Sony rdr-hxd995 losing all channels

skbuncks

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Hi, we have a SONY RDR-HXD995 HDD recorder which is periodically, twice this week alone, losing all the stored freeview channels. There does bot appear to be any pattern to iit and there have been no problems with the transmitters that I am aware of.
Anyone any ideas what may be causing it?

skb
 
Have you checked you have the latest firmware installed?

Rob
 
No, didn't realise it could be updated. Looking at it we on version 1.15 with an update to 1.24 available on Sony website. It says the update is to resolve digital channels disappearing so it will hopefully work.
Cheers.

skb
 
I'm finally getting round to doing this as losing channels several times a week. Does anyone know if the firmware update will wipe the hard drive? or will everything still be there after the update?

Cheers
skb
 
I'm finally getting round to doing this as losing channels several times a week. Does anyone know if the firmware update will wipe the hard drive? or will everything still be there after the update?

Cheers
skb

Material on the hard drive will remain intact and unaffected.
 
it will probably affect any timers you have set , so clear the timers , update the recorder , rescan the channels and then readd the timers back in
 
I don't mean to highjack this thread, but would the same advice apply to a Sony RDR-HXD890 DVD recorder. I can reset all it's freeview programmes, but as soon as it's switched off and then back on it has lost all the programme guide contents. Most irritating.
 
I don't mean to highjack this thread, but would the same advice apply to a Sony RDR-HXD890 DVD recorder. I can reset all it's freeview programmes, but as soon as it's switched off and then back on it has lost all the programme guide contents. Most irritating.

Yes. Make sure it has the latest firmware.
 
Yes. Make sure it has the latest firmware.
Have just done that Rob. (needed it too) Still no difference. When I power up and ask for the programme guide I just get a black screen and a message "can not perform this function now."It would help if it told me why not.
 
Have just done that Rob. (needed it too) Still no difference. When I power up and ask for the programme guide I just get a black screen and a message "can not perform this function now."It would help if it told me why not.

use the input button on the top right and press it until you get the DTV (freeview) up

then press the guide button and you will get the 7 day epg up

so its user error - on your part (and its in the instruction manual too, page 61 in my 870 manual)

you must be on analogue tv , or L1 , or L2 instead
 
If you are seeing the digital channels through your 890, you might have selected the wrong EPG.

Press "System Menu" Go to "Initial Setup".
Go to "Basic" Ensure the "EPG Type Select" is on "Guide (Digital)".

Only try this if Ramjet's solution doesn't work.

Rob
 
use the input button on the top right and press it until you get the DTV (freeview) up

then press the guide button and you will get the 7 day epg up

so its user error - on your part (and its in the instruction manual too, page 61 in my 870 manual)

you must be on analogue tv , or L1 , or L2 instead
Thanks ramjet, but I have the recorder set to digital and by repeatedly pressing the input button on the remote I'm given the options of Line 1, Line 2 or whatever programme number the recorder happens to be set on. No mention of DTV.
Rob, yes it's set to Guide(digital.) :suicide: Just to reiterate, I can do the initial setup without a hitch, programme guide et al, but as soon as I switch off and back on, the guide has been deleted.
Your suggestions are much appreciated btw.
 
Thanks ramjet, but I have the recorder set to digital and by repeatedly pressing the input button on the remote I'm given the options of Line 1, Line 2 or whatever programme number the recorder happens to be set on. No mention of DTV.
Rob, yes it's set to Guide(digital.) :suicide: Just to reiterate, I can do the initial setup without a hitch, programme guide et al, but as soon as I switch off and back on, the guide has been deleted.
Your suggestions are much appreciated btw.

the question is , did you use the centre mounted rear aerial sockets which are the digital input and output sockets ?

if you have and you have scanned in the freeview channels , then those channels are DTV and you will also get L1 and L2 when you cycle through them using that input button , and you wont get PR but D001 to D005 for the normal channels , where D is for Digital

when you are on freeview bbc1 (D001), or itv2 or whatever, press guide, and as long as you have set the box for the digital epg like rob said (and not the default which is the defunct guideplus) then you will get the 7 day epg menu populating

as long as your firmware is up to date then it should work properly and survive a switch off

I would start again with a factory reset as outlined in your manual, and also scan with the aerial out to clear all the slots too

then plug the aerial back in and do a digital channel scan and ensure you get freeview, also check the time is set correctly, and ensure you have digital epg set for the guide

then place the box on the freeview channels, say itv2 just to be sure, press guide and the digital epg guide should show

the point here is that if you are on L1 or L2 or the old analogue PR channels then you will get the error message you are experiencing, it seems to me that when you power up its on the old analogue PR channels or its on L1 or L2 causing the failure you mention

ideally you want to select digital channels (freeview) and then switch off overnight, and so when you power it back up again the day after it should power up onto freeview channels and not PR or L1 or L2 as that will result in black screen and your error message
 
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Thanks for that advice ramjet. I will do as you suggest. Revert to factory settings, check aerial sockets and disconnect from the power point overnight. :smashin:
 
The set up didn't survive the switch off/on. Back to error message on start up. The display on the front of unit always shows as Welcome, then D---- whilst on the TV screen.......input.... Line1, Line 2 or D1.
 
You can reset the recorder to all it's factory settings (Page 150):

1.Make sure the recorder is turned on, and remove the disc.
2.Hold down the "Stop" on the recorder and press "on" button on the recorder.

All settings are reset, and the recorder turns off.

Worth a try. If this doesn't work, I'd say your hard disc needs formatting, or it's kaput!

Rob
 
You can reset the recorder to all it's factory settings (Page 150):

1.Make sure the recorder is turned on, and remove the disc.
2.Hold down the "Stop" on the recorder and press "on" button on the recorder.

All settings are reset, and the recorder turns off.
Rob
Done all that Rob (several times)

If this doesn't work, I'd say your hard disc needs formatting, or it's kaput!
I tend to agree.Thanks to you and ramjet for your perseverance.
 
Crosslink to a similar problem. See here.
 
Thanks Gavtech. I've tried all that has been suggested still to no avail. I even amazed myself by updating the firmware. :clap:
I may try making contact with Sony customer care on the problem. As a last resort is it worth taking the thing to a repairer or bite the bullet and buy a replacement?
 
Thanks Gavtech. I've tried all that has been suggested still to no avail. I even amazed myself by updating the firmware. :clap:
I may try making contact with Sony customer care on the problem. As a last resort is it worth taking the thing to a repairer or bite the bullet and buy a replacement?

I would change the hdd inside it as per the instructions in the sticky thread, and use a suitable remote control to format the new hdd (I use a harmony)
 
I'm not sure that replacing the hard disc would help with this problem.

The channel placeholders are stored on an EEPROM... which requires a much higher voltage than normal to overwrite existing contents.

Whether there is a problem with this supply voltage... or the eeprom is faulty or there is something amiss with the tuning software, I could not say ... but I cannot see the hard disc impacting on it.

Given that a few others are having this problem, and it has cropped up before with broadcasting changes, I am inclined to think it is an issue for Sony to look at.
 
I'm not sure that replacing the hard disc would help with this problem.

The channel placeholders are stored on an EEPROM... which requires a much higher voltage than normal to overwrite existing contents.

Whether there is a problem with this supply voltage... or the eeprom is faulty or there is something amiss with the tuning software, I could not say ... but I cannot see the hard disc impacting on it.

Given that a few others are having this problem, and it has cropped up before with broadcasting changes, I am inclined to think it is an issue for Sony to look at.

ahhh , right , thank you for that

I was thinking that maybe it stored the epg onto the hdd like some other boxes do, clearly not if it uses an eeprom for the task

thank you for that clarification as its a new one on me

I know there are some boxes that can also store to usb as well as to hdd, clearly not this box though
 
I am inclined to think it is an issue for Sony to look at.
Which is what I did. There just so happens to be a Sony Europe repair centre near me and I took the RDR-HXD along. They take £26 from you as a standard charge, which is deducted from the cost of the job.
However, when I collected the item after repair there was no extra charge and I was told that it had needed a software upgrade and the charge stood as the recorder was out of warranty.
Despite my protestations of paying for what I thought may have been a Sony problem, I again have a recorder that at least works, Oh, and there is a 90 day warranty on the "repair."
Thanks chaps for your time. :smashin:
 

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