New Freeview HD hardware: eXtra Terrestrial Freeview HD tuner

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#220023 31-May-2009 04:18

Just reporting back on the USB pen drive. Faster pen drive tried did improve things, but still not perfect. Stutters and all but not there in live tv. I will try the speed of an actual proper hard drive but at this stage basically do not recommend any thumb drive. At just under 2Gb per 1 hour show it's also better to go hard drive anyway.

My first big recording was the show Lost and it recorded ok but had no sound?! Smaller tests have recorded and played back ok, just with occasional but regular pixelation which I think is drive speed related.

Unit has been similar to before but I've noticed a definite audio delay that gets worse over time after the update. As usual, an on/off at the rear power switch fixes this until the next 3-4 days etc. Will remove the thumb drive now anyway, so will see if this improves things.

Also installing a dedicated uhf aeria/quad shield coax and crimped connections to feed the ET box only with no splitters, so will see how this goes too.

dbcool

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#221110 2-Jun-2009 21:30

If you click here and select the KLite codec pack Full and Media player classic you can play the files back on a PC.
.trp

it looks as though the media plyer has fallen over - but leave it for 1 minute and the file will play

bazzer

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#221222 3-Jun-2009 10:59

As far as I could find here, the only way to get the Harmony remotes working with this STB is to learn the commands manually, is that right? I haven't received my remote yet but just trying to figure things out for when it comes. OT, is there a way for me to start the online configuration early or do I need to wait for the remote to come?

robjg63

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#221245 3-Jun-2009 11:52

bazzer: As far as I could find here, the only way to get the Harmony remotes working with this STB is to learn the commands manually, is that right? I haven't received my remote yet but just trying to figure things out for when it comes. OT, is there a way for me to start the online configuration early or do I need to wait for the remote to come?

If its like the Harmony 525 that I have, yes - you need to wait.

The remote comes with a CD and a USB cable. You install a program and set up an account on the logitech website. It lets you trawl their database for known devices (Dont think the ET is 'known'), but you can create a device from scratch. Basically it creates a template for all the buttons on the remote (as well as user defined ones in the LCD panel at the top of the remote). You then tell it you want to set up from an existing remote. The Logitech remote has an IR sensor in it, and the software tells you what to do. It says which button/function from the template it is up to and you point the existing remote at the sensor on the Logitech and press the buuton. It then tells you if it has detected the code and then moves on to the next function. The software is a bit clunky, but works ok. You will probably fiddle around for ages getting it just the way you want.

I found their 'Activities' (Watch TV/Play a DVD etc) pretty useless. That is supposed to automate switching on the TV, switching on the STB, setting the TV input to the right input etc all into one button function. The catch is that most devices have a power on/off toggle rather than a separate on/off code, so you can probably imagine what happens if you were already watching a DVD, then wanted to switch to watching via the STB using the Activities function. I'd suggest that the Activities bit isnt all its cracked up to be. - My 2c worth.

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

bazzer

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#221269 3-Jun-2009 12:26

I was really hoping the Activities thing would work out well. Time will tell, I suppose. OK, so I'll just have to program buttons for the ET. I thought a lot of devices had "secret" discrete codes that aren't on the normal remote but are in the database. Won't help for ET, but hopefully for the TV etc. At least my amp etc has separate on/off for sure. Now, I need to find the Logitech thing for PS3 that will let me control it via IR. Is it in the country?

Jaxson

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#221281 3-Jun-2009 12:38

First up, Bazzer, no you don't have to wait. Install the software and setup your own user profile. Then start entering devices, one device for every infrared device you can find in the house. Some of these will be in the harmony database, some wont. If it's not there you just pick something similar because you can rename it at a later date anyway.

If you find something in the database it fills in the commands for you but you can always relearn any commands you want, or add any that haven't been included. Then once you have a list of learnt commands, you assign these to any button you want. Be default the devices mode auto assigns the commands to the expected buttons. If you have to add your own commands, you'll then have to assign them manually to the appropriate buttons. Standard buttons are the ones on the remote itself, additional buttons get assigned to the remotes lcd screen.

You can start doing this and add the ET box later when it arrives. Yes you will have to learn these. That's the one thing the harmony database doesn't do, it doesn't let users add their gear to the database. It doesn't take long though, just enter the ET as a cable/sat box or whatever and say you don't have the remote. Then you can tick the buttons you want to learn and start learning. This will take 5 minutes, then just remember that because it was manually entered you may have to manually assign these to the remote. It's good though because you can assign the red one to the record button for use with the PVR update etc.

Anyway, the activities button is where it's at with these remotes. One of mine is called Watch TV and includes the TV and the ET box. You tell it what devices you want, and what inputs they are connected to etc. Then you (and this is one of two key points) have to reassign buttons to the remote for the activity itself. It's the same process as assigning it for the devices, but it's repeated for the activity, and this time you get to select what device command gets assigned to each button. eg, volume is the TV on mine, and channel is the ET box. This is really cool as you're not hitting the device button each time and the remote just works like you'd really want it to.

To switch between activities, just hit the activities button and hit the different one you now want to do, like for me say I'm finished watching TV, so I hit activities and select watch recorded HDD TV. This has the TV in common, so it won't turn off the tv, but it will change inputs and turn off the ET and turn on the HDD. This makes it very quick to switch activities and the wife loves it. When you've finally had enough, you just hit the off key and kills everything open from that activity.

The second absolute key thing to remember is that every device must be off before you start an activity. If you only use the harmony remote (hide the others), then this won't be a problem. If you do find that one was on for some reason, the help button steps you quickly through the activity until you find the bit that was wrong. Easy as.

Takes a bit of time to set up but it's well worth the effort. Also your profile is always stored online only, so you need an internet connection, but it's cool if you lose the remote because you can get another one and download the same program to it quickly.

Jaxson

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#221303 3-Jun-2009 13:44

bazzer: Now, I need to find the Logitech thing for PS3 that will let me control it via IR. Is it in the country?

Not sure if it's here yet but I've just successfully added a usb IR dongle which I got off trademe for about $20. Came with a crap remote which I've learnt into my remote profile so I can chuck the rubbish one away. Does everything I need except on off, but inserting a disc or ejecting it fires up the PS3 anyway so I'm really okay with this.

The bluetooth addon looks cool though and promises on off ability which is great. Even the standard PS3 bluetooth remote doesn't have that.

Oh yeah, forgot to add, if you find any commands that are just a real pain to load and they wont remember or work properly, you can click the custom button and store them in RAW format. Not entirely sure what the difference is, but this has fixed every command I've had issues with in the past.

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bazzer

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#221323 3-Jun-2009 14:51

The budget IR ones don't map all the extra BT remote commands though, right? Like Audio, Subititle, the numbers, the colours etc?

Jaxson

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#221327 3-Jun-2009 15:06

bazzer: The budget IR ones don't map all the extra BT remote commands though, right? Like Audio, Subititle, the numbers, the colours etc?

Correct, it is limited, no doubt about that.

Via IR, you get direction and enter buttons. Play/Stop/FFWD/RWD/Next/Previous and then menu, top menu and Display options. If you want you can map these into the PS3 [] X O etc buttons as well because they are the same.

For me this worked better than nothing as it does give you a lot of the basic functionality that you really need and you can integrate it into your Harmony remote. You can keep the bluray remote somewhere on hand for any additionals but you can't junk the blueray remote just yet!

Jaxson

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#221328 3-Jun-2009 15:07

http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=378079

bazzer

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#221579 4-Jun-2009 13:10

Jaxson: First up, Bazzer, no you don't have to wait. Install the software and setup your own user profile. Then start entering devices, one device for every infrared device you can find in the house. Some of these will be in the harmony database, some wont. If it's not there you just pick something similar because you can rename it at a later date anyway.

When I start the software, it asks me to conect the remote, so I guess I'm going to have to wait. I was really hoping it would arrive today since I ordered it on Monday, but it was only shipped this morning. I guess they'll try and deliver it tomorrow when I'm at work, oh well. Hope I can pick it up on Saturday...

Jaxson

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#222606 8-Jun-2009 10:15

Jaxson:
Area51: Hi Jaxson, the audio stuttering I get is thru HDMI direct to my TV and during normal viewing TV, not recordings. I would descibe it as more like a jumpy or unsmooth audio feed rather than a complete dropout. It might be a micro dropout.
Sounds like poor signal quality.

That really shouldn't happen. Audio is fine on mine, only exception being the clear dropouts on some channels via coax/optical output.

Spoke way too soon sorry. I have been experiencing audio stutter/dropout via hdmi since upgrading to PVR firmware. This has never previously happened to me, with the exception of the audio dropouts via coax/optical outs, never via hdmi.

I'm going to reinstall the pre PVR firmware and see if this fixes it.

robjg63

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#222637 8-Jun-2009 12:13

I'm going to reinstall the pre PVR firmware and see if this fixes it.

I think you will find you cant roll it back - Even the freeviewshop website now says it cant be reversed

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

Buttonmash

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#222641 8-Jun-2009 12:26

[comicbookguy]Worst.. Device.. Ever..[/comicbookguy]

Jaxson

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#222668 8-Jun-2009 13:36

robjg63:

I'm going to reinstall the pre PVR firmware and see if this fixes it.
I think you will find you cant roll it back - Even the freeviewshop website now says it cant be reversed

Serious?! Man this is p$$ng me off now.

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