Guide Plus kills Freeview Recorders

Inferno

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Guide Plus have issued the following information on their website...

IMPORTANT NOTICE
For Users in the UK.

Important Analogue Terrestrial Broadcast Information.
In the UK the Analogue to Digital switchover is well underway and due to be completed in 2012. However ITV1 GUIDE Plus+ services comes to an end on the 31st December 2010.

Therefore as from the 1st January 2011 GUIDE Plus+ services will no longer be available on remaining ITV1 Analogue Terrestrial services.
If you are using ITV1 as the Analogue Terrestrial Host channel you will need to change Host channel if possible. Analogue GUIDE Plus+ units have the possibility of using British Eurosport as the Host channel if also using a Sky Satellite receiver. GUIDE Plus+ units fitted with a digital terrestrial receiver may use BID TV as a host channel but some earlier models will not be compatible meaning that in this case you will no longer be able to use GUIDE Plus+ but may use the Freeview EPG instead.
Here is a list of models that have a Digital Receiver but are NOT GUIDE Plus+ compatible. If you have one of these devices you should use the Freeview EPG that is available.
Brand Model
Philips DVDR 7250H
Philips DVDR 7260H
Philips DVDR 5520H/05
Philips DVDR 5570H/05
Pioneer DVR 440HX
Pioneer DVR 540HX
Pioneer DVR 545HX
Pioneer DVR 940HX
Pioneer DVR 550HX/WV
Pioneer DVR LX60D/WV
Pioneer DVR LX70D/WV
Pioneer DVR LX01 (SDVR-LX70D/WV)
Pioneer DVR 560HX/WV
Pioneer DVR-LX61D/WV
Sony RDR-HXD1065
Sony RDR-HXD870
Sony RDR-HXD770
Sony RDR-HXD970
Sony RDR-HXD1070
Sony RDR-HXD790
Sony RDR-HXD890
Sony RDR-HXD995
Sony RDR-HXD1095


In other words... if you own one of the above boxes the Guide plus epg will no longer work and you will not be able to record programs in advance without setting the timer manually.

my advice, if you own an affected box is to contact the manufacturer and ask them to replace it F.O.C. or contact trading standards for help.

Darcy aka Inferno
 
A Friend who owns a Philips dvdr5520h contacted me on the 5th of January because her machine was not updating. After initially thinking, it may have been, “user error” (you have to leave these Guide plus boxes in standby overnight for the epg to download) I tried resetting the box to its factory condition running through the setup again and leaving it until the next day.
It wasn’t until I checked the guide plus website to see if they were experiencing problems that I found the above information. (at this time it is not mentioned on Philips website)
To cut a very long story short I contacted my friend and after arming her with words such as Statutory Rights and Trading standards, I told her to contact Philips….after about a ten minute call and a bit of huffing on the other end of the line they agreed to send out a replacement.
Philips no longer makes Freeview recorders with built in DVD recorder so they replaced it with model HDT8520 which is a High def. dvb-t2 recorder with a 500 GB HDD. And as it does not include a dvd player they allowed her to keep the old dvdr5520h for playing dvds .
(At this point I really should congratulate Philips on the excellent level of customer service they have exhibited in this case.)
The new box arrived about 3 days after contacting Philips and I set it up for her on Friday evening (one happy ending)....Hope you’re Amazed hawkish:proud:


At the end of the day we have known about the digital switchover for a number of years now and most if not all of the above boxes carry the digital tick mark which are supposed to be certification marks to ensure compatibility after the switchover.

If you own one of the above boxes (even if it is older than a year and out of its guarantee period) contact the manufacturer and complain… if they refuse to replace it or repair it then contact trading standards who will inform you of your rights and what action to take.
Please be polite but persistent when calling the manufacturer. Remember it is not the fault of the person on the other end of the line.


Darcy (or inferno until someone sorts my account out.)
 
A bit late on this thread, but just to add that something similar happened to owners of Freeview boxes using the InView EPG system last year: Digifusion, Thomson, Sony and Inverto.

Freeview Digital Tick Fiasco « stuckinstandby

As in this case, many models did have a digital tick. Sony offered money off a DVD recorder (they no longer make Freeview recorders). Although it had to be bought via sony.com and was available elsewhere for less. Beko who took over the Digifusion brand offered £70 but only if the box was manufactured after they took over, ie hardly any. Thomson and Inverto appeared to do nothing.

Shameful waste by big corporations. They should be forced to release the source code if they do something like this.
 
I had the same guide plus problem with my DVD5520h and phoned Philips this evening. They asked for the serial number and my address and then advised me that they would be sending a replacement high def dvb recorder as a "gesture of goodwill". They also said I could keep the duff machine to play dvds.

All of this was offered without me even asking what they were prepared to do. Quite amazing! They are obviously aware that they have a problem with this equipment.

They sent me an email and all I had to do was send them a jpeg of the sticker on the back of the machine showing the serial number.

The number I phoned was 0800 331 6015.
 
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Hi, mate, my uncle has a Philips DVDR 5520H/05 , he cannot record anything, he gets this "no signal" all the time, how can he use Freeview EPG instead as yo mention above?
 
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