[jhb50]

To Turn Off EPG Forever with Full Timer Record Available.


1. Reset the recorder

2. Perform Nav Setup

3. When TVG setup screen Appears press HomeMenu

4. Press Timer Rec

5. When TVG setup Screen Appears press Enter

6. Choose "Canada"

7. Set Postal Code to A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero)

8. Choose Cable

9. Choose No Cable Box

10. Confirm Settings OK

11. EPG will disappear, never to be seen again!

12. Use Timer Record with RF/L1/L2/L3/DV options ALL AVAILABLE !!


No more *****'n now!


Works on my 633. Test on yours and post your results.

 

[SteveSatch]

Going to try right now

 

[heavyharmonies]

Appears to work fine... thus far. We'll see what it trys to download or not download overnight.


-Dan

 

[SteveSatch]

Same here, but the real test is when it always tries to go back to EPG each night some time after 12:00.

 

[doxtorRay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhb50 To Turn Off EPG Forever with Full Timer Record Available. 11. EPG will disappear, never to be seen again! 12. Use Timer Record with RF/L1/L2/L3/DV options ALL AVAILABLE !! No more *****'n now! Works on my 633. Test on yours and post your results.

This does not work on the 531 (at least as far as EPG disappearing). You still get it when trying to set up a manual timer (it just has no listings). Any zip code will work to produce the same result if you do not turn off the machine to populate the listings. Granted, this method has the benefit of allowing manual timers on RF, but if you are still going to have the EPG interface, why not just get the EPG?


At least on the 531, this seems to confirm that you can set up manual timers without having listings populated. Since I don't like turning off my unit, that is nice to know, so thanks!


However the EPG does not disappear entirely, which would be nicer.

 

[StevenS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhb50 To Turn Off EPG Forever with Full Timer Record Available. 1. Reset the recorder 2. Perform Nav Setup 3. When TVG setup screen Appears press HomeMenu 4. Press Timer Rec 5. When TVG setup Screen Appears press Enter 6. Choose "Canada" 7. Set Postal Code to A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero) 8. Choose Cable 9. Choose No Cable Box 10. Confirm Settings OK 11. EPG will disappear, never to be seen again! 12. Use Timer Record with RF/L1/L2/L3/DV options ALL AVAILABLE !! No more *****'n now! Works on my 633. Test on yours and post your results.

Nice try JHB50. My question is - can you use IR blaster to change channels on cable box?

 

[Nocturnal]

This does seem to work. I followed the procedure about 29 hours ago on my 633, and I haven't seen the EPG loading since (it's been past midnight twice). So far, so good.


The menus for the EPG are still there; however, you don't really have to navigate through them. The best way to set a manual timer entry is to use the TIMER REC button on the remote; that takes you straight to the manual settings.


Although the EPG seemed to be working properly for me, I disliked it because it caused the hard drive to chatter and the whole machine to vibrate 24/7 when in standby mode (mine did that for an entire week before I disabled it as explained here). Not only is that annoying, it seems likely that it would reduce the lifespan of the machine.


StevenS, I don't think the DVR can control the cable box with this setup. That only seems to work if you tell the TV Guide setup that you have a cable box connected (and then the EPG becomes even more irritating as it slowly cycles through 999 channels on your cable box).

 

[SteveSatch]

Mine has worked so far. EPG has not returned. I does take 45 seconds to startup while it says "wait". This didn't happen before. I'm not sure what's more annoying, the waiting or the unit saying EPG while powered down.

 

[eug718pioneer]

So can we have confirmation from Nocturnal about the IR blaster working? Lets say you want to record a show at 8pm and now its 7pm. Will the Pioneer automaticallly change channels for you at 8pm or will you have to leave the proper channel on the cable box?

 

[doxtorRay]

Nocturnal:

Thanks for the tip on the TIMER REC. I guess I am just used to going through the HOME MENU and selecting "Timer Recording," but that is not the same thing (for some reason).


I retried the "jhb50 method." If all you want to do is avoid downloading the EPG, it works. Unfortunately, it also messes up the UHF stations, so you still cannot use the timer as you would expect.


I am really infuriated that every time I do a reset and MANUALLY set channels, the %$#@ EPG will mess them up, insisting on an automatic finding of all the channels I don't want (such as foreign language and OTA shopping). After the EPG thinks it has found your channels, it will not allow you to manually reset them (what do you know, you only bought the thing?).


If you set up the EPG (yes, I have tried it), you actually cannot get rid of the channels (you can get them off the EPG, but they still come up when you use the up/down channel buttons on the remote).


Every time I give this piece of garbage interface a chance, it does its own thing. I think I will just use some other device for recording OTA.


Why couldn't Pioneer just have given the EPG an OFF setting?

 

[Nocturnal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eug718pioneer So can we have confirmation from Nocturnal about the IR blaster working? Lets say you want to record a show at 8pm and now its 7pm. Will the Pioneer automaticallly change channels for you at 8pm or will you have to leave the proper channel on the cable box?

If you follow the instructions exactly as posted at the start of this topic, then the Pioneer unit cannot change channels on the cable box. If you want that functionality, you could try varying the procedure to tell it that you do have a cable box, but I'm not sure whether that would affect the result of the EPG being disabled (I suppose I could try it for you if you are unable to try it yourself).


I have cable coming from the wall to the RF-in on the Pioneer. RF-out on the Pioneer goes to my cable box. The video/audio outputs on the cable box connect to the L1 input on the Pioneer (as on page 17 in the manual). I can record any regular cable channel (up to 125) using the Pioneer's tuner. When I want to record a channel which requires the cable box (e.g. HBO), I use the program guide of the cable box to tell it what I want to record, and then I set the Pioneer to record from L1 at that time. Since I make no regular recordings which require the cable box, this works well for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by doxtorRay I retried the "jhb50 method." If all you want to do is avoid downloading the EPG, it works. Unfortunately, it also messes up the UHF stations, so you still cannot use the timer as you would expect.

You're using an antenna? You could try varying the procedure to reflect that. I'm not sure which parts of the procedure are critical, but I'm guessing the Canada and A0A0A0 settings may be the most important because I had tried almost the same thing previously with USA and 00000, and it didn't work.

Quote:

Why couldn't Pioneer just have given the EPG an OFF setting?

I wish they had. I think I read somewhere that TV Guide pays them to include the EPG in their units, and I suppose it may be part of the contract that it can't be disabled. If that's true, it's a bad situation.


I just got a Pioneer PRV-9200 (haven't opened the box yet) which I think will be what I was hoping the DVR-633H was going to be (and then some). It costs about twice as much though.

 

[doxtorRay]

I've got satellite, but use an antenna for local channels.

To me, the really odd thing is that there is a set-up option to set channels manually, but the EPG messes them up (whether you do the A0A0A0 or US 99999 or US 00000 -- I've tried them all). At least if you say you have an antenna, the channel numbers are correct. However, the EPG still loads. I did not try A0A0A0 with antenna, so maybe that is the key. For now, I'm just getting the EPG, and hoping it gets easier once the first week is up. I usually only record Letterman, Leno, and the odd PBS program on the local stations, but I can use other recorders for the regular stuff. Too bad I won't be able to take advantage of the good PQ with my 531.

 

[rgazzara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doxtorRay If you set up the EPG (yes, I have tried it), you actually cannot get rid of the channels (you can get them off the EPG, but they still come up when you use the up/down channel buttons on the remote).

This may be unique to the Pioneers with EPG. I tested this last night on my Panasonic E-500. I have my E-500 hooked up to analog cable via the RF input and I downloaded the EPG. I removed about half of the channels on the EPG (that is, they do not show up anymore, nor are there any listings for them), and when I use the up/down channel buttons on the remote to change channels, the channels I removed do not come up. The recorder skips over all of them.


This appears to be another case of where Pioneer has not properly implemented the TV Guide EPG.


How does this work in the Toshibas with EPG?


RG

 

[doxtorRay]

RG: Pioneer does seem to have slapped the EPG on as an afterthought. That's why I think they left the manual channel option (the same as on previous models), even though the EPG wipes out the selections you make if you try to set a manual timer. Either that, or they planned on leaving it only for those who don't even set timers.


We have 17 OTA channels here in the Phx. market, and 7 of them are either foreign language, music, shopping, or other content I don't use. Since the 531 won't let me easily skip them (as every other VCR, DVD recorder and TV I own will), I used the one factor I can change to make them "black out." I turned off AFC and fine-tuned the channels off the frequency. Not a perfect solution, but at least I don't have to listen to them as I channel surf to the stations I might watch.


Another curious thing about Pioneer's implementation of the EPG is that the manual section explaining its use has some parts that sound like they apply to a TV, but not to a recorder.

 

[rgazzara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doxtorRay Another curious thing about Pioneer's implementation of the EPG is that the manual section explaining its use has some parts that sound like they apply to a TV, but not to a recorder.

Very curious indeed... The reports that Pioneer delayed the release of the new recorders to "fix" the EPG may have been true...I guess they should have delayed them a little longer...


Oh well, as they say, there is no perfect DVD recorder...and that continues today.


RG

 

[aydu]

I've found the same limitation when surfing channels. While channel skipping may not be a feature offered by the Pioneer recorders, it is certainly not a problem.


Having the recorder has really reduced my surfing to an almost non existant level. I surfed channels because there wasn't anything I wanted to watch currently on. With the recorder, there is always something available that I've selected, thus no more continuous running through the channel lineup.


If I just have to surf, I hit the input button and go to my regular feed to the TV. There I've blocked the shopping, religious, and local public access channels, and life is good surfing as usual.


My guess is that all upcoming recorders will feature an EPG. THe manufacturers will get paid by the EPG vendors to include this "feature". They need to do this to compete with TIVO and sat DVRs.


This lowers the cost to the consumer (prices for these things have gone down with each version) and usability for the "average joe" will go up.


Got to give the manufacturers some credit from learning the fact that after 20 years in the market place, most people still can't program their VCRs to record anything that is not currently on.

 

[doxtorRay]

Here's a modified version of jhb50's method. This is for those who might want to record a few over-the-air channels from time to time using a manual timer, but who can't get the EPG benefits (as might cable subscribers). This process 1) stops loading the EPG, 2) enables manual setting of channels and/or channel surfing, 3) permits manual setting of timer recordings on RF, and 4) maintains proper channel numbering for UHF stations in the US.


1. Reset the recorder (STOP and STANDBY/ON buttons simultaneously on front of unit)

2. Perform Setup (HOME MENU on remote control, followed by Intial Setup option)

3. You may set channels manually in "Tuner" menu at this time, or allow the unit to seek channels automatically. If you do the latter, you cannot later change the channels manually without doing another reset.

4. Press TIMER REC button on remote control

5. When TVG setup Screen Appears press Enter

6. Select**"Canada"

7. Set Postal Code to A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero) A 0(Zero)

8. Choose Antenna

9. Confirm Settings OK

10. EPG will disappear, never to be seen again!

11. Use Timer Record with RF/L1/L2/L3/DV options ALL AVAILABLE (DV not available on 531).


The key is the Canadian A0A0A0, but you don't have to say that you have cable. Also, while 99999 and 00000 are also invalid postal/ZIP codes, the Pioneers apparently only mess up when given illegitimate Canadian codes. If you enter any US ZIP code, the EPG will try to load and it will also mess up any stations you have programmed manually.


Thanks again, jhb50!!

 

[SteveSatch]

For those who are getting rid of the EPG, when you power the unit, does it say wait for a long time? If I keep the EPG I have no wait, if I get rid of it I have a 45 second wait.

 

[rudytx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSatch For those who are getting rid of the EPG, when you power the unit, does it say wait for a long time? If I keep the EPG I have no wait, if I get rid of it I have a 45 second wait.

yes


but now i have the epg working for analog only and after i turned the unit on today i saw the 45 sec wait also. it does not do it all the time but i think it will do it as needed.

 

[eug718pioneer]

Same here. I have EPG working and it takes 45 seconds to boot up everything. I thought this DVR was one of the best! I guess we bought cool gadgets that in the future will be revised and perfected. Kinda feels like owning a brand new sports car from the 1930's.