Hi there

I've just purchased a Thomson DT16300-16 Digital TV Recorder and am having a few 'gremlins'. I'd be grateful if anyone could offer advice on the following please:

1) When I use the 'Instant Record' facility rather than recording using the Electronic Programme Guide, the machine has a habit of switching itself off if I have started the recording before the programme is due to start. I have checked the manual and it appears the machine stops recording when it thinks the programme has ended. I would like to know if it's possible to manually record programmes by switching on and off when I want, rather than the machine doing this for me when a programme is scheduled to start or finish.

2) I initially noticed a lot of picture judder (every minute or so at some intervals) and sound dropout in the first few days of owning the machine. Thomson's Customer Services inform me this is due to work on the Mendip transmitter between June and December of this year, so I won't know for sure if there's a problem with the box until next January! Is anyone else having this problem?

3) I have noticed a white block that appears occasionally at the top right hand side of the screen, from nowhere. Does anyone know what this is and how I can stop it appearing?

Many thanks!

Ness

it might be of no use to you but id get rid!

to be honest i think this is a terrible box, i had one for 3 months, constant hard disk spinning, its noisey, slow, fails recordings and just randomly switches off and reboots! a horrible box!

i went back to sky+.

Yes when using 'instant record' the box will record the currently viewed programme, including whatever is in that tuner's buffer at the time, and finishing at the scheduled end of that programme according to the epg
Yes it is. Instead of using 'instant record' - start your recording from the current progamme guide for the channel you are interested in, but before adding that planned recording to the list, with the R arrow button move the cursor to highlight 'duration' and add or remove minutes with the green or yellow buttons. After you add it to the list, the current programme will start recording straight away and later, if you want to stop the recording earlier than planned, you can do this by watching that channel live again and pressing 'stop'

Thanks for this, both.

Chris6, I will try this out - it seems logical. Many thanks.

SPARKIE1984, I'm sorry you've had such a nightmare with yours! I haven't encountered any of these problems (yet!) but will obviously keep an eye out. I have my 12 month warranty card safe just in case.

Have either of you had the juddering problem with the picture? I find switching to watching on a different tuner helps so may have to stick to doing this.

Ness

1968girl, you might also be interested in 'guard times' (minutes added both to the start and end of planned recordings). While it is set to 'on' this automatically varies all the timings set from the programme guide. Guard times can be found in menu > setup > recording preferences

just keep the warranty card, lol best of luck with it maybe im just too picky

Thanks guys.

Chris, I have discovered the 'guard times' and make sure to always use them now. Have also realised 'instant record' means you really have to be at least a few minutes into a programme before it stays on. Turned on the record only seconds before last night's 'Doctor Who' started and the machine turned itself off after three minutes, so to avoid this, I waited until 'Doctor Who Confidential' had actually started to turn on, and even that was too early as off it went again! Will stick to the EPG from now on.

SPARKIE, I don't think you're being picky. When the machine acts up I want to throw it out of the window. It's got one more week to behave before it goes back!

Rather than start a new thread I will add this to this one.

Noted that failed recording occur when I have been watching via the other tuner, on closer check of when the failures occur it seems to be when I have changed viewiing channel - suspect that having the guard time on as well as the recording buffer means that when channels are changed the box is still recording the previous channel so killing the channel that is being recorded.
As examples - watching Five then viewing from the start of a continuing recording on BBC1 is okay.
Watching ITV then BBC1 whilst recording Film 4 corrupts the recording / box freezes when trying to view it.

We are not using guard times and cannot reproduce it, but don't quite see why having them on should make a difference.

I think that when one tuner is being used to record, then any buffer, on the tuner and channel you are viewing, is cancelled when you change to yet another channel, because the box tries to re-use the tuner which is not recording - try button '0' (=Swap) to show this while you are recording: change channels like this, and I believe you can only swap between what is recording and the currently viewed channel
That's interesting because we have also been having trouble with Film4 recently, and thought it was due to weather when Film4 is our weakest reception anyway and since the better channels have been on/off a bit too

I have had this box for a number of months. Lately it's performance seems to be getting worse.

problems include:

1. box freezes if I try to delete a recording out of the library whilst recording is occurring (used to only happen if dual recording but now seems to happen if only 1 recording) - results in box switching itself off and recordings failing and the recording I was deleting is marked as 'became corrupt thus deleted' (becoming a more frequent problem)

2. when I try to view a recording the box seems to take ages to react to the play command (recent problem)

3. occasionally recordings freeze with vertical lines on playback. (again a recent problem)

4. rewind/fast forward often takes me back to the start of a recording - really annoying as I am only trying to jump through an ads break. (has always been a problem)

I am seriously considering taking the box back to the shop and demanding my money back - all I wanted was a RELIABLE dual recording digital replacement for my Tivo.

This box is not fit for the purpose!

My only problem is the box is full of recordings I have yet to watch.

Hi srhill, probs have been recognized, and a fix is supposed to be imminent. August was recently mentioned as a likely date for a significant software update. We get 1. infrequently and 4. all the time, but have not seen 2. and 3. so, if you can watch the recordings maybe a factory reset or format to tidy up the hard drive would deal with those?

Unfortunately as I also have a 1Tb HD box and a 500gb HD box chocca with recordings (mostly duplicated to ensure I don't get unwatchable recordings) that is easier said than done.

(ps I never watch anything live due to work and wife)

i have the same white block issue but ive noticed that it only appears on the lasted stop smoking ad , maybe yours is the same ?

yes that is odd i get the white block only when the smoking ad is on,once that ad finishes the white block moves off the screen.

PS. there is a better way to deal with this, at least on the 8 day EPG which we have at the moment, pending download of the 14 day epg in due course, (I did not notice it before but maybe the facility will be also available after the download)

In planned recordings if you highlight the top text line when it is empty, a green button appears at the bottom of screen; 'Programme Timer', Press Green = now you can program anything you want! tip - start by setting the duration, it makes the rest easier

I am also having gremlinswith a new machine, after reading this thread I did not load the top up TV card when I set the machine up and I deactivated all the Top up TV programmes. My machine tell me I have no valid hard drive when I try to record. Do I need the Top up TV card to just set it up or do you think this is another problem, can anyone help please

No need for the TUTV card - mine works without it never being near the card. Suggest a factory reset (includes Hard drive format and loses any recordings): Menu>Set-up>Help, Green button, Red button

It may then take a day or two to download software updates and 14 day epg.

i don't have a card installed either and the hard drive is working fine,sounds like a hardware fault.

Since it is new, it could just be that hard drive connections are loose or need re-seating

Mine came up with a new trick last night - watching a recording from the start whilst it was still recording. Got to the moment that it stopped recording and the stupid thing rebooted coming with a message that it had failed to record the program

Ensure that there are no 'top up TV' programs 'ticked' in one of the pages - I dont have this machine but have set up a couple fr others and I know the TUTV thing is a bit strange.
Scorp

Hi there
Yes, it's the same for me - always the smoking ad. I'm fascinated to know what might be beneath the white block!

Thanks Chris - am getting more au fait with this now, after a fair few false starts! Recordings are now happening reliably and in very good quality.

Box may be reprieved!!!

think i might be able to help you there try looking at white block with sunglasses on and see the hidden message