Twice recently I have left my Topfield 5800 set up for long periods with repeated recordings set up. i.e. record The Bill at 8pm every Wednesday. After about 6 weeks the first time and three the second it locked up and stopped recording.

I am now using the latest version of My Stuff but I was not using it the first time.

To get round the problem I am now using a time switch to shut off the power for 15 minutes through the night to reset the Topfield.

Any comments?

David

In general it is a good idea to regularly switch the box into stand-by, say once a day or once every few days. It will still wake up to make timed recordings. There are some bugs in the standard firmware which cause the problem you describe but the ever helpful Toppy user community have come up with a number of firmware patches to ameliorate / eliminate the problem. Details over on the Toppy user site.

It may help if you say which firmware you are using at the moment with what patches (if any) as well as any TAPs. When you upgraded to the latest version of MyStuff (5.62c) did you use the installer and elect to install the recommend firmware that comes with it?

How disappointing. I seem to have encountered a similar problem.

I set several programmes to be recorded today (Christmas Day). We have just arrived home to find that nothing has happened.

Some time ago, there was a problem with the unit failing to record when on timer. I asked for help on the Topfield forum: one suggestion was to install TAPs; another was to leave the unit turned on. I have adopted the latter option and, until now, this seems to have worked.

When we arrived home, I noticed that the unit was not recording. I tried to access the list of recordings, but this was blank. I turned the unit off for 30 seconds, then on, and found that other timer settings were listed. These have now begun to record but, unfortunately, the programmes I had hoped would be recorded are definitely not there.

I can live with certain 'characteristics' of this machine (unresponsive remote control buttons, for example, which I have mentioned in other posts to the Topfield web site), but I obviously cannot rely on the unit to perform recordings whilst unattended - I am not particularly technically minded as are some contributors to this board, and do not wish to get involved with TAPS.

It is a shame, but I have decided to ditch the Toppy (at least when I have recorded to DVD all the programmes which are recorded to disc), and purchase a more reliable brand. I hesitate to ask on here, but does anyone have any suggestions?!

On the plus side, here we have an excellent discussion forum with many members having much expertise. Unfortunately, I am not into 'tweaking' and other technical matters; I simply want a PVR on which I can rely to do its job.

Wife is complaining hers has falied to record a few progs.


I am beginning to think Toppies are overpriced piles of junk.

I'm getting a feeling I've read this before somewhere.

If you install the recommended firmware from the Toppy forums, you should find the box is extremely reliable; that won't fix the recordings you've already missed of course, but once installed (and updating the firmware is a very simple job, honest), it will prove very stable indeed.

Thanks, nwhitfield.

This is what has been said on the Topfield site, and I shall attempt to install the updated software when I have time. I shall have to look on the web site to find the procedure, but am pleased to hear that it is a 'simple job'!

On the firmware downloads page, there's a guide, written for an older firmware, but the update procedure is identical - takes a couple of minutes at most, after you've installed the Topfield tools, something that is itself more straightforward with their new installer.

I have installed 5.13.65, following instructions on the Topfield web-site, and shall see if things improve now.

Many thanks again.