Hi All.

Has anyone else seen the following bugs that I constantly get with my Wharfdale 250DTR (3.7 UK S/W):

1 - If I highlight something to watch in the EPG, then press "ok", the machine stays on the original channel. This happens 100% of the time, and channel can only be changed outside of the EPG.

2 - If I go to the programme search function that is accessible from the EPG, if I try and search by genre then most of the time, no results are returned. At first, I thought this was due to the there being no genre data available, but if I just browse the EPG, it can be seen that this info clearly is available as each program has something like "(Movies)" or whatever in front of the title. Additionally, and most bizarrely, the genre search does sometimes work OK!

I would be very interested to hear if anyone else has seen these bugs yet. Both problems have existed on my machine since day 1.

Cheers, Rich.

Regarding 1, yes. Vestel have been made aware of this bug, so hopefully it will be fixed in the next software update. Unfortunately, a number of basic things got broken between v3.4 and v3.7 - related to the point you made, using the EPG during playback is not advisable as when you exit the EPG it chucks you back to the library instead (and a resume point is not set!).

Admittedly, I hardly ever use the genre search function, but having just tried it with v3.7 it seems to be working fine here. Some of the genres listed are never actually used though, IIRC - e.g. "Movie/Drama".

Hi

Yep, the EPG bug is on mine too. Haven't actually tried the genre search but will have a look today. Other than that, though this machine has worked flawlessly for me - I have freeview built into my TV so use the 250DTR for recording only, rather than watching live TV, so the EPG bug is liveable with. I've certainly had no skipping, no problems with recording two things at once etc etc.

However, does the HD in yours make quite a loud whirring noise when you fast forward or rewind (just for a couple of seconds, then it keeps fastforwarding, then a few seconds later you get another couple of seconds of loud HD whirring, as though it's caching data off the hard drive)? This isn't a problem as such (the HD is very quiet during actual playback), and it's not too annoying, BUT..... I bought the 250DTR for my parents and it shows this behaviour. I liked it so much that I bought another for me, which is completely silent! So....I could try returning my parents' one, but I'm not sure what Argos' policy would be? I certainly wouldn't be prepared for them to send it off to be 'repaired' if they wouldn't just swap it for me. And maybe the noisy HDD is pretty standard on this model anyway?

Hi.

I have been after version 3.7 of the Digihome firmware for some time, and made my usual request of Vestel-uk for a copy. The technician who deals with testing the firmware updates, said he was awaiting version 3.7 from the main Vestel site, and would let me have a copy as soon as it arrived. I received a bin file over email a couple of days back, and was informed this was the 'new' version 3.7! However, I noticed from the file name that in fact the bin file states it is a uk version 4.3!!! Hence do we have an even newer firmware update now that nobody has been aware of?

As all my machines are still 2.4, I am eager to try out this newer version. If I manage to do so before the file becomes more widely available, I will try out the above 'bug(s)' to see if they have been fixed. It really is a shame that Vestel don't make updates available via a web site, complete with some form of revision history so you can see what improvements have been made.

This file is genuinely direct from Vestel-uk, and states it is for uk machines (ie no dodgy european little number!). I do not know how Vestel would view my passing on of the firmware, and I would like to know if I am doing anything amiss. However, if anyone would like a copy, I can try and email it on (as long as there arn't too many), or alternatively, perhaps you all might like to contact Vestel-uk themselves to get the file first hand. You need to speak to a Michael Cattini, who I again repeat, has been so very helpful in the past with my enquiries (yes - and as lengthy as this post!) - invaluable, since Vestel seem very difficult to obtain information from.

I also repeat that Michael thought he was giving me version 3.7. As the file states it is version 4.3, he might not be aware of the newer number. Hopefully, though, maybe an OAD maybe in the offing, if this really is a new version.
Last edited by Nutty Timbo : 20-09-2007 at 10:21

Hi All.

Thanks for the replies! In response to them...


Regarding the EPG problem, I'm pleased to note that someone else has seen the problem, so will look forward to a fixed EPG in a future software version (whenever that may be released!)

Regarding the genre search function. It seems to be working OK for me today. I have definitely, on more than one occasion, tried searching "all TV channels" for the genre of "movies", and it's returned no results. However, perhaps I was just unlucky then and at the time there were no programs in the EPG with genre "movies" (though I do find that suprising). If I have recieve no search results in future then I will manually search the EPG to see if that genre is listed anywhere, and report back here if I notice anything interesting.



Again, am pleased that the EPG problem has been spotted on other machines, not just my own.

Regarding the FF/RW issue - I have not seen the issue that your parents machine has - my machine is OK in these functions, though TBH I don't know if I've tried rewinding anything yet.

Overall I'm very happy with the machine as well. I place a lot of importance on a good User Interface, and on the whole I think the machine delivers. It's actually my first PVR - I did a lot of research before opting for a Vestel machine, and for the price I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Cheers, Rich.

4.3 could be an intermediate test version, which could also mean it is built to a different spec (i.e. not Freeview Playback enabled). Only way to know is to test it, as usual - obviously, yes, a change log would be extremely useful . I've never seen such a thing with Vestel, which is about the only area where Sagem were better (that said, half the stuff in Sagem's changelogs either wasn't present in the software, or didn't work ). I don't know why you've been so keen to get hold of 3.7 - I certainly wouldn't recommend it since it has lots of new annoying bugs, which may well be why the recent OTA update was cancelled.

Funny that you were able to get replies from Vestel UK - when I sent off my initial e-mails just over a year ago, Vestel Turkey were the only ones to reply. I get the feeling that Vestel keep avoiding the question of distributing software updates - each time I've asked, I never get any sort of answer . Without their permission, I've never felt it right to pass the files on - not that I've signed an NDA or anything.

Assuming the HDD is the same model in both machines, there shouldn't really be any difference noise wise. Agreed, it's hard to describe these noises, and I'm not sure what you mean by "whirring". Normally when you ff/rw, you get a lot of HD seeking noises (clicking, kind of). When I think of "whirring" it doesn't tend to describe the noise that my PVR makes.

However, apologies if I'm stating the obvious, but are you sure it is the HDD itself that is making the noise, and not the HDD seeks causing vibration of the case, which can resonate as a result. I've had that a lot, and it takes me a little time to find a good position after I've moved the PVR for some reason. Touching the case during the "whirring" will reveal if it's the case (or whatever your PVR is in contact with) that is vibrating. In my case, the PVR is very loud when placed on top of my surround sound system (metal casing), which I once solved by making two "legs" out of cardboard to raise the PVR off the casing. These days I have a PS2 in between the PVR and surround system, which is good at damping any vibration. Strange, but true .

I had to take mine back because of the HDD seeking problem which left me with lots of flickering images on my tv screen. Basically when watching recorded material my picture kept on flickering, this happened me before on one other model, a Thomson DHD4000, and when i enquired here on the forums i was told it was as a result of the hard disk seeking.

Was the flickering that bad? Which model?

I get some flickering too (bearable), which indeed only happens when the HDD is in use. Not only when watching recordings, but watching live tv while something is recording. It affects the output from external scart sources passed through the PVR too (e.g. PVR in standby, recording, while watching a DVD). I had hoped this problem was just due to my early hybrid T816 box, and that revisions of the electrical inards would resolve this problem. In fact, it was one of the first "issues" that I reported to Vestel back in February/March. I never had this with the T810.

Just wondering if all production T816 boxes have this fault, or it's another case of being unlucky and getting a duff box which has the fault while other do not.

Indeed - you would expect something to show up for Film 4 with those search parameters . I'll do some daily testing on this too, to see if the problem shows up here.

Digihome PVR80 (T816 dual record). I found that the longer the hard disk was in use the worse it got, so on something like a movie it got very very irritating. I didn't have anything passed through my pvr but you are absolutely correct when you say it was also present on live tv if the box was recording. A shame really as i was very happy with other aspects of the box.

Agreed, but there is! As I wrote in my post I have two of these machines, bought from the same branch of Argos in Inverness 5 days apart. The first makes this noise, the second doesn't.


My second Wharfedale makes the minimal HDD noise you describe. It's the first one I bought that makes another noise in addition to this. I think I'll put a comparison on YouTube to show you what I mean by "whirring" - essentially I mean, well, a whirring noise. Actually, what it sounds like is the noise a VCR makes when you engage fast-forward, i.e. a fairly loud, mechanical whirring noise. Obviously there is no tape in the Wharfedale , and the noise lasts for a couple of seconds, before the noise stops (but the PVR obviously carries on fast-forwarding). I was wrong - it DOESN'T make the whirring noise at all when re-winding. But when fastforwarding it makes the noise every time you press the fast-forward button on the remote. So, for instance, if you're fast-forwarding at 2x, you get a couple of seconds of noise, before it carries on essentially silently (very minimal HDD noise), BUT if you then press fastforward again (to go to 4x or 8x etc) you get another couple of seconds of noise.



Absolutely! But that is not the problem here - incidentally the second one I bought (the one I bought for myself after being impressed with the one I bought for my parents) is on top of my old Pioneer DVR420 which in turn is on top of a Gooodmans DVD player I use for my surround system, and I would have thought it would resonate quite a lot being on top of a stack of other machines, but it doesn't at all.

I'm going to visit my parents tomorrow so I'll do a Youtube video of the noise I'm talking about. Incidentally, my parents don't mind it at all - they say they like it because it's familiar from when they had a VCR
And I think this is a great PVR - I was considering getting a Topfield for myself, but having saved £100 by getting the 250GB Wharfedale, I can archive onto DVD using my Pioneer which works a treat. The resulting DVDs even switch the TV from 16:9 to 4:3 where appropriate. I'm very pleased with this machine and would recommend it to anyone (although it would be good if the EPG actually changed channel when you select a channel in it...hopefully a software update sometime)

Maybe the HDD is a different make/model/revision, possibly? (the label can usually be seen through the air vents on the underside of the PVR).

Does the disappearance of the noise perhaps coincide with the disappearance of the banner at the bottom of the screen which will appear each time you press ff? If so, try forcing the banner on by pressing the info button and see if the sournd stays/returns. Although I never got around to testing this, I remember thinking that ff/rw is not so smooth when the banner is up - seemily, each update of the timeline on the banner causes extra HDD seeks. That said, it was on the T810 that I initially noticed this.

Also, if the HDD is empty, it may be worth reformatting it via the menus, in case that helps with the noise. It may just be an urban myth (I've never formatted the HDDs in my PVRs), but I remember reading a long time ago a recommendation that the HDD should be formatted before you use it (regardless of it being formatted in the factory anyway).

I've changed my mind on this now. I'm now pretty sure this is a software bug, present forever in the T810 and T816 software.

It has only just come to light because something changed with channels 303 and 305, if I'm not mistaken. When you scan for channels, these show up as "(hidden)", and indeed they are hidden in the EPG, but you can still go to those channels. But these 2 hidden channels in the EPG are causing the EPG to get confused. Everything up to and channel 302 in the EPG work fine. However, press 304 in the EPG and it goes to 700 (missing one channel out, due to the hidden 303). Pressing 700 goes to 702 (now missing two channels out due to the hidden 303 and 305). Another excuse to take your old T810 box back to Argos if it is still under guarantee . I'll report this bug to Vestel later today, so hopefully it can be fixed for the T816 software, if it hasn't been already.

Well having paid my parents a visit I found out that the mystery whirring noise wasn't coming from the PVR but from the TV/DVD combo they've got it hooked up to...it's the 19" LCD Wharfedale branded one from Argos. Basically when you press the FF button on the PVR remote, it makes the DVD drive on the TV seek for a disk. No big problem, but goes to show that just because the PVR and the TV/DVD are branded Wharfedale doesn't mean that they are manufactured by the same company or are fully compatible with each other!

Back to the topic of T816 software, for the first time since I've had my Wharfedale it messed up a recording. I was trying to record The IT Crowd last Friday, and it only started recording at 10:28 meaning I got the last 2 minutes of the programme. My machine in Edinburgh and my parents' in Inverness both did *exactly* the same thing, so it wasn't down to an individual machine but to what was being broadcast by Channel4. The Freeview playback accurate recording thing works so well with all the BBC channels...why can't the other channels implement it too??

Have just purchased a Wharfedale 250DTR from Argos for £120. (T816: S/W Version 3.7) Overall I'm pleased with it, but there are some things it can't do which my old Digifusion FVRT100 can do. Namely:
1: On an FVRT100, you can pause what you are watching and then change to another channel, then flick between your 2 chosen channels, pausing,playing and rewinding each as you wish. Once you press pause on the Wharfedale you can't do much at all!
2.When you start recording a programme, it's not possible to include anything from the buffer, the recording starts from the point you press record.
I assume these issues are linked to the fact that the HD does not run continuously on this machine and therefore there is no buffer?
Does anyone know if these issues might be addressed in a future upgrade?

I don't think they will as they are not 'bugs', but one can hope

1. I have the FVRT100 (with 200 software) and didn't know about that feature, I just switch between it and the Digihome PVR160 via the AUX button on the 160, as the 2 machines are* on SCARTs 1 & 2. If I'm watching a programme on the FVRT100 I use the TV remote's button to switch SCARTs.

2. You are right. The benefit that some appreciate is that there's no constant noise from the Digihome and it doesn't suffer from heat problems like the Digifusions and Thomsons etc tend to do.

*That should say "were", as yesterday I got the Evesham DTR250 (exactly like your Wharfedale), so now I've got it and the PVR160 connected and the Digifusion's looking for a new home - it's been helpful for the past couple of months while my Digihome wouldn't receive UHF22 channels.

parthena

You can daisy chain 2 or 3 T816s, T810s and/or a Digifusion in series using SCART leads to one TV Scart input and pass control between them using the Aux button. In Aux mode the Vestel units don't respond to any Remote Control commands so if you ensure initially that one Vestel is in Aux mode and the other isn't you can control them both using one Remote by switching control from one unit to the other by pressing Aux.

Colin

Have no problems with genre but the EPG bug is present on my evesham 250 V 3.7.

Thanks Colin, maybe I won't sell the Digifusion after all... except I factored that into the cost of the Evesham and I want a new TV too I've wondering about trying the daisy chain but am so muddle-headed these days...

I checked my radio numbers in the Evesham's EPG and BBC Radio1 is on 704 - hope all is well cos I'm recording the new Dickens serial tonight.

parthena

Yes, all channels above 305 in the EPG are 2 channels out of sync, due to channels 303 and 305 now being transmitted as "hidden" channels. Obviously, there is a bug in the EPG since it hides the channels, but screws the following channels up at the same time . This affects the T810 and the T816 software. Have made Vestel aware of this, so hopefully it will be fixed for the T816.

When it comes to recording radio programmes from the EPG, selecting the programmes from there still works, even though it shows against the wrong channel in the EPG (it will show up correctly on the timer list).

Having had the Evesham DTR250 for a week now, here are my bugs:


- P<P button on remote works only sporadically

- During playback of a recording, if the STOP button is pressed it loads the Library instead of reverting to the live channel. If one wants a quick look at the current on-air programme it wastes a lot of time, waiting for the Library to load and then having to select the Back button to go to live TV. By chance I found that pressing the STOP button during REWIND would revert to the live channel.

- In GUIDE, to select a channel to view one must highlight the current on-air programme before pressing OK, otherwise the machine assumes one wishes to record or set a reminder. Sometimes it just reverts to the channel already showing.

- In LIBRARY, scrolling up or down is continuous, instead of stopping at the top or bottom of the list. This can be quite confusing.

- I also notice in GUIDE that several seconds may elapse between selecting the Record button and the red underline appearing on the screen. This results in re-pressing the Record button, assuming it hasn't registered, and inadvertently cancelling the instruction.

- My Genre Search didn't work last time I tried it.

parthena (E&OE)

The guide always seems to go back to the channel i was already on, which i a rather annoying T816 bug it seems


I think this is a 'feature' of the box rather than a T816 bug. The HDD is not constantly spinning like some PVR's, so if it's not in use and you tell it to record something it tkes a moment to spin the disc up before it does it's thing.

I checked my genre search after reading about problems with it, and it seemed to work for some genes and not others. Maybe not everyone's providing the right info for the guides?

Mm, but I also have the 'old' model and that one doesn't suffer from delay, ever. The Evesham was not so bad this evening when I did a bit of programming.

parthena

Personally I wouldn't describe some of your point as bugs, more like features IMO.
If you are using the Library you are most likely interested in looking for a recording to watch and you do have the audio of the current live channel to give you an idea of what is happening. Having watched or just glanced at a recording you are most likely wanting to delete it or go to another recording. What the Library does lack IMO is having each programme numerically identified and also having the day of the week listed. One remembers days of the week much easier than dates. Having programmes numbered would I think also overcome your objection to the list scrolling to the beginning.
I'm not sure I understand your objection here. If you are looking for something to view now isn't using the Now/Next feature by pressing INFO whilst live viewing and scrolling up and down the channels using the Up and Down buttons the best way to do it?.


This delay is to allow the HD to spin up to speed if it's not running.

Colin