Hi all,
Thanks for your reply.

I would like to use LPM but the trouble is it takes so long to turn the box on when you want it.

Is it normal for the box to fail on the odd recording or do you think it may be because I have LPM switched off?

My box is running v3.4, which reminds me, does anyone know when or if the next software version will be out and what changes it may include?

Thanks


Ninko

In my experience it is very rare for the box to miss a recording, unless it was a broadcaster error (i.e. they didn't send the accurate recording start signal). Having LPM off could cause missed recordings. I don't particularly like LPM either and used to have it switched off, but I find the box to be more reliable and responsive with LPM on. What I tend to do is switch the box on before I'm actually going to want to use it each day, and then leave it on all day until I switch it to standby overnight. That way you avoid the long startup time and also the box switching to scart input when it makes recordings out of standby, thus interrupting your watching of your TV's internal tuner, DVD/Blu-ray or console, etc.

A box has been seen with v3.5 running - not sure what the changes are, but usually the changes are not so big. Probably v3.5 won't be released as an OAD, but there may well be a new version in the future that fixes some other problems.

Hi futaura,
Thanks for your advise.

Any word about a new software version, what it may include, when it may be released?

Thanks


Ninko

I assume not lol.


Ninko

I think I already answered apart from "when", right? Only Vestel ever knows when and what it will include, mostly. Don't expect too much in the form of updates, since these T835 boxes are coming up to their 2 year anniversary. Major bug fixes will be about the only thing that warrants an update.

Hi there,

I have a Hitachi HDR165 and have an odd problem.

I'm nort sure when it started but it would appear that most times it goes into low power mode, when turning back on it won't record anything on BBC ONE. It will set a series recording, although no red line under the program will appear, you have to check in timers. But it won't set a one off recording. Setting a reminder is fine, so is recording any other channel that I'm aware of, it only affects BBC ONE.

The only thing I've found that fixes it, only for the time being though, is to restart the box.

Has anyone else seen this before or know what I could do to stop it happening?

Thanks


Ninko

Has your box perhaps picked up a second copy of BBC1 from another transmitter? It would be in the 800 channel number range if so. Delete that duplicate channel and it should be ok.

Failing that, try a retuning your box, although be aware that it will erase all timers set. It may be worth performing a first time installation instead. Both will leave your recording library intact.

Hi, I'm finding this exact same situation and just created a new thread about it before I came across your posting here. I wonder if it's to do with changes being made behind the scenes to prepare for DSO?

I think you will find the boxes are junk, I have a HDR255 and even before DSO the box was rubbish, now its even worse, as for Vestel and a SW update I doubt it, I think Vestel would rather you and I went out and bought another PVR from Argos which will have the exact same problem, I will never buy another Vestel PVR.

By the way im on the same TX as you Waltham.

On two occasions when changes in broadcast data as a result of DSO has created issues for Vestel PVRs they have provided updates to cure the problems. Describing Vestel PVRs as junk is not a common comment.

Colin

Anybody that has a Bush, Hitachi or any of the Vesel clones sold by Argos and its still under guarantee and you have proof of purchase take it back if its giving you problems, Vestel don' care unless its a major faul like not picking up any channels, these PVRs have got known bugs, stuttering/jumpy playback, lock ups and freezes, slow epg, recording for a couple of minutes then stopping, and they have had these bugs for atleast a couple of years, if I went out and bought another Vestel PVR from Argos I know it would still have these problems thats why I would never buy another Vestel PVR, if you can live with the faults then fair enough thats your choice

It is a great shame about the glitches that Vestel boxes are prone to, but I wouldn't part with my 2 for anything - they're more user-friendly than any other on the market.

Well my Hitachi has done it again, lost all the channels, when I retune it just skips straight through without even stopping and picks up nothing, the channels just seem to disappear, the Sagem has no problems and thats on the same aerial, add to that all the other proplems that Vestel are just ignoring and have done for atleast 2 years I can see my Hitachi ending up in the bin, they really are rubbish, then again its not that surprising considering they are mostly sold by Argos, I don't think Tesco sell them anymore and I'm not sure about the Luxor in Asda but I wouldn't be suprised if it were another Vestel, I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone buy one from Argos no matter how tempting they may be.

Thanks for this fantastic advice, although maybe I'll just stick with the 4 Vestel PVRs that I have, since they all work pretty well including the one that is over 4 years old . Please send it to me if you're going to bin it .

I'm also sticking with my two Vestels which are both about 3 years old and going strong. I find the reliability marginally better than the Humax 9200 I use as well.

Colin

Well it found most of the channels, so I set it to record challenge, it recorded for 30 mins then stopped, it doesn't find all the channels, then it records for 30 mins out of 4hrs of a manually set timer so its nothing to do with the broadcaster, and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the faults Vestel pvrs havve, if Vestel ever decided to send new software out to fix the faults how would they pick it up, they can't even pick up freeview channels, obviously your going to get a few people defending them just like in the TUTV forum but look what happened to the TUTV boxes

Well, whatever the PVR there will always be some who have problems with it, and vice versa - it doesn't help anyone by trolling and moaning about something, and maybe if you asked nicely in the first place you would have got a better response.

Which software version does your box have? And what does the signal strength show for each of the muxes (manual channel scan screen)? It could just be that you have a faulty unit, PSU or HDD - certainly the symptoms that you describe are unusual. I'd suggest a full factory reset (i.e. first time installation), but skip the automatic channel scan when it asks. Then manual scan each of the 5 SD muxes (IIRC, you are post DSO) on the correct UHF frequencies for your local transmitter. Do also delete any unwanted channels from the channel list. If you have nothing on the HDD that you want to keep then a HDD format via the menus won't do any harm.

This may seem like a dumb question but how do you know which are vestel clones and qhich are not ?

Depends on how close you can get to the box - if buying remotely, it may not be so easy, obviously. There is a named list of clones at http://www.vestelpvr.futaura.co.uk/allmodels.php which should cover at least 95% of them, and the feature table at http://www.vestelpvr.futaura.co.uk/ gives some idea as to tell them apart. If you are looking at buying one, the air vents on the top side of the box are a giveaway, since the pattern is the same on the T810, T816, T825, T845 and T845R models. Likewise for the T835 and T836. If you own one and are trying to identify it, there is usually a label on the bottom which will specify which Vestel model it is.

Have been unable to access your website for at least a couple of weeks, futaura

I'd like to know, for the sake of advising someone, which current Argos models are standard Vestels, cos they don't all have the Vestel air-hole pattern.

Hi futaura,

I noticed on your site it says the Vestel T835 is now up to software version 4.1, but only installed at Factory.

Do you know if they are planning to release this as OAD?

Thanks


Ninko

Any particular error messages? The site is up currently and is working fine and AFAIK has been for the last few weeks.

The Hitachi HDR255, HDR325 and HDR505 are Vestel T835 boxes, and so are the Bush 320Gb and 500Gb models (not the ones with T836 in the title). I still don't really know what the T836 box is - all I've been able to deduce without seeing one is that they probably run the Vestel software too, but have the addition of a CI slot compared to the T835. These do all actually have the same airhole pattern (a single retangular grid covering the entire surface), but since they are much smaller units, the pattern is different compared to T825 and earlier models.

Unlikely, I would guess . 4.1 doesn't bring any significent changes so I wouldn't worry too much.

Maybe like myself you have been confused by the images of the T835 Vestels on the Argos website. As Futaura says the T835's have a uniform array of ventilation over the full area of the top of the case (unlike the earlier hardware versions which had significant solid areas). However, the images on the Argos website give the impression that there is a solid area towards the left hand side of the case top. This is an illusion caused by the effect on the image due to the HDD being located close to the top of the case in this area. If you use the zoom facility on the image this is evident.

Colin

Thanks, Colin Nice to see you!