I had a letter reply to my online complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency today - they say they believe this to be a technical issue and have referred my complaint to OFCOM
DHD4000 EPG Spam on all channels
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Seems the spam scare has passed for a bit and maybe DHD4000 owners can breathe a sigh of relief temporarily. When I thought my 4000 days were over I guess I looked at the new Thomson 250gb as a likely sucessor at least for a while. I know there have been loads of issues but parents have the 160gb version and it has been 98% fine. So I am just left wondering what most of you would rush out and buy now if your 4000 went down? I keep heaing the Wharfedale is ok (amazed, thought that was like owning a Fidelity!) or maybe a Humax?
I haven't contemplated what might replace the DHD400 should that day appear but from reviews I don't see any that manage to cram as much useful EPG info on one screen. Possibly Sky+ but that's a road I definitely won't be going down. I recall reading good things about the Topfield in that it can be configured to be whatever you want. I would look to that direction I think.
I'm planning to retain the DHD4000 for Freeview until it breaks. And then use the spare one I bought! However, I will almost certainly dabble in Freesat once the Humax HD PVR appears.
This morning I got up to watch the recorded F1 Qualifying, only to find the recording was only 50 minutes long, and ended just as the first qualifying session was midway. I suspect there was something wrong with the EPG, I set it last night as I went to bed, must admit I didn't check the timings, but I fear with what has been going on with the EPG recently may be signalling the end of support for this model......
I'm someone who has had both DHD4000 and one of the newer Thomson boxes and my advice to anyone thinking about "upgrading" is DON'T. The new boxes are significantly less stable, the EPG is rubbish, there are a number of *really* annoying bugs like the fast-forward/rewind bug that dumps you to some random position in the recording when it feels like it (and if anyone tells you it'll be fixed real-soon-now, bear in mind that this mantra has been quoted for over a year with no progress towards a solution).
If you need a DHD4000 replacement then try a Humax. The EPG is still not as good as the DHD4000 but it is more stable, crashes less and generally 'just works'. If you can still get a 9200 then the USB port makes getting recordings off the box onto a PC dead easy.
If you need a DHD4000 replacement then try a Humax. The EPG is still not as good as the DHD4000 but it is more stable, crashes less and generally 'just works'. If you can still get a 9200 then the USB port makes getting recordings off the box onto a PC dead easy.
Cheap (£55-£60) and very nearly as good as the DHD4000 is the DigiFusion FVRT400. I'd recommend it as I've got 2 and I have had a DHD4000 until I broke it! Look on the DigiFusion threads if you are interested to find out more. It does still use the 4TV guide though. For a reliable box using the freeview guide, I don't think there is such a thing!
Originally Posted by larkim:
“Thanks.
To be honest, I've been expecting advertising somewhere along the line, as the 4TV needs income to support the updating and transmission. You could argue that all it takes to get the updates done is one person (plus holiday cover) typing in details from Radio Times (or even better, just linking to one of the many xml tv listings), but I suspect the broadcast overhead isn't particularly cheap. They are obviously funded at some point via the purchase price of boxes and (is this right) through some of the TopUp TV subs too, but any additional revenue that they could generate would be useful if they are to have a future.
Just for my info, how many boxes still use the 4TV EPG?
I keep imagining that at some point my beloved DHD4000 will be rendered less useful when the EPG stops being transmitted, so if the quid pro quo for that is seeing some advertising on the EPG then in my opinion that's a fair price to pay.
Matt”
“Thanks.
To be honest, I've been expecting advertising somewhere along the line, as the 4TV needs income to support the updating and transmission. You could argue that all it takes to get the updates done is one person (plus holiday cover) typing in details from Radio Times (or even better, just linking to one of the many xml tv listings), but I suspect the broadcast overhead isn't particularly cheap. They are obviously funded at some point via the purchase price of boxes and (is this right) through some of the TopUp TV subs too, but any additional revenue that they could generate would be useful if they are to have a future.
Just for my info, how many boxes still use the 4TV EPG?
I keep imagining that at some point my beloved DHD4000 will be rendered less useful when the EPG stops being transmitted, so if the quid pro quo for that is seeing some advertising on the EPG then in my opinion that's a fair price to pay.
Matt”
Hi Larkim. Sorry for the delay in replying. I hope you don't think I was being rude to you. I am sure that we all appreciate that any epg programming involves time, staff and money but the way topuptv went about this was completely unreasonable as it rendererd so many digiboxes epg's completly useless and therefore was unreasonable. I, for one, would not want to have the job of inputing all that info! Please see my emails recieved from the culprits in the digifusion site. I'm sorry, I don't know how to 'links'
Best regards, Hairyjon
Originally Posted by philifusion:
“Cheap (£55-£60) and very nearly as good as the DHD4000 is the DigiFusion FVRT400. I'd recommend it as I've got 2 and I have had a DHD4000 until I broke it! Look on the DigiFusion threads if you are interested to find out more. It does still use the 4TV guide though. For a reliable box using the freeview guide, I don't think there is such a thing!”
“Cheap (£55-£60) and very nearly as good as the DHD4000 is the DigiFusion FVRT400. I'd recommend it as I've got 2 and I have had a DHD4000 until I broke it! Look on the DigiFusion threads if you are interested to find out more. It does still use the 4TV guide though. For a reliable box using the freeview guide, I don't think there is such a thing!”
Well said Phillifusion! For simplicity and reliability even the FVRT150 takes some beating
Originally Posted by TrevorPH:
“...The EPG is still not as good as the DHD4000 ...”
“...The EPG is still not as good as the DHD4000 ...”
Can I just put in a brief word of praise for the EPG on the DHD4000? I'ts much more intuitive and easy to use than the Humax Foxsat HD Freesat receiver and also the Freeview EPG on the Panasonic Viera plasma telly I have. The features like having the picture on show when you press the button once, and being able to skip to a channel by pressing it's number are simple and obvious, yet not so obvious thay are present on these other ones.
It'll be a real shame when it dies.
Originally Posted by steveclecy:
“This morning I got up to watch the recorded F1 Qualifying, only to find the recording was only 50 minutes long, and ended just as the first qualifying session was midway. I suspect there was something wrong with the EPG, I set it last night as I went to bed, must admit I didn't check the timings, but I fear with what has been going on with the EPG recently may be signalling the end of support for this model......”
“This morning I got up to watch the recorded F1 Qualifying, only to find the recording was only 50 minutes long, and ended just as the first qualifying session was midway. I suspect there was something wrong with the EPG, I set it last night as I went to bed, must admit I didn't check the timings, but I fear with what has been going on with the EPG recently may be signalling the end of support for this model......”
That was bizarre wasn't it. I checked my schedule on Friday and noticed that the quali had been split into two recordings - from memory I think one was 5.15am to 6am and then 6am to 7.15. So I deleted the original schedule that I'd put in (when the quali was on in one slot) and put both of those in. When I came down in the morning (at 5.15 as it happened - new baby woke me so I thought I'd watch it live) the yellow message light was on, and the guide had changed back to being one programme from 5.15 to 7.15.
Looks like human error on the input side to me back at 4TV HQ.
Matt
Originally Posted by Emgee:
“Can I just put in a brief word of praise for the EPG on the DHD4000? I'ts much more intuitive and easy to use than the Humax Foxsat HD Freesat receiver and also the Freeview EPG on the Panasonic Viera plasma telly I have. The features like having the picture on show when you press the button once, and being able to skip to a channel by pressing it's number are simple and obvious, yet not so obvious thay are present on these other ones.
It'll be a real shame when it dies.”
“Can I just put in a brief word of praise for the EPG on the DHD4000? I'ts much more intuitive and easy to use than the Humax Foxsat HD Freesat receiver and also the Freeview EPG on the Panasonic Viera plasma telly I have. The features like having the picture on show when you press the button once, and being able to skip to a channel by pressing it's number are simple and obvious, yet not so obvious thay are present on these other ones.
It'll be a real shame when it dies.”
I totally agree with this post.
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