Hi, I have a Digihome DTR0207. Its our first PVR and therefore not sure if the problems we're having with it are common to this make or something that happens across the board will all PVRs

The 'things' that are happening:

Within the first week picture freezing while watching 'live' tv to the point that both the remote and the buttons on the machine itself became unresponsive. The only way to get it out of this mode was to switch off at the mains. It also at times has only partly recorded stuff.

It also can't cope if you go into the EPG and do a search for 'movies' for example. It goes all sluggish.

We've basically adapted to the way it works. We've got rid of channels we don't use, only have the machine on when we need to watch something we've recorded (we have integrated freeview on the tv itself) and some things seem to have settled. We've had the machine 3 weeks now and the freezing doesn't seem to be occuring - but no doubt that will change now I've said!

However I got up this morning to find that it hadn't recorded Heroes on BBC 3 last night. Yep its always the programmes you're most interested in!

I'd set the series record and it was showing up on the timer but nope, nothing! It also has this nasty habit of showing no info what so ever on some series record, and sometimes things don't show up for days on the timer even though you've set it to record something.

All in all I'm not sure if I need to take this machine back, and whether there are better more reliable options out there.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

First of all, the Vestel family of PVRs (Digihome, Wharfedale, Hitachi +++) need a GOOD signal, otherwise they tend to freeze.

Secondly, they are all problematic in various ways

This is infuriating because they are the most user-friendly PVRs on the market, but each new variant brings new and different glitches, they just don't seem to finish them off properly.

As far as I can gather, TVonics and Humax are the next best (but more expensive), but do read the forums before diving in.

parthena (a disillusioned Vestel fan)

What software version does your unit have? I didn't realise any of the DTR0207s had Series Record capability. The only ones I have seen had the T816 hardware and Version 3.7 software.

As parthena says the Vestels are prone to freezing and if it is a Series Record software version then they have issues with slowing down of the user interface if a significant number Series Record events are set.

Colin

Hi

I agree that the nature of the incoming aerial signal to the HDDR may be the cause.


On my earlier model (Vestel T810/Digihome PVR80) the two tuners are linked at the back of the HDDR with a very short length RF cable of doubtful quality. If using the picture-in-picture mode, you observe a difference in the degree of pixellation between the two pictures (esp. viewing the same station!) then upgrading that short link cable might help. The benefit of a double-screened lead will outweigh the longer signal path.

As every length of RF lead from wall-plate to the last TV in the chain should be fed through screened leads, for you that's three such leads - or four if you buy an amplifier! Also don't forget you'll need a "back-to-back"/"gender changer" adaptor for each RF lead (except one) that you buy.

If your aerial signal emerges into your home through a socket, make sure it's a screened design.


Have a look at the signal strength/quality readings on the TV and HDDR, to confirm that the signal is weak, before buying an amplifier!

Regards

Puppa. I have a DTR160 and I to have had a few of your problems, like it insists on not recording JudgeJudy ITV morning recordings set in the EPG. However setting the program to record in manual timer was the answer and quick to do. Possible ITV2 have not been sending out a pulse at the start of some programs ?

In the first two weeks we had lockups like yours which the only way out was to reboot.
Worth noting The remote control is slow to respond so don't keep pressing the buttons because the PVR then has to troll through these extra presses

...no bad thing then...

Chugalug. If we had a few JudgeJudy's here in the UK our crime rate would be greatly reduced....