Am I going mad - no don't answer that!

I've had a Digihome PVR80 for over 18 months and have been extremely happy with it, so I thought I'd treat myself and buy a new Digihome DTR160.

It's gone back to Argos straight away - and here's why....

NO Padding!

The first thing I did when setting up the DTR160 was look for the padding option - but it's gone. Apparently all new Digihomes now rely "totally" on accurate recording information which is/should be sent out by the broadcasters - but if only they did!

Basically it boils down to "ALL" the test recordings I made on various channels started and stopped exactly at the EPG time, so, for example a half hour programme that is scheduled to start at 6pm, started recording at exactly 6pm on the dot and finished exactly 30 minutes later! chopping both the titles AND LOSING the end of the programme - do any of these Digihome/Vestel programmers ever try out their software!!!!

Why oh why can't they understand that if a programme doesn't receive a signal from the broadcaster to start and stop then you need padding!!!

What is the point of a PVR if it loses the beginning and end of a programme.

So beware - if you buy one of the new Digihomes you will lose beginnings and endings and possibly your marriage too.

Rant over!

Steve

Just to mention that there's a new Digihome DTR for the Top Up TV Anytime service....model number DG250DTRA08

Available in Tescos for £89.97, with a 250GB hard disk.....as this model has the Top Up TV Anytime software built in, it does have the padding feature, called Guard Time

If you'd read the forums here first, it would have saved you 2 trips to Argos . I think you will find that most Freeview+ recorders that support the spec to the fullest work this way - I suppose in Vestel's mind, they are adhering to the spec, so there shouldn't be a problem.

That said, I don't recall having any problems with accurate recording for a while now. It all seems to work pretty well on the BBC, ITV and C4 channels, and channels like Virgin 1 usually tend to stick to their EPG schedule anyway. For me, the benefits of accurate recording far outweigh having padding based recording - on a number of occasions it has saved me, with programmes being rescheduled and starting much later than scheduled (more than any padding could cope with).

I agree that accurate recording is very useful - but why not have padding as well - just to be on the safe side!! That would surely be the best of both worlds for when there is no broadcast data sent!

I also saw the new Digihome TUTV DTR unit today in Tesco but I've read elsehwere that it's a kind of hybrid software of Vestel/Thomson and not without a new set of problems!

Steve

Yes, the Digihome (and the same spec Wharfedale ones in Argos) TUTV units are Vestel T845 based and use TUTV's own software, which is the same as what the Thomson TUTV boxes use, so have the same bugs as those .

Futaura - don't you sometimes find the start and endings of your recordings are too close for comfort? and have you not ever missed a start or ending?

Steve

No they don't.....The Thomson and Vestel units have differing problems....which are both being resolved

I've experienced this with Freeview+....I much prefer padding....progs always seem to start recording late

I used to, but not anymore. If you had a T825 with low power mode, then I understand that this can delay the start of recordings, so I would always switch that off (it's only about 10W difference after all). ITV channels used to be a problem with the start being missed, but since they now tend to include the preceding advert break in recording start times, that's no longer a problem. Which channels did you have problems with?

Even BBC1 and BBC2 as well as ITV1 and ITV2 - all started and finished exactly as per schedule ie no accurate recording assistance! - and a lot of the programmes had the start clipped and missed the end on one or two and ended generally too early ie before the credits. This was with the DTR160 and I can't say I know if it had a low power mode or not?

Steve

Have you checked to see what signal strength you are getting? The reason I ask is that if you're only getting a weak signal then your box may not be receiving the accurate recording signals, in which case the box will resort to using the times specified in the EPG.

I'm pretty sure it's not a signal issue (how can you tell on the Digihome as there doesn't seem to be a way of finding out?) - but I also have a Topfield 5800 which is one of the best dual recording PVR's in existence and that almost never misses an accurate recording mark using the same aerial as the Digihome.

It has padding too of course

Steve

Accurate Recording works by signalling in the Now/Next information. The broadcaster send a signal that the programme is about to start/end. I have only had a couple of instances where the signal has been sent at the wrong time and I've missed something. Both of those were on ITV.

My upgraded PVR160 and as-shipped DTR250 very, very rarely have problems with accurate recording. Lately C4 has been naughty occasionally, I get lots of ads on the front and a up to a minute cut off the end. ITV also shows up to 5 minutes of ads at the start. I wondered if they're putting more ads at the front because they know we've twigged to 4-minute ad intervals to skip during the progs.

parthena

Well my advice to all that need a cast iron system is to buy a Topfield 5800 which in reality now costs only a little bit more than the Digihomes - and boy can you have some fun with them

Automatic recording extensions on programme overruns.
Proper "Intelligent" automatic series/programme recording.
Proper search facility.
The ability to properly transfer programmes to the PC/DVD
AND of course proper pre and post padding.

as well as 100's more apps to install


My Digihome is a great second machine but having been spoilt with the Topfield it has to be my first choice every time.

Steve

The adverts are those which if the programme is running to scheduled time would appear at the end of the scheduled time slot. The commercial broadcasters realise that most PVR owners watching recordings would stop playback as soon as the programme content was completed so they would not see the adverts. To try and make users see the adverts belonging at the end of the scheduled time slot they uses (mis-use) Accurate Recording to place these ads at the beginning of recordings of the next programme so these users are presented with the ads as soon as they start playback. They are thus encouraged to watch them or suffer the inconvenience of scrolling through then searching for the real start of the programme.

Colin

If it makes you any happier (and I don't know why it should), I have similar problems with the straightforward Virgin STB. And all I use it for is to change the channel in time for the programme I'm waiting, but I often find it doesn't make the beginning.

Thank goodness I don't rely on it for recording or timeshifting.

To check your signal go to Menu/Setup/Installation/Manual channel scan. Enter the UHF Channel number one at a time in the box at the top of the screen for each of the 6 MUX's for your region. The signal quality and level are displayed at the bottom of the screen. You need to have signal quality of at least "good" and preferably "very good" to be assured of satisfactory performance on the Vestel PVR's. Ideally a signal level above 70% but at least 60%.

Regarding your Accurate Recording problem it is worth checking that you are receiving Freeview signals for a particular broadcast channel from only one transmitter. I have not seen it mentioned in respect of Vestel PVRs but certainly Humax PVRs get confused if you receive duplicate AR signals. Usually the presence of channels from more than one transmitter is indicated by having channel numbers in the Channel List in the 800 range.

Colin

That looks interesting.

Is any more information about this available anywhere? I can't see it on the Tesco website.

Well it's a Vestel clone, and is available branded as Digihome, Sharp, Wharefdale and Luxor.
There's info about the various models here:

Digihome

Sharp

Luxor

Thanks ironeagleuk.

Hi,

I have been looking for another ONN LEDSTBO705 (t816 with ver 3.7 software), but it is now out of production and asda haven't got any (I can't find a store selling one anyway).

I believe from reading this forum, that the digihome dtr160 is also a t816, but since the software versions for the different makes of t816 are not the same, can anyone tell me what would be the equivalent version for the digihome.

Version 3.7 for the "ONN" machine, is the last version before they removed the padding facility.

This might allow me to buy one off ebay if I know what it should be.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Unfortunately Digihome use the model name DTR160 for both the T816 hardware/software units and the later T825 hardware so they can't be identified by their name alone.

Colin

Thanks for the reply.

If I knew I was buying a t816 version, does anyone know what the software version number was before the padding was removed ?
I have seen some digihomes on ebay and could ask them.

If the digihome packing is like the ONN ones, they have a label on the box showing the model type (t816, 825) and the software version number, plus, I think this is duplicated in the bottom of the actual unit.

Thanks.

Apart from some units branded Sharp, Hitachi and Grundig the only software versions used in production T816s was the initial Version 2.4 on early production and Version 3.7 although there are different builds of Version 3.7 with slightly different features.

My memory fails me so I may be wrong but I think it is possible to add padding on the 2.4 and 3.7 software versions by selecting "Edit" and changing the recording type in the Timers List from "Event" to "Time" and adjusting the start and finish times. In doing this you lose the programme title in the Recordings List (Library). I think it not until the T825 Series Record functionality was introduced that the ability to Edit the Timers was removed.

Maybe futaura or some one else can confirm or correct the above?

To add to my post #23:- Wharfedale have also used the model names DTR80 and DTR160 for both T816 and T825 units. If you can find an Hitachi HDR161 that will be a T816 probably with Version 3.7 software but possibly 3.4. Hitach used the model name HDR162 for their T825 units. Any of the Wharfedales with "LP" or "HDMI" in the name will be T825s.

Colin