I believe the 6.21 software update fixes most of these probs and Phillips/Pace support are very actively listening to people's views so I am optimistic about it.

That may be but Phillips/Pace missed the boat for me. I've got a Humax, and I'm not likely to change unless I have significant problems with the Humax. Also I have serious doubts about the styling of the Phillips/Pace, it looks unlike anything else on my equipment shelves so will look out of place.

If you download the software from here, there is a PDF file in the zip file which details all the fixes and improvements in the update.

Thanks for that Professor. Must admit I hadn't noticed most of the so called "improvements". What I have noticed since installing 6.21 is that at least twice a week my box doesn't switch on via the remote, I have to press and hold the red light button.

I would also like them to address the problem I have in having to wait for the machine to respond to pressing the FF button. Sometimes it takes an age to react.

Two steps forwards and one backwards.

I believe Phillips & Pace are investigating this problem of not coming out of standby and that a firmware update is on the cards.

What I did was go into the settings and change the default time to standby from 3 hours to never. Not exactly green but the box never goes into standby so the problem is avoided.

In August last year 2010 I brought a Humax PVR 9300T which replaced a Topfiled TF5800PVR which had broken.

But now our region is having it's digital switchover in July this year 2011 and HD on Freeview will be avalible to me so I am looking for a Freeview HD PVR and really lime the look of the Pace/Phillips Freevew HD PVR 500GB model.

And I do not want to pay much more than £200.

But there is a few things that Ineed to know.

How reliable is the Pace/Phillips Freeview HD PVR now since recents update?

Can you set padding to recordings and still use series Link?

And can you now go in to the EPG and scroll to say BBC HD and just press enter and it will go to BBC HD? And is the EPG reliable?

And is there an optical connecton so that I can connect the PVR to a home cinima amp and does this PVR work with 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound on the BBC 2 had channels now?

Please can anyone who owns the Pace/Philips HDT8520 Freeview HD PVR help answer my questions above?

I won't be buying a Freeview+ HD PV untill early July when our region has it digital switchover but I want to start looking now so that when July comes I can go in to a shop a buy a Freeview+ HD PVR that I know is reliable and has all the things that I want from a PVR.

Also the help will be most appreciated.

And one more question when you go to an HD channel in the EPG will it tell you if the programme is broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1? (On Sky you get a DD at the top of the programme synopsis which tellyou that it is broadcast inDolby Digital 5.1).

Did you get my PM? I don't know the ins and outs of the Philips but I do know that it's not yet reliable.

I am very sorry but I forgot about the privite message but once you said that you had pm me I check and your message was there.

I read the message and I have also been looking at the Digital Steam as well as the TVonics DTR-HD500 and the Humax HDR-FOX T2 the Humax would be the one to go for but it is very expencive.

I also read last year about another Freeview+ HD PVR by Triax but have not heard any more about this PVR since.

I will now probably dismiss the Pace/Philips HDT8520 which is a shame as I really like the look of it and the remote also looks nice and easy to use. And the lack of being able to add padding to recordings is also putting me off. I will still keep an eye on the Pace/Phillips HD PVR but I think that I will not be buying one now.

I find the box to be reliable. Haven't had it not record a programme yet. The update to 6.21 software version seems to have fixed a lot of the previous flagged up bugs. I believe another update may be due soon.

There is no padding, but few boxes have it these days. I have not lost the start/finish of any programme so far.

It doesn't flag up if a prog is in Dolby on the EPG.

As for input/outputs, you can get the manual here. See page 9
http://download.p4c.philips.com/file...05_dfu_eng.pdf

Actually I think it's a bit early for TV King to be making judgements if he's not going to be buying until July. Nearly all the HD-PVRs were launched with multiple faults but most of them are receiving updates which in many cases have significantly improved their performance. It looks as though the volume of returns caused Tesco to discontinue their Technika Smartbox but that box is a lot better than it was (still things to do though).

Some users are still having big problems with the Philips, and you were saying, S-S, that you have to leave it on all the time as a fix for its failure to come out of stand-by.

Give it a few more months, then check out user reviews, I say

Totally agree with parthena - at the moment I'd say the Humax or Digital Stream boxes are proving to be the most reliable, and also both offer 5.1 sound, but who knows what the situation will be come July. Also, at the moment the Humax is much more expensive, but the price may have dropped by then to the same as the Philips and the DS making it possibly a more attractive option (though I'd still choose the Digital Stream over it even at the same price personally).

If it's of interest to people here: there's a new firmware upgrade coming in March.

I sent:
...and they responded with a very friendly and human response:


Well, that's nice, isn't it...

I've also been experiencing the problem of the box not coming out of standby. It seems to be a problem with software version 6.21, and I always find that it happens overnight. It might happen at the end of downloading EPG.

After going into coma mode a couple of times, the first of my Philips boxes gave up altogether. It lost its library and refused to record anything else. I presume this was a hard disk failure and nothing to do with the software. The replacement just needs manually waking up every morning.

"Specialised"! That makes me laugh. They failed to test the basics in version 6.2. The audio was breaking up and the new multi delete from the library deleted all recordings in a folder when you had not select any!

Now we have 6.21 which locks up all the time and still records duplicates, which was supposed to be fixed in 6.2.

Well, it's reassuring to know that Philips/Pace fully test their software before giving it thousands of unsuspecting customers!!

If only they'd fully tested the software before we bought the units in the first place this thread wouldn't exist in its present form.

At long last! update 6.21 seems to bring stability to the platform and it is becoming a pleasure to use. It's a pity that it wasn't released with this OS. I now await the augmentation of access to Internet via network so I can use Iplayer, YouTube etc.

Having a box that couldn't be woken up in the morning with the remote control, I tried the simple expedient of replacing the green Philips batteries with alkaline ones. I've had no problems since. It seems a little like the belief that "if they don't understand, say it louder". Perhaps version 6.21 of the software make the box slightly deaf

I have a Philips HDT8520 HD Freeview recorder which I got from John Lewis at the beginning of the year, updated it to the latest software from Philips, set it to record a bunch of programs, went offshore for a month.........

.......came back and found that the box wouldn't wake from standby, unplugged it from the wall and plugged it back in, and discovered that it hadn't recorded hardly anything I had set it to record?

So since this seems to be an issue with this device, I plan on taking it back to John Lewis tomorrow, even though it is outwith the 28 day return period (I am sure they will understand that I was offshore), I plan on trying to get a refund or at least an exchange.

Which of these would you recommend if I was getting an exchange ( http://www.johnlewis.com/Electricals...tCategory.aspx ).

I would really like one (if it exists) that can connect to either Wi-Fi or ethernet to play content from iPlayer, YouTube and other Internet content?

Thanks for any help!

Stewart

I would hang on to that box. The problem of not waking from standy is well know and a software update is due out very soon to overcome the problem. Phillips/Pace are carrying out extensive tesing to ensure the update stops the problem once-and-for all.

In the meantime go into settings and look for the time to standby, by default 3hrs. Set this to NEVER so the box stays on. This is a short-term fix but one that I and many users have employed successfully.

Check what software version you have as there has been an update to 6.21 and this is being repeated next Monday to Wednesday over the air OR you can go to:-

http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...ctn=HDT8520/05

and get the download and update your box from a usb memory stick.

I have one of these boxes and am very happy with it, especially the picture quality.

Hi Stu, what did you decide in the end?

Anyone else had trouble with the BBC Teletext working with the DHT 8520 during the last few days?

Sent Philips support an email asking what was wrong and they gave me a number to ring Pace. The person I spoke to at Pace asked what was the problem was and I explained. He then tried it on a box he had there and that didn't work either. He said he would make a few phone calls and get back to me.

He rang back and say the techies were aware of the problem and were trying to sort it out. Coincidently the Teletext started working again soon afterwards.

Hi Stewart. If it is not to late and you have not yet brought a replacement Freeview+ HD PVR then I would have a look at the Humax HDR-Fox T2 and TVonics DTR-Z500HD.

These are the 2 Freeview+ HD PVR's that I am currently looking at and the box allow you to get Dolby Digital 5.1 from there optical socket.

The people at TVonics have recently started there own thread which I feel is great customer support.

There is also the TVnics DTR-HD500 which is the same as the DTR-Z500HD but just in a different case which is plastic and has a front LCD display and adds a fan.

I am finding it hard to chose between the Humax HDR-Fox T2 and the TVonics DTR-Z500HD.

Also Stewart if you have already brought your self a new Freeview+ HD PVR the please tell us what you have gone for.

The two boxes mentioned are good suggestions, but also consider the Digitalstream boxes too, If you don't need the media features, just a basic reliable PVR it can save you £100.

Any news on when this firmware update will materialise, then?