New Freeview HD hardware: eXtra Terrestrial Freeview HD tuner

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3438 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#197100 21-Feb-2009 13:25

Hinko: Hi

I connected up coaxial and optical digital sound today. The sound stops and starts, I thought it must have been my optical cable which was hard to click in. (Do they click in, using a Pudney square optical fibre)

Anyway changed to Coax digital and fault persisted, suggesting an internal problem in the digital sound out as HDMI sound is continuous without the pauses which excludes a recption problem and suggests the box is at fault - is this one of the recognised firmware bugs? I am running the latest Firmware 1.05 21 Nov 08

Thanks in advance.

Sadly, yes. If you can, stick with HDMI sound, only switch to coax for AC3 on TV3 if you want, especially if you need to get 5.1.

Hinko

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#197106 21-Feb-2009 13:38

Thanks Bazzer. Sadly the HDMI sound system I have is pathetic, it is not an option, and its only benefit has been to test with! (It is the monitor's 1080p sound system which has no bass or grunt)

The ET can go back as it is still not fit for purpose, even with all the firmware upgrades.

Do the optical Toslink connectors actually click into their sockets? How hard does one push to get them to do so, or do they just sit there able to be easily knocked out? (This is in the ET and a Sony AV receiver and both are problematic)

MrWestie

116 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#197147 21-Feb-2009 18:39

Let us know if you get a full refund :)
TM agreed that his feedback was in poor taste and edited out derogatory comments.
Still have the red face though :(

edit:
I am very happy with my HTPC, XP + MediaPortal
Could be built for sub $500 (less OS)

Jaxson

8042 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#197149 21-Feb-2009 18:42

Other option is to use one of the two rca outs that actually work.

Yes Optical plugs do clip in, and yes both coax and optical are fed off the same signal, just one gets converted to light signal.

As Bazzer says, AC3 5.1 on TV3 tends to work ok with no (or very few) audio dropouts.

cb1

336 posts

Ultimate Geek

#197258 22-Feb-2009 13:35

I've noticed another minor issue

Changing the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 4:3 doesn't actually seem to make any difference, although the full/panscan/letterbox setting does.

I have my unit connected to a hard drive recorder via the RCA composite video and audio connecters and it records in widescreen mode. Also connected to another tv in another room (which is 4:3) and the picture is widescreen format. Obviously is ok on a widescreen tv, but ...

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#197259 22-Feb-2009 13:46

cb1: I've noticed another minor issue

Changing the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 4:3 doesn't actually seem to make any difference, although the full/panscan/letterbox setting does.

I have my unit connected to a hard drive recorder via the RCA composite video and audio connecters and it records in widescreen mode. Also connected to another tv in another room (which is 4:3) and the picture is widescreen format. Obviously is ok on a widescreen tv, but ...

Yeh - its dumb - Changing it under setup doesnt seem to keep the settings.

Use the "Aspect" button (I think its that one). Its on the bottom row of the remote. Press that and you get the TV setup submenu. Change it and it will keep the settings.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#197273 22-Feb-2009 14:49

I thought that there might be some interest in a Q&A regarding PVR availability on a current Trademe auction for an ET box.

Q: When will the PVR update be available? Your websites says before Xmas and we are now in late-February!?

A: factory has told us early march

That Q&A was on Saturday 21st Feb 2009.

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InspectorGadget

208 posts

Master Geek

#197311 22-Feb-2009 17:00

Deev8: I thought that there might be some interest in a Q&A regarding PVR availability on a current Trademe auction for an ET box.

Q: When will the PVR update be available? Your websites says before Xmas and we are now in late-February!?

A: factory has told us early march
That Q&A was on Saturday 21st Feb 2009.

Here we go again . . . .

By Christmas 2009?

Garglo

49 posts

Geek

#197345 22-Feb-2009 19:46

PVR - I have heard that it will be now March09.

There is going to be a COST to it as special licensing is required for the extra MHEG5 PVR extensions. As a special to GEEKZONE members who want this, you will be able to purchase it for $50 but it will be specially licensed to individual receivers requiring to match with your receivers identity number to work? The mechanics of this operation Im still a bit mystified about. We shall have to wait till closer to the time.

InspectorGadget

208 posts

Master Geek

#197364 22-Feb-2009 21:48

Garglo: PVR - I have heard that it will be now March09.

There is going to be a COST to it as special licensing is required for the extra MHEG5 PVR extensions. As a special to GEEKZONE members who want this, you will be able to purchase it for $50 but it will be specially licensed to individual receivers requiring to match with your receivers identity number to work? The mechanics of this operation Im still a bit mystified about. We shall have to wait till closer to the time.

Charging $50 for a feature which has been promised from before the point of sale is going to going to break so many NZ consumer laws it isn't funny.

If they make it clear to customers from now on that there will be a charge for the PVR feature, it will be OK. However, never at any point has there been a mention of a charge for this added feature so it should be supplied to existing customers without charge.

If they are unable to supply improved firmware WITHOUT the PVR functionality, they are effectively terminating support for anyone opting not to upgrade. This in turn breeches quite a number of sections of the Consumer Guarantees Act1 1993 as they are the importer and suppplier and are required to support the product for a reasonable time after purchase.

They are walking a bloody fine line if they try this on.

jonathan18

7413 posts

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ID Verified

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#197369 22-Feb-2009 22:09

I assumeed that post on the $50 charge was being facetious - was I wrong in this??!!

Hinko

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#197380 22-Feb-2009 23:48

That $50.00 joke is bad taste.....

UPDATE - OPTICAL AUDIO DROPOUTS

My retailer tells me they have had only two reliable reports of digital audio dropouts - on named model and brand equipment. Mine is a Sony AV receiver STR-DB1080, apparently the Chinese manufacturers cannot cause the dropouts to debug and fix, they need brand and model names of gear that the dropouts occur on.

People with dropouts, please publish the kit details here so they can source and test gear with the faults....and fix it.... For me it seems to mostly happen on the lower definition channels such as C4.

On this basis I have given them a month to source faulting gear and fix the firmware. I think that is very fair and reasonable.

Anyone else with the issue please let us know here and let Lars at the Freeviewshop also know please, as he talks direct with the Chinese people.

InspectorGadget

208 posts

Master Geek

#197400 23-Feb-2009 07:54

Hinko: That $50.00 joke is bad taste.....

UPDATE - OPTICAL AUDIO DROPOUTS

My retailer tells me they have had only two reliable reports of digital audio dropouts - on named model and brand equipment. Mine is a Sony AV receiver STR-DB1080, apparently the Chinese manufacturers cannot cause the dropouts to debug and fix, they need brand and model names of gear that the dropouts occur on.

People with dropouts, please publish the kit details here so they can source and test gear with the faults....and fix it.... For me it seems to mostly happen on the lower definition channels such as C4.

On this basis I have given them a month to source faulting gear and fix the firmware. I think that is very fair and reasonable.

Anyone else with the issue please let us know here and let Lars at the Freeviewshop also know please, as he talks direct with the Chinese people.

The Panasonic SA-PT460 home theatre system does it regularly on TV6, TV7 and sometimes TV3

Jaxson

8042 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#197445 23-Feb-2009 14:13

Hinko: Anyone else with the issue please let us know here and let Lars at the Freeviewshop also know please, as he talks direct with the Chinese people.

Hinko, check back through the forums, I asked for others to name their gear and several did. Basically it happens with all receivers in my opinion, though of course there's nothing coming to fix this, as it doesn't happen. Anyway I can personally contribute Pioneers VSX-816 and Onkyo TX-SR576. C4 is the best test I think as it's often non stop music/sound so the dropouts are more obvious.

Re the $50 thing, why would anyone pay extra for something that will be based on the problamatic platform we currently have? My clock was out the other day and showed 9am at 6pm at night. Normally the EPG fixes this but the EPG showed programs at 9am! Took a reboot and then an EPG to fix. I don't know if this is a freeview broadcast problem, but I doubt it.

We have audio dropouts on all but the TV3 5.1 shows, drifting clocks, menus that hang, occasional pixelation that gets worse and show 1 frame every 20 secs etc. All fixed by a reboot and apparently not being addressed as an update because it's all signal related, yet doesn't happen on a Zinwell?

Kiwi Pete

48 posts

Geek

#197449 23-Feb-2009 14:29

Again I can confirm none of those problems happen on a Zinwell - and many retailers currently have it for $299.

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