by input or globally. I chose the local settings, since I fed it with an assortment of devices. My TV tuner is the only input that doesn't support "full pixel" or highest resolution since there are no broadcast 1080p channels (i think). You might compare the settings for the TV tuner to those of the HDMI input. Since switching to an A/V receiver, the TV only has two inputs to configure now. I used to have five different HDMI inputs. Some small adjustment was usually needed per input. But that's my TV, yours may be nothing like this.

Your recording was a real test. A 720p show content recorded to a 480i drive then played back and possibly upconverted before being displayed at 1080p. I wouldn't know where to start.

In addition to what wajo has described, you can connect the HDMI from the Dish box to an HDMI input on the TV and get the signal sent without the 515H being involved. My sister has a similar configuration (same box). Perhaps the input can be added to your "favorites" or recent channel selection, giving you quick switching. Nice TV.

Yes, I have made a direct connection from 515 HDMI out to TV HDMI #2 input. Working OK, can switch from HDMI #1 as source to HDMI #2 as source with my Harmony remote.
Recap, the HDMI #2 is connected per 515 diagram (page 19) as noted previously, and, the HDMI #1 goes from SAT HDMI out directly to TV HDMI #1 in.

Still need to program the Harmony remote to control everything (tested using individual remotes) thus reducing 4 remotes to ONE.
Thanks for help and verification.

Thanks, tested with individual remotes--works. Now to program the Harmony remote to make controlling easier.

I had similar results with my 1080p Samsung plazma. I tried everything mentioned in this thread with no improvement, everything looking very dark. I finally set the output resolution to 1080p. still not as good as tv's tuner, but much, much better! to change the output resolution, press the HDMI button on the remote, each time you press the resolution changes.

Had a very similar experience with my 40" Sumsung LCD tv and my 3575 when I first hooked up the HDMI cable. The picture was very dark with washed out colors during dark scenes, although not so bad during lighter ones. No amount of tweaking the tv settings made a significant difference.

So I basically left it connected via HDMI but watched through the also connected component video cable--a much better picture. Sometime later (months?) I happened to view the DVR output through the HDMI connection again and it had dramically improved! So much so it's my preferred connection for viewing. If I did something to cause this I can't tell you what it was, and I realize "give it time" isn't a very good trouble shooting approach, but you're probably going to have to view via composite or component (better) cables until you (or we) figure something out.

There were no issues like this when I hooked up my 2160a to the Sumsung via HDMI.

edit. BTW neither HDMI or component video will support CC, you'll need to view via composite connection if you want that function

Can anyone tell me if a Magnavox ZV457MG9 or ZV427MG9 VHS/DVR can be controlled with a 2160a or 3576 remote? To what extent?
Similarly, how about a Toshiba DVR620?

Thanks!

Magnavox, Sylvania and PYE remotes interchange. Philips and Toshiba remotes don't interchange with other brands or each other.

Also, SV2000 (Walmart) and Presidian (Radio Shack) remotes interchange.

Rusty

I should clarify - my TV is a 720p plasma (42"). Not a 1080p.

thanks

THanks for the CC note - the whole CC thing regarding digital TV, HDTV, etc is very annoying!!!

On the component video thing - that's what I had at first b/c I didn't have any HDMI cables. I'm pretty sure I watched it with those - but since I had no issues with the PQ until the HDMI cable, can't be sure! I thought about hooking those back up and trying - just haven't had a chance yet.

I think I went through all of the HDMI output settings - even though non-supported ones for the TV aren't supposed to show up. As I recall, the picture looked basically the same on each setting. I thought that was weird. I can try again though.

I prefer to Philips, it's a better brand for me

During the weekend, I discovered that my 2160A (Mag2) will also restart from Standby status, after a normal Power Off using Standby-ON button. This occurs only after waiting a sufficient amount of time after the Power Off. Numerous trials substantiate that my previous conclusion is incomplete. I thought it was necessary to do Soft Reset in every case after a Power Off.

In most cases, if the Power Off using Standby-ON is normal, the Standby-ON will work, but only after waiting an allotted time. I believe the allotted time has to be about an hour, ideally several hours, but I'm not sure what the minimum time is.

It is necessary to do Soft Reset in every case after a freeze, and after waiting an allotted time.

As I mentioned in the second paragraph of my 11/30 post, from my experience, you need to leave the machine off for about 30 minutes beforing turning back on after using the machine.

These machines do not work like a light switch where you can turn it off and on as quickly as you want. The machines need time to power/spin down and sometimes cool off a little before being powered back up.