[waterloo]

I've searched the threads and only got inconclusive answers as to whether the Pioneer DBR-TF100GB DTT receiver works post DSO.

I bought my elderly Mum one of these in 2003 and its a great box - never crashes, remote still works, but its not clear whether it works post DSO which for her is only a few months away.
She's not quick to learn new gadgets so it'd be a pity to have to replace it.

Not listed as a 2K only box on the official site (unlike my Nokia 9850T which is listed).
Its not got the 7 day EPG cos she dutifully unplugs it every night so it missed that update, but it did get an update needed in 2004 or 2005 when there was a problem with ITV2.

I could take a long drive and try to test it, but surely someone is a post DSO area can tell me if they're still using this box?

[Dr.OliverTwich]

This s/h ad has the spec of the box http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/pi...0-ono/77936583

If it is accurate then the box will work post-DSO. IIRC I bought one way back when because it was 8k compatible - but gave the box to one of my children and it's been lost or sold on!

[waterloo]

Originally Posted by Dr.OliverTwich

This s/h ad has the spec of the box http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/pi...0-ono/77936583
If it is accurate then the box will work post-DSO. IIRC I bought one way back when because it was 8k compatible - but gave the box to one of my children and it's been lost or sold on!

Thanks for the reply, yes the specs say 2k/8k but some messages here on DS says there's colour bursts every 40 seconds or so and the picture has stability problems.
Just wondered if that was a signal level issue - maybe nobody reading these forum pages uses one of these boxes but if there are any users in a post DSO region I'd be interested in hearing of their success

[StoppingService]

Hi

Originally Posted by waterloo

the [Pioneer DBR-TF100GB] specs say [it's] 2k / 8k [transmission compatible], but some messages on DS say there's colour bursts every 40 seconds or so and the picture has stability problems.

Originally Posted by waterloo

Just wondered if that was a signal level issue...

FM King Bear reports he eliminated signal level as the cause, in the first post of the thread to which (I infer) you refer!

OnDigital STB users have been similarly bereaved as DSO has "rolled-out" around the UK. In our cases, there was tantilising speculation that some of our STBs might survive it even though 8k wasn't on their spec AFAIK!

BTW, none of the OnDigital STBs I was using upto DSO survived.

Regards

[Dr.OliverTwich]

That thread ran for rather a short time, with relatively few posts and no definitive outcome (IMO).

Searching the threads containing that receiver I found this one: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...&postcount=111 which says its OK.... all the others I found saying it doesn't work are from SS.....

I don't think it was sold in vast quantities, but I'd have expected more posts about it here, on AVFourums and others if it had been a problem (and I can't find them).

Where is Mum? and when does her transmitter undergo switchover?

[StoppingService]

Hi

Originally Posted by Dr.OliverTwich

Searching the threads containing that receiver I found ... one which says its OK...

Originally Posted by AnotherBob

...my Topfield TF5800 has been hell's delight today... my [Pioneer DBR-TF100] had no problems at all.

If that FM was posting on switchover day, it's possible that the problem was present - but had yet to be noticed by the FM.

Originally Posted by Dr.OliverTwich

I don't think it was sold in vast quantities, but I'd have expected more posts about it here, on AVFourums and others if it had been a problem...

In the later years of a STB model's life, the number in service declines substantially as their users make substitutions with newer models. After nearly a decade, a paucity of negative reports might be due to the small population in service to be reported upon!

YMMV

Regards

[squawk2003]

Hi,

I am having post DSO problems with my box which hitherto had been fine apart from minor sound drop outs every ten minutes or so also reported on Digital Spy. Since DSO however the problems have worsened significantly with pixellation, picture freezes, colour bursts, occasional facial distortion and significant sound clipping noises occurring roughly every 40 secs or so and all problems are particularly troublesome on BBC channels, although ITV1 is also affected to a lesser extent. Some channels like More 4 do not seem to be affected in the same way.

Pioneer have told me that they are investigating and are now seeking advice from their European Centre.

Hope this helps those of you seeking information. My local transmitter is Sandy Heath and my signal strength is the maximum 91 % I have also tried 12db attenuation with no improvement.

[waterloo]

Thanks squawk2003, gonna find out about Mum's box on Wednesday - she's served by Emley Moor - DSO stage 1 on 7/9/11

[ntscuser]

Had trouble here with the Pioneer since Stage 1 DSO, The problems are restricted to the new high power BBC A mux. The low power muxes still work fine.

[joshua_welby]

Originally Posted by Dr.OliverTwich

This s/h ad has the spec of the box http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/pi...0-ono/77936583

If it is accurate then the box will work post-DSO. IIRC I bought one way back when because it was 8k compatible - but gave the box to one of my children and it's been lost or sold on!

The Link does not work

[waterloo]

Originally Posted by ntscuser

Had trouble here with the Pioneer since Stage 1 DSO, The problems are restricted to the new high power BBC A mux. The low power muxes still work fine.

What kind of problems?
Mum reports the BBC channels OK - I'll see it myself at the weekend ahead of stage 2. Its possible the retune brought in Belmont rather than Emley Moor but that is also changed so its still good.

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by waterloo

What kind of problems?

Random picture breakup, freezing and loud popping sounds. Fitting a signal attenuator helps a bit but doesn't entirely cure the problem. Will try again after Stage 2 when all muxes are at the same level.

[squawk2003]

The latest situation is that Pioneer have now written some new firmware to address the widespread Post DSO issues. I am advised that this will not be an Over The Air update but will involve sending the box to Pioneer who will plug their system in to the underbelly where there is an additional socket and update the firmware in that manner.

The latest info is that they are still in the testing stage and are determined that it will be 100% before release.

Hope this helps

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by squawk2003

The latest situation is that Pioneer have now written some new firmware to address the widespread Post DSO issues. I am advised that this will not be an Over The Air update but will involve sending the box to Pioneer who will plug their system in to the underbelly where there is an additional socket and update the firmware in that manner.

The latest info is that they are still in the testing stage and are determined that it will be 100% before release.

Hope this helps

Very interesting, thanks!

Have just bought new batteries for the remote on my Alba STB and ordered a variable attenuator from Amazon to see if that helps post-DSO.

[waterloo]

Originally Posted by ntscuser

Random picture breakup, freezing and loud popping sounds. Fitting a signal attenuator helps a bit but doesn't entirely cure the problem. Will try again after Stage 2 when all muxes are at the same level.

Well now I've seen Mum's Pioneer box in action for myself - Interestingly the BBC Mux is from Emley Moor but most of the other muxes are from Belmont probably because they're already at full power. Come the Wednesday stage 2 retune I expect she'll get all Emley Moor.
The upshot is that practically everything she gets is already in 64 QAM / 8k mode and the Pioneer box does work, but not perfectly. As you reported there are picture and sound glitches randomly every few minutes. They just look like the results of impulse interference like a fridge or something but they keep on coming. Oddly Mum hadn't really noticed them until I pointed them out.
I would say it is watchable but quite unsatisfactory, but she's gonna see how she goes post the Wednesday retune. A pity as its been a superb box - never crashes, good remote, solid signal until now.
The software version is 1.5 (from Menu>Setup>Software Setup>Technical Information.

Oh, and for fun here in the Midlands I tried my old Ondigital Nokia 9850T and, predictably, at this DSO mid-point for Sutton Coldfield, the re-scan missed the BBC A Mux. The Nokia can't pick it up, so it retires at stage 2, but Mum's Pioneer box will live on, but probably only as a backup in the end.

If there are to be any fixes for the Pioneer I'm interested, but doubtful Pioneer are really interested,

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by waterloo

A pity as its been a superb box - never crashes, good remote, solid signal until now.

Yep, best STB ever made in my opinion, the only one with RGB loop-through that I know of? That saved me having to use a Scart switching box. It also handled different aspect-ratios much better than my Alba.

My Pioneer is now retired to a bedroom where the UHF signal is much weaker and I can take advantage of the RF output to drive an old telly with no video input socket!

[Mick Jones]

Originally Posted by ntscuser

Yep, best STB ever made in my opinion, the only one with RGB loop-through that I know of?

The Sony VTX-D800U could also pass through RGB.

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by Mick Jones

The Sony VTX-D800U could also pass through RGB.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...27&postcount=7

Originally Posted by gomezz

Except for one fundemental flaw. Its timers don't work on the RGB SCART output.

[Mick Jones]

Originally Posted by ntscuser

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...27&postcount=7

So what. Timers were not part of what was mentioned, apart from by you now. Give it a rest.

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by Mick Jones

So what. Timers were not part of what was mentioned, apart from by you now. Give it a rest.

Give what a rest? I wasn't criticising your post merely pointing out what someone else has posted. I don't even know if that particular information was correct or not.

I make a lot of timed recordings via the RGB output so in that regard a Sony would not be a lot of use to me.

[waterloo]

Originally Posted by squawk2003

The latest situation is that Pioneer have now written some new firmware to address the widespread Post DSO issues. I am advised that this will not be an Over The Air update but will involve sending the box to Pioneer who will plug their system in to the underbelly where there is an additional socket and update the firmware in that manner.

The latest info is that they are still in the testing stage and are determined that it will be 100% before release.

Hope this helps

Any further news on this?
I guess it won't be free but still worth doing for such a good box

[ntscuser]

As much as I like the Pioneer I will refuse to pay any more than the postage one-way to their HQ to fix it. The remote handset is showing its age and will need replacing soon (another expense).

HD is gradually supplanting SD and a Freeview+ recorder would be so much more convenient so if I'm forced to spend money it will be on a replacement rather than a repair.

At present I'm using the box in an upstairs bedroom to view a very limited number of channels via a set top aerial on a very old portable TV which has only an aerial socket for input.

[Soundbox]

My TF100GB is connected to a Panasonic NV-HS1000 S-VHS recorder using S-Video through SCART and the recordings are fabulous (well, as good as Freeview can be). I will send mine to Pioneer if they offer the service.

[OnNewie]

Phase 1 of DSO has started for me today and I have done the first retune of my Pioneer DBR TF100-GB. The box can still pick up freeview but there is now a fair bit of pixelation which wasn't there before. Not looking promising but there is the final retune in 2 weeks time. Will see what happens then.

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by OnNewie

Phase 1 of DSO has started for me today and I have done the first retune of my Pioneer DBR TF100-GB. The box can still pick up freeview but there is now a fair bit of pixelation which wasn't there before. Not looking promising but there is the final retune in 2 weeks time. Will see what happens then.

What is the sound like, are you not suffering from periodic audio splutter?