Sorry to place this question here in PVRs when it's not strictly related - but this is the place where I expect to find most Vestel users.

I have just bought a refurb Technika High Def set-top box (for a cheap way of finding out how HD displays on my TV before spending £££ on an HD PVR). Model is STBHDV2010.

Unfortunately the remote control also operates my Wharfedale and Hitachi Vestel T825 PVRs - normally it's great being able to toggle between PVRs with one remote control, but this is one too many and "things" are being disrupted Tesco Support say there's nothing to be done about it. I thought that there should be a way of changing the "channel" between STB and remote.

Any ideas folks?

clemenzina

I've a feeling Vestel don't go in for such esoteric features. Your HD box seems to be based on Vestel's T8300 which explains the remote sharing. I doubt anything can be done.

Your only option is to juggle with the AV controls to screen out remote commands to two of the boxes, or rely on standby/wake delays to put one set of boxes back in standby as the other is still waking and temporarily unresponsive to a repeat standby command.

For instance, assuming the HD box boots quicker than the PVRs, press standby to switch all boxes on. As soon as HD is awake, press standby again. With any luck HD turns off while the PVRs are still waking.

... or, return the box for a non-Vestel type. Avoid similar Vestel T8300 badgees:

Bush DVB680 / Ferguson F02HDB / Xenius DVBX100HD / Linsar FHD1 / Antiference HDSB / Metronic T2HD / ISIS ISI-DVBT2 / Finlux DVBT2665 / Technika STBHDV2010 / Digihome Freeview HD Box / Luxor LUX-DVBT2-690 / Krystel DVBT2 / Lowry GSHDSTB1001.

Found a manual for the Metronic T2HD. Does that match the Technika? Nothing there for altering the remote channel though

The Metronic is my Technika

Aha! I've just switched on the two boxes (just the Hitachi and Technika, I've now put the Wharfedale into a coma to recover from skipping/freezing) with the one button-press, and quickly hit the Power button again and the Hitachi went off while the Technika kept booting because it always has to "initialise". Yippee! I've got the knack now.

The problem will resurface when I'm tryiing to scedule recordings etc on the two T825s, I will no longer be able to toggle between them without waking up the Technika. I'm going to have to get off my a*se, aren't I?

Forgive me, I don't understand "juggle with the AV controls to screen out remote" - if you can explain it it might come in handy, if not, not to worry.

Thank you PTD,

parthena

I'm not sure it helps your scenario but you may recall that the AUX button on the Vestel PVRs also disables all commands on the PVR in this mode,

Colin

The trick is to do it as you enter the room, before you sit down, or get a long stick with a plastic finger on the end.

Aux, yes, I'd forgotten they called it that; I don't use my Vestel much now. Aux's main use is to switch through anything you have attached as an input to the Aux/VCR scart, but has the additional effect as Colin says of disabling remote commands to the box. Folk occasionally press it accidently and wonder where their pvr has gone.

If you can arrange for Aux to be active on all but one box at a time, only that box will fully respond to the remote. A lot depends on how they're connected. It's probably easier If you're cascading them by feeding one pvr to the Aux scart of the other as the first box might switch the second box automatically. (This is how I have my 2 Sagems, with the recent addition of a Sagemcom HD. ) Having independent tv inputs for each would be the hardest to manage, being similar to the Standby situation wrt timing. Some experimentation may be needed.

Trust you Colin I forget about Aux too, even though I've had the Vestels connected up like that in the past.

I'm not going to get my head around it, with 2 SCART PVRs and 1 HDMI STB I think one of the Vestels will have to go but I can't sell either because I know they can cause grief out of the blue

Having said all that, I recall the despair I felt when I looked at the schedule for HD programmes tonight... from ITV-HD = fuzzy home movies in You've Been Framed, X-Factor; from BBC-HD = music from the Proms (OK, some viewers will be hooked up to high-end AV but I only have humble soundbar+sub), junk drama from The Deep; from C4-HD = Big Brother. I don't think I'll be using the Technika very much, and am certainly glad I haven't shelled out on a PVR version yet.

Scuse the rant, and thank you both for your help.

parthena