[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by Mr Mordecai

Hi All

I've had this box for just over a month now and, whereas I mostly have no issues whatsoever, I do seem to have one recurring problem.

Every now and then, after turning the box on, both the remote and touchbuttons on the front panel become completely unresponsive. The indicator shows on the box when buttons are pressed, and the touchbuttons flash orange when touched, but nothing else happens.

It is not a predictable occurrence and is not a massive issue, but it is highly irritating when it does happen, and has happened 5 or 6 times to date.

The only thing I can do is unplug and restart, after which everything is back to normal.

Anybody else have this issue? Or know of any way to resolve it?

Thank you.

Most of these types of issues are down to corruption of the Micom or your box having overly sensitive front panel buttons which can lockup.

MIT/DS released a Micom only update for users have that exact issue just the other week:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/15172415-post513.html

Incidentally, this update allows you to disable the front panel buttons completely and make them black, for those users that don't like the garish red LEDs. Me, I rather like them now having got used to them

[Mr Mordecai]

Thank you very much. I shall try that. However, I don't own a USB flash pen thing, but do have an external hard drive (with lots of other stuff on it). Would this work? Don't want to risk losing everything

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by Mr Mordecai

Thank you very much. I shall try that. However, I don't own a USB flash pen thing, but do have an external hard drive (with lots of other stuff on it). Would this work? Don't want to risk losing everything

An external HDD would work I believe, BUT you may need to format the entire drive to FAT32 and copy the update files to it. Which seems a waste if the HDD is say, 500Gb, as the update files aren't very big. You'd also lose everything on the HDD.

You could try partitioning the drive I suppose, but to be honest, a 2Gb USB stick isn't expensive

[pacetwinviewftw]

Originally Posted by Mr Mordecai

Hi All

I've had this box for just over a month now and, whereas I mostly have no issues whatsoever, I do seem to have one recurring problem.

Every now and then, after turning the box on, both the remote and touchbuttons on the front panel become completely unresponsive. The indicator shows on the box when buttons are pressed, and the touchbuttons flash orange when touched, but nothing else happens.

It is not a predictable occurrence and is not a massive issue, but it is highly irritating when it does happen, and has happened 5 or 6 times to date.

The only thing I can do is unplug and restart, after which everything is back to normal.

Anybody else have this issue? Or know of any way to resolve it?

Thank you.

I'm having a similar issue, but it's slightly different. Sometimes when I power mine on from full standby it seems to boot normally, but the remote buttons do nothing (but the indicator on the front panel flashes), The difference is that the front panel buttons also do nothing on mine, no colour change or response.

It's done it about 4 times in two weeks now, I'm wondering if it boots up in this state whether it still records timers or not (I've always noticed before so far).

Let me know how you get on with that beta, also is it an option to turn the front panel controls on/off, or are they just completely disabled?

[laddo]

I had this problem, I had set the unit to go into full power saving mode (no clock at night) but had many "freezes" - no response to remote (other than indicator receipt light) and no response to front panel, other than change of colour. MIT gave me latest update , no chnage,
I have now gone to normal operation (clock stays on in standby) and I have had no problems.

[Franglais]

I too have the Digistream DHR8205U PVR and am pleased with it so far. Bought it from JL late last year.

Can anybody please tell me if it's possible to transfer saved SD programmes onto a seperate DVD recorder so I can make DVDs from selected programmes? If so, which connections should I use? At the moment the PVR is connected to the telly via the HDMI cable which gives a perfect pic. Initially tried it via the scart cables but found it no go as the pic was snowy.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[gomezz]

A SCART lead from the PVR to the DVDR should work. You need to select the right input on the DVDR (AV2 aka L1 or E1/E2) and make sure the video format being output on the PVR matches that expected by the DVDR: RGB, S-Video or Composite. Fiddle with the settings until you see the PVR output on the TV going through the DVDR. If in doubt temporarily unplug the direct HDMI lead.

[captainkremmen]

You have two options with the Digitalstream for archiving on to DVD.

The easiest is to connect up as Gomezz says, and you say you've tried, via scart to a DVD recorder.

Connect the TV scart output of the Digitalstream to the scart input on the DVD recorder. Connect the DVD recorder's TV scart output to your TV.

On the TV select the scart input you have connected the DVD recorder to, so that you can see the DVD recorder's output. On the DVD recorder, select the second scart input. Make sure all scart connections are properly seated/pushed home. You should see the output from the DS now. But if not, it may be that the DS is outputting an RGB signal which the DVD recorder cannot see. On the DVD recorder check the menus, look for a setting where you can change the input type on scart two. If you can change it, try changing it to RGB as that gives the best SD recording quality. If you cannot find anyway of changing the second scart input, or it only allows S-Video/Composite (sometimes named C-VBS) then you need to set the DS to output composite. Change back to the DS via HDMI on the TV. In the DS menus select PREFERENCES -> AV Setup and change the TV SCART option to CVBS. Now switch back to the scart input for the DVD recorder and check if you can see the DS's output.

The other way of doing it is via your PC, but it's slightly convoluted, but gives better results and allows you to fully edit the recordings using a video editing package, before burning to DVD.

[njp]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

The other way of doing it is via your PC, but it's slightly convoluted, but gives better results and allows you to fully edit the recordings using a video editing package, before burning to DVD.

Slightly to my shame, I haven't even tried this yet. Have the DigitalStream community decided on the best (preferably free) software to do this? It has to be easier than it was on my old Thomson DHD4000...

Will the video file exported to a USB stick play in VLC, for example, or is any conversion needed?

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by njp

Slightly to my shame, I haven't even tried this yet. Have the DigitalStream community decided on the best (preferably free) software to do this? It has to be easier than it was on my old Thomson DHD4000...

Will the video file exported to a USB stick play in VLC, for example, or is any conversion needed?

I haven't had any problems playing the exported files in VLC, nor indeed, in Windows Media Player. If a codec pack is needed, I would highly recommend the Shark007 Codecs, they don't change or interfere with Windows own built in codecs and enable the playback of almost any fileformat.

In terms of video editing, there's a whole host of answers as you'd expect. We all prefer different products.

Sometimes just renaming the file extension to .MPG is enough to get an editing application to import the files, others import the files directly. Some wont accept the DS files at all so conversion is needed.

Personally I tend to just use VideoRedoTVSuite, which happily opens the files and can quickly be used tor cutting out adverts, but it isn't free. For more advanced editing Sony Vegas is what I use, but again, not free.

Another one many people swear by is Handrake, which is free and is available on Windows, MAC and Linux. You could convert the file and then just edit it within Windows Movie Maker.

The main issue is getting the files onto the PC though. The DS cannot export to a USB stick, only an external HDD that has to be at least 160Gb in size, and the DS will insist on formatting it to the Linux based XFS filesystem. Windows cannot read XFS, so a Linux boot disc is needed to copy the files onto a Windows NTFS drive before you can edit within Windows. It's a little convoluted, but not difficult.

[captainkremmen]

Incidently, the 320Gb version of the Digitalstream is now listed on the Dixons website at £129.99. Complete bargain, but it is now out of stock it seems.

Might be worth keeping an eye on the site if anyone is still considering a purchase.

[njp]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

The main issue is getting the files onto the PC though. The DS cannot export to a USB stick, only an external HDD that has to be at least 160Gb in size, and the DS will insist on formatting it to the Linux based XFS filesystem. Windows cannot read XFS, so a Linux boot disc is needed to copy the files onto a Windows NTFS drive before you can edit within Windows. It's a little convoluted, but not difficult.

Ah. This rings a bell now you mention it, and probably explains why I never got around to playing!

I do have a spare 320GB drive + a caddy somewhere, and I run Ubuntu and XP on a dual-boot netbook, so I could do this without too much hassle, though finding some software that will persuade Windows 7 to read the filesystem directly would be even better...

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by njp

Ah. This rings a bell now you mention it, and probably explains why I never got around to playing!

I do have a spare 320GB drive + a caddy somewhere, and I run Ubuntu and XP on a dual-boot netbook, so I could do this without too much hassle, though finding some software that will persuade Windows 7 to read the filesystem directly would be even better...

There is only one application that can read the XFS filesystem directly from within Windows. It's a data recovery application called UFS Explorer and costs around £40 for a personal license.
http://www.ufsexplorer.com/products.php

That's the only application I have found that can directly read an XFS drive under Windows. I'm surprised there aren't more, nor are there any XFS filesystem drivers for Windows either.

[trxster3000]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

The main issue is getting the files onto the PC though. The DS cannot export to a USB stick, only an external HDD that has to be at least 160Gb in size, and the DS will insist on formatting it to the Linux based XFS filesystem. Windows cannot read XFS, so a Linux boot disc is needed to copy the files onto a Windows NTFS drive before you can edit within Windows. It's a little convoluted, but not difficult.

I have a spare disk and caddy but how do you create a Linux boot disc? I've had a quick search but just getting confused (yes I'm easily confused) any pointers in the right direction would be very much appreciated.

[njp]

Originally Posted by trxster3000

I have a spare disk and caddy but how do you create a Linux boot disc? I've had a quick search but just getting confused (yes I'm easily confused) any pointers in the right direction would be very much appreciated.

You want Ubuntu.

Download the image file, and burn it to a CD using your favourite burning software (recommendations available if needed!). You could instead make a bootable USB memory stick, which will work on most modern PCs. I think all the instructions you'll need are on that site under "show me how".

You now have a CD (or USB stick) you can boot from, though you may need to tweak some settings on your PC first.

The idea is that you can run a version of Linux directly from the CD or USB stick, without changing anything on your PC. However, you can also choose to install it, and it will allow you to create a dual boot system, so that you can boot Ubuntu or your original operating system straight from the hard-drive. This is obviously much faster and more responsive, so is the thing to do if you plan on using it often.

[captainkremmen]

Here's Professorhat's excellent guide to copying SD files from the DS to a Windows/MAC using a Linux boot disc:
http://www.whathifi.com/forum/freesa...0xu-to-your-pc

[trxster3000]

Thanks very much for that; hopefully it won't keep me too busy over the weekend.

[captainkremmen]

Just a heads up, a new official update is due in the next week or so. It's the one that is currently in beta, with the auto creation of folders option added and probably some minor bug fixes. I'll keep an eye out.

[gagde]

Any news when the box can be updated ota?.

[njp]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

Just a heads up, a new official update is due in the next week or so. It's the one that is currently in beta, with the auto creation of folders option added and probably some minor bug fixes. I'll keep an eye out.

Has anyone reported the following bugs (latest beta)?:

1) "Now" programme data stuck in the past

Pressing the info button when watching live TV often shows information from an earlier programme, which finished hours before. For a while I thought there was something special about the BBC news at ten that made it "stick", but then it occurred to me that this is probably one of the few things I ever watch live, so I suspect the problem is more general!

2) Auto-creation of folders

Probably a bit niche this, and unlikely to happen often, but still... I arrived late at the scene of The Killing (so to speak), and started to record the US remake on Channel 4, just as the original was being repeated on BBC4. You can guess what comes next - they all end up in the same folder. It seems to me that ideally the software ought to detect that an existing folder is already being used for programmes from a different series and create a folder with a slightly different name, perhaps including the channel ID.

[noise747]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

Just a heads up, a new official update is due in the next week or so. It's the one that is currently in beta, with the auto creation of folders option added and probably some minor bug fixes. I'll keep an eye out.

Folders, for what reason?

[noise747]

i set up my box to record watchdog this evening on BBc1 and got a message asking me if i wanted tor record it in Hd.

When was this feature added? as I have not had it before.

just another feature that I don't is required, if I wanted to record it in Hd, I would have gone to BBc1 HD.

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by noise747

i set up my box to record watchdog this evening on BBc1 and got a message asking me if i wanted tor record it in Hd.

When was this feature added? as I have not had it before.

just another feature that I don't is required, if I wanted to record it in Hd, I would have gone to BBc1 HD.

It's been available for months as far as I am aware, but the BBC is one of the few to support it. You only get that message if the programme is actually also being broadcast in HD, it wont appear if BBC One HD or BBC HD are just showing an upscaled broadcast.

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by noise747

Folders, for what reason?

Some users wanted to have the DS be able to automatically create folders for a series, so that it would automatically record all episodes of a series in that folder. But many of us are more the watch and wipe type rather than the type who keep all episodes of a series, so requested that if it was added it should be optional so we could turn it off, and it appears they have listened.

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by njp

Has anyone reported the following bugs (latest beta)?:

1) "Now" programme data stuck in the past

Pressing the info button when watching live TV often shows information from an earlier programme, which finished hours before. For a while I thought there was something special about the BBC news at ten that made it "stick", but then it occurred to me that this is probably one of the few things I ever watch live, so I suspect the problem is more general!

I had that once, it turned out to be a Channel 4 issue rather than a problem with the DS. After a couple of emails to Channel 4 they apologised and accepted it was indeed an error at their end. It also happened on other makes too. Other than that I've never seen that issue. Could be worth an email to MIT/DS to see what they say about it.

2) Auto-creation of folders

Probably a bit niche this, and unlikely to happen often, but still... I arrived late at the scene of The Killing (so to speak), and started to record the US remake on Channel 4, just as the original was being repeated on BBC4. You can guess what comes next - they all end up in the same folder. It seems to me that ideally the software ought to detect that an existing folder is already being used for programmes from a different series and create a folder with a slightly different name, perhaps including the channel ID.

I take it you have the beta software installed?, as there isn't an official release of the auto folder update yet. I'm not sure whether the DS uses the series ID or the name to create folders, I presume it has to use the name to create the folder in the first place, just because that's the only way it would know what to name the folder. We'll really have to wait until the official release to see if that little niggle has been sorted.

If you're one of the official beta testers, have you fed that information back to MIT?.