[MMikeM]

Hi. I bought my 3576 on a Sunday a bit more than 4 weeks ago, and then had to go out of town for 3 weeks. It recorded about 35 shows while I was gone, did a very good job.


They range from 30 minutes to 3 hours.


What I'd like to do is press Play, and have it play the oldest title first and then go on to the next and the next, but what seems to happen is that after every title, it stops, goes back to the tuner, and I have to run up stairs to start the Play'ing again.


Is there a setting that would make it play continuously, like a CD would play one song after another, or like a VCR would do?


(I have tv's in other rooms connected to the 3576.)

 

[7558037]

I've tried two posts on this, but each time it comes back to using the Title screen, so you have to be able to use the remote on the playing unit.


The 3575/76 can play CDs and VCDs in various ways, and home DVDs play thru automatically, but not HDD Titles.


My aborted posts involved the INFO button, from which you can select Title and Chapter numbers to play, but then it's really no better than using the Title menu, and they both won't solve having to run upstairs to use the remote.


I've read about wireless remotes that might work but don't have any good refs for them.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MMikeM /forum/post/13927738


Hi. I bought my 3576 on a Sunday a bit more than 4 weeks ago, and then had to go out of town for 3 weeks. It recorded about 35 shows while I was gone, did a very good job. They range from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Hey, 35 programmed recordings in a row... that might be a record... only had one slot left!

 

[rwbatema]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rwbatema /forum/post/13575872

Problem: Sometimes the timer recordings will record the wrong channel. This has happened more then once. It happened tonight. During the recording, I checked the INFO and it listed the channel that it was recording (the wrong channel). However during the Timer Programming List, it listed the correct channel.

Here's an update.


I tried a bunch of different configurations and nothing really helped.


What did help, was changing all of my timer events to one minute before the hour (e.g. 8:59 instead of 9:00). Since I did this I have not had any problems.


I really believe that my cable provider (Rogers, Toronto) was sending some kind of signal that was confusing the DVR.


Anyway, problem solved. Thanks to wajo and co. for the suggestions.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rwbatema /forum/post/13933110


Here's an update.


I tried a bunch of different configurations and nothing really helped.


What did help, was changing all of my timer events to one minute before the hour (e.g. 8:59 instead of 9:00). Since I did this I have not had any problems.


I really believe that my cable provider (Rogers, Toronto) was sending some kind of signal that was confusing the DVR.


Anyway, problem solved. Thanks to wajo and co. for the suggestions.

Way back then when we were throwing out suggestions, I said:


"You should also try setting your clock manually (1st Clock option) AND turning Auto Clock and DST Off (2nd and 3rd Clock options)."


Did you try that with a Timer program set for the hour instead of 1 min, ahead?

 

[MMikeM]

>I've tried two posts on this, but each time it comes back to using the Title screen, so you have to be able to use the remote on the playing unit.


>The 3575/76 can play CDs and VCDs in various ways, and home DVDs play thru automatically, but not HDD Titles.


===> So is there a way to ask Philips to make changes to the Firmware? I'd also like playback to start with the oldest title, and now it seems to start with the newest. They could have two options, the way I want it and the way it is now. Both are pretty simple changes.


Are they likely to implement an easy change if they see a request?


>I've read about wireless remotes that might work but don't have any good refs for them.


I'll look into that some more. Thanks.

 

[MMikeM]

>Hey, 35 programmed recordings in a row... that might be a record... only had one slot left!


It was 35 titles but actually only 6 slots. One that did 5 days a week, and 5 that did once a week, so 10 times a week, and I was gone 3 weeks and 3 days.


It did a good job of recording, but it seems to want to play the newest first. I don't think my shows have a plot that runs from one title to the next, but some shows, like "24" or "ER" or a soap opera, do. Even Jeopardy and other game shows, none of which I record, should be seen in the order they are broadcast.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MMikeM /forum/post/13927738


Hi. I bought my 3576 on a Sunday a bit more than 4 weeks ago, and then had to go out of town for 3 weeks. It recorded about 35 shows while I was gone, did a very good job. They range from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wajo /forum/post/13928187


Hey, 35 programmed recordings in a row... that might be a record... only had one slot left!

Quote:
Originally Posted by MMikeM /forum/post/13944792


It was 35 titles but actually only 6 slots. One that did 5 days a week, and 5 that did once a week, so 10 times a week, and I was gone 3 weeks and 3 days. It did a good job of recording...

That's OK, how you got there doesn't matter since I was just excited about recording 35 titles unattended!


Wow! I just realized I'd been thinking TOO SMALL. Your experience means you could record a gazillion titles if set up the right way!

(Except the 3575/76 can only hold 600 titles on the HDD... bummer!)

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MMikeM /forum/post/13944792


It did a good job of recording, but it seems to want to play the newest first. I don't think my shows have a plot that runs from one title to the next, but some shows, like "24" or "ER" or a soap opera, do. Even Jeopardy and other game shows, none of which I record, should be seen in the order they are broadcast.

Hey, Mike, in the Sticky thread, member plplplpl said you might want to try a remote control extender and gave this link.


If one of those "extenders" allows you to control your 3576 upstairs while you're downstairs, you could use the normal Title menu to play shows in a special order, OR go to this page on the INFO menu, bottom of page, which describes one way to set up a semi-auto-play routine for six titles at a time?

 

[AQuattro]

For resident experts-- I have been found this site after purchasing a 3575 from walmart online, and the remote worked, but the digital tuner (QAM) just wouldn't pick up anything, gave up after about 20+ scans and returned it to store. While fooling with it, found this forum, and went to Sam's Club and bought a 3576 off the shelf today. Guess what, something again is haywire, as the remote won't power it on... most of the remote controls work-- except setup! and it won't play a DVD movie. Connected to a Sharp 1080P LCD TV with HDMI and have Comcast Limited Cable (but we get both analog and digital channels, and local HDTV so things are good there). Questions are:

1--Right off, is it a return and exchange, they had about a dozen on the shelf, build date Feb 2008, or at least that's date on the boxes.


2--Is it the remote? or is it the DVR that's the problem?


3--If it's the DVR Is there a way to reset the machine (I've left it unplugged twice for over 10 minutes already)?


Thanks and sorry for the long post as new member, will keep it short next time.

AQuattro

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by AQuattro /forum/post/13946461


For resident experts-- I have been found this site after purchasing a 3575 from walmart online, and the remote worked, but the digital tuner (QAM) just wouldn't pick up anything, gave up after about 20+ scans and returned it to store.

Did you put the 3575, and your new 3576, 1st on the coax, run coax to your TV and a line connection from the 3576 to your TV as shown in the 1st sketch on this page and described under the heading "Connecting to Your TV"? MAKE SURE THE INCOMING COAX IS ON THE TOP COAX CONNECTOR (Antenna IN).


Then, did you do a Channel > Auto Channel Preset > Cable (Analog/Digital), as described on this page?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AQuattro /forum/post/13946461


While fooling with it, found this forum, and went to Sam's Club and bought a 3576 off the shelf today. Guess what, something again is haywire, as the remote won't power it on... most of the remote controls work-- except setup!

Don't understand this. You say remote won't power unit on, then most of remote controls work, except Setup?


Do you have batteries in the remote and placed in proper orientation?


If you can power the unit on with the remote, then press the SETUP button, go first to the Display menu and make sure the OSD Language is English. Then do an Auto Channel Preset as mentioned above.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AQuattro /forum/post/13946461


and it won't play a DVD movie.

When you inserted a movie in the disc tray, did you make sure the DVD drive was selected, then press PLAY.


Do you have a line connection from the 3576 to your TV (Composite, S-Video, Component, and/or HDMI), as described in the first link above?

 

[AQuattro]

to Wajo, -updating previous post


forgive my newness on replies... first, thx for reply.


Unit will NOT turn on w remote. Pressing Power button on DVR turns it on.

DVR is hooked up correctly (to my knowledge)-- cable in to top, out to splitter (VCR and TV). TV works fine w DVR On or Off.


I returned the first unit I bought to Sam's club and exchanged it. So far, knock on wood, this one seems to be working. It turned on with the remote and setup/autoscan works and I was able to view digital channels, albeit not per my known channel #, but some comcast series. I am rescanning because it seemed to miss some.


Final comment, daughter put in a movie and it's pretty dark. I had set RGB to enhanced. Wrong thing to do? I'll try it on normal setting. Unit has HDMI connection to TV.

 

[njperry]

Is this still the best on the market?

I have been following this thread for a while now and my wife is finally tired enough of not being able to record TV (now that her favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance is back on) to agree to spending the money.


Is this still the best machine on the market? I have only OTA HD/Digital TV. My TV has an internal ATSC tuner but I learned through this thread and others that I have to have a DVR with its own ATSC tuner in order to record digital TV. I wish I had learned that before buying my first DVDR which I could not return once I finally did learn.


I have been also following the Echostar TR-50 HDTV DVR thread but that machine still has no release date and no price information, so I am leary of waiting for it.

 

[7558037]

If you would rather see HDTV as pure HDTV, then you should wait for the TR-50. If you don't mind HDTV being downrezzed to SDTV and you want a HDD, then get the 3576.


If you don't need a HDD and don't mind SDTV downrez, you have many other choices as you've probably already read about.


There doesn't appear to be any "better" HDD units on the near horizon. Canada is supposed to be getting a couple of Pioneers w/HDD I believe, but they're also supposed to have analog tuners cuz Canada hasn't transitioned to digital yet.

 

[njperry]

I do want the hard disk drive, especially after reading the 15 advantages you listed in your other thread! Great info.


Just to clarify: I plan to copy my family's home videos from VHS to this unit's hard drive and then burn them to DVD. The problem I have had using a regular DVD recorder is that there are often several different events or segments on one VHS tape, but I want them to be separate on the DVD. So I basically had to sit there and tend the recording so I could stop it after a segment and then start a new recording or "title". (It's a very basic DVD recorder).


As I understand it, the 3476 will do away with the need to tend my recording, because I will be able to split the one long title containing the entire VHS tape into smaller segments. I am not talking about just creating chapters; I want them to be separate titles that I can then choose the order in which they are placed on my DVD when burning them from the HDD. Am I right in all this?

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by njperry /forum/post/13978078


I do want the hard disk drive, especially after reading the 15 advantages you listed in your other thread! Great info.


Just to clarify: I plan to copy my family's home videos from VHS to this unit's hard drive and then burn them to DVD. The problem I have had using a regular DVD recorder is that there are often several different events or segments on one VHS tape, but I want them to be separate on the DVD. So I basically had to sit there and tend the recording so I could stop it after a segment and then start a new recording or "title". (It's a very basic DVD recorder).


As I understand it, the 3476 will do away with the need to tend my recording, because I will be able to split the one long title containing the entire VHS tape into smaller segments. I am not talking about just creating chapters; I want them to be separate titles that I can then choose the order in which they are placed on my DVD when burning them from the HDD. Am I right in all this?

Yes, you can use the DIVIDE function to separate one long title into separate ones, and then rename them on the HDD. (Always best to change title names on the HDD since it's a faster write-to-disc than waiting till you do the dub and realize you want a custom title... can be done if before Finalize, just a little slower process.)


The only thing you prob. shouldn't do is make Scene Deletes, like commercials, first, THEN do a DIVIDE. The 3575 could freeze at times doing this, esp. if your HDD was full or nearly so. Many people have no such problem, so this is just a "heads-up." Even if it freezes, it's an easily recoverable situation. No reports yet on this with the new 3576... not sure if its new Front-End (FE) FW might be better in this regard or even if that's one of the things FE controls.

For more detailed info on editing with the 3575/76, see this post (if you havem't already).

 

[njperry]

Well, I called and found the 3576 at a couple local Sams Clubs in Phoenix and was planning on buying it tonight, but a friend just asked me why I am spending $250+ on this when I could just get a $40 converter box that also has a guide and use my current DVD recorder. That made me stop and think. True, I would not have the benefits of a Hard Disk Drive, but it might get me through until the TR-50 comes out and I can record in True HD. Plus the converter box should have a guide, right? I will have to do some more research.

 

[kb7oeb]

Depends on what you want more, if you want an HD DVR get the Echostar box or a Tivo HD. This box doesn't do HD and doesn't have a program guide. If you will be burning a lot of dvds the hard drive makes it a lot easier to edit before burning to disc.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by njperry /forum/post/13996780


Well, I called and found the 3576 at a couple local Sams Clubs in Phoenix and was planning on buying it tonight, but a friend just asked me why I am spending $250+ on this when I could just get a $40 converter box that also has a guide and use my current DVD recorder. That made me stop and think. True, I would not have the benefits of a Hard Disk Drive, but it might get me through until the TR-50 comes out and I can record in True HD. Plus the converter box should have a guide, right? I will have to do some more research.

Sounds like one plan, anyway. Why don't you get one and try it, then let us know how you like it?


It sounds as if you're really looking forward to the TR-50 as your desired final system, not a 3576, so you can get there for $200 less.

 

[jjeff]



Quote:
Originally Posted by njperry /forum/post/13996780


Plus the converter box should have a guide, right? I will have to do some more research.

Some boxes have the PCIP guide and some like the Zenith only have next/now guide. The PCIP guide on the Digital Stream box will go out ~30 hours "if" the stations provide that much info. They are "supposed" to go out 12 hours min. but in my area that's not always the case.

The Echostar TR-40(DTVPal) might have another guide system. People are hoping it will be something like TVGOS which might go out 7 days but no one is sure what it will have yet. Last I read it's due late June. Note it does lack the S-video out which may give you better PQ(does in my case). The Channel Master 7000 CECB does have a 12hr PCIP guide as well as S-video out.