Magnavox 537, 535, 533, 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575 - Page 686

Yes I have and saw your question posted there a week after you posted it and thought maybe you found a solution. When I saw it repeated here I realized you hadn't.

Not surprising that the TV industry doesn't provide an accurate time when the electronics industry doesn't provide and accurate timer, and people like the very capable ones on this board have to come up with a solution, seemingly without a great deal of effort.

Since I updated my 2160A to the new 727V firmware, I found a problem with recording from HDD to my DVD+RW. I have been using the same brand of DVD+RW without a problem for a while and didn't see this problem prior to the new firmware update.

I normally use the DVD+RW on both my computer and the 2160A. I would use the edit selection on the 2160A and erase the DVD+RW and then would copy the programs I want from the HDD onto the DVD+RW. This have always worked without a problem. Now after the firmware upgrade when I erased the first disc, I received the following error message

Recording Error

Can not record on this disc

E 3 2a040301

This happened during the erasing process. I removed the disc and tried another disc. This time the erasing went through without any problem however I received the same message when I was trying to copy the HDD to DVD+RW. Any idea of how to correct this problem?

PS, both disc have previous videos recorded from my computer if that makes any difference but was not a problem prior to the new firmware. Thanks

Recently i've tried(2x) to record a Public Domain movie(Quicksand)from Internet Archive's website.I'm trying to record directly from my laptop pc to a Maggie 2160A.Using the HDMI output from the laptop to the L1 input on the DVDR i'm able to record the video portion ok(with the help of 2 converters).The audio cable(R/W)is connected directly from the analog audio output of the laptop to the L1 audio input of the recorder.The recorders' audio out(R/W) is connected to one of the audio R/W inputs on the tv.The problem is that even tho' i get the audio on the tv's speakers,NOTHING is recorded on the DVDR's HDD. It's seems like the signal just passes through the recorder then onto the tv w/o bothering to stop and recordI've tried to figure out what's wrong(took the AVR out of the mix after the 1st.failed attempt to record).Can't figure out how i get the audio on my tv,but not the recorder??? how is that possible when there is no other pathway for the audio to get to the tv except for the one i hooked up.
Does anybody have a possible solution for this problem??

PS: The dvdr's L1 audio jack is ok,i use it all the time between the sat.receiver and recorder.
PPS:Is it possible that the audio is in a format that the DVDR cannot decode/record???,but the tv can decode...and if so what would be a workable solution????

If you un-plug the HDMI cable can you record just the audio portion on the 2160A?

^^^ Hmmm,haven't tried that cuz i need that connection to pass the video,but i can try it this weekend. But obviously the audio is there cuz it comes over the tv speakers.It just won't record to the HDD.I can record the pic.but no sound. IOW,while recording i can watch AND hear what is being recorded( on the tv),but when i play back what's been recorded to the HDD,there is a good pic. but no sound.

This product may be your answer.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

At least this way the video and audio are both outputted from the HDMI and get converted to composite and stereo together.

Thats what makes the most sense to me I'd have to think the linked MonoPrice HDMI to S-video converter would work but maybe not At least with MP all you would be out would be the fairly nominal shipping MP charges, less the further West you are.

It's hard to see how anything could affect an analog audio input, other than the voltage/impedance levels. Could you maybe dub a dvd of the program and check if there actually is or isn't an audio AC3 2.0 stream?

scott s.
.

Thanks for your help as always, I will check to see if there are setting there I forgot. Does the 2160A have an option where I can format my DVD+RW disc to make sure that it is compatible with the 2160A?

Yep.

Ken's suggestions were switchers, but I needed an actual splitter, and ended up sending him (I think) the same Monoprice URL you later gave the link for.

Looks like the first/cheapest one will be what I'll get. (I know...you get what you pay for.)

Looks like I'm gonna get that, the HDMI to composite/s-video converter, two more HDMI cables, and a new S-Video cable for the output to the recorder. (You don't want to see the picture quality on the one I bought locally. The composite cable is actually giving a better picture than the S-Video cable is.)

I am wondering, tho', is there ANY reason to even consider getting the component to composite/s-video converter, over the HDMI one? (I was considering both, tho' obviously leaning towards the HDMI.)

jjeff,the theory that the audio 'could' be in a format that the DVDR can't decode,but the tv can decode,(even tho' it's only analog) can i think, be put to the test by connecting the analog audio output from the laptop directly to the tv,let 'IT' decode the audio,then send the decoded?? audio out to the DVDR and see(or hear)what happens. I'ts worth a try i guess.It would be nice to be able to integrate my analog recorder directly with a laptop that's connected to the internet. If i have to go to MP and buy another Lenkeng converter,then i'll pass on the idea of recording off the 'net',because the poor video performance that comes with the use of that converter is IMHO not worth the effort,when i consider the fact that i cannot stand to watch that kind of poor performance.My eyes scream from the torture of having to watch it.

IIRC, I bought my component to composite converter from Monoprice. I RMA'd 2 for exchange. I kept the third, but it performs so poorly I've not used it since getting a HDMI to composite converter, which does very much better with black level and contrast. But, beyond that and being functional at all, is otherwise nothing to be proud of. Most non-VCR devices I have with built-in composite output produce better detail as long as the source material is good.

When I read your post the part where you said your TV only had one HDMI input stood out.

That's okay. Your reply still got me pointed in the right direction.

I agree. It's analog audio, there is nothing to "decode". This could be the difference in output voltage between using the line-out jack vs. the headphone jack on the laptop.

That was my experience with a PAL to NTSC converter. If THAT was what I had to watch, I'd pass. That was before I realized that my television displayed PAL just fine, no converter needed. There was no mention of it in the manual, but it works perfectly, with a really good picture!

Your eyes are too important to waste on poorly performing components.

For those of yuou that use the "auto" clock setting, aren't you concerned about the number of power-up cycles? In my expereince, electronic devices that are powered on and off frequently fail much more quickly than those that are either left on, or are turned on less frequently

Kelson i didn't really think there was anything to decode either,afterall,as you say,it's only analog audio,but i didn't know what else to think when the audio is passed thru the recorder w/o being recorded but i am able to hear it clearly from the tv speakers.That is a situation that i've never encountered before.I was/am befuddled!!

You talk about a diff. in output voltage,i'm taking it that it means the output v.is to low??? If so,then maybe a change in cables will help.The cable i'm using now has a 3.5mm pin on one end and R/W RCA plugs on the other,which means the signal is split in two after coming from a single output on the laptop.I have 3 outputs,one is for a mic.If i had 2 separate cables(using 2 outputs instead of one) with only 1 RCA plug on the end of each cable,would that in essence 'boost' the voltage at the DVDR?? (since the signal isn't split), and maybe make the audio recordable????

One more thing, i didn't do it but,if i had turned the volume up all the way during play back from the HDD, might i have heard something like a faint whisper of sound??(from the movie,not hum) if so then i think that would be a good indicator that the 'power level'(v.) is to low.

Also,would a powered audio amp.do the trick to make the signal strong enough,just a small one of course.Cheap. Or 'maaybe' i could run the audio thru the "zone 2" amp. in my AVR(Denon 2310CI) to boost the signal.It's just sitting there doing nothing.I've never used it. I would only have to make sure that the cabling(A/V) are close in length to each other to avoid any synch issues.

I now believe my asumption that it has something to do with the way that my Panasonic EH55/75 writes +R disks is correct. I made a +R (single layer) disk with my EH75, and it would not play properly on my 515. On a whim, I took a -R (again single layer) and put it in my SMS duplicator, putting in a +R as the target (I was kind of surprised when I found out it would do that, ignore disk type when making copies). That +R DID play properly in my 515. I then found a +R DL disk that I had duplicated from a -R DL disk, and it played properly also. I think it's something specific about the way my Panasonic is making the +R disks, or some setup parameter that I have wrong.

I just thought SOMEONE might care.

Maybe not.

In your post before you edited it, you made mention of using the line-out jack from your laptop. That would be the proper one. The fact is, you have the audio connected to the input of your DVDR and that signal is being repeated to the output of the DVDR and on to the TV where it can be monitored. That tells me everything is fine with the source signal. If it were me, I would be looking for an issue with the DVDR, not the signal, as to why it was not capturing the audio -- it may actually be capturing the audio and just not playing it back. Try recording directly to disk and see what you get. Play the disk on another player and/or use a program like MediaInfo to see if the recording contains and audio track.

My guess is that the duplicator has changed the book-type of the DVD+R/+DL to "DVD-ROM". This has always been the preferred way to get around the compatibility issues with "+" media. Problem is that while PC burning software lets you specify book-type for "+" media, DVDR's do not. Your Panasonic is probably writing the "+" media as "normal" book-type which may be "normal" for Panasonic but not "normal" for funai. We all know that "+" media compatibility on Panasonic was a grudging after-thought.

I doubt it Kelson.
When copying DVDs with my PC - I can always choose the type of target disc - whether RAM, +R/RW or -R/RW and the book-type will remain real for that disc - say if copying +r to target -R the book type of target disc will remain -R. That's my experience but as we all know other people's gear could have different outcomes.

My understanding is that differences between -R, +R and RAM is just the file system structure and the finalization process. I believe that the actual MPEG-2 DVD-Video and audio is universal between all formats. Think of it as copying MPEG video between HDDs formatted as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS - different file systems but the actual MPEG-2 file would be the same copyable between the HDDs with different file systems.

My guess is that some Panasonics don't abide exactly by the +R/RW file system and some Funai decks have problems reading those Panasonic discs and when a PC or copier copies the disc into a different format - it formats to spec.

Did you try duplicating a +R disc you made on your Panasonic to either another +R disc or -R disc in your duplicator? It would be interesting to see if your duplicator could make a playable DVD out a unplayable one
I know our duplicators are not making an exact mirror copy of the source since I can put a commercial DVD with MV(but not encryption) as the source and the target lacks the MV. Again a source with encryption will NOT copy.

I also had concerns about the added "wear and tear" of power-up cycles for calibration of the auto clock.
The onboard clock in these machines are notoriously inaccurate and in my findings, always faster than needed. Some of us, including JoeKustra, have been successful at "tuning" the clock to an acceptable accuracy.
After the procedure, I no longer have to adjust the machines every couple of weeks because now, they lose <1 second per month.
The noises you hear on a power up, you know, those three sequential clunk noises. That's your DVD drive pickup sled moving around. I am not sure if the HDD spins up on a " auto clock calibration", but if it does, thats not helping logevity either. Doing that 730 times a year just to sync time is not acceptable in my opinion.

I saw your post a day or so ago, but it was late and I didn't have the time, or energy, for one of my ~1-2 hour replies. I've been transferring videos off of my FiOS Motorola 7232 DVR (*FREE* for 12 months - I thought, according to my contract, it had to go back 05/15/12 but the CSR told me I had until 06/03/12, since my billing cycle begins on the 4th of the month), through my *NEW* Hauppauge PVR-1212, onto my *NEW* Win7 laptop. I had ~50 hours transferred when I got a "Windows Explorer has encountered an error and must close". Next time I opened that subdirectory *ALL* ~50 hours of TS videos were gone! Recuva found ~7...

In a nutshell, here are a few points that I wish to convey to you:

1. ~2-3 weeks ago, based on the opinions expressed in this forum regarding 'Analog Sunset', I ordered from Amazon (I think I posted the LINKs but I've been up ~24 hours now and don't have the energy to look ):
   1. HDMI Splitter - 1 In / 2 Out
      Works fine.
   2. HDMI-to-Component Adapter
      Not tested yet. [But, I don't expect it to be any better than the S-Video Adapter]
   3. HDMI-to-S-Video Adapter
      Sad. Although it preserves the 16:9A from the FiOS STB (instead of the 4:3PS that needs to be 'ZOOMed'), the color intensity is SEVERELY reduced and sharpness is lost. Recording 'Clear QAM' HDTV directly to the Mag DVDR is *MUCH* better.
   4. TosLINK/Coaxial-to-Analog Adapter
      DOA. Got the RMA from Amazon; deciding who to order another one from. I'm also considering a TosLINK-to-Coaxial Adapter since my Altec Lansing 5.1 Home Theater is either Analog or Coaxial IN, and my Panasonic LCD TV is TosLINK OUT.
   .
2. ~2-3 weeks ago PLUS 1 day, the Hauppauge 1212 PVR went 'On Sale' @ Newegg.
   .
3. The Hauppauge 1212 PVR was the *BEST* purchase I've made in a long time. HD videos from the 7232, recorded @ 720p / 13.5V look *FANTASTIC* when played back through my Media Streamers (Seagate FAT+, Patriot Box Office; and I still have a 'Refurbished' Western Digital Live Plus in the box waiting to try out) or via HDMI from my laptop. Since the Seagate FAT+ has a COMPOSITE output, an upcoming 'Experiment' is to see what streaming a HD 720p / 13.5V movie from the FAT+ into the composite inputs of a Mag DVDR looks like - i.e. will it be 16:9A or 4:3PS?
   .
4. Keep in mind that I'm an "Old Fart", *TOTALLY* disgusted with the fact that *ALL* of my PREMIUM Analog equipment instantly became OBSOLETE and, for YEARS before that, I was happy with a high-end Sony VHS Recorder @ SP w/TDK tapes. Then, ~1999 IIRC, I bought a TiVo Series 1, invested ~$800 in unit, Lifetime, 2 80GB HDDs, and was 'pleased-as-punch'. Then, ~2004/2005, RadioShack had a clearance on ReplayTV 5040s w/Lifetime ($300 extra!) for $150 - I bought 2; 1 for me, 1 for my Dad; sadly, Dad never saw it. For several years, I was happy with Comcast Analog feeding the ReplayTVs, recording @ BASIC (the lowest setting), and watching everything on a high-end Panasonic 27" CRT. Then 2009 happened. I bought an 'Open Box' Panasonic DMR-EZ17 for ~$100 @ Target to 'Experiment' with ATSC and QAM. Then, I found this forum. Then I bought a Mag DVDR. When I switched from Comcast to FiOS in May 2011, I was *TOTALLY* pleased with the 'Clear QAM' recordings on the Mag DVDR(s) Then I started pay attention to Kelson
   .
5. If you're happy watching old VHS tapes on a new HDTV, then you'll be more than pleased with the Asian HDMI-to-XXX Adapters - *ESPECIALLY* since they preserve the 16:9 Anamorphic. But, if you have a LAN setup (I've had one since WFWG 3.11 using RG-58 cables @ 10Mbps ) - EXCEPT for the fact that Vista and Win7, with their NTLM2 and UAC BS, are a *ROYAL* PITA to get 'talking' with pre-Vista PCs - but *WHEN* you figure it all out, saving HD via the 1212 onto a 'Shared Drive' and then viewing it from *ANY* Media Streamer (I bought ALL of mine 'On Sale' for ~$50-60 ) certainly is more pleasing that having multiple Mag DVDRs feeding a HDMI Switch feeding your *ONE* HDTV.
   .
6. While I intend to keep using my Mag DVDRs (recording Mon-Fri PRIME TIME @ SLP) feeding 16:9 Anamorphic to my ReplayTVs, now recording @ MEDIUM for the TV shows, since I just returned my FiOS 7232 DVR today and replaced it with a FiOS 7100 STB, for the past several hours I've been researching TitanTV, WinTV and Win7 Media Center. I want to dedicate the new 7100 STB / 1212 PVR / Win7 laptop to recording HD movies @ 720p / 13.5V.
   
   Don't ask me how I got to this point - I blame Kelson...

CLOSING THOUGHT:

At this point-in-time (up TOO long!), I don't remember if it was you, or greaser, or 'someone else' who was recently praising the Fury 3 (currently unavailable for sale in the US; LOTs of chatter a year or so ago about buying one *BEFORE* they became unavailable). What does the Fury 3 offer the user compared to the PVR-1212?

Thanks!

To get rid of the Title Divide bug would require a change to the file system. There isn't any way to easily track a allocation unit that is being used by two titles right now. That is why it works the way it does. A fix would require you to wipe the hard drive to use a upgraded file system. Maybe they will fix it in the new unit that is yet to be announced, fingers crossed.

I went to order the splitter, converter, and cables I'll be needing for HDMI to S-Video conversion (from Monoprice), and noticed something on the splitter's webpage.

It said that they recommend HDMI cables with a minimum rating of "24 AWG".

I have no idea what that means, nor the meaning of "28 AWG", which I saw some of the cables marked as.

Is a higher number than 24 better, or would you need to go DOWN to a lower number to get a better cable than one rated "24"?

After my bad S-Video cable experience, going into this blindly seemed like a stupid idea.

I'm asking because the only cables rated 24 were, at their shortest, 10 feet long, and something shorter than that would be better in my setup.

Some of the "28" cables were five and six feet, which would be perfect.

Anyone know what the rating numbers mean? Would "28" be even better, or would that be worse than the recommended "24"?

EDIT:
Got my answer.
http://www.highdefforum.com/archive/t-131972.html
Seems 28 is better for short runs, like I want.
NEVER MIND!

AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. Though it is not intuitive, a smaller number of gauge is actually a larger wire size. The shorter the cable, the smaller the wire can be due to resistance in the wire. HDMI seems to be very forgiving due to its digital properties. I have used the 28 AWG short cables with no issues. Anything over 6 feet, probably is better suited to use the 24 AWG construction.