I also bought the Thomson PVR yesterday from Dixons (I know, what was I thinking, but when needs must and new gadgets are available!! )
Very happy with the picture quality but also had the bug that swapshop found with the unit locking up with a message on screen when recording two programmes at the same time and accessing the menu - this is easily replicated so I feel this needs to be sorted asap!
I was on a bit of a long day at work yesterday and didn't get home until 0315 this morning so plugged the box up immediately (yes, how sad am I) and it came up with a message that the box needed to download new software and/or EPG data (standard message so probably no new software!) and gave me a count down timer for when it was going to start with an option to cancel, I let this proceed and the box put itself into standby mode then brought up a message saying what it was up to - for all your information I can let you know that it dows use the 4TVinteractive EPG because it states that info on the screen when it's downloading :-)
It seemed to take quite a long time but this maybe because it needed to download everything for the full 7 days. Eventually a message came up saying 'download complete' so I waited a few mins and nothing happened, so being impatient I started pressing buttons on the remote! The unit turned on but it looks like I had interupted the guide data being sorted as on most channels I get a message saying 'no information available'.
At that point I went to bed as still had to be in work at 0900 this morning! Had a quick look before I left home but the EPG was in the same state as when I went to bed, the moral of this story being don't be impatient!! :-)
I have been a long term TiVo owner (early adopter there as well) and find this PVR very interesting as an addition to the TiVo but do not feel it will replace it but most likely will use it to record from the channels available to Freeview and use my TiVo for the chanels only available on Cable. Haven't seen any option for repeat recordings or season passes yet so would very much like that as an update to the software but as I have not had chance to play with this fully I might be wrong about this!
Hope this message makes sense and reads OK as my mind is in a bit of a muddle through lack of sleep!! :yawn:
Thats what i suspected. 4tv epg from mux D. dammit looks like ill have to give this box a miss unless i dont mind not getting the epg during the summer months (see my earlier post).
Thats what i suspected. 4tv epg from mux D. dammit looks like ill have to give this box a miss unless i dont mind not getting the epg during the summer months (see my earlier post).
oh well
riko
How do I know which MUX I am on - being in Lincolnshire it may not have this feature!!?
704 (the 4tv epg channel) is always broadcast on mux D (there are 6 mux's altogether see Digitalspys mux line up page), this mux also contains the hits, tmf, ideal world, uktv bright ideas, FTN. If you can recieve those channels you can get mux D so should have no problem reciveing the 4tv epg.
Thomson number (from Michael's pictures) 01788 541 970
But I also have a couple of numbers from the PR man, 0870 010 7974 or 01788 570264 - they could just be for general DTT problems.
If you don't get success PM me as I have 4 Thomson email addresses - real people - who may be able to help.
Quick update to the above.
0870 010 7974 - only for aeriel enquiries
01788 541 970 - GTS Intermedia Services Ltd (not there at lunchtime) and presumably providing support/helpdesk for Thomson.
01788 570 264 - another GTS Intermedia Services no. Call before 12:30pm, or after 1:30pm.
I guess by looking at the guide and the various 4tv and gemplus web sites?!? But Teeps has said he feels like it is the 4tv one...
It's definately the 4TV one, even came up with a web link on screen (which I was not awake enough to have the sense to write down) for more information.
It says the guide data is available for download between 0300-0400 so if anyone wants to sit up tonight and watch they are most welcome - I don't intend on being awake at that time tonight!!
If anyone intends on doing this I suggest that you leave your box unplugged until you are watching because this info does not stay on screen for a long time. This way you should be able to watch what's happening without having to sit there for ages waiting, my box went into this mode within 1 min of plugging it in :-)
the 4tv website is www.4tv.net. I cant actually see it at the moment as im at uni and the library computers dont have flash installed. But from what i remember the site isnt extremely helpful.
the 4tv website is www.4tv.net. I cant actually see it at the moment as im at uni and the library computers dont have flash installed. But from what i remember the site isnt extremely help.
riko
Nah it aint much kop - gives you a fluffy introduction but not much else about the nitty gritty stuff.
This has put me in limbo a bit - buy the Thomson as its out now and comes from a reliable company (from a TIVO point of view anyway) or wait for the Fusion which looks better but is a little unknown company and has already been delayed over 6 months.
the 4tv website is www.4tv.net. I cant actually see it at the moment as im at uni and the library computers dont have flash installed. But from what i remember the site isnt extremely help.
Just tried looking at that myself - I'm sure it was a different weblink to that - it had an extension from the domain page too!!
Hope I wasn't dreaming!
If some strange twist of fate means I'm working very late again tonight I will look again but not intending too!!
Teeps, I wonder if the first update is a software one, and the second allows it to actually handle the 7 -day EPG. My Thomson had no EPG at all this morning either for a couple of minutes and had to reload the now and next. I suppose I will find out tomorrow. The box did not lose any of the recordings I had already made which was reassuring. Even the bug with the two tuners did not lock the box permanently, just released it when one recording had finished - it seems a stable device.
FYI - for people who are thinking of getting one - the recordings also generate thumbnails of the program allowing you to move around in a similar to the chapters on a DVD which is neat.
Since I am getting the Crystal Palace feed too, I hope tomorrow the 7 day EPG will work.
One thing I forgot to mention......there seems to be a bug with the 'Reminder' function, on my Thomson. When I try to set a reminder for a next show let's say at 3pm (and it's now 2.35pm), the prompt comes up saying you've set the reminder for a '....' show starting at 2pm...press red to watch now or yellow to cancel. It always seems to be -1 hr when displaying the reminder time.
Has anyone experienced a similar issue? I have not checked it today - since getting the 7 day EPG.
If there was a software update I don't think it stopped the EPG download - I think it was me who messed that bit up as if I look in the calendar the next 7 days are in white (signifying I have EPG data for those days) and if I look at the EPG I now have more than 'now & next' available as programme times but the programme info wasnt available
Teeps, I wonder if the first update is a software one, and the second allows it to actually handle the 7 -day EPG. My Thomson had no EPG at all this morning either for a couple of minutes and had to reload the now and next. I suppose I will find out tomorrow. The box did not lose any of the recordings I had already made which was reassuring. Even the bug with the two tuners did not lock the box permanently, just released it when one recording had finished - it seems a stable device.
FYI - for people who are thinking of getting one - the recordings also generate thumbnails of the program allowing you to move around in a similar to the chapters on a DVD which is neat.
Since I am getting the Crystal Palace feed too, I hope tomorrow the 7 day EPG will work.
I must commend jswift909 on his website, it really is very informative. Where did you get the spec sheet?
Got it from a chap called David English - who is a Thomson PR man. I asked about details on their web site, e.g. why weren't there any, and about manuals, etc. quite a while ago - Feb/March I think.
It always seems to be -1 hr when displaying the reminder time.
QUOTE]
Sounds like it is not taking account of BST and is running at GMT ?
'tiz the French. Thomson is essentially based in France, as are Netgem. When I used to have to call France I had to remember they would be leaving an hour before I would.
A bit of an oversight then!! How do we feed back these issues to Thomson?
Well, I'd imagine by the telephone numbers above, firstly. However, I emailed David English at Thomson this morning just to see if they would be prepared to provide a support email address, or named contact who people would be able to feed problems and ideas back to. It is entirely in Thomson's best interests to fix the problems, and to make their product the best. I had a similar experience with Netgem, who now have exceptional customer care, forums, beta progammes, etc. I have three other contacts, one of which is, I believe, a European Product Manager - but lets keep these in reserve.
Comments
Very happy with the picture quality but also had the bug that swapshop found with the unit locking up with a message on screen when recording two programmes at the same time and accessing the menu - this is easily replicated so I feel this needs to be sorted asap!
I was on a bit of a long day at work yesterday and didn't get home until 0315 this morning so plugged the box up immediately (yes, how sad am I) and it came up with a message that the box needed to download new software and/or EPG data (standard message so probably no new software!) and gave me a count down timer for when it was going to start with an option to cancel, I let this proceed and the box put itself into standby mode then brought up a message saying what it was up to - for all your information I can let you know that it dows use the 4TVinteractive EPG because it states that info on the screen when it's downloading :-)
It seemed to take quite a long time but this maybe because it needed to download everything for the full 7 days. Eventually a message came up saying 'download complete' so I waited a few mins and nothing happened, so being impatient I started pressing buttons on the remote! The unit turned on but it looks like I had interupted the guide data being sorted as on most channels I get a message saying 'no information available'.
At that point I went to bed as still had to be in work at 0900 this morning! Had a quick look before I left home but the EPG was in the same state as when I went to bed, the moral of this story being don't be impatient!! :-)
I have been a long term TiVo owner (early adopter there as well) and find this PVR very interesting as an addition to the TiVo but do not feel it will replace it but most likely will use it to record from the channels available to Freeview and use my TiVo for the chanels only available on Cable. Haven't seen any option for repeat recordings or season passes yet so would very much like that as an update to the software but as I have not had chance to play with this fully I might be wrong about this!
Hope this message makes sense and reads OK as my mind is in a bit of a muddle through lack of sleep!! :yawn:
oh well
riko
I guess by looking at the guide and the various 4tv and gemplus web sites?!? But Teeps has said he feels like it is the 4tv one...
How do I know which MUX I am on - being in Lincolnshire it may not have this feature!!?
Quick update to the above.
0870 010 7974 - only for aeriel enquiries
01788 541 970 - GTS Intermedia Services Ltd (not there at lunchtime) and presumably providing support/helpdesk for Thomson.
01788 570 264 - another GTS Intermedia Services no. Call before 12:30pm, or after 1:30pm.
It's definately the 4TV one, even came up with a web link on screen (which I was not awake enough to have the sense to write down) for more information.
It says the guide data is available for download between 0300-0400 so if anyone wants to sit up tonight and watch they are most welcome - I don't intend on being awake at that time tonight!!
If anyone intends on doing this I suggest that you leave your box unplugged until you are watching because this info does not stay on screen for a long time. This way you should be able to watch what's happening without having to sit there for ages waiting, my box went into this mode within 1 min of plugging it in :-)
riko
Nah it aint much kop - gives you a fluffy introduction but not much else about the nitty gritty stuff.
This has put me in limbo a bit - buy the Thomson as its out now and comes from a reliable company (from a TIVO point of view anyway) or wait for the Fusion which looks better but is a little unknown company and has already been delayed over 6 months.
Just tried looking at that myself - I'm sure it was a different weblink to that - it had an extension from the domain page too!!
Hope I wasn't dreaming!
If some strange twist of fate means I'm working very late again tonight I will look again but not intending too!!
Oops. Posted this whilst reading page 3, didn't spot there were more posts!
I don't suppose the Thomson box this has a card slot on it for TopupTV?
Afraid Not :-(
Software version 0.31.0 sounds like a beta version to me, perhaps 1.0 is around the corner.
RF modulator - nice (my TV has not scarts).
FYI - for people who are thinking of getting one - the recordings also generate thumbnails of the program allowing you to move around in a similar to the chapters on a DVD which is neat.
Since I am getting the Crystal Palace feed too, I hope tomorrow the 7 day EPG will work.
Has anyone experienced a similar issue? I have not checked it today - since getting the 7 day EPG.