Hitachi HDR163....problems

[azerby]

My Hitachi HDR163 160GB HDMI Digital TV Recorder has recently developed some faults and I'm wondering if there's a fix or do I need to get it exchanged again. This box is about four months old and was a replacement for a Wharfdale, don't remember the model but the Hitachi is identical in appearance and has started to do the following.

Random reboots which occur both when watching TV and recording or playback of a recording, needless to say this messes up any recording that was underway when this happens and is a royal PITA when you're trying to watch anything. Less critical but nonetheless annoying is the way the box now seems to treat any recording I schedule, for example if I set the box to record, for example, “Minder” on ITV4 which, like a lot of programmes on digital channels is broadcast twice on the same day, my box will record both occurrences even though the program resides in the library after the first broadcast has been recorded, shouldn't it recognise that its already been recorded and ignore the second broadcast?

As an experiment I set a recording via the program guide for a film that I have already recorded and the box recorded it again, it seems to have lost the ability to recognise that something already exists.

Software version is v.12.3 and there don't seem to be any updates available. Any thoughts please. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[clemenzina]

Less critical ... my box will record both occurrences even though the program resides in the library

Good thing it's "less critical" because I understand that that's just the way Vestels treat Series Record. I don't have a working model (my Wharfedale T825 has been duff from new) so I haven't remembered everything I've read about it, but this will give your thread a bump so it may be noticed by our Vestel experts

BTW, the whole post being in bold seems to make it more energy-consuming to read

clemenzina

 

[Gavtech]

BTW, the whole post being in bold seems to make it more energy-consuming to read

clemenzina

Better now

 

[azerby]

Good thing it's "less critical" because I understand that that's just the way Vestels treat Series Record.
clemenzina

Thanks for the response. I dont think that is the case though. Until recently the box would handle series recording correctly in that it would ignore any repetitions of the same edition of a program and if I inadvertently set it to record something that was already in the library it would warn that the recording existed and ignore the record instruction.
As I said, these "faults" have recently occurred, they did not exhibit when the box was new, time for a replacement I think.

 

[Futaura]

Your experiment of recording a film that is already present in the library isn't conclusive as for a one-off recording the box won't bother checking if it has already been recorded, and most likely the programme id will be different anyway (obviously no series id).

How widespread is the problem? If it is just happening on certain channels/programmes it would not be unusual for the broadcaster to have screwed up the programme ids - i.e. specifying different ids for the original and the repeat, causing any recorder to think these are 2 different episodes of the same series.

If it is happening on everything, I'd suggest switching the box off for a few minutes and see if things improve after switching it back on.

 

[azerby]

Just been having a little play and have done the following:

Using the program guide I have set a manual recording for Heartbeat on ITV3 today at 1pm and this is now listed in the timer menu. The same episode is repeated today on the same channel at 5.45 so I've set another manual recording for this episode and this too now sits in the timer schedule.
Up until recently if I had done this the box would have prompted me on entering the second recording instruction that the program had already been scheduled for recording and wouldn't accept the second instruction. I don't pretend to understand exactly how these things are done but wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that these two programs on the same channel would carry the same program id and that this shouldn't happen?
Any thoughts?

 

[Futaura]

Yes, that would be a correct assumption to make, in theory . This is certainly the case here (Anglia region - Tacolneston transmitter). I tried doing the same as you and it would not let me set a timer for the repeat as you described.

Is it only happening on ITV channels? It could be that ITV have messed the programme ids up in your region. Try on other non-ITV channels, perhaps a BBC channel.

 

[azerby]

Futaura thanks for your input so far:

Just tried the same thing on BBC4 tonight, I set a manual recording from the program guide for "Brian Eno - Another Green World" which is on at 9pm, this is now listed in the timer menu. The same program is repeated at 1.10am and I've set this as a manual record from the guide as well and sure enough it now sits in the timer schedule with the first one. BTW I'm in Devon and get my signal from Beacon Hill.

I'm feeling inclined to return this for replacement but just wondering if formatting the hard drive (nothing on there that I want to keep) and doing a fresh first time installation would help.

 

[clemenzina]

I would strongly advise you not to return this unit for a replacement unless you are seriously dissatisfied with its performance. T825s are hit and miss, and other brands of PVR have their own problems - Humax, for example, very often misses the starts and/or ends of programmes, users are desperate for a fix

With my Topfield (MyStuff installed) I have to specify the time/day/channel when I set a "controlled" series record, otherwise it records every instance of the programme throughout the schedule, sometimes progs with only partial name matches.

You have got a very user-friendly PVR which has superb timer reliablility and an unfussy and finger-friendly remote control.

clemenzina

 

[Futaura]

Ok, what about Jonathan Ross tonight on BBC1 at 22:35 and the repeat tomorrow/Sunday at 00:15? If you can set timers for both of those two, I'd recommend a first time installation as the first port of call - this should clear/reset the timers. I say "should" because after doing this myself, I've had timers magically come back after a first time installation - even timers that I had deleted! Failing that, a HDD format if you don't have anything on there you want to keep.

 

[azerby]

Yeah I tried this and was able to put both occurrences of this program on timers

As a result I decided to try the suggested remedy and formatted the drive and carried out a new first time installation and guess what........all the symptoms described above have now disappeared. I've repeated all the timer options that were producing duplicate recordings and I now get the message to say that the recording already exists or that it is already scheduled for recording

Many thanks to you both for your input

 

[clemenzina]

Well, my "advice" wasn't exactly helpful for your problem - but I dreaded you might go from the frying pan to the fire

clemenzina

 

[wpaul699]

PLEASE HELP
I bought my father a Hitachi digital Record he's used it for 3 to 4 weeks and it total frozen when you switch it on it just show AV1 you can push all the button you want but it just shows AV1 unless you turn it of then the time comes up, any one knows the fix, or it will have to go back to those nice people at pvrempire and I dont want to go down that road.
Thanks Paul

 

[Gavtech]

PLEASE HELP
I bought my father a Hitachi digital Record he's used it for 3 to 4 weeks and it total frozen when you switch it on it just show AV1 you can push all the button you want but it just shows AV1 unless you turn it of then the time comes up, any one knows the fix, or it will have to go back to those nice people at pvrempire and I dont want to go down that road.
Thanks Paul

Welcome to the forum Paul.

I presume the AV1 is displayed on the TV?... not on the unit itself... If so, it may simply be that the correct input is not selected on the TV.

Check with the TV's remote input selection button.

If that is not the issue, check that the scart plugs are fully pushed home at both ends.