Sony Official Update Thread - RDR Missing Digital Channels

[Catmambo]

Hi everyone,

Just an update on the current EPG issue that seems to be affecting a significant amount of Sony & Pioneer DVD recorders.

Models potentially affected are:

RDR-HXD770/870/970/1070/790/890/995/1095

It appears that something has changed in the way that these devices are receiving EPG data. So we are already trying to understand what has happened and how this can be rectified, realising that a large number of people have been affected.

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Latest Update 22/07/2013 15:41

Sony has been working with the broadcasters to try to work out why this issue has occurred and how to remedy it. With your help Sony has discovered that clearing down potentially corrupt broadcast data (EPG) stored within the machine will remedy this issue.

Whilst we continue to work with the broadcasters, and ahead of any final statement, we recommend the following steps to remedy this issue:

1/.

i). Turn off the DVD/HDD recorder at the mains (ie remove the plug from the wall)

ii). Wait 30 seconds

iii). Reconnect the power.

The set may now work correctly.

However, in certain cases it may be necessary to carry out a full factory reset as follows (please note this will return the product to its original out-of-box 'Easy Set Up' position so you will need to set-up the product as if it were new):

2/.

i). Make sure the DVD/HDD recorder is turned 'on'

ii). Remove any DVD disc from the machine and close the drawer.

iii). Press and hold the "Stop" button, then press and release the "on/standby" button, then release the "Stop" button (ON THE RECORDER, not the remote)

iv). The product is then turned 'off' and all settings are reset to factory default, with all potentially corrupt 'tuning' and 'EPG' data removed.

v). The DVD/HDD recorder will now need to be re-tuned and set up following the step-by-step on screen instructions - Note: Choose "Digital Guide" rather than "Guide Plus" at the relevant stage of the set-up (Guide Plus is no longer broadcast).

In the unlikely event that you still experience difficulties, please contact the Sony consumer helpline on 0844 8466 555 or for more info visit: http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/topics/RDR_HN

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Many thanks

[glider2]

Quinnicus wrote (http://community.sony.co.uk/t5/Home-Cinema-Projectors-Players/Sony-Official-Update-Thread-RDR-Missin...

Ralph E

[jandude]

All's well with my machine now.

Sony obviously sorted it, and quite quickly. So even though their tech support doesn't usually work weekends, they did get it fixed Sunday (for me). So they did deliver a fix promptly. Well done Sony for swinging into action.
Case closed as far as I'm concerned.

[ccarmock]

While I fully understand that the issue we experienced was caused by faulty EPG data from the DTT system, the behaviour experienced on these Sony DVD / HDD recorders is not good.  I strongly believe that they should be more forgiving of corrupt data being sent and not totally fail as they did.

Therefore Sony I acknowledge that these are not very new boxes, but clearly are very popular, and you do not have anything in your range now to replace them, so I would therefore request you consider a further firmware update for the affected models that builds in some tolerence of corrupt EPG data and handles it more gracefully than the current 1.70 and 1.24 versions do.

If it happened once it can happen again.

Oh and while you are at it - maybe you could make Guide (Digital) the default or maybe remove entirely the old non functioning Guide Plus?

Given that you say your customers are important to you I think this is the piece you can commit to do here to prove you mean what you say.

[lenpagnam]

Hi Guys.

I had these problems over the weekend, Glad to say the machine seems to be back to normal as i performed a factory reset and the French trick.

NOW I NEED SOME HELP,

The firmware version on my machine is  1.65, will it be ok to keep it on that version or do you recommend me upgrading it to 1.7 as some people are saying. I'd appreciate your thoughts, I dont want to go through all the reset process again.

Cheers

[ccarmock]

If it's working you may well be ok to leave it.  BUT the reason that the 1.7  firmware came out (and 1.24 for the x9x range) was to fix a problem with losing digital channels.  If you haven't experienced that you are probably fine as you are.

However I did experience the problem so loaded 1.24 onto my RDR-HXD995 and the problem went away.

[lenpagnam]

Thanks ccarmock, I'll do what you say and see how it goes, thanks for the answer.

[JohnLC]

I spent a long while trying to see what was wrong with a RDR-HXD995.  I then thought I would check another RDR-HXD995 and saw it was stuck in UPDATE. I eventually found this meant it was trying to update the EPG.  On removing power, waiting and reconnecting I found it just went to UPDATE and would not respond to any buttons.  I then enquired about a third device (RDR-HXD970) and found it had been in UPDATE but after pressing various buttons it did allow a DVD to be played. However after a few tests it too was stuck in UPDATE. I now had 3 devices frozen in UPDATE. I tried phoning Sony but they were off for the weekend.  Eventually I found that there were references to the problem on Twitter, one with a link to Sony UK where there was the tweet saying there dedicated team was working on the problem. 

By Sunday morning and the machines were all working again. I was amazed to find that the Sony tweet had been removed and there was no update from Sony about the problem and what had been done to fix it.  I found a tweet claiming that the problem was a “/” in Sky’s EPG data.  I guess Sony’s experts did not even know the EPG data was now ok.

I had left one of my recorders with the aerial disconnected. I had thought that without access to digital channels it might not try to update the EPG and therefore would let me play recorded programs and DVDs rather than freezing in UPDATE. But this did not happen yet in the morning it was not in UPDATE.  It knew about all the channels although it could not access any of them.  The EPG was just the list of channels with no program data.

If the problem really was a misplaced “/” in the EPG data then Sony still need to fix the machines to validate the EPG data and only use data it considers to be valid.  Whatever is wrong with the EPG data the remaining functionality should be available including manual timer recording.

Looking forward to a full explanation from Sony (and responses to various messages I have sent).

[SilentPact]

I must say that I heartily agree with all the anti-Sony comments. When I contacted Sony to complain that my TV no longer had a picture they had the bare-faced cheek to tell me that it wasn't their fault and that the blame lay with the analogue transmissions having ceased! When I further complained that they should have foreseen such an issue they maintained that they had and I could use the 'use your T.V.'s digital features' workaround. So now I'm stuck with a set that has only half the functionality that I paid for. I should be compensated, and handsomely at that.

Or perhaps I should accept that technology moves ahead, nobody can see the future, and that things do eventually, sadly, become obsolete.

I'm just pleased that my '870 is back to it's old reliable self.

For now....  

[almarsh71]

Sony is dreaming. I have followed all the suggestions - still no EPG.

Going out to buy a non-Sony recorder.

Appaling public relations

Alan

[almarsh71]

None of this works