How can I set the clock on my Sony DVR?

[NadCixelsyd]

Six years ago, I purchased a Sony DHG HDD250 for my OTA viewing. I
loved it so much that bought I one for each of three televisions over
the next four years. A month ago, TVGOS stopped, so now all the
recordings had to be manually input. Now, the clock won't even set on
any of the units. The only thing it's useful for is to watch live TV
and jump the commercials.

Is there any way I can set the clock on these things? I did get 3-6
years out of these things, but I'm not too pleased with Sony.

[Wes Newell]

Post by NadCixelsyd
Is there any way I can set the clock on these things? I did get 3-6
years out of these things, but I'm not too pleased with Sony.

Don't know if this works. I use mythtv.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/537711/sony-dhg-hdd250-500-official-thread/26310#post_22835797

[Andrew Rossmann]

In article <fcff3f87-77f7-4e54-b993-118088eafee5
@r7g2000vbw.googlegroups.com>, ***@aol.com says...

Post by NadCixelsyd
Six years ago, I purchased a Sony DHG HDD250 for my OTA viewing. I
loved it so much that bought I one for each of three televisions over
the next four years. A month ago, TVGOS stopped, so now all the
recordings had to be manually input. Now, the clock won't even set on
any of the units. The only thing it's useful for is to watch live TV
and jump the commercials.
Is there any way I can set the clock on these things? I did get 3-6
years out of these things, but I'm not too pleased with Sony.

You can find information and manuals here:
http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=DHGHDD250&LOC=3
#/manualsTab
(Alternate: http://tinyurl.com/czk74qx)

Unfortunately, looking at the manual, there appears to be no way to
manually set the clock! Since it doesn't have Ethernet, it can't use the
on-line TVGOS data, which is still available.

[Steve Curtis]

Post by Andrew Rossmann
Unfortunately, looking at the manual,
there appears to be no way to manually
set the clock! Since it doesn't have
Ethernet, it can't use the on-line TVGOS
data, which is still available.

Would it be possible to develop an after-market device like a data
inserter that receives TVGOS (with clock) data from the internet through
an ethernet and/or a wi fi connection and output a modulated RF signal
combined with the OTA signal to the RF input on the DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs?
There's probably some money to be made if this is indeed possible.

Sony, are you listening?

[J G Miller]

Post by Steve Curtis
Would it be possible to develop an after-market device like a data
inserter that receives TVGOS (with clock) data from the internet through
an ethernet and/or a wi fi connection and output a modulated RF signal
combined with the OTA signal to the RF input on the DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs?

Oddly enough that was what I was pondering when I read the earlier posting.

Yes it would be possible.

Post by Steve Curtis
There's probably some money to be made if this is indeed possible.

No, the market is too small and too time limited and the development and
production cost would be prohibitive.

For the consumer, the realistic and enforced option (preferred by the
manufacturers) is to throw out the DVR and buy a new device.

Post by Steve Curtis
Sony, are you listening?

SONY went deaf quite some time ago.

It is increasingly clear that Samsung have stolen SONY's previously
predominant position in the consumer electronics market.

[Steve Curtis]

Post by J G Miller

Post by Steve Curtis
Would it be possible to develop an
after-market device like a data inserter
that receives TVGOS (with clock) data
from the internet through an ethernet
and/or a wi fi connection and output a
modulated RF signal combined with the
OTA signal to the RF input on the
DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs?

Oddly enough that was what I was
pondering when I read the earlier
posting.
Yes it would be possible.

Post by Steve Curtis
There's probably some money to be
made if this is indeed possible.

No, the market is too small and too time
limited and the development and
production cost would be prohibitive.

Chip R & D these days is very cheap. Production could be out-sourced for
cheap labor costs. The market may be small, but it would fill a demand
for those that have older gear (dvrs, tvs, etc.) that relied on
broadcast TVGOS.

As an aside, the current market for digital to analog converters for
older NTSC tvs, vcrs, dvrs, etc., is small, yet it remains available to
consumers today. The same could be said for internet to RF TVGOS
inserters if they were ever produced. Sure, there would be a limited
consumer demand, but it would fill a need for retro gear.

Post by J G Miller
For the consumer, the realistic and
enforced option (preferred by the
manufacturers) is to throw out the DVR
and buy a new device.

Unfortunately, that's called "planned obsolescence" and it exists for
most consumer products.

Post by J G Miller

Post by Steve Curtis
Sony, are you listening?

SONY went deaf quite some time ago.
It is increasingly clear that Samsung
have stolen SONY's previously
predominant position in the consumer
electronics market.

Sony could improve their PR with owners of older gear like the
DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs by offering an inserter "black box" for internet to
RF TVGOS. But alas, I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen
any time soon.

[UCLAN]

Post by Steve Curtis

Post by Andrew Rossmann
Unfortunately, looking at the manual,
there appears to be no way to manually
set the clock! Since it doesn't have
Ethernet, it can't use the on-line TVGOS
data, which is still available.

Would it be possible to develop an after-market device like a data
inserter that receives TVGOS (with clock) data from the internet through
an ethernet and/or a wi fi connection and output a modulated RF signal
combined with the OTA signal to the RF input on the DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs?
There's probably some money to be made if this is indeed possible.
Sony, are you listening?

[...sarcastic mode: ON]

WOW! What a huge and expanding market there would be for such a product.
Probably almost big enough to cover NRE.

[...sarcastic mode: OFF]

[Alan]

Post by UCLAN

Post by Steve Curtis

Post by Andrew Rossmann
Unfortunately, looking at the manual,
there appears to be no way to manually
set the clock! Since it doesn't have
Ethernet, it can't use the on-line TVGOS
data, which is still available.

Would it be possible to develop an after-market device like a data
inserter that receives TVGOS (with clock) data from the internet through
an ethernet and/or a wi fi connection and output a modulated RF signal
combined with the OTA signal to the RF input on the DHG-HDD250/500 dvrs?
There's probably some money to be made if this is indeed possible.
Sony, are you listening?

[...sarcastic mode: ON]
WOW! What a huge and expanding market there would be for such a product.
Probably almost big enough to cover NRE.
[...sarcastic mode: OFF]

Not only the Sony folks, but the DTVpal (and channel master clones) would
appreciate it. I suspect (as another poster more politely put it), that it
would not be a big enough market to pay off.

But then, since the potential market might be a good share of the sum of
the number of { DTVpal + Channel Master CM-xxxx + Sony-whatevers } there
just might be enough, since it could sell more than any of those individual
DVRs did -- and there was enough market for them.

My wish, and probably equally unlikely, would be that the makers of the
DTVpal would make their source code available online, with notes on how to
build a new image, so the programmers in the user community could have it
get the program guide (and time!) through the ethernet connection. That
might also be extendable to the Channel Master units.

All in all, other bugs in the devices could probably be overcome, too.


A whole collection of other devices could benefit from such open-source
software, thinking of my Panasonic blu-ray, the Popcorn Hour c-200, both of
which have applications for displaying online content that have many bugs
and terrible user interfaces.

Alan

p.s. Anyone got the F208 firmware for the DTVpal? I still have a down-rev
box.

[Gene E. Bloch]

Post by NadCixelsyd
Six years ago, I purchased a Sony DHG HDD250 for my OTA viewing. I
loved it so much that bought I one for each of three televisions over
the next four years. A month ago, TVGOS stopped, so now all the
recordings had to be manually input. Now, the clock won't even set on
any of the units. The only thing it's useful for is to watch live TV
and jump the commercials.
Is there any way I can set the clock on these things? I did get 3-6
years out of these things, but I'm not too pleased with Sony.

I recall that with some DVRs that got their time from a local channel,
you could tell them to use a different channel. But that was with analog
recorders, and they seemed to default to the local PBS channel.

I have no idea if such a thing can be set up in your device, sorry. From
the other posts, I would think not.