Pace Twin Software Update

Originally posted by Vassago
OK, now I have the updated software I can no longer play the video recorder without turning the twin off!!! Anybody else had this problem? Before the update I could just press play and away it went and switched over to AUX.

I've just been told by Pace support that you now need to operate the tv/dtv button to allow Scart loop-through, which is fair enough I suppose.

Shame they don't provide release notes...
 
Well at least you can still play the video. It would be extremely helpful if they gave us a list of fixes/changes etc.
 
Is there anyway of making the aspect ratio stay on one position? As in if you put the tv in wide mode, it will stay in that mode instead of changing everytime you flick the channel over. This did not happen with my previous pace digital box and I find it really annoying.
 
Originally posted by Vassago
Is there anyway of making the aspect ratio stay on one position? As in if you put the tv in wide mode, it will stay in that mode instead of changing everytime you flick the channel over. This did not happen with my previous pace digital box and I find it really annoying.

Assuming you are using a widescreen TV.
If you want to force all 4:3 transmissions into some kind of widescreen picture you will not do it on the Twins Widescreen setting which (correctly) shows programmes in whatever format they are transmitted in.

You might get something close to what you want if you use the 4:3 setting on the twin and try the letterbox or full screen options you get there. I suspect that you may have had your old Pace box set up in this way. My old pace box widescreen setting did exactly the same as the Twin.

Regards Richard

Regards Richard
 
After trying out the Twin software update over the weekend, I'm very glad to say that the freezing/dropped frames on playback seems to be cured:clap: However I had another missed recording (24) last night, and as the post above seems to indicate, ther vis something weird going on with the widescreen switching. The problem wasn't there before the update, but I was watching a 4:3 recording with my Tosh Strata TV set to Superlive (psuedo stretch). When I FF'd through adverts the TV jumped back to 4:3 :mad: Very irritating.
 
Someone mentioned this problem: if you have the Twin in standby and then turn on the DVD player that's plugged
into the external SCART, the Twin starts recording (as if it thinks the start time for the first program in the record
list has arrived) and presumably carries on recording
until the disk has filled up or the end-time of the program
is reached.
I mailed Pace about this, they said it will be fixed in the next download. In response to another mail I sent them
about the signal strength problem, they said this also should be fixed in the next download which would be in
about 4 weeks time.

nick
 
Just had this from Pace re recording problems:

'I have been advised that this problem will be addressed in the next download which is due for around the 20th of this month.'
 
Here's another funny that I've noticed twice so far with manually set timer recordings ... the recorded program doesn't show the correct start time in the library ... set it for CSI last week which starts at 21.00, library showed 20.00, and Corry part2 on Monday at 20.30 showed 19.30 .... fortunately both did record at the correct times but if i hadn't checked the content first would just have deleted them and put it down to operator error.

nal
 
re: incorrect times shown on recordings in library

Now you mention it, I noticed this too and had assumed I'd made a mistake. I'll check to see if I can reproduce
it and mail Pace. Maybe you ("nal") could also mail them..

nick
 
Happened again last night, also doesn't record for the full session ie for a 30min program set manually it is always 29mins and varying amount of seconds. Yip nickoh think I will mail them.

nal


ps what address is everyone mailing pace at?
 
Re: signal strength. The Pace DTVA in its original form had a signal strength meter that went from 50% to 100% - 50% being no signal at all. This was fixed in a later update, so the reported signal strength dropped.

If they hade some commoin code, perhaps they just got around to applying that fix, and those of you seeing 20% now know just how crap your signal really is!
 
Just had a mail from Pace saying "we believe we have got to the bottom" of the soft picture quality problem,
and that the next download will "rectify this issue"

The download date is quoted as around 20-June.

Maybe my expectations were unreasonably low, but I am quite impressed that they kept my name on file and sent
this info to me.

nick
 
OK What bugs out of the box are there?
 
fwiw I've put a list of problems that I've personally seen
at http://www.nickoh.com/pace.html

I still think the box is worth having, and given that the first download did fix some problems I'm hopeful that
the other issues will eventually be resolved too

nick
 
Fantastic "diary" of problems Nick, great work, thanks. I don't know if it should be included, but I always thought the lack of colour in S-Video on the Aux SCART was a big issue. It has of course since been fixed in the first download. I also thought that the picture freezing had been fixed by the first download, and if simply playing back a recording it has. However mine still displays the problem when multi-tasking. On Sunday evening I watched a recording of Strange, then before I'd finished watching, the Twin started to record 24 on BBC3, just as I had programmed it to. So far, so good, but when I started to watch the 24 recording before it had finished, the playback showed slight glitches. However these were much less severe than the pre download glitches. On the whole I agree with you though, it's a great product which I'm confident Pace will continue to improve. Let's not forget that the first download also added some new functions (improved timer options), so the way I see it, youve got great gadget that keeps evolving.
 
Can anyone advise how to get this update.
I've tried leaving the box on BBC1 overnight.
I've tried software upgrade from the menu which just says there is no update availabe.
I've checked using the description above that I am indeed on the old version.

I'm asuming that I need an update because at present the Guide will only give me a now and next feature yet the menu seems to suggest the information will be availabe up to a week into the future.

Do I have to wait until the 20th?
 
Originally posted by Roland @ B4
I'm asuming that I need an update because at present the Guide will only give me a now and next feature yet the menu seems to suggest the information will be availabe up to a week into the future.

Do I have to wait until the 20th?

The update was only available for a few days either side of the bank holiday weekend. The next upgrade will be available from the 20th, and when it happens the upgrade box should pop up fairly quickly on BBC channels.

When you press Guide, you will see a list of all channels, but the fact that only the current and next programs show is down to Freeview only broadcasting them at the moment. Future programs will only be available when Freeview (rather than Pace) upgrade this service.
 
Bummer

Many thanks Sunil
 
@nickoh

Helpful web page m8, my reply from pace regarding the following probs if you want to include them.

1. Can no longer edit "All Channels List"
This was removed intentionally, if you want a customised list you
will need to create one.

2. Wrong start time displayed after manually set recording.
We will look into this.

3. Manually set recordings always shorter than preset time.
If you use the feature in the timer settings menu you can add time
to the beginning and end of a program to avoid this problem. The lost minute is due to the disc getting up to speed, we may look at adding a minute automatically to get around this problem.

@2 ... seems to happen more on ITV programs whether that is relevant.
@3 ... Changing the start/stop times via the timer menu doesn't help when the programs follow on from each other on different channels.
Surely like a vcr they must be able to have it up and running and ready to start at the designated time.
Have noticed from cold start the program is usually 22/23 seconds short and for a channel change its 4/5 seconds short ....getting a bit fed up with missed punch lines in the last 10 seconds of my soaps ... lol

I will email Pace again regarding problem 3.

nal
 
Rewind during radio -64 crawls backwards - what a pain

I can see an email coming on
 
gmt steve> I always thought the lack of colour in S-Video on the Aux
gmt steve> SCART was a big issue. It has of course since been fixed
gmt steve> in the first download.

I've not seen this myself (all I do with the aux SCART is plug a PS2
into it)

nal> 1. Can no longer edit "All Channels List"

Not noticed this one either, but had never tried editing the "All
Channels"...

nal> 2. Wrong start time displayed after manually set recording.

This is what I called "Incorrect program times stored on recordings"
in my list, you got the same response from Pace as I did..

nal> 3. Manually set recordings always shorter than preset time.

Now you mention it I've noticed this too but hadn't paid much
attention. But the reply you had from Pace is quite helpful I think.

MartinImber> Rewind during radio -64 crawls backwards - what a pain

I'll have a try with this tonight.

I'll update my web page to include the info above

nick
 
I believe I have identified a problem with the Twin handling of weak signals. I have resolved my problems through an aerial upgrade to the DAT75, which I highly recommend, but if anyone else is having reception problems in a weak signal area, and find that a system reset improves the problem, then I suggest they contact Pace.

I today send this to their customer support:

Hi,

I believe I have now identified the problem, and although I have resolved it for myself through an aerial upgrade, I still believe there to be a fault in the Twin, so please read on.

It seems as if the Twin is unable to properly lock back on to a signal (even a strong one), after it has had a weak signal for some time. I have come to this conclusion for the following reasons:

1. For me, BBC Mux1 was giving a signal strength of about 37%, whilst other Muxes were around 45%;
2. I very frequently experienced reception problems, with the BitError rate meter showing errors - occasionally I would lose the signal all together;
3. I could temporarily fix the problem by resetting the unit, and re-tuning to the signal. I could do this even just after the fault at (2) seemed very bad with no signal received at all. The Twin would then behave itself for some hours;
4. I eventually resorted to an aerial upgrade, but despite then getting a signal strength of 67% on Mux1 and 75% on others, the problem seemed to persist - I continued to clock up BitErrors and to have reception problems;
5. I again reset the Twin, and it has been fine since.

So it seems that despite upgrading my aerial, the Twin was unable to lock back on to that now strong signal, as it had previously drifted off whilst using the old aerial.

Whilst I have fixed the problem myself, it would seem that Pace could improve the way the Twin handles weak signals (enabling it to lock back on, without having to reset), and so improve reception (most of the time) for users in weak reception areas.
 
MartinImber> Rewind during radio -64 crawls backwards - what a pain

I tried mucking about with this but it seems to work OK for me...

When I first had the box, there were problems with bookmarks and last-viewed-marks in radio programmes,
but they were fixed by the first download.

nick
 

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