I just hooked up this unit and have been able to record a program using our VCR/DVD recorder combo unit. I however can't seem to record a program and simultaneously watch another program. If I change from the channel that is recording to watch another, the DVR will then start recording the new channel that I switched to. Does anyone know how to resolve this issue? The only components that are hooked up are the DTVPal Plus, the VCR/DVD Recorder the TV and the over-the-air antenna. Thank you.
DTVPal Plus Recording a channel while watching another
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That is a DTV converter with one tuner not a Dual tuner converter so it can only tune to one channel at a time. It is working correctly but your expectations aren't, you need to understand what you bought.
If you decide to get a second digital tuner to watch and record at the same time, it's better to get a different brand so you don't have remote control conflicts. If you have SVid connections for your analog TV, something like a CM7000 is a nice CECB. It doesn't have analog pass through, but you have that with the Plus.
1. If you get a second brand, and plan to program both so you can record, get a Zinwell ZAT-950A or ZAT-970A. It isn't quite as nice as the DTVPal Plus, but to my knowledge, is the only other digital tuner with that programming feature.
2. QCK - Since those of us who are buying DTVPal Plus tuners are OTA users, not Dish/satellite users, we don't know what you mean by changing the remote address to avoid conflicts in the same way as on a Dish receiver/remote. Can you explain? I'd rather use a second DTVPal Plus, but currently use a Zinwell for exactly that reason, to avoid the remote changing both boxes.
3. Firmware - Does anyone know if the firmware for the DTVPal Plus has been updated? The DTVPal DVR now has 207 instead of 206, but I've been waiting for the DTVPal Plus to go past F106 to what I assume would be F107? And if updated, how do we get that?
2. QCK - Since those of us who are buying DTVPal Plus tuners are OTA users, not Dish/satellite users, we don't know what you mean by changing the remote address to avoid conflicts in the same way as on a Dish receiver/remote. Can you explain? I'd rather use a second DTVPal Plus, but currently use a Zinwell for exactly that reason, to avoid the remote changing both boxes.
3. Firmware - Does anyone know if the firmware for the DTVPal Plus has been updated? The DTVPal DVR now has 207 instead of 206, but I've been waiting for the DTVPal Plus to go past F106 to what I assume would be F107? And if updated, how do we get that?
DTVPal/DTVPal Plus firmware upgrade
To lar01:
I made the mistake of getting two DTVPal boxes before the 2/09 DTV deadline. Both had an F101... firmware no. I've had technical issues with them, & contacted Dish by e-mail. The event timer won't hold one setting of two, the box keeps turning itself off and on, etc. They responded that no plans were being made to offer upgrades to early version buyers. Besides, these units don't have any connection available to do an upgrade locally. They would likely have to be done by Dish (at extra cost?).
I've since acquired a Tivax STB-T8 with an R232 serial port, but again the manufacturer says this port is only intended for factory use & they presently have no plans for its use (with a 90-day warranty, it's likely useless). I may get a DTVPal Plus (or a Zinwell ZAT-950A) for the event timer to use with an S-VHS VCR. I use an antenna splitter so I can watch one program and record another at the same time.
Since I haven't seen the DTVPal Plus yet, how is firmware upgraded on that unit, if it is possible for a user to do so? I thought I read about an F103... version being upgraded to F106..., but couldn't tell if that was a different box with a newer original firmware version or the same box being upgraded to a newer firmware version.
I'd appreciate any help anyone can give me on this.
To lar01:
I made the mistake of getting two DTVPal boxes before the 2/09 DTV deadline. Both had an F101... firmware no. I've had technical issues with them, & contacted Dish by e-mail. The event timer won't hold one setting of two, the box keeps turning itself off and on, etc. They responded that no plans were being made to offer upgrades to early version buyers. Besides, these units don't have any connection available to do an upgrade locally. They would likely have to be done by Dish (at extra cost?).
I've since acquired a Tivax STB-T8 with an R232 serial port, but again the manufacturer says this port is only intended for factory use & they presently have no plans for its use (with a 90-day warranty, it's likely useless). I may get a DTVPal Plus (or a Zinwell ZAT-950A) for the event timer to use with an S-VHS VCR. I use an antenna splitter so I can watch one program and record another at the same time.
Since I haven't seen the DTVPal Plus yet, how is firmware upgraded on that unit, if it is possible for a user to do so? I thought I read about an F103... version being upgraded to F106..., but couldn't tell if that was a different box with a newer original firmware version or the same box being upgraded to a newer firmware version.
I'd appreciate any help anyone can give me on this.
I've spent half my life online and on the phone with various support groups at both Zinwell and Dish (the makers of DTVPal line). Actually that's not quite correct, since Zinwell support never answers, so you have to email them and wait for an answer. To the best of my knowledge, neither the Zinwell nor the DTVPal Plus allow for the owner to do any upgrades, as dumb as that is. Both have menu choices for doing just that, but apparently, the only device from these two that lets an owner do his own upgrading is the DTVPal DVR. My belief with both, if they'll agree to this at all, is that you have to mail the unit in to them at your own expense (both the packaging and the shipping cost), and then perhaps they'll send you back an updated unit. As I say, the 106 version on the DTVPal Plus or DTVPal has flaws, and they know about those. The main one I keep finding is that it uses the wrong numbers for many of the channels, actually changes each time you do a full reload, but it's livable since if you key in 2, it will give you 2-1 even if it shows 70300-1 or something like that on the screen. From what I've been reading, the new upgrade of the firmware in the DTVPal DVR to 207 from 206 solved that and many other problems, so I keep hoping that they also upgrade the firmware for the DTVPal and DTVPal Plus to 107 from 106.
I find that both the DTVPal Plus and the Zinwell sometimes screw up and lose a programmed in time. I'd caution as others have that if you get a DTVPal Plus as a second device, the remote that comes with either will change both. I asked Zinwell, and they told me that the same is true with their devices, even if the model numbers are different. I'm living currently with the DTVPal Plus and the Zinwell ZAT-970A each connected to a different VCR, splitting the same antenna into both, and then running the outputs from the two VCRs into an A-B switch and the whole thing works fairly well, although it's tempting (if I had the money) to dump the whole setup and just get a TIVO to make things much easier to use. Also, it would be great if I could program by just choosing a show name and having it record all new episodes for a season without any more work on my part, which a TIVO will do. Oh well, $700 versus $0, the choice is obvious.
I find that both the DTVPal Plus and the Zinwell sometimes screw up and lose a programmed in time. I'd caution as others have that if you get a DTVPal Plus as a second device, the remote that comes with either will change both. I asked Zinwell, and they told me that the same is true with their devices, even if the model numbers are different. I'm living currently with the DTVPal Plus and the Zinwell ZAT-970A each connected to a different VCR, splitting the same antenna into both, and then running the outputs from the two VCRs into an A-B switch and the whole thing works fairly well, although it's tempting (if I had the money) to dump the whole setup and just get a TIVO to make things much easier to use. Also, it would be great if I could program by just choosing a show name and having it record all new episodes for a season without any more work on my part, which a TIVO will do. Oh well, $700 versus $0, the choice is obvious.
DTVPal/DTVPal Plus firmware upgrade
Thanks lar01. I ordered a DTVPal Plus from solidsignal. We'll see what firmware version it has when it arrives. Right now I can't test my VCR setup because something jammed up the mechanism--my JVC S-VHS 9800 won't power on, so I have to get that fixed. I've seen other references to using an A/B switch, but I don't know what brand & model to look for. What do you use?
My antenna signal will be split to two converter boxes--the DTVPal Plus for timer viewing & recording and the Tivax STB-T8 (which was advertised one place as having an event timer but doesn't have it) for regular viewing. The Tivax is connected to the RF In on the TV. The DTVPal Plus will be connected to the VCR using either coax cable to the RF In or composite A/V cables to the audio/video In, then to the TV using composite A/V cables. l plan to use the TV remote to change to a video slot for viewing, the DTVPal Plus for selecting the channel to view/record, with the VCR on Channel 3 and used to set up timer recordings. If this setup doesn't work, I'll have to go the A/B switch route. Do you see any flaws in my thinking?
I'll be retiring the two DTVPals I got early on with coupons. I live in Dish's back yard, so I can deliver either box or the DTVPal Plus to them for maintenance IF they'll upgrade the firmware version on any unit and IF they'll honor their product within or even after the very short warranty periods. But that seems to be the real question--there's no external connection to facilitate the upgrade, so they'd have to open the box and replace a chip, wouldn't they?
I'm a couple of weeks away from being to finally test this setup. In the meantime, good luck to you and me.
Thanks lar01. I ordered a DTVPal Plus from solidsignal. We'll see what firmware version it has when it arrives. Right now I can't test my VCR setup because something jammed up the mechanism--my JVC S-VHS 9800 won't power on, so I have to get that fixed. I've seen other references to using an A/B switch, but I don't know what brand & model to look for. What do you use?
My antenna signal will be split to two converter boxes--the DTVPal Plus for timer viewing & recording and the Tivax STB-T8 (which was advertised one place as having an event timer but doesn't have it) for regular viewing. The Tivax is connected to the RF In on the TV. The DTVPal Plus will be connected to the VCR using either coax cable to the RF In or composite A/V cables to the audio/video In, then to the TV using composite A/V cables. l plan to use the TV remote to change to a video slot for viewing, the DTVPal Plus for selecting the channel to view/record, with the VCR on Channel 3 and used to set up timer recordings. If this setup doesn't work, I'll have to go the A/B switch route. Do you see any flaws in my thinking?
I'll be retiring the two DTVPals I got early on with coupons. I live in Dish's back yard, so I can deliver either box or the DTVPal Plus to them for maintenance IF they'll upgrade the firmware version on any unit and IF they'll honor their product within or even after the very short warranty periods. But that seems to be the real question--there's no external connection to facilitate the upgrade, so they'd have to open the box and replace a chip, wouldn't they?
I'm a couple of weeks away from being to finally test this setup. In the meantime, good luck to you and me.
It was posted (screen shots) how DTVPal could be upgraded thru the air, if your local station will carry the new FW.
Smith - I don't understand. Why would any TV station carry Dish's product's firmware? And where are the screen shots?
byu - I tried your approach, but had trouble getting the composite A/V cables to work with my equipment, so I had to go to all RF. Then I tried a splitter with RF in from both of my VCRs, one on ch. 3 and one on ch. 4, thinking that I could just tune to one or the other on my TV but there was too much power through that splitter so the interference made that not workable. So then I went to the A/B switch, just off the shelf at a local electronic place for about $8, I see that it's a "philmore ABBB Video A-B switch." Works fine, with the only catch being that I have to stand up to switch it, can't do it with a remote unlike every other part of my setup. But what you describe sounds logical to me.
byu - I tried your approach, but had trouble getting the composite A/V cables to work with my equipment, so I had to go to all RF. Then I tried a splitter with RF in from both of my VCRs, one on ch. 3 and one on ch. 4, thinking that I could just tune to one or the other on my TV but there was too much power through that splitter so the interference made that not workable. So then I went to the A/B switch, just off the shelf at a local electronic place for about $8, I see that it's a "philmore ABBB Video A-B switch." Works fine, with the only catch being that I have to stand up to switch it, can't do it with a remote unlike every other part of my setup. But what you describe sounds logical to me.
There is a menu item for updates, and the idea was that the firmware would be carried in the PSIP data from CBS (we thought). But it would be a service provided to a manufacturer, and it would of course cost them money to arrange it. I don't expect we will ever see such an update for the CECBs, when they can make us pay shipping.
Here is a company that delivers such firmware updates OTA, UpdateLogic:
UpdateLogic - Firmware Updates for Digital Television Receivers
Also, RabbitEars.info has a page on UpdateTV services, provided OTA via PBS. Trip has a list by DMA of where this is available. Maybe that's why Dish didn't do it for the Pal, it won't work everywhere yet. Here is the link:
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=updatetv
