Freeview HD PVR - Digital Stream DHR8205U

[Anonymous]

do you still need an optical to output 5.1 or have they done an update yet to allow it to output through the hdmi cable?

Apologies for the misinformation! The new beta firmware has now proved that 5.1 is indeed possible over HDMI as it's working on mine as we speak! It would seem Digital Stream have managed to overcome the issues that made everyone report that it would not be possible, so excellent news as just HDMI to amp will be required once the latest update has been released (due end of June).

Do you know if the current option for audio out via "Optical" being retained? I nee that as my amp doesn't have HDMI

 

[professorhat]

Do you know if the current option for audio out via "Optical" being retained? I nee that as my amp doesn't have HDMI

Absolutely, the option for 5.1 over HDMI will be in addition to the existing ability to get this over the optical connection (and I can confirm 5.1 works over the optical connection on the beta update). So no worries!

 

[bob.g]

Prof

Will the end of June update include the last update, or do I need to install that first ?

 

[professorhat]

It'll include everything, so you can go straight from 3.57 (or whichever version you're on currently) directly to new June update (4.12).

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Prof,

Hope you can help. I have just got one of these off ebay second hand. Have i set it up right? rf in hdmi out to the tv? It is not recording when I press record it says "unable to record" when I try to rwind it says "unable to start time shift" is the box faulty? any advice would be more than helpfull cheers.

 

[professorhat]

Sounds odd. Could be worth running a repair and formatting the hard drive. This can be done through Menu > Others > Disk > Repair Disk and Format Disk.

RF in and HDMI out to TV should be fine - are you able to receive TV broadcasts okay and see programmes in the EPG?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I recieve picture, sound & programs on the guide. I tried to repair and format the disk Both times it said no disk to repai/format!! is the HDD removeable?

 

[eggontoast]

Just to let everyone know that there is a new Micom 1.35 update available which disables the front control panel and lights.

You can download it here

http://www.box.net/shared/ga580qa4ghpbozqsa3b0

or here

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VU8O4SR3

It is for anyone who has problems with there digitalstream locking up or you just don't like the red control panel on.

 

[professorhat]

Yes I recieve picture, sound & programs on the guide. I tried to repair and format the disk Both times it said no disk to repai/format!! is the HDD removeable?

Apologies, missed this and have also been on holiday.

You can remove the HDD, but you'd need to open the case and this would invalidate the warranty. Sounds like there is a connection issue on the box - if you haven't already, take it back to the retailer for a replacement.

 

[Anonymous]

For about the last week my HD channels have stopped working although everything else is running fine.

Any suggestions to what may be causing the problem?

Thanks.

 

[professorhat]

For about the last week my HD channels have stopped working although everything else is running fine.

Any suggestions to what may be causing the problem?

Thanks.

First thing to do if you haven't already is run a re-scan of the channels (this will lose your schedules I'm afraid, but you can backup them up first using the Backup tool in the Others > Maintenance menu. However, if this actually fixes the issue, then you can't restore as this will also restore the fault! So make a note of them first).

If this doesn't work, it could be interference from the HDMI lead (I have seen this a number of times on other threads with the DS). This isn't necessarily saying you need uber expensive leads either - ironically it seems some of the ones which have the worst interference problems are high end cables (though I use a Chord and this works fine).

Easiest way to check if this is a problem is to connect up using a Scart cable and see if they then work (obviously they won't be in HD when using Scart, but you can at least see if you're getting a picture on these channels). You may need to run a re-scan just to check (note above on losing your Scheduled recordings). If they work fine on Scart, it's your HDMI lead interfering with the signal on the aerial lead. Try and keep the two as far apart as possible along their entire length and see if this fixes the issue. Otherwise, you may need to make a friend at a local dealer and ask if you can get a few cables to try out until you find one which is okay (NB - it doesn't need to be an expensive lead if you don't want one, just needs to be well screened - plenty of people are using cheap cables that work just fine).

If this isn't the issue, try and get the DS up and running in a different area to see if there's some other kind of electrical interference - try turning off other devices around the house e.g. cordless telephones, mobiles, wireless routers, microwaves etc. If you're friendly with your neighbours, you could ask if they're having issues, or ask if you can try in their home and see if this makes a difference.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for great review Prof, purchased mine Sat from JL, excellent box functions and price

Can you just advise on what is optimal setting re interlacing

 

[professorhat]

Thanks for great review Prof, purchased mine Sat from JL, excellent box functions and price

Can you just advise on what is optimal setting re interlacing

Hi there, thanks, glad you're happy with it!

In terms of your question, I'm guessing you mean which is the best output to choose i.e. 1080i or 1080p? If so, there isn't really one - it comes down to your own setup so I'd recommend trying both and choosing the one you think looks best.

 

[dave_k]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help with this. At the weekend my digitalstream stopped working. I noticed on Friday evening the screen on the box said MICOM UPDATE, so I left it overnight. In the morning the screen was the same so i switched on the TV to discover the digitalstream was stuck on ITV2 or something. I had no control from the remote or the touch buttons on the box. I therefore switched off at the mains, and back on later and the box is still frozen on the same channel, no control from remote or buttons, and only the blue 'on' light is illuminated on the box.

I will probably end up contacting MIT London for advice, but had thought of trying to install the latest updates from the USB drive to see if it can be rolled back. As a last resort it will be returned to John Lewis and I'll try to find a replacement that doesn't freeze regularly!

p.s. this particular type of freeze has never occured before, but on occasions we have lost control of the box via remote and touch buttons and have had to switch the unit off and on to revive it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi I'm a newbie here, apologies if this topic has been covered already.

I have owned this digibox for a few months now, have not really had any problems apart from it not being particularly user friendly, only my opinion.

I have a question about rewinding & pausing tv programmes, a few weeks ago I rewound a programme due to a phone call interuption, I was able to carry on watching the programme, but it cut off at the original time for its end, resulting in me missing the last few minutes & having to catch up on iplayer on the computer.

I can't find anything relating to rewinding tv programmes in the manual, is this a feature on this digi box or do I need to set something up ?

 

[professorhat]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help with this. At the weekend my digitalstream stopped working. I noticed on Friday evening the screen on the box said MICOM UPDATE, so I left it overnight. In the morning the screen was the same so i switched on the TV to discover the digitalstream was stuck on ITV2 or something. I had no control from the remote or the touch buttons on the box. I therefore switched off at the mains, and back on later and the box is still frozen on the same channel, no control from remote or buttons, and only the blue 'on' light is illuminated on the box.

I will probably end up contacting MIT London for advice, but had thought of trying to install the latest updates from the USB drive to see if it can be rolled back. As a last resort it will be returned to John Lewis and I'll try to find a replacement that doesn't freeze regularly!

p.s. this particular type of freeze has never occured before, but on occasions we have lost control of the box via remote and touch buttons and have had to switch the unit off and on to revive it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi Dave,

It sounds like you're having an issue which affects a few boxes if you're getting the loss of the control of the box on occassion. Do the buttons ever appear yellow at this time? This is one of the symptoms. There is help on A N other forums that I can't link to here. If you can't find them through a search, go to MIT as they should be able to provide the fix for this. It involves downloading a new version of the Micom.

 

[eggontoast]

Just to let everyone know that there is a new Micom 1.35 update available which disables the front control panel and lights.

You can download it here

http://www.box.net/shared/ga580qa4ghpbozqsa3b0

or here

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VU8O4SR3

It is for anyone who has problems with there digitalstream locking up or you just don't like the red control panel on.

Do you mean the links above

 

[professorhat]

Hi I'm a newbie here, apologies if this topic has been covered already.

I have owned this digibox for a few months now, have not really had any problems apart from it not being particularly user friendly, only my opinion.

I have a question about rewinding & pausing tv programmes, a few weeks ago I rewound a programme due to a phone call interuption, I was able to carry on watching the programme, but it cut off at the original time for its end, resulting in me missing the last few minutes & having to catch up on iplayer on the computer.

I can't find anything relating to rewinding tv programmes in the manual, is this a feature on this digi box or do I need to set something up ?

Were you recording the programme at the same time? This is the only time I've seen this happen - of course it doesn't sound like you were given you had to watch on iPlayer (rather than watching the recording) so first thing is to check your firmware version (go to Menu > Others > Diagnostics > System Information). As long as you're running the latest (4.12), it should be fine, so this is another one to go to MIT with (contact details here). If you're not, you can download the latest firmware from here.

Certainly this behaviour isn't normal - you should be able to pause and rewind and watch a show as normal without it jumping back to live (as I've done many times).

 

[professorhat]

Just to let everyone know that there is a new Micom 1.35 update available which disables the front control panel and lights.

You can download it here

http://www.box.net/shared/ga580qa4ghpbozqsa3b0

or here

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VU8O4SR3

It is for anyone who has problems with there digitalstream locking up or you just don't like the red control panel on.

Do you mean the links above

Well, that disables the front panel. I believe there is also another Micom patch which still enables the front panel controls, but makes them less responsive - apparently there are some units which have over-sensitive front buttons which therefore cause the unit to become unresponsive (and they appear yellow). This new patch prevents this without disabling them. The above patch was created at request from a few beta users who didn't want the red lights (I think).

 

[eggontoast]

Well, that disables the front panel. I believe there is also another Micom patch which still enables the front panel controls, but makes them less responsive - apparently there are some units which have over-sensitive front buttons which therefore cause the unit to become unresponsive (and they appear yellow). This new patch prevents this without disabling them. The above patch was created at request from a few beta users who didn't want the red lights (I think).

I haven't seen that one....are the links over on the AVforums ?

 

[professorhat]

Well, that disables the front panel. I believe there is also another Micom patch which still enables the front panel controls, but makes them less responsive - apparently there are some units which have over-sensitive front buttons which therefore cause the unit to become unresponsive (and they appear yellow). This new patch prevents this without disabling them. The above patch was created at request from a few beta users who didn't want the red lights (I think).

I haven't seen that one....are the links over on the "other site" ?

Yup, it's there somewhere! Look for FAQs by Peter V.

 

[dave_k]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help with this. At the weekend my digitalstream stopped working. I noticed on Friday evening the screen on the box said MICOM UPDATE, so I left it overnight. In the morning the screen was the same so i switched on the TV to discover the digitalstream was stuck on ITV2 or something. I had no control from the remote or the touch buttons on the box. I therefore switched off at the mains, and back on later and the box is still frozen on the same channel, no control from remote or buttons, and only the blue 'on' light is illuminated on the box.

I will probably end up contacting MIT London for advice, but had thought of trying to install the latest updates from the USB drive to see if it can be rolled back. As a last resort it will be returned to John Lewis and I'll try to find a replacement that doesn't freeze regularly!

p.s. this particular type of freeze has never occured before, but on occasions we have lost control of the box via remote and touch buttons and have had to switch the unit off and on to revive it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi Dave,

It sounds like you're having an issue which affects a few boxes if you're getting the loss of the control of the box on occassion. Do the buttons ever appear yellow at this time? This is one of the symptoms. There is help on A N other forums that I can't link to here. If you can't find them through a search, go to MIT as they should be able to provide the fix for this. It involves downloading a new version of the Micom.

Problem sorted using that no touch Micom. Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction Prof.

 

[professorhat]

No worries, though technically it was Mr Toast who provided the link 🙂

If you don't mind the front buttons being disabled, it looks like that's the best bet. If you would really like them re-enabled, there is a different Micom version that you can try, but it's not generally available. I may be able to lay my hands on it if you're interested though.

 

[se7en]

Hi

This a question to professorhat, i have just got the digital stream DHR8205U after your great review, and after having hands on experience with the humax hdr foxt2 and sonys 500 gb and 1tb, the digital stream seemed the best one both in terms of value for money and ease of use.

My question is i want to record the forthcoming rugby world cup do i just epg it and series link from the first game????

Also i am on the emley moor transmiter and the four freeview hd channels seem dicey signal wise.

I have retuned due to it being the first date for digital switchover in this area, however do you know if on the 21st of sept the second date for emley moor switchover, if the freeview hd channels will be better. Oh i also live in apartment so i have heard of filters on communial areial.....?

Thank you for helping me choose a great pvr and the useful updates on it.

 

[professorhat]

Hi

This a question to professorhat, i have just got the digital stream DHR8205U after your great review, and after having hands on experience with the humax hdr foxt2 and sonys 500 gb and 1tb, the digital stream seemed the best one both in terms of value for money and ease of use.

Hi there! Glad you found the review helpful - need to get it updated really as been a few changes since the last update!

My question is i want to record the forthcoming rugby world cup do i just epg it and series link from the first game????

Yup, that should be all you need to do - though I'm pretty sure you'll need to set a Series Link for the first game on each different channel that is showing the games. I'm not really a rugby fan so haven't set it myself, but this is all I've needed to do for other tournaments and the likes of the Formula 1, so can't see why it would be any different.

Also i am on the emley moor transmiter and the four freeview hd channels seem dicey signal wise.

I have retuned due to it being the first date for digital switchover in this area, however do you know if on the 21st of sept the second date for emley moor switchover, if the freeview hd channels will be better. Oh i also live in apartment so i have heard of filters on communial areial.....?

Thank you for helping me choose a great pvr and the useful updates on it.

When you say dicey, what do you mean? If picture and sound is fine, but the signal strength and quality meters look very poor, don't worry about this. Mine are consistently around the 30% figure for signal and 50% for quality on the HD channels and I've never had any issues. From what I've read, many people get the same as well, so it's not uncommon.

If on the other hand you're getting breakup, it's worth checking your HDMI cable (as per previous answer in this thread). Wherever possible, keep the HDMI cable separate from the power lead. If you're getting consistent issues, try using a Scart cable and look for breakup on the HD channels with this - you won't get HD picture on Scart, but it lets you know if you're getting interference on your HDMI cable if the picture is fine using Scart. If it is this, it's best to get a new HDMI cable with better shielding - this doesn't have to be an expensive cable as some people report no issues with the freebie cable they're using. Best bet is to try a few from a shop which will let you return them if you're not satisfied.

Hope this helps!