Magnavox 537, 535, 533, 515, 513, 2160A, 2160, 2080 & Philips 3576, 3575 - Page 767

Wajo and ron g,

Thanks for the suggestions. Tried the suggestions. Skip 987 finished - apparently normally - with brand new +R and -R. Then tried to dub again with these disks and brand new -RW and +RW. I'm still getting the same error so I think it's time to call customer service.

I really appreciate your suggestions and time taken to assist me.

Cathy

Thanks rkg22 - are you reffering to the "NEXT GENERATION RE 433 PLUS Remote Extender Plus" or something else?

I just orderred my second Magnavox unit so I might as well do it right.

(I am a regular black tea drinker so I got plenty tea box blocker material but the RF kluge sounds to be worth it.)

Not really, same ~3dB difference, but they both become much much harder to pick up as you lower the antenna.
WFFF (FOX, 43) does have half of the broadcast power than WETK (PBS, 32) : 47 000 kW vs 90 000 kW

Are you missing the decimal point? 47kW v 90kW. At 90mW I could probably receive them. I think double the power would be a 3dB difference.
Edited by JoeKustra - 2/4/13 at 11:42am

hi dweezil...
well, something else, actually... i'm a 40 year techy by profession ( or previous profession, actually... retired now )...

so i would be more inclined to dig into one of my remotes, remove the IR LED, then replace it with a tiny 433mHz
transmitter module ( possibly a 2.4gHz module ). i might also retain the LED, but add the transmitter module and
a toggle switch so i could use the same remote for at least 1 IR application and 1 RF application.

i would then use a small companion receiver module and either replace the internal DVR detector directly, or feed
its output into an IR LED to retransmit, and plaster the receiver module onto the IR receive window on the DVR.

yes, the concept is the same as your remote extender deal, but without the flying saucer and a transmitter housed
in one of the remote's batteries...

there are RF modules out there that are actually quite small and might indeed fit into the area of the mag remote
that currently houses the IR LED. the DVR ( i have 3576's and MDR-515's ) has plenty of room inside to house
the companion receiver module.

in a perfect world, i'd try to come up with a 2 or 3 channel system so i could use 1 remote for several DVRs.

rgds,
ron g

hi again...

by the way, a small piece of black vinyl electrical tape will work fine for covering the IR window on the DVR...

rgds,
ron g

Anyone tried these?

http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-96166-LightScribe-Recordable-50-Disc/dp/B0014IWVTK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360049246&sr=1-3&keywords=lightscribe+color+dvd

Would you?

I've burned lightscribe CDs and I've burned Verb DVDs, but never Verb lightscribe DVDs. Those don't look like AZOs but I'd probably try them anyway if I was still burning lightscribe labels. I've moved on to inkjet printable discs.
Off Topic: Inkjet disc printer (Click to show)

Have you printed any photo's with that printer? I bought a new HP6520 last week and am very disappointed with the photo quality. That Epson was one I was looking at, but it was pricey at the local OfficeDepot.

Yes, I've printed photos. I'm happy with the photo quality. They look better than prints from the ancient HP Photosmart 1215 it replaced, and it's much faster too.

D'oh! Obviously, yes. My mistake

Would you some channels that will screw things up? I have two.

Would who do what regarding "some channels"?

Just purchased one of the 1TB versions and have a question. I apologize in advance if this has been asked/answered already...but with nearly 800 posts in the thread I havent found it yet.

Anyway, back to my question/issue.

I connected the DVR last evening and I have to say I was impressed at how easy it was to get up and running. I did a few test records for "live" TV and that worked fine. Then I next tested the timed event recording function.

I set up 2 timed events, each for a different channel...as the following example.

event1 - record ch.35 start 8:00PM end 8:30PM type SP
event2 - record ch.21 start at 8:30PM end 9:00PM type SP

I was watching ch.35 at the time I set the recording and just watched along as it recorded. Now, here is where it did not work correctly, or I did something incorrectly at the least. At 8:30 when event1 finished and event2 started...it did not change to channel 21. It recorded event2...but it recorded channel 35 for that event. So, when all was said and done, I did in fact have 2 events recorded...but they were both on ch.35...even though event2 was set to record ch.21. Make sense?

It seems like I had read elsewhere someone had this issue, but I cannot find the site/thread as I had not bought my unit at the time and was just surfing trying to find a unit to do what I wanted. For all I know..it could have been talking about another brand...but Im pretty sure it was this Magnavox unit as the scenerio seemed to be identical to what I experienced.

the only thing I could think of is that me being on the channel that was programmed in event1 (I was watching ch.35 when I programmed the event and never changed the channel) so somehow it got "stuck" and would not change.

I tested another set of 2 timed events before I went to bed and this time I was on say ch.12 and made event 1 to record ch.32 and then event2 say...ch24 and went to bed. I did stay up long enough to witness it actually change from ch.12 to 32 and start recording. I do not know yet if event2 recorded 32 again or if it switched to 24. I will check when I get home this evening and see.

Any input on this is appreciated. Great unit so far...I just need to understand why I had that strange issue of it not changing channels to record the 2nd event on a different channel.

Thanks again!

Sorry, I should be more careful. I have a Fox channel and a PBS channel that will cause a very bad time and date to be used. Both only happen at midnight, not at noon.

Thanks for the reply.

Again, I will update this thread with my exact results for the 2nd "test" scenario of 2 timed events back to back of 2 different channels.

But I'll give my own "theory" of what caused this, or at least the differences of my 2 sets of test timed recordings.

First set of 2 timed events went as follows:

1. Was watching channel 35 on the tuner of the DVR
2. Set up a timed event to record channel 35 for 30 minutes, say 8:00PM to 8:30PM
3. As soon as I completed the timed event described above in #2, I set a 2nd timed event to take place on the same date but on channel 21, from 8:30PM to 9:00PM
4. Went back to watching channel 35.
5. At 8:00 I noticed some screen icons and the 1st event recording started.
6. At 8:30 I noticed some more screen icons which I assumed was the 2nd event starting. I was kind of alarmed because the channel stayed on 35. As my reading about this unit logically lead me to believe that the only way I could watch one channel and record another was to be using the tuner that is in my TV (I have the DVR setup with it being the first device on the coax, passing through to the tv tuner...then out of the input on the Aux2 of the tv). But I thought maybe I just didnt understand things clearly and kept watching 35 till the 2nd event finished recording.
7. Went to the Title list and seen both event1 and 2 recordings there, but even though the 2nd event info claimed it had recorded 21...it was in actuality, still recording from channel 35.

Second set of 2 timed events as follows:

1. Was watching a random channel...for this example, lets say channel 12.
2. Set up a timed event to record channel 15 from 11:00PM to 11:30PM
3. Set up a 2nd timed event to record channel 18 from 11:30PM to 12:00AM
4. Went back to watching channel 12.
5. At 11:00PM (or sometime right around that point...I didnt look at the clock on the unit)...the channel switched to 15 and the icons appeared and it started recording.
6. I went to bed as it was past my bedtime! lol
7. I will update this thread as to whether or not the 2nd recording was in fact for channel 18, or was it still channel 15. NOTE: In the first set of test...I never changed the channel, nor did the DVR. At least on this 2nd set of test...it did change the channel for the 1st recording, 2nd recording...yet to be known.

So...saying all of that (yes, I know its long winded)...it appears that the issue could be actually watching/being on the same channel that the timed event occurs on. If this is the case, I am worried that at some point in the future I will miss a show/s that I wanted to record, but forgot to put the DVR on a different channel than it needs to be on for the timed event to work. If this is the case, it seems it would have to be a bug and easily replicated. Or, not. If not...then I guess it will have to be chalked up to a freak issue that is intermittent...that is if others have experienced this same issue as you have stated (which I have no reason to doubt you at all after reading all of your great posts/input here the past couple of days).

Again, thanks for the reply and I will give more info later.

PS...just some more info about my setup.

I have no STB. Before buying the DVR I just had my cable straight to TV tuner and scanned channels and viewed. I have basic cable with a handful of HD channels (debatable) that I can access. I dont watch much TV and basic does our family just fine...add to that Netflix and our own DVD collection, we have more than enough viewing titles at our fingertips.

I have no other sources connected to the DVR. I only pass my basic cable through it so I can watch something on the TV via the TV's internal tuner (its not an HD...but kind of a "tween" HD. Its a Hitachi with built in upscaling. So, no HD option for channels on that tuner...but the upscaling looks great on this TV.) The only other connection is from the DVR via composite to the Aux 2 input of the Hitachi. I do have a couple of game consoles directly input into the TV's Aux3 and Aux4 inputs...but I dont think that is pertinent info for this discussion.

Thats pretty much my setup.

Went up 10 bucks since I ordered mine just a few days ago.

May I ask if the channels you are recording are digital clear QAM?

No...Analog

I will test that later and report my findings.

Just an update. The 2nd set of test recordings from last night worked as they should have. So, it did not replicate...but my initial start point was different, as described in my previous post.

I will try to replicate the issue by doing it exactly as I did initially.

Stay tuned (pun intended)

300 bucks? OK Walmart, how much for a decent HD recorder that works with gamers/satellite users?

I like your other "jailbreak" idea (thanks) but it would be too risky for this software engineer. I think I'll go with that Next Gen flying saucer contraption - maybe after I first try a high quality tea box.

$298? And I was thinking I had bad timing paying the $288 for the 537 just days ago. It hasn't even arrived at my local Walmart yet.

This could be a warning from Walmart that supplies is getting low.

Ok...here is what I found...

First, I tetsted the Auto Record. It is functioning as advertised.

Second, I tried to replicate the issue from my original post to this thread. Meaning I started out just watching (& AutoRecording) ch.2 I then went in and programmed a timed event to record ch.2 from 11:15PM to 11:20PM. I then set a second timed event to record channel 16 from 11:20 till 11:25. And it worked flawlessly.

The only difference from this test to my initial failed test was I set each timed event to record for 30 minutes each rather than 5 minutes each (time restrictions tonight). But otherwise, everything I done was identical. So, who knows??? Must have been a glitch that can happen at some point if you are holding your mouth just right! lol

I will be sure to update this thread if it happens again. I do appreciate all of the input thus far.

Nice forums you guys have here. Im sure this wont be the last you see of me here!

Thanks again.

I am in the SF Bay Area. Have a 515. Over the past few weeks, I cannot tune 7.1 ABC with Xfinity. Channel 2.1 is Fox and when I change channels upwards manually, I get a low def version of Fox on the 7.1 ABC channel. If I press info, then I get the ABC logo, but I am still watching the Fox video feed. Sometimes I can manually change upwards thru the 7.x subchannels and just as I hit 8, it will tune in the true 7.1 ABC. Sometimes.

I have tried rescanning the tuner multiple times, connecting the coax only whilst tuning the digital portion. No joy. The cable is going to a DTA box and from there to the coax input on the Maggy. Now, I realize that there is a dearth of shows to watch on ABC, but just in case they uncancel Last Resort...

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

Split the rf and feed the 515 directly. One leg to 515, one leg to DTA. See if that helps. Perhaps someone with Xfinity will help.

I have a 515 that I use for OTA reception. In our area FOX is on Channel 5, however, in reality 5.2 (low def) is on UHF 38 and 5.1 (hi def) is on UHF 44 ( I know this is crazy, but you can make this stuff up). So when I hit Channel 5 on the 515 or try to program 5.1 on the 515 it goes 5.2 because it is the lower UHF channel and is found first in the scan. My problem was solved by me always remembering to hit 44 instead of 5 or programing 44.1 instead of 5.1. It is a bit of a PITA, but it works. The tuners on the Maggi's are not quiet a smart as they are on better HDTV's.