Thanks to those people who've contributed to this thread and a few others. As a side from this news I've started another thread over here for the obvious need us users will have for ideas/tips on replacement choices. I just figured it'll keep that side of it in one handy place and save clogging this one up.

All good things obviously do come to an end!

Much good that it will do but I thought I'd phone Thomson and complain. A quick job so I thought, but they don't appear to encourage contact from us plebs.

Would anyone have a number to post here that I can use please?

Thanks

This is just from Google so, mileage may vary:
- Thomson - contact Top Up TV on 08444 159 159 (freeview.co.uk)
- Thomson 08450 902 004 www.thomson.net (tvretune.co.uk)
- Thomson 01788 541970 (tvretune.co.uk - Split_Nit_Product_List__Contacts_2.pdf)
- Thomson 01443 220220 (ukfree.tv - TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode)

thomson.net re-directs to something else. Maybe some contact details available via wayback machine: http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.thomson.net

Thanks Shoog.

You're Googleing is obviously better than mine.

This is bad news. I came on here to see why the EPG is not populating and now I know why.

I only have 2 or 3 shows in the planner at any one time and these are usually at the same time each week.I'll see how long I can get by without the EPG.

Will watch the other thread too for ideas of replacements. It'll be sad to replace the DHD4000. It's ticked all the right boxes for us for the last 5 or so years.

Well, I've been setting programs manually for a week or so now and can tell you that it's livable, if a bit inconvenient.

Using a paper TV guide (TV Quick) or www.radiotimes.com which gives me 14 days of listings, I can set it without too much trouble. And now I'm getting used to it, I'm quicker at it too.

You still see a list of your recordings-to-be and your recordings, nicely sorted by date, so once it's set, it's not much different to before. You can still watch a recording while recording two at once, for example and all the other trick play features still work. And of course, its most critical feature remains unaffected: ad skip!

There's no more program descriptions of course, though. But then, you were going to watch those programs anyway...

So, while I've got that free BT Vision box (with 14 day EPG) sitting in the cupboard, that I didn't much like when I tried it out way back when, I'm not in a hurry to break it out now, press it into service and get annoyed over it's inferior functionality compared to my trusty DHD4000. It doesn't have ad skip...

Heck, if my old VCRs would have had this much functionality, I'd have thought them very advanced!

In short, this box is nowhere near "at the end of the line" or "near useless", as some people think. You can take your time replacing it and wait for the new crop of HD Freeview DVRs to come down in price, before buying a new one.

[quote=qubit;41626690]Well, I've been setting programs manually for a week or so now and can tell you that it's livable, if a bit inconvenient. etc

QUOTE]


Yep - totally agree with all that you say. Programming no worse that old VHS - plus all the bells & whistles of a PVR.

My only problem now is that I don't think the Thomson is handling the new transmission formats very well since DSO. I think the breakup on BBC channels that I am now getting on BBC channels is the processor not keeping up with the task.

[quote=priddy;41631439]
Its certainly livable with. I'm under the Winter Hill transmitter, and have no problems at all with channels breaking up.

From time to time I do seem to have problems with not being able to select a channel for live viewing. However, (touch wood) I've not had any recordings which have failed since DSO (and that's quite a while ago now), so as a recording device it still works well.

I tend not to watch via the DHD4000 as I have a Freesat-built-in tv and to keep my HD options open I tend to watch that live instead.

Having said that, I think I can make a reasonable case to SWMBO that upgrading to a Freeview HD recorder would be an unavoidable purchase

Matt

sore this on another thread. is it the same EPG

This may be totally irrelevant to Digifusion owners, but as an Inverto owner (which uses the same EPG ) and a member of the Invertoforum, I thought that the following e-mail from Inverto to another forum member may be of interest:-

We are very sorry to, that you are facing now this difficulties with the EPG on our receiver. We are actually in contact with the EPG provider, they switch of this service some days ago, we are trying to find a solution to fix this problem asap.

Could be a complete red-herring, but you never know.

P.S. Inverto are based in Luxembourg. That explains the grammar

Well the DHD4000, still has Now/Next information in the Guide.

A press and hold of the REC button started a recording as expected, it also stored the show description too. I hope it will do this with recordings which I have set up manually.

Maybe its not such a big problem.

I'd just like to back up some of the comments this end of the thread.

As a test, I've just sat and programmed in the four parts of new drama "The Silence" on BBC1 Monday to Thursday next week. It actually wasn't that bad to be honest. As long as you don't mind looking up the forthcoming telly (in my view www.tvguide.co.uk is by far the best) then the actual procedure for entry isn't remotely painful. When doing a few items over a few days it's almost quicker than loading up the next day's data needed via the calendar.

Not ideal, but certainly workable until a replacement box gets sorted out and it lessens the rush to do so.

I am actually finding channel changing quicker now that the EPG has gone !

It is interesting that there don't seem to be any Thomson email or website contacts. We could have put together a template email for everyone to use.

DTG have now picked up on the story.
Last edited by slimgym : 14-07-2010 at 21:00

Did the DGT EPG standards and the quoted "D-Book" exist, let alone the Digital Tick, when Thomson etc. were pioneering this new technology?

Apparently Sony might take over control of the 4TV EPG!

From the Freeview forum:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s....php?t=1298046

No - if you're seeing breakup, it's normally heat related. The DHD4000 still works just fine after DSO.

Take the top cover off !

There are some who reckon that problems with the DHD4000 after DSO are down to the capacitor failure with the PSU showing up due to additional power consumption caused by the format change.

bought a Topfield TF5810 from Turbosat for £80 (thats inc free delivery) without HDD.

+1, whacked in an old laptop drive I had knocking around for now, installed MyStuff and have been using it for nearly a week now.

Not totally enamored with it yet. The remote controls are fiddly under MyStuff (in part because it's a TAP and in part because the controls / manual were designed for the 5800 remote).

i.e. How do I delete a recording - I think it's the white button.
How do I see my record list - er also the white button, but when you are not watching something.
How do I edit a text search - 5 mins of fumbling with random buttons until I stumble on the right answer.

Timer/Text searches are marvelous and save me having to spend a few minutes each night setting up recordings.

I'm also getting quite a few blocky glitches every 10/20 secs when playing back recordings. Could be HDD, could be signal strength, could be faulty box.

I think I'll get to like it, and as I have an NSLU2 the hacky nature of it appeals. However I'm never going to love this box the same way I did my DHD4000 with its 70's home electronics styling.

Also it's not something I can easily hand the remote to the kids / guests so they can watch stuff, unlike the Thomson.

Rufus.

I have bought a Luxor Top Up TV box and nearly all the old DHD4000 system is there, they must have adapted the Thomson setup.

Even the DHD4000 remote works it!

Manual weekly recordings do not substitute the synopsis from the now and next when the recording is made unfortunately. I havn't tested to see if this happens when frording from now and next (yet).

The now and next isn't updating when it should. It often shows programmes from hours ago on the N and N epg. It also stopped a manual recording from starting (even though the time was correct). As soon as the epg finally updated, it started to record but there was only 2 minutes of the programme.

Me too - and I haven't really used mine in the last year since I got SKY - LOL

I didn't know this had happened until I found this thread!

I found out that the not updating of the epg occurs when watching recordings on or leaving it on the menu. It has to be showing live TV.

As we now have to wait for the epg to show the program to select it for recording. I tried it with American Chopper on Quest and guess what. Even though the timer was correct, it didn't record until the last 20 minutes.

I have had enough, I need another box but haven't got a clue which one. I am looking at the Sagem models atm so I can export recordings to USB. It will also allow me to dump my dvd recorder which is not reading discs properly all the time.