Just bought a new 860 and having problems with duplicated BBC channels:-

When I Auto-tuned the 860 it found the Freeview channels I would expect except that it found some apparently duplicated BBC channels at channel numbers 800 to 805 which have poor reception and very noisy/blocky pictures (800 = BBCi, 801 = CBBC, 802 = BBC2, 803 = BBC1, 804 = BBC3 and 805 = BBC News 24).

I have successfully used the Programme Hide Facility to hide these channels so that they do not generally appear when selecting Programme “Up” and “Down” (although see *Note below).

However whenever I try to record BBC1 for example from BBC1 on channel number 001 using EPG the 860 (as you may have guessed) automatically selects BBC1 from the “hidden” channel number 803 which has so much picture noise it is unwatchable! (Recording from other non-duplicated channels e.g. ITV1 or C5 is brilliant with a fantastic picture).

*Note - sometimes when we Power On (from Standby) the 860 again selects a “hidden” BBC channel at LCN 800-805 which is full of picture noise.

Note - From reading this Forum I realise that I need to update the Firmware to the latest version which I will do this Friday as per thread “Sony Update Questions for HXD860”. Don’t know if this will solve my problem ???

Please help!!!

Many Thanks

Martin

I think you'll find the new firmware does address this issue - I had forgotten about this actually, but had exactly ther same symptoms as you describe when I first got the machine. The new firmware came out a few days later, and I haven't seen the problem since.

Thanks very much for your help - I'm very relieved this major problem will be fixed by the firmware update !!

Cheers,

Martin

Hmmm, well as of tonight, traffic cops was recorded on 803 (hidden channel) and I'VE got the latest firmware now...so not sure that cures this problem...realised what was happening as the picture began to breakup.

The hidden channels are the same channel from another transmitter (obviously one further away, so pic is worse).

I've not got my manual with me but is there a way of deleting these channels out of the list without manual tuning?

Depends what you mean by delete - you can HIDE the channel so it doesn't appear in the EPG that you view, but the channel is still there and I suspect the software either isn't aware of the fact you have hidden the channel or doesn't care!!! This is very obvious on series link programmes - use the blue button for series link info and you will see your hidden channels being put forward as candidates that it can record from!!!

Hiding them is just to save you navigating through them.
It won't stop the 860 using hidden channels to record from, even though *you* cannot select them via the EPG. So even if that secondary signal is rubbish and there's another that is 100% okay, it can still use that rubbish secondary one.

Deleting the tuned frequency totally, is not an available option. And if Sony's track-record with the 710 is anything to go by it never will be; (I'm still awaiting a *guaranteed* call from last Friday from a CS man (I will spare using his name - for the moment - how did I know it wouldn't happen)
Last edited by grn : 20-12-2006 at 12:47