hi i just recently bought the dvr 540hx-s and i don't understand how the gudie plus updates itself, it says my host channel is itv so do i have to leave it on itv (freeview) before i go to bed and leave the machine in standby?

Also how do you add time to the begining of recordings as it only seems to be able to add +10.+20 or +30 to the end of recording how do you add time to the begining of rcordings?

I have a 630H-S so it's not quite the same machine, however this is how it works.

If you've set it up so that your host channel is from the machine's internal tuner, i.e. analogue ITV, then it will automatically look at ITV itself. You don't have to leave it on ITV. However, you will need to put it in standby I think. If it's not in standby, it assumes you're using the machine and it won't do the update. Use of the machine takes precedence over the update. I'm not sure if you can use the Freeview version of ITV to update Guide+, the manual should make this clear.

If your host channel is from an external box, e.g. Sky or an external Freeview box, then you need to have gone through the setup procedure with the infra-red dongle to ensure that it can change channels on the external box, and an intial update with the external box left on the relevant channel. Once that is done, it can change the channel itself and you'll need to leave it in standby.

I'm just wondering if you have to do an initial 'manual' update if you're using ITV too. But anyway, your manual should tell you exactly what to do.

Not sure about the auto padding as mine doesn't do it, but you can easily edit the scheduled times, both start and end, manually from the list of scheduled programmes in the Guide+ menu.

This may sound stupid but here it goes... When the machine is in standby does this mean when the power is off or power on and i am asuming power off means its off completlyoff and not in standby, the machine has to be on on you can see a tv picture through the dvd player am i right for it to be in standby?

As on my dvd player their only seems to be 1 power on/off button where as my telly has a standby button then a power on/off button so i not to sure how or when my dvd player is standby as i'm thinking if i switch it to power off like i have been doing it can't do the gudie+plus update as i see it in my eyes as being off, then again it still switch's itself on in power off mode at 3am to do the gudie plus update but when i get up in the mornings and check its recieved the listings update it hasn't so i don't know where i am going wrong?

Standby usually means when the power is on but the unit is switched off. With my 630H-S, standby is when the clock is displayed but the unit is off so the hard-disk is not spinning. There is only one button, that effectively controls standby. To switch it off completely you have to unplug it so that it receives no power, but to do the update in needs to be in standby - i.e. switch if "off" via the button on the machine.

When in standby it will pass through the picture from an external box but you can not view a picture from its own tuner.

Yes, it will take itself out of standby overnight in order to do the Guide+ update and you will heard the disk spinning. In practice, it also does it at approx 7:30am and 2:30pm if the machine is not in use.

Where is your RF signal source coming from ?

Is it an aerial on the roof ?

Have you scanned for Digital "and" Analogue signals ?

Is it going into the DTV RF input first then on to the ATV RF in and then on to the TV or what ?

Might be worth setting to Terrestrial and connecting to the ATV RF in just in case it's a signal issue.

I assume you have the manual but there is always a copy here:

http://www.service.pioneer-eur.com/peeservice/instrmanuals.nsf/0/6720C899B6CE6345C125718B0027250D/$File/VRB1439_DVR-540HX-S.pdf

FWIW
If it was a Sky digibox then you leave it on Eurosport.
Even if you do not subscribe to Eurosport it should still download the data

There are a few threads on this subject.

Hope it helps
Alan