[daveinmanc]

Have only just got this little freeview box this last week and was amazed how good it was, worked straight out of the box on an old portable just using the loop ariel on the back! seems to have 'gone off' today for some reason, just comes up with 'no signal/no information available' even though there's now a proper ariel coax going to it.

tried it on a different set and it's the same, the ariel coax's have just gone in today (have added a mast head splitter to have more ariel points around the house) and they are fine on the other tv's for normal telly, and i get the same 'no signal' using the loop ariel on the back of the set.

do all the freeview boxes use the same 'base' to receive from, what i mean is, could this be 'their' fault (freeviews) and not a hardware fault at my end? or does it not work like that? the freeview thats built into the telly downstairs is fine which is even more puzzling . . . . any ideas ???

[Andy.Carr]

The advise is to turn off the AutoStandby feature until your product gets the next OAD.

TVonics broadcast an OAD for the issue two months ago.

With the Auto standby Feature turned off you should not see the issues.

[daveinmanc]

TVonics broadcast an OAD for the issue two months ago.

With the Auto standby Feature turned off you should not see the issues.

thanks for the reply but what's an OAD??? i haven't 'turned anything on' as such if you mean features from the onscreen menu, all i've done is hook it up and tune it in.

dave

[ROYOLD]

Over Air Download. Software updates to various AV equipment are occasionally sent by this method.

Your equipment has to be switched on or at least on Standby for these over air updates. Evidently you cannot receive them if the box is switched off at the mains supply.

This website indicates the dates and times various updates will be transmitted.

DTG :: DTT Receiver Downloads

I don't have this box so will leave it to Andy to elaborate further on this.

[Andy.Carr]

Sorry for the Techy speak.

OAD is an Off Air Download. It’s the mechanism the manufacturers use to update the software in the products after they are sold. The BBC ration the broadcast time so manufacturers can only broadcast every month or so.
To turn off the feature that’s caused the issue you need to select press MENU>SETTINGS>AUTO STANDBY
Set it to OFF, while you’re in the settings menu its worth checking that you have not inadvertently turned the ANTENNA POWER to the ON setting also. That is SET IT TO OFF.
Once your product gets its OAD, next time its broadcast it will mean you can turn the feature back on.

[daveinmanc]

thanks for the replies, i had a look on the link roy sent but i'm none the wiser!

so do you mean that basically i can't get any channels until this OAD has happened?

this set top box is one i've fitted for my mum and she's not the best with technology, i have to explain each remote control to her on a regular basis lol, well she is 74 . . . . she might have been jabbing away at it and changed something by mistake so i'll have to nip round and have a thorough look at it.

[Andy.Carr]

No.

Turn the box on.

Follow the menu settings as advised.

Save the settings


turn off the product.

Turn back on all should OK.

ANdy

[daveinmanc]

even better then lol !

cheers andy i'll do that later then, thanks very much.

dave

[daveinmanc]

well i've just tried the set top box . . . changed the auto standby to off and made sure the antenna power was set to off, no joy? turned it on and off a couple of times and just nothing, still the same as it was . . . . . .

any more ideas for me? the receptions great when the normal channels are tuned in, clear pictures and no interference . . . . . which aint bad for an old black and white set

[Andy.Carr]

Dave,
I have just spotted something in your first post that might indicate what’s wrong. Granda (winter hill) has just switched off the first analogue TV channel, and cranked up the digital broadcast power. If the broadcast power has been increased and you have added an RF distribution amp, and your close to a relay or main transmitter. It might be that the STB input is simply getting too much signal.
Try unplugging the nice shiny new aerial by pulling out the RF feed and use a little portable aerial. If it solves the problem when you retune the box we need to find a way to reducing the transmitter power into your product.

Andy

[daveinmanc]

Hello again Andy,

i've got a spare ariel somewhere thats one of the powered booster types, i'll have to try that but i did try the old loop ariel the other day on the same set and the result was the same

i have noticed since the first day when i tried it on the old loop ariel and it was fine, that now there is a lot of 'white noise/interference' on the channel that it's tuned into and i didn't get that the other day . . . . i never knew you could get too much signal . . . you learn something new every day eh!

it'll probably be tomorrow evening before i can get to have a look at this now but if i have the time i'll see if i can maybe pop in and try that in the morning on my way to work, i'll let you know. thanks again.

[Andy.Carr]

Cool, Let me know how you get on?

Andy

[daveinmanc]

well i've tried agasin tonight and still no joy. tried a spare ariel with a power supply, plugged in and plugged out and no change at all. i've tried to retune the box and its not picking any channels up either, its just constantly searching.

i think to rule out that its faulty i'll take it to my brothers later and try it on a tv he has upstairs and see what happens and let you know.

[Andy.Carr]

Thats the acid test, if it does not work at your brother its time to return the product.

Good luck.

[greeny1]

Thanks for the info above.

I am in a similar position. Bought this box 2 days ago, seemed to work great, but when leaving overnight I get this issue.

Looking on this site as recomended above: DTG :: DTT Receiver Downloads I can see no scehdules for TVonics, in fact there only seem to be a couple of manufacturers on there. Is this site comprehensive?. Can I find out what software version I need (so I know if it's changed etc).

Also would I need to leave the box on perminantly or would manually putting into standby be ok in this instance. (i.e. is it just the auto standby feature that causes the issue). Also I did seem to get this issue even though I had manually put box into standby (I would have thought auto standby would not have done anything in this case?)

[ROYOLD]

The Link you give is the one that any OAD will appear on. I remember seeing one for the MFR250 quite recently.

This is what page 23 of your manual states :
QUOTE:
Software Upgrade
Allows you to search for software updates through your aerial (when
available). As updates are handled automatically by your Freeview box it is
not recommended that you use this option. UNQUOTE.

[greeny1]

Thanks for that.

I may try that Software update option, just to see if it can find anything.

[daveinmanc]

well to update i tried the box on 2 sets at my brothers house 12 miles away, got exactly the same results so i'm at a loss now. all i get is no signal and if i try to tune any channel it's telling me that the signal strength is too low, which is bizarre considering it worked perfectly off an old 'loop' ariel when i first bought it that struggled to receive ITV some days lol.

i also tried the update through the menu as mentioned above, waste of time and now if i turn the box on it's prompting to tune the channels in by default as it's not managed to get a signal so it seems to be in a permanent state of wanting to tune in.

bar getting in touch with digital daffodil (where i bought it ) for a return/refund i don't know what else i can do? that's 4 sets and 2 houses i've tried it in now . . . . .

[daveinmanc]

had another brainwave to assure myself that the new ariel coax's i fitted the other week were installed properly, got another tv with freeview built in and tried it on the leads that i fitted at the house, works absolutely perfectly.

so now i know that it's not the coax's i'm figuring there can only be one line of thought left and that's that i've been unlucky and got a faulty set top box, nothing else at all seems to make any difference . . . . . . i'll make a call this next week to get it back to them but if anyone else has had the same experience i'd appreciate if you'd let me know.

thanks

dave

[Digit]

Different model, but similar problem.

Tvonics mdr-250 problem

[daveinmanc]

well after deciding i was going to be calling digital daffodil to arrange a return i decided to just plug it all in to the set to make sure the reasons for return i would have stated in my cover note were straight . . . . . . . . . .

well, what do you know, plugged it in, it prompted for me to tune the channels . . . . .there was no 'noise' on the station it was tuned into and, not two minutes later, it had found and tuned 112 radio & tv stations lol !

i'll have to see how it goes for a few weeks but it wouyld appear it's updated itself and put itself right . . . . saves me a bit of mucking about so i'm not complaining . . . .

thanks for all the help chaps

[daveinmanc]

Thought i better update this post as the problem of this set top box going on and off still seems to be occuring at randon times - ish - but about once a month . . . . (updats/ time of the month? lol)

it currently shows 'no signal' i've got it set as the previous replies where the auto updates on but if it's updating then it's not doing a very good job of it.

beginning to think it would just be easier if i went out and bought me old ma' a new telly with freeview built in cos' this is just a PITA lol

trouble is she won't part with this old set out of sentimental value but i may have to work on that . . . . is this a common thing that happens with these set top receivers or does it sound like i've got an iffy one ???

[daveinmanc]

This thing officially has a mind of it's own . . . . . just unplugged it for twenty minutes while i posted and made a brew and it's back on with all the channels back in place lol??? is it a requirement to unplug it for the updates to install like a PC?