Digitalstream DHR-8205 problems - caused by recent changes on Freeview platform?

njp · 16-10-2016, 11:02

Over the last few days, I've started to get a rather strange set of problems with this machine - and since I have two of them, and they are both exhibiting the same symptoms, I am not inclined to blame the hardware. The software has for some years performed as impeccably as it is reasonable to expect these days - i.e a power cycle required every few months or so to restore normality, so no recent changes there.

I'm not sure there is any point listing the variety of symptoms at this stage - mostly I am trying to find if there are any fellow owners of this machine who are also having problems, or if anyone is aware of recent changes to Freeview data formats (in either the EPG or the programme streams) which might be causing the PVR software to malfunction (perhaps through memory leakage, for example).

SkipTracer · 16-10-2016, 11:49

My 8205 is sat in the attic gathering dust but seeing your post I thought I’d pay a visit to the AVForum where I contributed a bit in the 8205 early days and having been there I see the past few days others are having problems too, but no solutions yet.

https://www.avforums.com/threads/dig...686714/page-55

anthony david · 16-10-2016, 12:54

Digital stream seem to have ceased trading on 24/9/2013 so if there are any problems due to a change in the Freeview system there will be no updates for it.

I have a very old Digifusion, who also ceased trading some time ago, FVRT90. There was a third party update that kept it going but it is very unreliable nowadays even as a radio recorder due to its poor software.

njp · 16-10-2016, 13:19

It looks like my suspicions were right then. Bugger. Didn't see that one coming. The only (partial) work around I can think of is to deprive the unit of its aerial feed to avoid whatever is triggering the software bug. That should keep it well-behaved for viewing recordings, at least. I think (but need to test) that even recent recordings are fine, and do not themselves trigger the bug.

But it sounds like I'm going to need a new machine. I recall being disappointed by the apparent lack of decent products in this area when I last looked. Does anyone have any recommendations?

emptybox · 16-10-2016, 14:56

I've got that box.
The only problem I've had recently is a couple of days ago, trying to set up a recording through the guide.
The guide was very slow, and it wouldn't set the recording.

I turned it off at the back of the unit, and back on again, and it seemed to work normally again. Certainly the guide worked and I was able to set up the recording.

ETA: I've just tried it today and it had the same problem, and this time rebooting hasn't allowed me to set a recording.
So it looks like it's knackered as a PVR, unless someone releases new software for it.

Kal_El · 16-10-2016, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by emptybox

I've got that box.
The only problem I've had recently is a couple of days ago, trying to set up a recording through the guide.
The guide was very slow, and it wouldn't set the recording.

I turned it off at the back of the unit, and back on again, and it seemed to work normally again. Certainly the guide worked and I was able to set up the recording.

ETA: I've just tried it today and it had the same problem, and this time rebooting hasn't allowed me to set a recording.
So it looks like it's knackered as a PVR, unless someone releases new software for it.

Same issues here. Had mine 6 years, it owes me nothing. But now it is very slow when trying to skip through recordings and slow to change channels. And also like you it won't set recordings.

To be honest I had no intention of replacing it but I may treat myself to a new TV with it one built in. I'm still on my old 32" Samsung from 2010, so may go for a cheap 40", preferably a decent brand if I can get a bargain. Sad about it though.

Kal_El · 16-10-2016, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkipTracer

My 8205 is sat in the attic gathering dust but seeing your post I thought I’d pay a visit to the AVForum where I contributed a bit in the 8205 early days and having been there I see the past few days others are having problems too, but no solutions yet.

https://www.avforums.com/threads/dig...686714/page-55

Jebus! These are the symptoms I'm getting.

It's fair to say then, that something has changed at the Freeview end. We can't all be getting exactly the same problems at the same time by chance surely?

tealady · 16-10-2016, 16:24

Is it accompanied by a strange chirping sound from the ceiling?

emptybox · 16-10-2016, 18:52

I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight.
So we'll see how it goes.

Kal_El · 16-10-2016, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by tealady

Is it accompanied by a strange chirping sound from the ceiling?

Look, if we want to explore strange conspiracy theories around our STB, leave us alone to it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by emptybox

I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight.
So we'll see how it goes.

I turn mine off every couple of weeks for one night and did so last night. Made no difference. I can see some kind soul on AV Forums is going to dig a bit deeper which is brilliant. If anyone here is registered there please add a thank you. Otherwise, the other theory which would make sense is that there could be a kill switch inside the box which has now gone off. Sounds mental, but it could be true, if a little unlikely.

tealady · 16-10-2016, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kal_El

Look, if we want to explore strange conspiracy theories around our STB, leave us alone to it

Just a cross reference to the OPs current thread in G D.

njp · 16-10-2016, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by emptybox

I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight.
So we'll see how it goes.

It will work as a short term fix, but the underlying problem will return - unless the external cause is removed, which seems unlikely, or someone fixes the software, which also seems unlikely. I've established that the problem is also afflicting a friend's machine which is running an older version of the firmware than mine (I installed unofficial beta versions), so even downgrading to old firmware seems unlikely to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kal_El

Otherwise, the other theory which would make sense is that there could be a kill switch inside the box which has now gone off. Sounds mental, but it could be true, if a little unlikely.

That makes no sense at all. The only instance I'm aware of that involved something similar was a firm which installed burglar alarm systems that had a timer that caused them to "fail" so that they needed non-warranteed "fixing" after a couple of years. They got caught and prosecuted.

gomezz · 16-10-2016, 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by njp

if anyone is aware of recent changes to Freeview data formats (in either the EPG or the programme streams) which might be causing the PVR software to malfunction (perhaps through memory leakage, for example).

Getting problems with my DS and I too suspect they have been triggered by recent changes in the broadcast stream.

jhiker · 17-10-2016, 13:03

Same here - I've emailed Digital UK

emptybox · 17-10-2016, 18:35

Digital UK have now made a Facebook comment about it, so they must be paying some attention. Even if it's only lip service.

https://www.facebook.com/UKterrestrialTV/?fref=ts

Kal_El · 17-10-2016, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by emptybox

Digital UK have now made a Facebook comment about it, so they must be paying some attention. Even if it's only lip service.

https://www.facebook.com/UKterrestrialTV/?fref=ts

It's a start for sure. My issues mirror exactly the ones reported. Very surprised to see so many with the same problems as I thought the box was a goner. Over on AV Forums, it seems some Sony boxes are also affected.

witham1 · 17-10-2016, 21:31

My DS is working well receiving the Sudbury transmitter with no problems. I believe there was a problem some time ago if you were able to receive two HD muxes. I can only receive one HD mux, could there be anything in this? Just a thought.

nvingo · 18-10-2016, 16:40

I'm not familiar with the digitalstream PVRs, but can they be manually tuned, ie. Select just one of the UHF channels (21-69) at a time, or does it do a default bandsweep and store every channel it finds ?
If manual tune is facilitated, can you store one mux at a time and see if any are problem-free and which cause the issues ?

gomezz · 18-10-2016, 18:33

Yes you can do a manual tune of a specific UHF channel to get a specific MUX. I always do that with my DS but it is months since I last needed to (didn't bother with the Olympics temporary rejig as I recorded coverage of that and of BBC4 HD on my Freesat PVR).

largeonald · 19-10-2016, 14:17

Hi folks,

These problems, which started around the middle of last week, aren't limited to DS boxes - at last count on the Sony Community forums, there were at least 80 owners of Sony boxes displaying exactly the same symptoms.

The consensus of opinion seems to be that this has been caused by changes to transmission protocols. I can't see what else in common two bits of kit by different manufacturers might have.

Can I ask everyone please to either phone DigitalUK on 03456 505050, email them or post on their Facebook page. When first notified of the problem, they flatly refused to even investigate it, and it was only when people started posting on social media that they decided they'd better be seen to be doing something. Don't let them fob you off with their standard line of "power it off/on" (which actually WILL make it work again, but only for a matter of minutes) or "retune the box manually" which has absolutely no effect whatsoever - which they are well aware of.

We need to exert as much pressure on them as we can, otherwise I reckon we're all going to end up with a load of unusable kit that there's absolutely nothing wrong with. It's up to us.

futaura · 19-10-2016, 15:41

The Sony boxes are rebadged DS boxes, in case you didn't already know. Certainly the issue does not appear to be affecting most other manufacturers.

Whistle Snap · 20-10-2016, 00:38

A temp fix found by a user on AVF is to manully re-tune your box but don't scan mux ARQ A as this is the root cause of all the problems.

gomezz · 20-10-2016, 10:12

Saw that and removed ARQ A from my box this morning. Seemed to get rid of these issues but we will see after more extended use when the suspected creeping memory corruption caused by "dodgy" EPG data (my theory) has had a chance to take effect. Note that I did an extra power-cycle for luck after deleting all channels then manually rescanning just the other five main MUXes.

njp · 21-10-2016, 00:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomezz

Saw that and removed ARQ A from my box this morning. Seemed to get rid of these issues but we will see after more extended use when the suspected creeping memory corruption caused by "dodgy" EPG data (my theory) has had a chance to take effect. Note that I did an extra power-cycle for luck after deleting all channels then manually rescanning just the other five main MUXes.

Now that the blame has been firmly pinned on COM5/ARQA, I've played around with simply deleting services on that mux, rather than selective rescanning.

Since I sometimes watch stuff on Pick and Dave, I left those and deleted everything else on ARQA. So far, normality seems to have been restored. So it doesn't seem necessary to lose everything on that mux, but I haven't pinned the rogue channel(s) down.

emptybox · 21-10-2016, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by njp

Now that the blame has been firmly pinned on COM5/ARQA, I've played around with simply deleting services on that mux, rather than selective rescanning.

Since I sometimes watch stuff on Pick and Dave, I left those and deleted everything else on ARQA. So far, normality seems to have been restored. So it doesn't seem necessary to lose everything on that mux, but I haven't pinned the rogue channel(s) down.

Perhaps it's Sky News, trying to sabotage the Freeview platform?

16-10-2016, 11:02	#1
njp Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 21,646	Digitalstream DHR-8205 problems - caused by recent changes on Freeview platform? Over the last few days, I've started to get a rather strange set of problems with this machine - and since I have two of them, and they are both exhibiting the same symptoms, I am not inclined to blame the hardware. The software has for some years performed as impeccably as it is reasonable to expect these days - i.e a power cycle required every few months or so to restore normality, so no recent changes there. I'm not sure there is any point listing the variety of symptoms at this stage - mostly I am trying to find if there are any fellow owners of this machine who are also having problems, or if anyone is aware of recent changes to Freeview data formats (in either the EPG or the programme streams) which might be causing the PVR software to malfunction (perhaps through memory leakage, for example).

16-10-2016, 11:49	#2
SkipTracer Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The City and County of Bristol Posts: 2,623	My 8205 is sat in the attic gathering dust but seeing your post I thought I’d pay a visit to the AVForum where I contributed a bit in the 8205 early days and having been there I see the past few days others are having problems too, but no solutions yet. https://www.avforums.com/threads/dig...686714/page-55

16-10-2016, 12:54	#3
anthony david Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 3,469	Digital stream seem to have ceased trading on 24/9/2013 so if there are any problems due to a change in the Freeview system there will be no updates for it. I have a very old Digifusion, who also ceased trading some time ago, FVRT90. There was a third party update that kept it going but it is very unreliable nowadays even as a radio recorder due to its poor software.

16-10-2016, 13:19	#4
njp Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 21,646	It looks like my suspicions were right then. Bugger. Didn't see that one coming. The only (partial) work around I can think of is to deprive the unit of its aerial feed to avoid whatever is triggering the software bug. That should keep it well-behaved for viewing recordings, at least. I think (but need to test) that even recent recordings are fine, and do not themselves trigger the bug. But it sounds like I'm going to need a new machine. I recall being disappointed by the apparent lack of decent products in this area when I last looked. Does anyone have any recommendations?

16-10-2016, 14:56	#5
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	I've got that box. The only problem I've had recently is a couple of days ago, trying to set up a recording through the guide. The guide was very slow, and it wouldn't set the recording. I turned it off at the back of the unit, and back on again, and it seemed to work normally again. Certainly the guide worked and I was able to set up the recording. ETA: I've just tried it today and it had the same problem, and this time rebooting hasn't allowed me to set a recording. So it looks like it's knackered as a PVR, unless someone releases new software for it.

16-10-2016, 15:08	#6
Kal_El Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sheffield Posts: 4,234	Quote: Originally Posted by emptybox I've got that box. The only problem I've had recently is a couple of days ago, trying to set up a recording through the guide. The guide was very slow, and it wouldn't set the recording. I turned it off at the back of the unit, and back on again, and it seemed to work normally again. Certainly the guide worked and I was able to set up the recording. ETA: I've just tried it today and it had the same problem, and this time rebooting hasn't allowed me to set a recording. So it looks like it's knackered as a PVR, unless someone releases new software for it. Same issues here. Had mine 6 years, it owes me nothing. But now it is very slow when trying to skip through recordings and slow to change channels. And also like you it won't set recordings. To be honest I had no intention of replacing it but I may treat myself to a new TV with it one built in. I'm still on my old 32" Samsung from 2010, so may go for a cheap 40", preferably a decent brand if I can get a bargain. Sad about it though.

16-10-2016, 15:17	#7
Kal_El Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sheffield Posts: 4,234	Quote: Originally Posted by SkipTracer My 8205 is sat in the attic gathering dust but seeing your post I thought I’d pay a visit to the AVForum where I contributed a bit in the 8205 early days and having been there I see the past few days others are having problems too, but no solutions yet. https://www.avforums.com/threads/dig...686714/page-55 Jebus! These are the symptoms I'm getting. It's fair to say then, that something has changed at the Freeview end. We can't all be getting exactly the same problems at the same time by chance surely?

16-10-2016, 16:24	#8
tealady Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: colchester Posts: 15,352	Is it accompanied by a strange chirping sound from the ceiling?

16-10-2016, 18:52	#9
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight. So we'll see how it goes.

16-10-2016, 19:17	#10
Kal_El Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sheffield Posts: 4,234	Quote: Originally Posted by tealady Is it accompanied by a strange chirping sound from the ceiling? Look, if we want to explore strange conspiracy theories around our STB, leave us alone to it! Quote: Originally Posted by emptybox I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight. So we'll see how it goes. I turn mine off every couple of weeks for one night and did so last night. Made no difference. I can see some kind soul on AV Forums is going to dig a bit deeper which is brilliant. If anyone here is registered there please add a thank you. Otherwise, the other theory which would make sense is that there could be a kill switch inside the box which has now gone off. Sounds mental, but it could be true, if a little unlikely.

16-10-2016, 20:22	#11
tealady Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: colchester Posts: 15,352	Quote: Originally Posted by Kal_El Look, if we want to explore strange conspiracy theories around our STB, leave us alone to it Just a cross reference to the OPs current thread in G D.

16-10-2016, 21:54	#12
njp Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 21,646	Quote: Originally Posted by emptybox I turned mine off and on again....again, and I have at last been able to schedule a recording for 'Tutankhamun' tonight. So we'll see how it goes. It will work as a short term fix, but the underlying problem will return - unless the external cause is removed, which seems unlikely, or someone fixes the software, which also seems unlikely. I've established that the problem is also afflicting a friend's machine which is running an older version of the firmware than mine (I installed unofficial beta versions), so even downgrading to old firmware seems unlikely to work. Quote: Originally Posted by Kal_El Otherwise, the other theory which would make sense is that there could be a kill switch inside the box which has now gone off. Sounds mental, but it could be true, if a little unlikely. That makes no sense at all. The only instance I'm aware of that involved something similar was a firm which installed burglar alarm systems that had a timer that caused them to "fail" so that they needed non-warranteed "fixing" after a couple of years. They got caught and prosecuted.

16-10-2016, 22:53	#13
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Quote: Originally Posted by njp if anyone is aware of recent changes to Freeview data formats (in either the EPG or the programme streams) which might be causing the PVR software to malfunction (perhaps through memory leakage, for example). Getting problems with my DS and I too suspect they have been triggered by recent changes in the broadcast stream.

17-10-2016, 13:03	#14
jhiker Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 34	Same here - I've emailed Digital UK

17-10-2016, 18:35	#15
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	Digital UK have now made a Facebook comment about it, so they must be paying some attention. Even if it's only lip service. https://www.facebook.com/UKterrestrialTV/?fref=ts

17-10-2016, 20:08	#16
Kal_El Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sheffield Posts: 4,234	Quote: Originally Posted by emptybox Digital UK have now made a Facebook comment about it, so they must be paying some attention. Even if it's only lip service. https://www.facebook.com/UKterrestrialTV/?fref=ts It's a start for sure. My issues mirror exactly the ones reported. Very surprised to see so many with the same problems as I thought the box was a goner. Over on AV Forums, it seems some Sony boxes are also affected.

17-10-2016, 21:31	#17
witham1 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Witham, Essex. Posts: 266	My DS is working well receiving the Sudbury transmitter with no problems. I believe there was a problem some time ago if you were able to receive two HD muxes. I can only receive one HD mux, could there be anything in this? Just a thought.

18-10-2016, 16:40	#18
nvingo Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: wisbech, cambs / norfolk Posts: 3,834	I'm not familiar with the digitalstream PVRs, but can they be manually tuned, ie. Select just one of the UHF channels (21-69) at a time, or does it do a default bandsweep and store every channel it finds ? If manual tune is facilitated, can you store one mux at a time and see if any are problem-free and which cause the issues ?

18-10-2016, 18:33	#19
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Yes you can do a manual tune of a specific UHF channel to get a specific MUX. I always do that with my DS but it is months since I last needed to (didn't bother with the Olympics temporary rejig as I recorded coverage of that and of BBC4 HD on my Freesat PVR).

19-10-2016, 14:17	#20
largeonald Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 1	Hi folks, These problems, which started around the middle of last week, aren't limited to DS boxes - at last count on the Sony Community forums, there were at least 80 owners of Sony boxes displaying exactly the same symptoms. The consensus of opinion seems to be that this has been caused by changes to transmission protocols. I can't see what else in common two bits of kit by different manufacturers might have. Can I ask everyone please to either phone DigitalUK on 03456 505050, email them or post on their Facebook page. When first notified of the problem, they flatly refused to even investigate it, and it was only when people started posting on social media that they decided they'd better be seen to be doing something. Don't let them fob you off with their standard line of "power it off/on" (which actually WILL make it work again, but only for a matter of minutes) or "retune the box manually" which has absolutely no effect whatsoever - which they are well aware of. We need to exert as much pressure on them as we can, otherwise I reckon we're all going to end up with a load of unusable kit that there's absolutely nothing wrong with. It's up to us.

19-10-2016, 15:41	#21
futaura Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Norfolk Posts: 2,103	The Sony boxes are rebadged DS boxes, in case you didn't already know. Certainly the issue does not appear to be affecting most other manufacturers.

DS Forums

Digitalstream DHR-8205 problems - caused by recent changes on Freeview platform?

20-10-2016, 00:38	#22
Whistle Snap Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 29	A temp fix found by a user on AVF is to manully re-tune your box but don't scan mux ARQ A as this is the root cause of all the problems.

20-10-2016, 10:12	#23
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Saw that and removed ARQ A from my box this morning. Seemed to get rid of these issues but we will see after more extended use when the suspected creeping memory corruption caused by "dodgy" EPG data (my theory) has had a chance to take effect. Note that I did an extra power-cycle for luck after deleting all channels then manually rescanning just the other five main MUXes.

21-10-2016, 00:22	#24
njp Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 21,646	Quote: Originally Posted by gomezz Saw that and removed ARQ A from my box this morning. Seemed to get rid of these issues but we will see after more extended use when the suspected creeping memory corruption caused by "dodgy" EPG data (my theory) has had a chance to take effect. Note that I did an extra power-cycle for luck after deleting all channels then manually rescanning just the other five main MUXes. Now that the blame has been firmly pinned on COM5/ARQA, I've played around with simply deleting services on that mux, rather than selective rescanning. Since I sometimes watch stuff on Pick and Dave, I left those and deleted everything else on ARQA. So far, normality seems to have been restored. So it doesn't seem necessary to lose everything on that mux, but I haven't pinned the rogue channel(s) down.

21-10-2016, 00:41	#25
emptybox Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,995	Quote: Originally Posted by njp Now that the blame has been firmly pinned on COM5/ARQA, I've played around with simply deleting services on that mux, rather than selective rescanning. Since I sometimes watch stuff on Pick and Dave, I left those and deleted everything else on ARQA. So far, normality seems to have been restored. So it doesn't seem necessary to lose everything on that mux, but I haven't pinned the rogue channel(s) down. Perhaps it's Sky News, trying to sabotage the Freeview platform?