I have not seen anywhere that Thomson are proposing any upgrade for the 4000. Have you?

Just another 4000 (from South Cheshire): Never a problem pre- Nov. 4th, but now I get the same picture freeze/sound breakup on BBC channels as mentioned above.
Today got a 20dB variable attenuator from Maplin. On max attenuation, signal strength as indicated by the box reduces from 10 to 5, but no change in picture/sound problems.

I think he meant the DSO upgrade - i.e. all transmissions become 8k, rather than just the BBC mux.

Matt

That's what I took them to mean, see if there's still a problem when all muxes are 'upgraded' to 8K. Whether Thomson feel obliged to issue a software update to deal with it if the problem still exists is another matter.

I have to admit that I don't use the DHD4000 much for watching TV these days, its just a recording device. However, following the comments of others that BBC channels were blocky and breaking up I did watch through the PVR for a while yesterday. I have to say that I experienced no problems at all, which is at odds with most others here. I live paused BBC1, flicked to BBC2, watched a little, live paused BBC2, returned to BBC1 and carried on watching, returned to BBC2 later, unpaused etc. No problems.

I did notice something odd on the "technical help" page - tuner 1 (tuned into channel 62) was showing strength 7, quality 8 whilst tuner 2 (also tuned into channel 62) was showing strength 9, quality 9. I know its not uncommon for both tuners to have different sensitivities, but I thought was at least mildly interesting.

Anyway, roll on 2nd December and lets see what happens!!

Matt

I have reported my problems with picture breakup and intermittant sound on BBC channels to Thomson by emailing them at gtsuk@btconnect.com. I would recommend that anyone else does the same.
Giving them a call on the helpline number 01788541970 was a little revealing in that he immediately asked if I was in the North West and then said that they had had problems with the receiver coping with the 8k signal. The advice they had been given was to advise customers to try to improve the quality of their signal. When I led him into what might happen in Dcember when all channels go to 8k he said that there had been some suggestion that in the South West where this had already happened,the receiver coped better....lets hope so!

This is the reply I have had today from Thomson. No mention of any software fix. My Humax works fine on the same aerial lead so how can it be an aerial problem?


"The problem here is that the BBC channels are now using a higher bandwidth
multiplex but at a cost of poorer noise immunity.
Perhaps the only advice we can give is to try and improve your signal
quality, by adjusting aerials, using better cables, signal boosters, etc.

Regards

Thomson Technical "

They are right to a degree - as well as 2k > 8k, they've moved from 16QAM to 64QAM. 64QAM (as we know from the early days of Freeview) was more susceptible to breakup than 16QAM, but the idea was that as the power would be increased so significantly, so the effect of using the less robust 64QAM would be minimised.

I still think hanging on until 2nd December is the best answer to see what things look like when all multiplexes are 8k/64QAM, though appreciate that if you can't now watch or record BBC channels you must be fairly irritated!

Matt

Matt

I still think hanging on until 2nd December is the best answer to see what things look like when all multiplexes are 8k/64QAM, though appreciate that if you can't now watch or record BBC channels you must be fairly irritated!

Matt

Matt[/quote]

Fortunately I can still watch BBC on my TV's tuner and my Humax 9200 has contunued to receive and record BBC ok.

I have taken the precaution of buying another Humax 9200 from Humax Direct as they have them at a very good price. I use the UHF modulator on the Thomson to send the recorded programmes around to other rooms and unfortunately the newer PVR's often do not include this output now but the old Humax 9200 does.

The new Humax 9200 is also receiving BBC ok!!

Are you still having problems? I only ask because for whatever reason my DHD4000 on Winter Hill continues to operate "normally". I've not had any failed recordings, live viewing is not "blocky" etc etc. I thought I'd give it a week or so just to see how things are. I've got the same feedback from my parents and my in-laws, both of whom have "stock" DHD4000s bought at different times.

I was wondering if the quietness that had settled around here was from the issues slowly disappearing, or just from patience knowing that 2nd December isn't too far away!

Matt

I bought a DHD4000 off eBay for a tenner being sold as faulty as it was originally located in the north west DSO area. Upon testing it failed to pick up a mux but this turned out to be a dirty / corroded aerial socket on the box. Bargain!

On my DHD4000 I've still got stuttery vision and sound on the BBC channels here (Chorley - 8 miles from Winter Hill). Recordings are even worse - they are unwatchable. (picture jumps and the sound going out of sync continuously) I've also heard that some other PVRs are having similar problems (Humax?).

If this doesn't resolve itself on Dec 2, I'm seriously considering going over to Freesat!

I am still furious that I have two 4000's that show audio and visual breakup on BBC.
I receive winter hill in Macclesfield. I am getting a lot of stick from my wife, as she loved the 4000's.

As a way out, as I am not sure that either the change in Dec to all 8K services or Thomson will result in a cure, I have bought another Humax 9200 to add to the one I had already got. At least with Humax, for me, the only problem the changeover has made is the slowing of the response to the remote control and Humax have promised a fix for this. The two Humax boxes now give me error free reception of BBC.

OK: so here we are at 2nd December and all channels are crap on my 4000. Not just the BBC channels as in November.

So is our conclusion that the 4000 will not handle 8K ?

Can't be the case as my dhd4000 doesn't have this problem.

Matt

My 4000 is now periodically breaking up on all channels. I'm in Manchester. The signal strength is 7 and the quality 8-9. However my TV reads strength and quality all at 10!

Any help appreciated, I can't record a damn thing at the moment.

Yes, unfortunately that is the conclusion, at least for a good number of the recorders out there. I have the same problems as you have with the two 4000's I have.

I have phoned the tech help line today and when I said I was in the Winterhill reception area, before I said what my problems was, he volunteered "And you have problems with picture and sound breakup". He confirmed that they had had a lot of reports of this, but that there was no fix, and that to his knowledge Thomson would be doing nothing about it as it was a non-current model. He did not work for Thomson and was just an agent employed by them to field problems. He agreed that the recorder was sold and tested as being capable of 8K reception.

I can only suggest that we all report our problem to them in writing at ther email address gtsuk@btconnect.com.

I have tried to enlist the help of the BBC through their Working Lunch and Watchdog sites as the model is now 'not fit for purpose'......to date no reply .

What a pity....it was a very nice recorder and one of the few with a 2 week EPG.

I have to backtrack on my opinion of manual tuning. I had to use it when my machine flatly refused to detect BBC mux after a dozen or so retries with autoscan. After eventually autoscanning 4 muxes except for BBC, I set the tuner monitor to C62 and waited without much hope, but eventually there it was, detected, with a list of available channels. You have to add in each channel by hand but all channels are now back again. Not perfect yet, but getting there.

delay in response 'cos Been nailing up a dish.
South lakes on the edge of the bay
Yes it was winter hill
Yes it still is
Yes I did know how to check it and still do
winter hill is not as strong now, signal strength erratic, bit errors far higher than ever.
Wales signal is as high as if not higher than winter hill
attenuator makes no difference
Its not just the dhd4000
All of a sudden at least six manufacturers at fault?

If digital EUCK! are so good why do they never answer?

The final solution, for me at least, for the 8k post DSO breakup problem has been to hard solder the PSU (Samsung) to the main board. Previously both tuners would break up no matter how much the PSU connectors were re-seated, now they don't at all.

So the DHD-4000 **can** work with post-DSO 8k mode but you have to get your hands dirty.