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Magnavox 537, 535, 533, 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575 - Page 758

post #22711 of 23758
1/6/13 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gale1965 View Post

ok thanks everyone. I didn't realize there was an option to turn off signatures. I thought having it there would let anyone know what I have so I guess I'll have to remember to add it to my posts each time.
You can change the stuff under your name. My Profile tab, Community Profile. That lets you add a little plus your location which I find a friendly thing.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #22712 of 23758
1/6/13 at 1:13pm
That worked-thanks! I put it under my name. smile.gif
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post #22713 of 23758
1/6/13 at 1:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gale1965 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

What model do you have now?
I still have the 515H (the one in my signature). Thanks all, for the suggestions. I might just start letting it record and deleting then. I'll just have to remember to do it right away. I don't want someone to think they're going to watch a show and then have it end up being a different show. I thought the extra recording would cause more wear and tear but it doesn't?

 

You might want to check your FW and see if your 515 might have the very first BE FW, 724V, and if so, consider updating to SuperFW 727V?

 

Can't hurt and just might help.

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post #22714 of 23758
1/6/13 at 10:30pm
Let me preface this by saying I'm sorry because I'm sure the answer to my question is in this thread, but I could not find a definitive answer in the very helpful guide/FAQ and the thread is too long to search through.

I am considering purchasing one of the Magnavox MDR53X boxes, but have one question. My main concern is to have HD quality output for clear QAM local channels for Live TV viewing. I understand that when recording the picture is downconverted to 480i and then upconverted back to 1080P during playback, but what if I just want to use it as an external tuner WITHOUT the coaxial bypass? So the setup would be:

Coax from wall -> Magnavox MDR (HDMI output)-> HDMI Receiver -> HDMI cable to TV

In this viewing scenario, would Live TV be in HD for HD QAM channels, or would it be downconverted to 480i then upconverted to 1080p like with recordings? Thank you!
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post #22715 of 23758
1/7/13 at 3:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by imaddela View Post

Coax from wall -> Magnavox MDR (HDMI output)-> HDMI Receiver -> HDMI cable to TV
In this viewing scenario, would Live TV be in HD for HD QAM channels, or would it be downconverted to 480i then upconverted to 1080p like with recordings? Thank you!

It would be down-converted and up-converted to whatever supported HDMI mode you choose. The picture quality of the SD output from digital HD channels should look about the same as a commercial DVD. It's not HD, but very good SD.

I use the same cabling configuration that you mentioned except my coax from the wall gets it's signal from an antenna in the attic. I also have a piece of coax from the Magnavox ANT OUT to the TV's coax input connector, and an optical audio cable (TOSLINK) from the TV to the receiver. I can use the TV tuner to view HD broadcasts.
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post #22716 of 23758
1/7/13 at 4:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by imaddela View Post

Coax from wall -> Magnavox MDR (HDMI output)-> HDMI Receiver -> HDMI cable to TV
In this viewing scenario, would Live TV be in HD for HD QAM channels, or would it be downconverted to 480i then upconverted to 1080p like with recordings? Thank you!

The larger the TV the more you will notice the difference. Are you using a STB now? How many Clear QAM HD channels do you receive on your TV?

I have found that setting my AVR to pass-though and using the Mag upconversion makes for a better picture. Since there is a button on the remote that changings the resolution in real time, comparison is easy.

Where are you located and what cable company do you have?
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post #22717 of 23758
1/7/13 at 5:59am
I just got a new MDR535H. The initial set up menu never came up, so the dvd tray will not open. I called support, and the girl was clearly just hunting through the manual trying to find answers. She finally suggested I turn the unit off for an hour so it would reset. I left it off for over a day, and I still don't see the initial set up menu. I tried just going through all the settings in the General setup menu, but the disc tray still won't open. I thought I'd try getting help here before calling back to support, or last resort, returning the unit.
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post #22718 of 23758
1/7/13 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

I just got a new MDR535H. The initial set up menu never came up, so the dvd tray will not open. I called support, and the girl was clearly just hunting through the manual trying to find answers. She finally suggested I turn the unit off for an hour so it would reset. I left it off for over a day, and I still don't see the initial set up menu. I tried just going through all the settings in the General setup menu, but the disc tray still won't open. I thought I'd try getting help here before calling back to support, or last resort, returning the unit.

 

I suspect you're trying to see the Setup menu via the coax?

 

Nothing internal goes thru the coax. That's just an amplified passthru of the incoming signal so your cable box or TV can tune channels independently.

 

You need a "line connection" from the Mag to your TV: Composite YWR, S-Video+W/R audio, Component RGB+W/R audio, or HDMI. If you choose HDMI, make sure you press the HDMI button on the remote and go thru all four HDMI formats (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) to activate the HDMi circuit for 1st use.

 

See Page 1 of this thread for a clickable index of help files.

 

* * * * * * *

 

On the other hand, if you're able to SEE the other menus, as it seems you said, you can do the setup steps manually.

 

1st, set the Display > OSD Language to English. Once you click OK on English, the menu should immediately disappear to indicate that it "took."

 

2nd, set the Clock (General Setting > Clock Setting).

 

3rd, do a Channel > Auto Channel Preset > Antenna (if on antenna) or > Cable (Analog/Digital) (if on cable).

 

Those should make the unit ready for tray open and all other ops.


Edited by wajo - 1/7/13 at 6:34am
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post #22719 of 23758
1/7/13 at 7:28am
Question about audio adjustments.
If I play a DVD like Netflix without having Surround Sound on. I find it hard to understand some of the conversation of the actors. Is there an adjustment on the Mag to help improve the voice quality ? Lots of times the Surround Sound just "bugs" me.
THANKS
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post #22720 of 23758
1/7/13 at 7:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph289 View Post

Question about audio adjustments.
If I play a DVD like Netflix without having Surround Sound on. I find it hard to understand some of the conversation of the actors. Is there an adjustment on the Mag to help improve the voice quality ? Lots of times the Surround Sound just "bugs" me.
THANKS

 

Only audio out "adjustments" are in the Playback > Disc Audio menu... not sure if these will affect the type of playback you're using, but worth a try.

 

You can also press the Audio button on the remote during playback and see if there are any options for audio on a specific program/title. There's also an icon on the Display menu that shows what audio options (if any) a playing program has and can be selected.

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post #22721 of 23758
1/7/13 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

Only audio out "adjustments" are in the Playback > Disc Audio menu... not sure if these will affect the type of playback you're using, but worth a try.

You can also press the Audio button on the remote during playback and see if there are any options for audio on a specific program/title. There's also an icon on the Display menu that shows what audio options (if any) a playing program has and can be selected.
Will give it a try.
Thanks !
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post #22722 of 23758
1/7/13 at 9:23am
I do have the unit hooked up through the AV in/out connection (red/yellow/white cables), so I can see the normal menus. At one time I had it hooked up through HDMI (I feel like I've tried everything). I had already read some of this thread before I even ordered the dvr, so I thought I was prepared, but obviously not. I own a Panasonic dvr that I've had for several years, but seems like they aren't as readily available, so decided to buy a newer one in preparation for when the other one wears out.

This morning, after having the unit uplugged for over a day, I started over and when I still didn't see the initial set up menu pop up anywhere, like the instructions say it should, I went into General settings and looked at each setting (English was already selected), I set the time, I did the auto channel scan, etc and still no luck. I have unplugged the unit and will try again tonight. If I could just get the dvd/disc tray to open, I would be good to go. I can't imagine why anyone designing this would set it up this way, seems kind of crazy to me.

Thanks for your reply!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

I suspect you're trying to see the Setup menu via the coax?

Nothing internal goes thru the coax. That's just an amplified passthru of the incoming signal so your cable box or TV can tune channels independently.

You need a "line connection" from the Mag to your TV: Composite YWR, S-Video+W/R audio, Component RGB+W/R audio, or HDMI. If you choose HDMI, make sure you press the HDMI button on the remote and go thru all four HDMI formats (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) to activate the HDMi circuit for 1st use.

See Page 1 of this thread for a clickable index of help files.

* * * * * * *

On the other hand, if you're able to SEE the other menus, as it seems you said, you can do the setup steps manually.

1st, set the Display > OSD Language to English. Once you click OK on English, the menu should immediately disappear to indicate that it "took."

2nd, set the Clock (General Setting > Clock Setting).

3rd, do a Channel > Auto Channel Preset > Antenna (if on antenna) or > Cable (Analog/Digital) (if on cable).

Those should make the unit ready for tray open and all other ops.
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post #22723 of 23758
1/7/13 at 9:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

This morning, after having the unit uplugged for over a day, I started over and when I still didn't see the initial set up menu pop up anywhere, like the instructions say it should, I went into General settings and looked at each setting (English was already selected),

 

1st, go back to the OSD Language menu and press OK again on the English you say it shows and confirm that the menu disappears immediately.

 

2nd, do a Soft Reset, as described here.

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post #22724 of 23758
1/7/13 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeKustra View Post

The larger the TV the more you will notice the difference. Are you using a STB now? How many Clear QAM HD channels do you receive on your TV?
I have found that setting my AVR to pass-though and using the Mag upconversion makes for a better picture. Since there is a button on the remote that changings the resolution in real time, comparison is easy.
Where are you located and what cable company do you have?

I’m in San Diego, CA. I actually do not have any cable subscription, but I have cable internet through Cox, which thankfully gives me access to unencrypted QAM channels. I believe I get about 25 channels, but I do not care for any other than the 4 major HD Broadcast channels (sports for me, singing competition shows for my GF). Otherwise rely on Netflix/Hulu+/Amazon Prime/RedBox.

I have an older TV (47” Vizio) that is not ARC capable, so I cannot do the coax pass-through and get the digital audio back to the receiver/speakers. Unfortunately I would not want to do the coax pass-through with analog audio. Originally I was using a TiVo Premiere just as an external tuner (no service), and that worked perfectly, but I sold it to buy one of the new Boxee TVs, which has been an unmitigated disaster. Constant freezing (once or twice an hour) requiring hard reset.

So finally I gave up on that and as of yesterday am using a WD TV Live with Hauppauge TV tuner. It is working OK. Changing channels is a bit laggy and there are audio skips every now and again. Recording is very rudimentary, but I don’t have much of a need for that since we do not care to record the shows/sporting events we would be watching live.
Since the Magnavox will not output in HD in my setup, I’m thinking I might need to just go back to the TiVo Premiere if CES does not show anything promising. Thank you for the response.
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post #22725 of 23758
1/7/13 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

2nd, do a Soft Reset, as described here.

Bad link? I found it HERE.

Hey, lookie what I found on my front porch today!



I figure if I'm stuck with the 1tb limit, might as well get some good drives that match the original. Not to forget, two drives per set (primary and backup), so it's "only" 2tb of storage. But, that should be around 600 titles. Should be more than enough along with the 1400 some odd movies that will get converted to MKV and stored on the server. That should oughta keep me happy for a while.
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post #22726 of 23758
1/7/13 at 1:26pm
The answer to this question might actually solve my problem - how do I get to the OSD Language menu? According to the instructions, there should be an Initial Set Up menu that prompts you for the Language, but that menu has never come up, which seems to be the root of my problem. I've gone into the General Settings and there are various language choices there, but I don't think any of them use the term "OSD".

Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

1st, go back to the OSD Language menu and press OK again on the English you say it shows and confirm that the menu disappears immediately.

2nd, do a Soft Reset, as described here.
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post #22727 of 23758
1/7/13 at 1:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

The answer to this question might actually solve my problem - how do I get to the OSD Language menu? According to the instructions, there should be an Initial Set Up menu that prompts you for the Language, but that menu has never come up, which seems to be the root of my problem. I've gone into the General Settings and there are various language choices there, but I don't think any of them use the term "OSD".
Menu->General Settings->Display->Language->(pick one)

I doubt that's your problem.
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post #22728 of 23758
1/7/13 at 1:55pm
In the Quick Guide Set up sheet, it does specifically say that if you don't go through the initial set up, your disc tray won't open, so when the initial set up menu never came up, I tried to open the tray and it wouldn't open, so I am assuming that is the problem. I'm desperate not to have to send this back, so I'll try anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeKustra View Post

Menu->General Settings->Display->Language->(pick one)
I doubt that's your problem.
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post #22729 of 23758
1/7/13 at 1:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

In the Quick Guide Set up sheet, it does specifically say that if you don't go through the initial set up, your disc tray won't open, so when the initial set up menu never came up, I tried to open the tray and it wouldn't open, so I am assuming that is the problem. I'm desperate not to have to send this back, so I'll try anything.
OSD simply means On Screen Display. If there is no language checked, it would be strange. But a lot of strange things happen.
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post #22730 of 23758
1/7/13 at 2:28pm
English was already checked. I don't know why anyone would design it to where a very important function doesn't work if you don't go through some exact steps, yet getting to those exact steps doesn't seem to be that obvious. The main reason I bought the recorder was to transfer stuff from VHS to DVD, so if the DVD tray won't open, the unit is worthless to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeKustra View Post

OSD simply means On Screen Display. If there is no language checked, it would be strange. But a lot of strange things happen.
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post #22731 of 23758
1/7/13 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

English was already checked. I don't know why anyone would design it to where a very important function doesn't work if you don't go through some exact steps, yet getting to those exact steps doesn't seem to be that obvious. The main reason I bought the recorder was to transfer stuff from VHS to DVD, so if the DVD tray won't open, the unit is worthless to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeKustra View Post

OSD simply means On Screen Display. If there is no language checked, it would be strange. But a lot of strange things happen.

 

Please physically press OK on the box for "English" in the Display > OSD Language menu.

 

That same "English" comes up as the 1st item in Initial Setup sequence, so you haven't pressed OK there yet, and it only "takes" when it's OK'd... box goes away immediately to indicate it's satisfied.

 

Ignore theories that it's not the problem since it's so very simple to see if it is or not.

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post #22732 of 23758
1/7/13 at 2:55pm
Yes, I am going to try that. I'm pretty sure I did that already this morning when I looked at every setting available in the General Settings, but I'm going to go back and do it just to make sure. I've considered changing it to a different language besides English just to see if that would do anything (I can always change it back) I had unplugged the unit from 7:30 am until 2:30 pm, but it still retained the settings, so I am going to leave it unplugged until the morning and start again. I'm not very hopeful at this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

Please physically press OK on the box for "English" in the Display > OSD Language menu.

That same "English" comes up as the 1st item in Initial Setup sequence, so you haven't pressed OK there yet, and it only "takes" when it's OK'd... box goes away immediately to indicate it's satisfied.

Ignore theories that it's not the problem since it's so very simple to see if it is or not.
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post #22733 of 23758
1/7/13 at 3:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

Yes, I am going to try that. I'm pretty sure I did that already this morning when I looked at every setting available in the General Settings, but I'm going to go back and do it just to make sure. I've considered changing it to a different language besides English just to see if that would do anything (I can always change it back) I had unplugged the unit from 7:30 am until 2:30 pm, but it still retained the settings, so I am going to leave it unplugged until the morning and start again. I'm not very hopeful at this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

Please physically press OK on the box for "English" in the Display > OSD Language menu.

That same "English" comes up as the 1st item in Initial Setup sequence, so you haven't pressed OK there yet, and it only "takes" when it's OK'd... box goes away immediately to indicate it's satisfied.

Ignore theories that it's not the problem since it's so very simple to see if it is or not.

 

After leaving unplugged until morning, do a Soft Reset before attempting to plug it back into power normally... you'll have already done the hard part, waiting.

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post #22734 of 23758
1/7/13 at 3:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

After leaving unplugged until morning, do a Soft Reset before attempting to plug it back into power normally... you'll have already done the hard part, waiting.
If she can get the menus to come up wouldn't a hard reset work? No waiting required.
Edited by Ken.F - 1/7/13 at 4:10pm
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post #22735 of 23758
1/7/13 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken.F View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo View Post

Renata,

After leaving unplugged until morning, do a Soft Reset before attempting to plug it back into power normally... you'll have already done the hard part, waiting.
If he can get the menus to come up wouldn't a hard reset work? No waiting required.

 

She was going to be unplugged overnight anyway, but a Hard Reset with SKIP 123 would also force an Initial Reset sequence, with OSD Language, etc. Hard Reset is #3 here.

 

I just hope RENATA sees this before morning replug time!

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post #22736 of 23758
1/7/13 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken.F View Post

If he can get the menus to come up wouldn't a hard reset work? No waiting required.

 

Renata's a female name (common in Eastern Europe).

 

You learned something new today. wink.gif

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post #22737 of 23758
1/7/13 at 4:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rammitinski View Post

Renata's a female name (common in Eastern Europe).
Oops, sorry about that Renata.
Quote:
You learned something new today. wink.gif
Yeah, don't screw up while you guys (or gals) are watching! tongue.gif
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post #22738 of 23758
1/7/13 at 9:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renata Hearn View Post

I just got a new MDR535H. The initial set up menu never came up, so the dvd tray will not open. I called support, and the girl was clearly just hunting through the manual trying to find answers. She finally suggested I turn the unit off for an hour so it would reset. I left it off for over a day, and I still don't see the initial set up menu. I tried just going through all the settings in the General setup menu, but the disc tray still won't open. I thought I'd try getting help here before calling back to support, or last resort, returning the unit.

Is that common on 53x units? The 2160A and 513/515 will always open the DVD tray independent of the initial setup. Thanks for any answer.
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post #22739 of 23758
1/8/13 at 8:15am
Thread Starter 

biggrin.gif

 

Some News We Missed?

 

Funai Gains Access to Microsoft Patents on exFAT File System

 

From the linked article, Jan 20, 2010:

 

"Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has set up a new deal to swap patents with LCD TV maker Funai.

 

"Funai, which makes TVs sold in the U.S. under the brands Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania, and Emerson, will gain access to Microsoft's exFAT file system, an enhanced version of the company's older FAT (file allocation table) used to store and organize data on a disk.

"The exFAT (extended FAT) system supports much higher-capacity drives and devices than can FAT and will quickly save files onto SD cards, USB drives, and other portable gadgets. Microsoft sees it as the ideal option for handling huge chunks of audio and video on digital photo frames, cameras, camcorders, smartphones, and of course TVs.

"The cross-licensing agreement lets Funai use exFAT to develop new consumer audio and video products, including LCD TVs, for which the company is compensating Microsoft."

See more at link above.

 

biggrin.gif

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post #22740 of 23758
1/8/13 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by profhat View Post

Is that common on 53x units? The 2160A and 513/515 will always open the DVD tray independent of the initial setup. Thanks for any answer.

I just got a 535 and it didnt do the initial setup when 1st turned on and I have had no problem with the tray, i just went through the setup menu to set it up.
Plus my manual only says the device may not function properly if you dont do the intial setup, nothing about the tray. I Havent had any problems yet with the 535 at all, his may be defective
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AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › DVD Recorders (Standard Def) › Magnavox 537, 535, 533, 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575