[MrNews]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo /forum/post/20713550


Your setup prob. fits one of those tips, or variation thereof?


It sounds like your TV should be on with HDMI connection, and you should either NOT view thru DVDR while recording, or use a connection between DVDR and TV other than HDMI (or with HDMI if no joy).

More or less. The only HDMI connection in my system is between the STB and my TV. The DVR gets input on L1 from the STB via S-video and L+R audio. The DVR outputs to the TV via component video and L+R audio.


Not sure why the HDCP message kicks in after ~15 mins, but maybe I should try losing the HDMI connection between STB and TV altogether, and use component video cables...


I'd rather not buy a $43 decoder box unless I'm certain it will solve the problem and I can't fix it any other way...

 

[MrNews]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken.F /forum/post/20713564


If possible connect your cable box to the TV with component cables instead of HDMI.

I may try that, although I do get a better picture from the STB when using an HDMI cable, versus component cables. Slightly clearer picture and slightly stronger audio. So I'd sacrifice better PQ for the 75% of my viewing that is directly off the STB...


Or I may just revert to taping Tony Bourdain's show on VHS.


I'm curious to see what the cableco technician will tell me tomorrow, and if he will mention the decoder/converter boxes that some people use to solve this issue...


BTW, my STB is a Scientific Atlanta model 4250HD.

 

[7558037]

MrNews, I thought you said before that your TV wasn't ON. If so, that might be the cause since the STB doesn't sense a "legal" connection.

 

[MrNews]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo /forum/post/20713690


MrNews, I thought you said before that your TV wasn't ON. If so, that might be the cause since the STB doesn't sense a "legal" connection.

Wow, you might be onto something there! Thinking back to last night ( a major effort), I remember WATCHING the first 15 mins of the show, then turning off the TV at the first commercial stop-set. Just about the time the HDCP message shows up on the recording!!!


I will test this theory today, before swapping out any cables...

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MrNews /forum/post/20713748


Wow, you might be onto something there! Thinking back to last night ( a major effort), I remember WATCHING the first 15 mins of the show, then turning off the TV at the first commercial stop-set. Just about the time the HDCP message shows up on the recording!!!


I will test this theory today, before swapping out any cables...

If you find the answer is just leaving the TV on, I'd cancel the cable guy's visit. I wouldn't let him see or futz with my equipment when not necessary. Sad, but true... especially if you don't already have one of their rental DVRs!

 

[MrNews]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo /forum/post/20714071


If you find the answer is just leaving the TV on, I'd cancel the cable guy's visit. I wouldn't let him see or futz with my equipment when not necessary. Sad, but true... especially if you don't already have one of their rental DVRs!

It appears that you pegged it!! I recorded the Travel Channel's HD version from the STB to the DVR for 30 mins, shutting the TV set off at exactly 15:00. Upon playback, that's exactly when the video vanished and the HDCP message popped up. Trying same thing now with non-HD version of that channel. Then will test with an apparently non-CP channel, like History.


If this is indeed the answer, I will surely cancel the cable guy's "visit." No sense having them know any more about my set-up than they need to....

 

[minime18r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wajo To me, that means you have L2 set for S-Video In instead of the Video In needed for YWR from your TV! You must SET L1 and L2 to match the type of cable you use.

How do you set L1 and L2 to match the type of cable you use?

 

[7558037]

Quote:

Originally Posted by minime18r How do you set L1 and L2 to match the type of cable you use?

Go to General Setting > Video > Video Input menu.

 

[drevh]

I had a philips 3455h dvd/hdd recorder that crapped out a few months ago(hard drive..apparently). I ended up getting an mdr515h to replace it.


Anyway, after finding this website, i ended up experimenting with the 3455h

and the hard drive...replacing it with a bigger IDE drive, smaller IDE drive.

I couldn't get a 250Gb IDE drive to work, but i had an old 80Gb IDE drive

that worked(or to put it another way...it booted up correctly).


Then i saw a note that some else tried an IDE->SATA conversion.

So i tried that with a 100Gb SATA drive i had laying around it it worked(once

again....it booted correctly). I also tried a 500Gb SATA and that didn't work.

I managed to find a 160Gb SATA(which is the size of the original IDE drive)

and that worked(once again.it booted correctly).


I ended up needing the following additional items to do this IDE->SATA conversion:


01) IDE->SATA conversion board (ebay for 7$ i think)

02) SATA data cable

03) 4 pin molex to SATA power cable

04) 4 pin molex 'Y' cable (to split the power....the IDE->SATA board required power)

05) SATA hard drive(160Gb...which i already had). Barracuda 7200RPM i think.....



This is still an ongoing project and I still need to figure out how to shoehorn everything

back into the case and put the cover on. I may just make the hard drive connections

'external' so i can swap hard drive if i need to.....but probably not.

As of yet, I have not recorded anything(i didn't get that far).

I did not experience any power problems(by using the Y splitter)...which i was worried about.



Troy - drevh

 

[BuTal63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdgcss It may not be the actual tuner, but the set's firmware. Have you checked their web site to see if there is one?

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked and no updates.

 

[MrNews]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrNews It appears that you pegged it!! I recorded the Travel Channel's HD version from the STB to the DVR for 30 mins, shutting the TV set off at exactly 15:00. Upon playback, that's exactly when the video vanished and the HDCP message popped up. Trying same thing now with non-HD version of that channel. Then will test with an apparently non-CP channel, like History.

Indeed, it appears this is the answer, and apparently not a Copy Protection issue. With my relatively straightforward set-up (attached), I tried recording a "STB required" channel (Travel) on both HD and non-HD versions, directly off the STB. In both cases, the HDCP warning replaced the video exactly when the TV set was turned off. The exact same thing happened with several other, standard tier channels recorded off the STB.


So the problem is, that with an HDMI cable involved (from the STB to the TV), one is required to leave the TV set on to record off the box. Another solution might be to replace the HDMI cable with component cables, however there is a slight PQ reduction when watching live TV.


It's impractical to keep both the STB and the TV on for a distant future recording, but for our purposes (recording a show that's on too late to stay awake for) it is OK. Fortunately, Travel is the only channel we want to record which does not appear in the DVR's analog/digital channel scan list.

 

DVRsetup.pdf 31.0830078125k . file

 

[7558037]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrNews Indeed, it appears this is the answer, and apparently not a Copy Protection issue. With my relatively straightforward set-up (attached), I tried recording a "STB required" channel (Travel) on both HD and non-HD versions, directly off the STB. In both cases, the HDCP warning replaced the video exactly when the TV set was turned off. The exact same thing happened with several other, standard tier channels recorded off the STB. So the problem is, that with an HDMI cable involved (from the STB to the TV), one is required to leave the TV set on to record off the box. Another solution might be to replace the HDMI cable with component cables, however there is a slight PQ reduction when watching live TV. It's impractical to keep both the STB and the TV on for a distant future recording, but for our purposes (recording a show that's on too late to stay awake for) it is OK. Fortunately, Travel is the only channel we want to record which does not appear in the DVR's analog/digital channel scan list.

Glad we found the answer!


NOW, you need to experiment with another setup that *might* work WITHOUT the TV on.

1. Connect HDMI between the 515 and the TV.
2. Set the 515's HDMI CEC (fun Link) to ON.
3. Find a similar "HDMI link" option in your TV and turn that on.
4. With TV OFF, record show that didn't work before.

The CEC link will turn your TV on automatically when it senses a signal from the 515's HDMI connection, and either (1) that HDMI connection might be seen as a "legal" connection, or (2) the normal HDMI connection to the STB will control since the TV is now on.


Not sure if you have to leave your TV on a specific HDMI input, but I don't think so.


There might be some other "tricks" involved but this test might tell us if we're on the right track?


Your TV could be set for a "time-out" to prevent it staying on for a long time after the recording?

 

[artwire]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo /forum/post/20715107


Glad we found the answer!


NOW, you need to experiment with another setup that *might* work WITHOUT the TV on.

1. Connect HDMI between the 515 and the TV.
2. Set the 515's HDMI CEC (fun Link) to ON.
3. Find a similar "HDMI link" option in your TV and turn that on.
4. With TV OFF, record show that didn't work before.

The CEC link will turn your TV on automatically when it senses a signal from the 515's HDMI connection, and either (1) that HDMI connection might be seen as a "legal" connection, or (2) the normal HDMI connection to the STB will control since the TV is now on.


Not sure if you have to leave your TV on a specific HDMI input, but I don't think so.


There might be some other "tricks" involved but this test might tell us if we're on the right track?


Your TV could be set for a "time-out" to prevent it staying on for a long time after the recording?

Glad you reminded me - I meant to ask you about "fun link"... I haven't tried it on the 515 since I was playing musical chairs with two recorders connected to an HDMI switch and I thought that might complicate matters. But, it would be interesting to see if the 515 + Panasonic work better than the 'backwards' way the 2160A + Panasonic used to work. Will check it out and let you know if it's better now. I think I'll ditch the switch and move that second recorder from tv input (via switch) to L1 input of the 515 since it just has a backlog of recordings I want to dub and delete now. (previously it was used for live recordings) I think I see a weekend reorganization project brewing...

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by artwire /forum/post/20715748


I think I see a weekend reorganization project brewing...

Sounds like fun!

If you go thru a switch, it might interfere with the CEC communication? First, the switch would have to be bidirectional.

 

[ace5000]

Hey guys - I've been running strong with this for a couple, few years, but I now have a problem with the Phillips version of this box...


The HDMI out stopped working. I didn't work when I turned it back on after a few hours. The HDMI button that changes resolution will not work either - nothing, dead. It is being fed a basic cable signal from the coax in.


I did the soft reset - to no avail. I got the video working with a component cable, but looks like hell and I need the HDMI for my projector. I got back into the menu but everything looks OK.


I also changed HDMI cables. Am I missing something?


Please, I need some suggestions.

 

[7558037]

Well, Component shouldn't "look like hell" so I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the amplified coax circuit, for one, or maybe it just needs Progressive scan turned on?


Have you tried playing a high-quality commercial DVD movie thru HDMI and see if it's really the output and not something internal, like the coax circuit and it's internal connections?

 

[ace5000]

Progressive scan is on but looks nowhere near what the HDMI looked like. It is grainy with the cable in, and even Hor. rolls a bit on my best DVDs. Not a great picture compared to what I am used to...


I checked the HDMI 2 on the Samsung TV coming in from my PC and it works fine! Then I switched them with no difference. Can't figure this out. The HDMI in the menu is set to RGB.


UPDATE: when I first connect the HDMI cable in the back of the TV, 1080 flashes on the DVR display for a split second - then goes off.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ace5000 /forum/post/20716484


Progressive scan is on but looks nowhere near what the HDMI looked like. It is grainy with the cable in, and even Hor. rolls a bit on my best DVDs. Not a great picture compared to what I am used to...


I checked the HDMI 2 on the Samsung TV coming in from my PC and it works fine! Then I switched them with no difference. Can't figure this out. The HDMI in the menu is set to RGB.


UPDATE: when I first connect the HDMI cable in the back of the TV, 1080 flashes on the DVR display for a split second - then goes off.

So you connect HDMI with the TV on? Not good... I wonder if you did some damage to the HDMI board!?


If not, try setting HDMI to YCbCr, but just doesn't sound good so far.


The flashing 1080 for split second is normal. Try ratcheting thru the HDMI formats again and watch for each one to "flash" in the display momentarily.

 

[ace5000]

Wajo-


The HDMI was already not working when I was fooling with it... I was surprised to see the 1080 res. flash though. The HDMI button this has no effect however. I replaced the cable input with an OTA antenna input, and there was no effect - still out! Could the HDMI out be blown? I'm now thinking it is! I wonder how much a repair could be? Gosh darn it!

 

[7558037]

You can do a SKIP 789 and see if the HDMI is communicating. Connect the HDMI out to the TV, then go here to see what to do and what the test will reveal.


If you haven't done any SKIP procedures before, the SKIP instructions are in the 1st subject at the top of the page.