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Enabling EPG/TVGuide in new philips firmwares

1299 Views 15 Replies 5 Participants Last post by wingdam, Aug 1, 2006

embeem

Discussion Starter · May 15, 2006

(Aka "What the hell are the option numbers shown in the service menu?")

From the service menu there's a menu to display option numbers -- if you don't know how to get to the service menu, go read some other threads first.

Service menu -> Options -> Option numbers

These represent the raw values of the items in the options menu; if you change any option these numbers will change (even if you don't store the changes).

The opion numbers are given as two groups of 4 numbers:

Group 1: XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX

Group 2: XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX

Each of the 4 numbers in a group is shown as a decimal number, padded by 0's. If you translate that number into binary, then each bit becomes an option number.

Group 1
Code:

Code:

XXXXX ----- ----- ----- (picture processing)
 3: Comb filter: 2D comb
 4: Comb filter: 3D comb (conflicts with previous)
 5: Ambient light: mono
 6: Ambient light: stereo (conflicts with previous)
10: MOP: on
12: POD: on

----- XXXXX ----- ----- (audio)
       9: Subwoofer internal: on

----- ----- XXXXX ----- (connectors)
             0: HDMI1: with analog audio
             1: HDMI1: without analog audio (conflicts with previous)
             2: HDMI2: with analog audio
             3: HDMI2: without analog audio (conflicts with previous)
             5: USB version: USB1.1
             6: USB version: USB2.0 + Cardreader
             9: RRT: on
            10: 1 spdif connector
            11: 2 spdif connectors

----- ----- ----- XXXXX
                  unknown

Group 2
Code:

Code:

XXXXX ----- ----- -----
10: Dimming backlight: on
11: Scanning backlight: on

----- XXXXX ----- -----
      unknown

----- ----- XXXXX -----
            5: (dealer options) picture mute: on
            7: (dealer options) virgin mode: on
           15: EPG/TVGuide

----- ----- ----- XXXXX
                  unknown

To give an example:

Group 1: XXXXX XXXXX 00425 XXXXX

Expressed as binary, 00425 becomes 0000010000100101, so using the chart above:
Code:

Code:

0000010000100101
     |    |  | |_ bit 0: HDMI #1: with analog audio
     |    |  |___ bit 2: HDMI #2: with analog audio
     |    |______ bit 5: USB version: USB 1.1
     |___________ bit 10: 1 spdif connector

(bits are numbered 0-15 with bit 0 as the right most digit)

...

So, it should be possible to alter the options numbers directly to enable the EPG/TVGuide, just by editing the third set of numbers in Group 2.

Any thoughts?

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1 - 16 of 16 Posts

embeem

Discussion Starter · #2 · May 15, 2006

Also - I'm collecting fimrwares (see this thread)

And, it would help if people posted default option numbers -- be sure to mention the model and firmware.

VideoJames

· #3 · May 15, 2006

The most recent firmware release file seems to be about 2 MBs smaller in size than the previous one. With the TV Guide option in the service menu totally missing and just the RTT option remaining, it would appear that some or all of the TVGOS code may have been removed from the firmware.

Regarding the option number strings, each TV set will have a label inside that lists the factory option settings for each model.

embeem

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 15, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by VideoJames
The most recent firmware release file seems to be about 2 MBs smaller in size than the previous one. With the TV Guide option in the service menu totally missing and just the RTT option remaining, it would appear that some or all of the TVGOS code may have been removed from the firmware.

Regarding the option number strings, each TV set will have a label inside that lists the factory option settings for each model.

The option was replaced with a disabled EPG option (epg usually stands for "enhanced/electronic program guide"). I question if the toggle is simply disabled or if the entire feature is missing.

As for the default option numbers, opening the cases to look up that information can be somewhat inconvenient.

VideoJames

· #5 · May 15, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by embeem
The option was replaced with a disabled EPG option...

Not sure what you mean by this, do you still have an option in your service menu for either "TV Guide US" in the U.S. or "EPG" in Europe after updating to the most recent firmware?

embeem

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 16, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by VideoJames
Not sure what you mean by this, do you still have an option in your service menu for either "TV Guide US" in the U.S. or "EPG" in Europe after updating to the most recent firmware?

There's an EPG option that's set to off and greyed out.

supafly

· #7 · May 26, 2006

Any luck or is there no hope?

On a side note, does anyone know what the following mean in the service menu?

MOP

POD

RRT

Scanning backlight

Diming backlight

Ambient light

Picture mute

Virgin mode

Thanks!

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Ybarra

· #8 · May 27, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by supafly
Any luck or is there no hope?

On a side note, does anyone know what the following mean in the service menu?

MOP

POD

RRT

Scanning backlight

Diming backlight

Ambient light

Picture mute

Virgin mode

Thanks!

RRT is the Digital Television equivalent of the VChip.

Scanning Backlight and Dimming Backlight is for LCD televisions, not plasmas.

Ambient Light controls the ambilight features (if your set has them) (Mono is ambilight 1, stereo is ambilight 2)

Picture mute gives a black screen instead of snow (or blue screen depending on how it's set)

Virgin mode set's TV back to "out of box" where it asks you to set it up when you power it on.

MOP will be on/off depending on hardware in your TV (don't touch it). It's used in sets with Ambilight for color processing instead of VIPER (which is used in non-ambilight sets).

POD will be on/off depending on if you have a Cablecard installed.

EPG is the Euro equivalent of TV guide and probably enables Teletext and NextView which is useless in the USA and Canada. It appears TVGOS has been completely removed from the firmware.

The service guide mentions that this chassis and firmware is upgradable to PVR and DVD Recorder functions so it is possible that Philips may be writing their own EPG that is hiding in the background and will be enabled at a later date that will include HDTV PVR features for those who purchase a USB add-on device that attaches to the plasma frame similar to the firewire PVR Toshiba sells for their Plasmas.

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wingdam

· #9 · Jun 17, 2006

I enabled the guide on my 32" and it worked for a few days, but now it won't get the listings and sdisplays a non production msg next to the lock icon the preview window when displaying the guide.

I'm running firmware 1441.

Any ideas?

Hal

Ybarra

· #10 · Jun 18, 2006

Looks like TVGOS is dead. Take a look at the docs for the latest 50 inch (w/ pixel plus 3) and epg is only for program information on digital channels. To enable it, we need to get the features code from one of these to figure out what bit turns it on.

Ybarra

· #11 · Jun 18, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingdam
I enabled the guide on my 32" and it worked for a few days, but now it won't get the listings and sdisplays a non production msg next to the lock icon the preview window when displaying the guide.

I'm running firmware 1441.

Any ideas?

Hal

Don't run the signal through a dvd recorder or vcr. I did this and it stopped getting listings. Use a splitter or connect direct.

wingdam

· #12 · Jun 21, 2006

It's connected to digital cable direct, it got the channel lineup and program guides for two days, but now won't update listings.

Ybarra

· #13 · Jun 22, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingdam
It's connected to digital cable direct, it got the channel lineup and program guides for two days, but now won't update listings.

Yep...you're right...it happened to me, too. I guess that's one more reason why Philips is getting rid of TVGOS. You'll have to go through the setup again and change to a different listing then change back and it should reinitialize. I recommend not using it...there's a thread going where it is hypothesized that the black screen problem may be due to heat. When TVGOS is enabled, the TV doesn't power down completely (or if it does it's for short periods of time) as it stays on to scan for channels and receive channel listings (which keeps it from cooling down). This might explain why I never get the BS when using the new firmware but occasionally get it with the TVGOS firmware. Mine is mounted on the wall using vesa brackets using an Omnimount.

embeem

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jun 23, 2006

I can confirm that the tv stays on, even more annoying is that the digital outputs stay on.

When I was using the TVGOS I had to remember to turn off my speakers or it would randomly start playing the audio for different channels shortly after turning the tv off.

Ybarra

· #15 · Jun 24, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by embeem
I can confirm that the tv stays on, even more annoying is that the digital outputs stay on.

When I was using the TVGOS I had to remember to turn off my speakers or it would randomly start playing the audio for different channels shortly after turning the tv off.

ROTFL...I thought I was the only one to notice that. I've got the digital from my DVD run to the TV and then from the TV to input 1 on my Sony receiver. I ran the analog from my DVD straight to input 1. The Sony was set to autodetect. In theory, it would detect when the TV was on and prefer the digital connection and when the TV was off and I was playing CD's or mp3 discs it would prefer the analog (since no digital signal would be detected). Problem was that when I enabled TVGOS it ALWAYS outputs a digital signal like you mentioned as it scans the channels. Try recording from the video/analog audio out ports with the TV off

you get the video from different channels w/ no audio. Philips should make it a firmware feature where you can put the TV into standby and leave the video/audio out and have the display off so I can record off digital channels to my DVD w/o leaving the TV on.

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wingdam

· #16 · Aug 1, 2006

For some reason the TVGOS has now started to work and has been updating for the last month.

I have no idea why it started to work or how long it will last.

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