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Old 13-03-2007, 10:49
pussydog
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Help..........
On my advice a family member has just purchased new Sony 32S2530 TV and Sony 725 DVD/HD recorder within the last week and only now finding connection problems when trying to record digital TV.

Both units are set up as per manual and for 'Smartlink' but, to my great frustration, once the timer has been set on TV and set to standby this also puts 725 into standby and cuts the 'Smartlink'. Result - no recording.

Sony's answer?

Sorry sir but you can only record 'analogue'!

Anyone else experienced this problem?

I thought Sony was at the 'cutting edge' especially with the forthcoming analogue shut off. BIG DISSAPPOINTMENT!!!

Last edited by pussydog : 13-03-2007 at 10:51.
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Old 13-03-2007, 13:07
chrisjr
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What happens if you actually do set a timer on the TV and let it execute? Does the recorder also wake up out of standby or just refuse to co-operate?

I used to have a Sony STB and Pansonic DVD (still have the latter) and they used to be able to talk to each other using SmartLink/Q-Link (Panasonic's version). At least to the extent that a timer set on the Sony would wake up the Panasonic, switch to the correct SCART input and fire it into Record.

It would be surprising if two Sony units were incapable of something similar.

But in any case I would forget about trying to record digital TV off the TV set. What your family member should have done is buy a recorder with Freeview built in (or you should have recommended that ).

As it stands they have no way at all of being able to watch and record two different digital channels. Something that will no doubt become more frustrating as and when analogue is turned off. The best that they can do with the present set up is watch a digital channel and record an analogue one or (if the TV permits) watch an analogue channel and record digital via the TV's digital tuner.

The latter assumes the TV has the ability to feed the digital tuner output down the SCART lead to the recorder independently of what is being watched. However when analogue is turned off they cannot record anything different to what they are watching, barring a change in equipment that is.

As a work around. Forget all about SmartLink. Set timers independently on the recorder and TV. The recorder will allow you to select the SCART input the TV is connected to as the record source. So what Sony said about only being able to record analogue TV is not strictly true. Although in another sense it is as the recorder cannot do it without an external digital device to assist it.
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Old 13-03-2007, 17:10
pussydog
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for the input.
If both the TV and DVD are switched and then I program the timer on the TV before switching the TV into standby this also puts the DVD into standby, but, heres the cruncher, approximately 12-20 seconds later the smartlink indicator drops out of the DVD recorder and therefore it does not wake up.
Only way to get around this is to wait until the smartlink indicator has dropped out of the display on the DVD and then turn on the DVD player and leave on. Then when the timer activates on the TV it records okay. This means of course that only one program can be recorded for after the recording the TV, via the smart link shuts the DVD down again after the recording has finished.
Why couldn't Sony have set the Smartlink up so that it remains 'active' awaiting signals from the input source.
Very frustrating.
Yes I know I sould have recommended a recorder with a built in freeview especially since I have a Toppy but even I did not expect this shortcoming from Sony.
Might be best to but a cheap STB for them and cut out the TV side of things.

Any other thoughts would be welcome.
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Old 13-03-2007, 18:39
niall campbell
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what you need is a nigel... hes the sony man

i take it your connected tv av1 to dvd av1 for smartlink to allegdely to work

mine doesnt work at all and it used to.

as you say your best bet is to buy a standalone digital box. then they can record one watch another or buy a twin tuner with hard drive model. it would make it a lot easier


you are not alone with people having problems with tvs and inbuilt tuners and recording

Last edited by niall campbell : 13-03-2007 at 18:41.
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Old 13-03-2007, 18:43
niall campbell
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i take it your scarts fully pinned?
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Old 13-03-2007, 19:11
Nigel Goodwin
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Originally Posted by niall campbell
what you need is a nigel... hes the sony man
Not with 'StupidLink', it never seems to do what you want, and is far more trouble than it's worth.


you are not alone with people having problems with tvs and inbuilt tuners and recording
Silly idea, don't do it! - if you can get Freeview, buy a Freeview PVR and do the job properly (and SO much more easily!) - you didn't record from the analogue tuner in your TV, so why expect to record from the digital one?.
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