Topfield PVRs?

[Ext User(PeteR)]

"Fish!" <fugu@tastyfish.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ed80189115a98a598a27c@News.Individual.ne t...
> In article <pan.2006.05.19.04.18.41.252228@nospam.org>, mark@nospam.org
> says...
> > > >
>
> Try PBK auto on Channel 2, I used to use manual time but as you said it
> drifts WAAAY to much.
>
> > To the stations, please just fix the damn auto time!
> >
Why is it that my $10 analogue watch keeps good time to a couple of seconds
a month and an expensive PVR drifts and can't maintain the correct time?

PeteR

[Ext User(mark)]

On Fri, 19 May 2006 16:17:48 +1000, PeteR wrote:
> Why is it that my $10 analogue watch keeps good time to a couple of
> seconds a month and an expensive PVR drifts and can't maintain the
> correct time?

I answered this in my first post above in this thread.

[Ext User(bassett)]

"pu" <leejen666@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:q6Bag.5422$S7.81@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "bassett" <bassett@bassettskennel.com> wrote in message
> news:44025fa9@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
>>
>> "Bernd Felsche" <bernie@innovative.iinet.net.au> wrote in message
>> news:e83oc3x3oc.ln2@innovative.iinet.net.au...
>> > "bassett" <bassett@bassettskennel.com> writes:
>> >>"Netmask" <netmask56NOFLEAS@geemail.com> wrote in message
>> >
>> >>>> The Toppy gurus reccomend using manual time. But, wouldn't you say
>> >>>> that
>> >>>> this isn't a Toppy fault, but a TV station fault?
>> >
>> >>> That's exactly the problem the stations in Oz just don't take enough
>> >>> care
>> >>> or bother. We need better regulation and enforcement of standards.
>> >>> As
>> >>> they say "pigs may..."
>> >
>> >>> Manual time with PBK TAP running sorts out this problem.
>> >
>> >>You know with all the technicial advances, proclaimed over different
>> >>recording mediums,, you would think some bright bastard would design a
>> >>battery back-up supply for the recording timer,
> [rest deleted]
>
> This is why I run an UPS with my setup. But we still get the time problems
> when in automatic. The next TopField should come out with ethernet instead
> of USB so that the time can be gotten from true and tried time servers.
>
but there is a total power failure for 20 minutes and when it does return
all your timer setting are lost, So it makes bugger all difference what
your using a timer in a PVA or whatever, unless you have a battery back-up
or alternative power to run the timer, you will have bugger all, and no
recording.
Where I am, I have a generator , that cuts in after 5 minutes of power
failure, it's worked like that to reduce any conflict with short bursts on
power failure, which do happen.. But any electronics are automatically shut
of when the power fails.
If the recorder had a back up battery, the timer would continue to tic
over, then if by good luck the power was to return before the appointed
program starting, no settings would be lost.
bassett

[Ext User(Anthony Horan)]

On Fri, 19 May 2006 21:37:47 +1000, bassett wrote:

> If the recorder had a back up battery, the timer would continue to tic
> over, then if by good luck the power was to return before the appointed
> program starting, no settings would be lost.

Or Topfield could have spent a little extra when designing their PVR and
included NVRAM to store timer schedules and settings.

Expensive? Hardly. The Wintal/Supernet/Digicrystal PVRs can be without
power for a week and never lose their timers.

[Ext User(tonymy01)]

Anthony Horan wrote:
> On Fri, 19 May 2006 21:37:47 +1000, bassett wrote:
>
>> If the recorder had a back up battery, the timer would continue to
>> tic over, then if by good luck the power was to return before the
>> appointed program starting, no settings would be lost.
>
> Or Topfield could have spent a little extra when designing their PVR
> and included NVRAM to store timer schedules and settings.
>
Umm, the Topfield doesn't lose its timers at all (and can have 70 of them,
find any other STB with a storage that good!). I just figured that someone
was mixed up and meant "time" rather than "timers", so never pipped in.

Here is how it is with the Toppy after a power fail:
1. If the STB was on at the time, it will power back to on. If the time is
set to AUTO, it will get the date & time back from the broadcaster, and
everything is a-ok.
2. If the STB was in standby at the time, it will power to standby. This
is bad, as it doesn't get the date/time from the broadcaster.
There are 2 solutions for 2- run an UPS, or run power hacked firmware that
will get the STB to boot to running rather than standby after a power fail.

If manual time is run, the PBK TAP is a solution that will set the date/time
properly once the box has powered up too.
Regards

--
Tonymy01
--
http://tonyspage.abock.de for Topfield info

[Ext User(Bernd Felsche)]

Anthony Horan <anthonyhoran@hotmail.com> writes:
>On Fri, 19 May 2006 21:37:47 +1000, bassett wrote:

>> If the recorder had a back up battery, the timer would continue
>> to tic over, then if by good luck the power was to return before
>> the appointed program starting, no settings would be lost.

>Or Topfield could have spent a little extra when designing their
>PVR and included NVRAM to store timer schedules and settings.

Why add costs? There are GIGABYTES of space on the HDD.
--
/"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
\ / ASCII ribbon campaign | "Laws do not persuade just because
X against HTML mail | they threaten."
/ \ and postings | Lucius Annaeus Seneca, c. 4BC - 65AD.

[Ext User(tonymy01)]

Bernd Felsche wrote:
> Anthony Horan <anthonyhoran@hotmail.com> writes:
>> On Fri, 19 May 2006 21:37:47 +1000, bassett wrote:
>
>>> If the recorder had a back up battery, the timer would continue
>>> to tic over, then if by good luck the power was to return before
>>> the appointed program starting, no settings would be lost.
>
>> Or Topfield could have spent a little extra when designing their
>> PVR and included NVRAM to store timer schedules and settings.
>
> Why add costs? There are GIGABYTES of space on the HDD.

I guess optus (or your!) news-servers are slow... read my message above if
you can. Basically the timers are stored in flash, and the unit settings
are stored in eeprom. There is no issue with losing timers or settings
after a power fail with a Topfield everyone!
However, the clock/time is a different story, and there is solutions for
Masterpiece and non-Masterpiece alike, please, if you are interested in
getting a Toppy, visit the Topfield forums at
http://www.topfield-australia.com.au
Regards
--
Tonymy01
--
http://tonyspage.abock.de for Topfield info

[Ext User(Fish!)]

In article <pan.2006.05.19.05.38.52.783559@nospam.org>, mark@nospam.org
says...
> On Fri, 19 May 2006 15:24:19 +1000, Fish! wrote:
> > Try PBK auto on Channel 2, I used to use manual time but as you said it
> > drifts WAAAY to much.
>
> I used to use channel 2.
>
> So after all your debate, you actually agree with me!?
>
>

Haha, WTF, you made some comment about how time was being deliberately
misreported to fuck up recordings.

I said that was crap

I said use Auto time on Channel 2, and that manual times does drift.
Not sure where the debate was, or why me agreeing with you on an
unraised topic is relevant.

[Ext User(Matt McLeod)]

Fish! <fugu@tastyfish.com> wrote:
> I said use Auto time on Channel 2, and that manual times does drift.
> Not sure where the debate was, or why me agreeing with you on an
> unraised topic is relevant.

The "stable" firmware for the TF5000PVRt doesn't let you choose
a channel to use for auto-time, so if you ever leave the thing
on one of the commercial networks sooner or later you'll have
the time screwed up.

With PBK, yeah, you can tell it to synchronise to a specific
channel. That's been working reasonably well for me so far.
It's a pity it requires a third-party add-on to do something
so core to a PVR, though.

Matt

[Ext User(Fish!)]

In article <9vg7k3-h0o.ln1@gaspode.boggle.org>, matt@boggle.org says...
> Fish! <fugu@tastyfish.com> wrote:
> > I said use Auto time on Channel 2, and that manual times does drift.
> > Not sure where the debate was, or why me agreeing with you on an
> > unraised topic is relevant.
>
> The "stable" firmware for the TF5000PVRt doesn't let you choose
> a channel to use for auto-time, so if you ever leave the thing
> on one of the commercial networks sooner or later you'll have
> the time screwed up.
>
> With PBK, yeah, you can tell it to synchronise to a specific
> channel. That's been working reasonably well for me so far.
> It's a pity it requires a third-party add-on to do something
> so core to a PVR, though.
>
> Matt
>
>


I was talking about PBK and manual sync to a channel.