The new UHF channel numbers for the Angus transmitter are:

UHF 60: BBC A
UHF 53: D3&4
UHF 57: BBC B (high definition channels - invisible to standard definition boxes).
UHF 54: SDN
UHF 58: Arqiva A
UHF 61: Arqiva B.

Check to see if you are getting these multiplexes. If not, try retuning.

If you have an internal amplifier (in the house, that is), you are actually better off with an external masthead amplifier, lashed directly to the aerial itself. This boosts the signal as cleanly as possible, before it gets sent down the coaxial cable.

I would get the system checked by the installer again.

OK, after much fiddling around we can now get all 5 MUXs on both Thomsons, and all the channels we need.

However, the strength and quality are still significantly poorer than on the DTV, which gets its aerial feed via the Thomson. The "blocking" and sound jumps making viewing almost impossible. I have had some direct correspondence with Digitaluk, who responded very promptly to my questions, but in the end could offer no answer to the problem, other than to consult an engineer, which is what I intend to do next.

I just don't understand how the reception on the Thomson is worse than before, when nothing else has changed.

Colin.

You intend to pay someone to attempt to resolve a problem on a now sadly obsolete PVR, rather than just buying a new one?

I can't understand the logic.

The logic is simply that I can get free advice from an engineer friend - I just haven't got round to bothering him yet. Plus, I have two Thomsons to replace .

Any suggestions on a PVR that's a match for the old Thomson?

Colin.

That is the problem, there is no match for the old machine. All the current SD machines appear to be lacking in functionality in one way or another.

I would have said Humax 9300, but there are reports of missed recordings.

Vestel based machines apparently don't have the live-rewind continuous buffer as automatic (you have to pause to switch that on). Some models are slow to respond to the remote controller.

Maybe the new HD machines will offer the functionality, but they are rather expensive and many of them are not yet widely available.

My DHD4000 was rock solid, had the couple of overnight hangs due to EPG corruptions and a handful of crashes in the years I've had it.

I bought a Topfield 5800 and later a 5810. Both of them crash annoyingly regularly which on occasion needs attention with a PC to re-flash firmware. The 5800 died just over a year after I got it. So far the 5810 has been fine. A few times I've found it hung on "WAIT" which seems to be as it comes out of standby to record. So now I leave it on all the time and power cycle it each night to avoid memory leaks. It's not the way it should be.

The Topfield with MyStuff has some stunning features but underneath it the firmware is buggy. Someone at work has a Humax and says it's fine but sometimes just doesn't record things and loses series links.

I would love a machine as reliable as the DHD4000.

I have the Sony SVR-S500, which I believe uses the same tuner etc. I took this to my Dad's place in Devon (where DSO has already happened), to see if it would work. It worked perfectly in the end, on the new 8K transmissions.
As it's not possible to manual tune the Sony, I found that it just stores the first 5 different MUXs from channel 21 upwards.
My Dad's local transmitter is Beacon Hill, (the lowest channel being CH42). The box had tuned itself to Stockland Hill and some low power local relays, who's channel numbers start at the low end of UHF.
The point I'm trying to make, is that you may be experiencing the same problem. Try using an attenuator and watch to see that the Thomson only receives 5 MUXs.
Before I did the above, the Sony found about 14 MUXs while searching, but only stored the first 5 different MUXs from the low channels. Therefore Beacon Hill (the wanted transmitter) was not stored at all.

Hope this is of some help.

Chris.

My DHD4000 was taken to a recycling depot this weekend, I have been running a Topfield 5810 for the last couple of weeks, which is fine so far.

What a shame.
My DHD4000 is still in daily use. It's pretty easy to set up manual recordings using a TV guide or the zingzing website.

Mine is still causing problems so have ordered a Sagem. I set a manual timer and the epg is just not updating when it should so it doesn't always record The only ones that are working is when I select a programme from the now/next epg and set it to weekly.

There are still people buying second hand Tommy's even without the proper epg.

Mine's still in use, working nicely on manual entry and the odd record from the Next item. DSO for me is April so we'll see if it makes it to The Other Side!

Yup, mine's still working fine with manual timer settings.

Apart from that rumour a while back about the EPG being started up again by some company, has anyone heard anything more about it?

By the sound of it there's more chance of Elvis being found on the moon than the EPG restarting.

Thanks, Chris, that's an interesting point. However, I have checked the MUXs I am getting on the Thomson (53, 54, 58, 60 and 61) and they seem to be the correct ones for Angus, and are the same as the ones I get on the DTV (with excellent reception). I suspect your advice may help others, but I'm afraid I'm still stuck with blocky recording just now. I've emailed an engineer who has advised me in the past, and will post again if he comes up with anything useful.

Cheers,

Colin.

Hi Colin,

Sorry that my experience was not of help to you. I have to say that I'm stumped to find an answer for you. Maybe your engineer friend can help. In the mean time, it may be worth you trying a "known good" signal (like where your DTV is), if you haven't already done so.

Chris.

Didn't a fair few DHD4000 users conclude that the problems with the post-DSO muxes was likely due to the increase power consumption of the processors in working with the 2K (or is it 8K) transmissions?

I know at DSO for Winter Hill there were plenty of reports of failures. I had recently had the PSU repaired in my DHD4000, and it seemed to cope better with the changes than most others were reporting, including people with stronger signals than myself.

If the EPG were still around, I'd recommend a PSU repair (replacing worn out capacitors I believe), but in the absence of that I would suggest you're not going to be able to reliably get the DHD4000 working on the new muxes, so it might be time to cut loose and try a different PVR.

Matt

I got a new Sagem PVR today so looks like my Tommy is heading ebay now. There are still people buying them.

Both my Thomsons have had upgraded PSUs (new capacitors) within the last year, so I don't think that's the problem.

Colin.

Just started using mine again with the SKY subscription being cancelled...

I am finding that the is a lot more programme interference (visual blockiness and sound 'ticks') than when viewed on the TVs own tuner which is routed after the DHD 4000 on the ariel ???

Any ideas?

Thanks

I'm afraid that's pretty much the same problem I'm having (see various posts above) and so far no solution has worked for me.

Colin.

The DSO is not here until 2012 but I did notice over the last few days that the Tommy would freeze literally for less than a second and then carry on. The audio was not affected.

I saw it on ITV 1, CH4, E4, Dave and Five USA.

- Ah well, pretty close to the end of the line then... I guess I'm going to 'need' a new HD PVR at some point soon then. Quite tempted by the New Humax HDR Foxy thing - but still a bit pricey... Hopefully in a few months it will be down to FoxSat HDR prices - fingers crossed

My EPG seems to populate really quickly now. Weird.

What EPG? Or are you talking about Now/Next?

Sorry. I meant Now/Next.