I've just applied the latest 1.53 firmware release for my DVDR3597H/05 - you can download it from here:

http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...=Link_Software

Instructions for the upgrade are displayed when you click on the link to the zip file download. Release notes state there's a new DVD finalising option (yawn) and fixes to HDMI connection issues (yay! It wasn't just Philips sets that had problems - I did with my Samsung too). I did the upgrade with a USB stick and, fingers crossed, I haven't seen the HDMI blanking yet since I've gone to 1.53.

1.55 is up now, improves stability apartently.

I was going to look again myself for an update, so thanks for that. Looks like the 1.53 release introduced a new nasty bug - "random deletion of shows when you try to play them" !!

When scrolling through the list of HDD recordings made from the SCART input, sometimes a programme title (or time/date) that's been showing fine for days comes up garbled with the 1.53 release. Even worse, some shows seem to try to play, give up and then completely disappear from the recordings list (even a full power cycle of the whole unit doesn't re-display them, suggesting they've been permanently deleted). I lost two recordings - even with a full power cycle inbetween - in the space of 30 mins over the weekend and I was not best pleased.

Er, I just looked for the 1.55 release on the Philips site and I can't see it - still looks like 1.53 to me Maybe they pulled 1.55?

That's odd, I wonder why they pulled it. It was defininatly there, I upgraded to it. http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/6...08006crlz8.jpg I've still got the 1.55 file if you want it, PM me and I'll upload it somewhere.

Now 1.61 is up

Just applied 1.61 OK - hopefully the random deletion of recordings won't happen again now!. BTW, anyone else noticed that if you multiply select recordings/files to copy or delete (SELECT key, then cursor down, SELECT key again etc. etc.) and you do one final cursor down and *don't* press the SELECT key (so that final item isn't marked with a + symbol on the right-hand side), it still deletes or copies that final "unselected" file? Surely that's a UI bug? I certainly trashed one of my recordings by mistake when I did that!

Thanks for the warning, I don't record an awful lot so it's not something I've come across yet. I have a new problem, it doesn't like the remote control on LG TV and has stopped recording when I've used the TV's remote. I'll have to have a play and figure out what button is doing it. I think it's the volume or one of the menu keys that's doing it.

Sad to report that the 1.61 firmware still has the "random" recording deletion bug that I reported earlier in the thread. Just lost another (SCART) recording again - pressed Play when the programme was highlighted, programme title in GUI went into scrambled chars, tried to play it, then gave up after 2 seconds and returned to the GUI with the programme deleted. First my Liteon 5045 had lock-ups at the start of timer recordings that required power cycles (7 or 8 firmware updates *never* fixed this critical bug) and now we've got the Philips doing something almost as bad!

The bug seems to happen more often if you're "quick off the mark" with the remote control operations (i.e. you don't give it a second or two to "settle"). BTW, I've put hundreds of DivX downloads onto the Philips via USB and not one of them gets hit by this deletion bug. I'm wondering if it's to do with the fact that DivX files don't get the video thumbnail preview that normal TV recordings do?

I've done the same with Divx movies and programmes without any issue, I'll have to have a play with the TV recording and see if we have the same problem. Have you phoned Phillips?

I filled in one of their contact forms on their Web site with a full description of the problem. I see that version 3.04 of the firmware has been released (bizarre jump from 1.61 to 3.04 - what happened to version 2.X?!), but the release notes don't specifically mention a fix for my random deletion bug (closest is "other bugs fixed", which hardly helps).

Must say that 1.61 seemed to be generally a lot less prone to the deletion problem - I think I only got it once shortly after the upgrade and that's all. Maybe I won't see it at all with 3.04 if I'm lucky (which I've successfully upgraded to).

BTW, am I the only one who is annoyed that a firmware upgrade on this Philips machine does a complete factory reset of the recorder, including the selected language, the time/date, TV channel tunings (not that I use the analogue tuner anyway) and even the timer recording events! The only thing that is actually kept is the hard disk recordings/files, nothing else Why they can't store the settings on hard disk to survive a firmware upgrade is anyone's guess.

1.61 to 3.04 is certainly a big jump, I wonder what happened to the numbers in between. I notice 3.04 has "bug fixes", it would be nice if they gave some clue as to the bugs that it fixes. I've upgraded anyway and it's not blown up so that's a relief. I was hoping they'd speed up the browser or is it just mine that feels very unresponsive?

Sadly, just had another recording (from the SCART) randomly deleted when I tried to play it in the onscreen GUI using the 3.04 firmware I suspect marking a recording "Protected" is the only way to avoid this, because I still have "Shrek The Halls" from Xmas 2007 on the recorder - it's the only long-term recording I have left that's survived the random deletion bug and it happens to be the only one I've ever marked "Protected"...

I suspect my Philips Website feedback got absolutely nowhere then, because that's 2 releases after I reported the problem and still no fix. BTW, HDMI negotiation between the Philips and my Samsung Pebble 19" LCD TV/monitor is still dog slow, so I've ordered some new cables from Ebuyer at 2.99 each (free postage!) to see if that makes a difference.

I had problems with the HDMI on a Samsung TV, it's now connected to an LG and works just fine. I've still not had the deletion problem, then again I watch very little TV and record even less so I may just have been lucky. I have six unprotected recordings that haven't vanished, they were recorded from CAM1 and not SCART though.

Sorry for going a bit off topic, but I'm very disappointed to report that some form of the random deletion bug afflicting the DVDR3597H also seems to afflict my new DVDR5570H too. I've only recorded 7 things onto the HDD and one has already disappeared, albeit in slightly different circumstances...

There is also a further problem with an external (Sky) reciever. Many Discovery channel programmes are now broadcast with copy protection, and the Philips displays an info banner on screen saying 'Copy Protect - Never' repeatedly, every 30 seconds or so, even when viewing the programme live. My previous HDRW720 coped okay with these programmes even when timeshifting, but any HDD recording would not play back correctly, which is fair enough.

Anyway, by recording something from Discovery onto the DVDR5570H, I ended up with a HDD recording showing copy protection. An attempt to play the recording crashed the machine, and upon rebooting, a different (non copy protected, but from SCART) recording had disappeared from the list.

I have already contacted Philips several times to report bugs on this machine, I can't say that the replies have been helpful. They seem unwilling to even discuss considering fixing them in future software releases, rather they keep making suggestions of ways around particular problems - some of which are quite frankly ridiculous.

Another moan... Philips give you a unique email address to reply to when they answer a query, so that you can correspond with them regarding the same issue. However, despite sending several follow up emails to these addresses, I have never received a reply to a follow up email. Has anyone else? Do they read them?

DVDR5570H/05 Software version 2.01

Sparky_paul,

I had the same deleted files problem on my dvdr5520 (which is the same as yours only with a smaller HD). My unit is at 2.01 too. I solved it by selecting protect all files in the options. It is a bit annoying when you decide to delete them because you have to unprotect them first one by one but at least they don't disappear on their own. I also noticed that they have released verion 2.11.

I have tried to upgrade it but it fails half way through. I tried both with the USB memory stick and with a CD-ROM. I reported it and they are going to send me a CD-ROM they have prepared. I don't have high expectation that will work.

It would be interesting to see if the upgrade works for you.

Thanks for that, I hadn't noticed there was now an updated firmware.

Come to think of it, neither have Philips notified me of the new firmware, despite being registered for notifications of updates, etc.. I shouldn't be surprised, should I...

Thanks again, I'll check it out on my machine and report back.

There's actually a v3.04 version for the DVDR55x0H on the website now, but the filename is

DVDR55X0H NonEPG_v3.04

I don't think I like the sound of the 'NonEPG' bit!

Well, here goes v3.04 via USB flash drive...

Preparing for upgrade...
Download...
Upgrade...
ERROR DOWNL

Crap!

Machine is now trying to repeatedly reboot itself, 4th attempt so far without me pressing anything... currently stuck on 'STARTING', and the Philips logo flashes on screen every couple of minutes...

Getting close to pulling the plug. Hold on, its now shut down on its own.

Restarted okay.

Trying update again... Now stuck on 'Philips' logo screen... Grrr...

I've had to pull the plug, machine completely unresponsive for 30 minutes. Machine will not now reboot all, gets stuck at 'Philips' screen every time. I'll have to try a factory reset.

No joy. Looks like the update has killed my machine.

Oh lovely. Have you managed to get hold of Phillips after this? surely it's their responsibility if an upgrade you were installing to fix bugs ended up bricking the thing.

...and its rather an expensive brick. Have emailed Philips last night with the full story, I'll report back when I get any response.

Of course they may say it could be my fault, not performing the update correctly, but I hope they do not. I followed the supplied instructions precisely. I had a HDRW720 previous to this, and performed several firmware updates on this machine without any problem, so its not as if I've never done this before.

The machine is still stuffed this morning, after being unplugged all night. Oh well.

Sparky,

That's exactly the error I was getting with 2.11. Only it didn't break my machnie.

I haven't noticed that they have moved to 3.04 but looking at the things they have fixed it looks like that they have only renamed 2.11 to 3.04.

When I called Philips reporting error they told me that probably was because I have not downloaded the firmware properly (right!!!!) so they told me they would send me a CD with the firmware on. Apparently it can take up to two weeks for delivery.

We shall see.

It didn't break mine on the fine attempt, it did eventually come back up and operate normally. It was the second try which did the damage, the update seemed to go in okay, and the machine attempted to reboot, but couldn't.

I hope you have better luck than I did...

Note that the v3.04 upgrade for DVDR55x0H has been removed from the Philips website, and replaced with a new version, v3.06.

The only change listed for v3.06 is 'Improve loader performance'.

The upgrade files are also much smaller.

... and I have applied it yesterday succesfully. It took a good five minutes which made me think it got stuck but I let it go through the end. I presume you can't update your recorder as it doesn't even start now. Have you heard anything from Philips?

That's a bit of useful information to me, thanks. I was worrying that I had only left the machine 'stuck' on the 'Philips' screen for 30 minutes after the update, but if yours only took five minutes for the whole procedure, I know mine must have been kaput.

No, I can't do a thing with the machine now, it won't boot. Not heard a thing from Philips either, despite their promise to respond within 4 working days. Those are up by the end of today.