Bargain Alert: New Ferguson HD DTT/Sat Combo Box - €63 before postage

Moon54

I spend some time messing around with this so I'd like to confirm to everybody about recording.

* When you record a DVB-T channel, eg TV3, you can watch any other DVB-T channel and all the satellite channels at the same time.

* If you record a Sat channel, eg BBC3, you can watch any DVB-T channel while recording.
You can safely scroll through all the channels while recording, the sat channels just appear black until you get to a DVB-T channel.

Basically if you record DVB-T, you can watch anything, and if recording sat you can watch DVB-T.

It's a pretty good setup imo.

philahern

STB wrote: »

Well if you are seeing it on every channel I would looking more closely at the TV's firmware!

Ok I made a recording of utv that was definitely a good bit out of sync in real time. I then opened the recording in vlc on my laptop and it was fine. I'm not sure what this is telling me because I can watch utv with the same hdmi lead and same tv with the htpc without sync issues. Is it maybe a hardware issue on the hdmi out?

Tony

STB wrote: »

So when you hit the green button it only gives you 2 STREAMS ?? ONE of which is Audio Description ?

yep on TV3 at the moment the NAR audio is not running

willyb007

bmaxi wrote: »

Thanks, I've looked at Darth Maul's post but it's all Greek to me. It'd probably be easier for me to rescan or put in a new channel list.

Here ya go lad, New firmware with biuld in Channel List. You mite have to re-scan DTT as it may not work with yours.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9czjk8m8tyv76om

Let me know how ya get on with it.

Kristopherus

STB wrote: »

Forget Tg4 (is that out of sync too ???) I was asking about the BBC HD Channels and the ITV HD Channel ???

You could edit the channel APID and enter the MPEG2 stream should one be broadcast. Is there an option to edit the APID in the manual edit menu ?

There's no option to edit anything only the Descramble by, Save & Exit on-screen buttons.

user1842

Should everyone on here email Ferguson and report the sync issue? The more emails they get the better chance they will fix it soon.

bmaxi

willyb007 wrote: »

Here ya go lad, New firmware with biuld in Channel List. You mite have to re-scan DTT as it may not work with yours.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9czjk8m8tyv76om

Let me know how ya get on with it.

I've already installed the new firmware, will this just overwrite it with the channel list?

Tony

STB wrote: »

You could edit the channel APID and enter the MPEG2 stream should one be broadcast. Is there an option to edit the APID in the manual edit menu ?

You can edit this in the editor but no mpeg 2 stream is being broadcast on BBC HD as far as i can tell

Tony

bmaxi wrote: »

I've already installed the new firmware, will this just overwrite it with the channel list?

Yes

Tony

dmclean1842 wrote: »

Should everyone on here email Ferguson and report the sync issue? The more emails they get the better chance they will fix it soon.

Yes it s no harm, this was mentioned earlier in the thread

darth_maul

Was chatting to a polish customer today and was telling him about the issues with the Polish made Ferguson box which he was interested in. He said as 90% of programs in Poland are Dubbed from some language or another that the sync issue wouldn't be an issue there, that even with programs in Polish that they would hardly notice as they are so used to watching with audio sync out,

Hope ferguson don't think this and take it serously

Tony

darth_maul wrote: »

Hope ferguson don't think this and take it serously

An audio/video test card (like the one BBC HD sometimes run) shows up any sync issues regardless of language etc so they have no excuse in that regard.

willyb007

darth_maul wrote: »

Hope ferguson don't think this and take it serously

Hopefully they more professional than to think that!

bmaxi

willyb007 wrote: »

Here ya go lad, New firmware with biuld in Channel List. You mite have to re-scan DTT as it may not work with yours.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9czjk8m8tyv76om

Let me know how ya get on with it.

Sound job,well done, worked a treat. Did have to rescan DTT but that's no big deal.

stwome01

Thanks for the answers Moon54. Can anybody tell me the following

• Can you only record one channel at a time?
• I assume there is no serial linking.
• Is there a 7 day epg for both satelite and DTT?
• Can recording be set from the epg?
• Can recording be set to occur weekly/Daily?
• Can you watch a recording while recording a channel?

philahern

stwome01 wrote: »

Thanks for the answers Moon54. Can anybody tell me the following

• Can you only record one channel at a time?
• I assume there is no serial linking.
• Is there a 7 day epg for both satelite and DTT?
• Can recording be set from the epg?
• Can recording be set to occur weekly/Daily?
• Can you watch a recording while recording a channel?

For recording more than one channel have a look at #632 in this thread by moon54. No series linking. The 7 day epg is only for DTT but there are issues with it not showing full description. Now and next for satellite. Recording can be set by epg and can be weekly and daily from what I remember.

STB

philahern wrote: »

Ok I made a recording of utv that was definitely a good bit out of sync in real time. I then opened the recording in vlc on my laptop and it was fine. I'm not sure what this is telling me because I can watch utv with the same hdmi lead and same tv with the htpc without sync issues. Is it maybe a hardware issue on the hdmi out?

From my reading of this thread earlier on, it seemed that only the HD stations on satellite where affected and only when connected via HDMI, which would lead me to believe that it is a software issue with the AC3 codec via HDMI. But now I am reading that it is spurious stations.

Forget the Irish stations when it comes to Narrative and English. One is blank audio carrier. It should default to the english language anyhow. There are no other alternative audio streams for the terrestrial - they are MPEG2 audio.

Only the HD sat stations use AC3, but I have read that they have MPEG2 streams as well, as an alternative audio stream. Whether that is the AD version I do not know (must check later at home). If it is just AC3 and an AD then its feck all use as the AD is audio decription on top of the feed. Defo, one of the ITV HD feeds (Granada) is MPEG2 audio (which people have been reporting as fine). This all points to bad software settings for AC3. Using a scart bypasses all this though, but defeats the purpose. It has been a common problem on some sat boxes since AC3 started to be used.

VLC is playing the stream as is ? Arer you running it through TSDoctor before playing it ? Most HD TS recordings wont play unless you clean them up using TSDoctor which rebuilds the PMT etc. Either way it does sound like the problem is indeed at the HDMI, in conjunction with how the software ha been configured for it.

Ferguson in Poland wont be using the TS recording on VLC, they will be playing them back on the Ferguson boxes to replicate the problem. At least I hope they are!

philahern

STB wrote: »

Using a scart bypasses all this though, but defeats the purpose. It has been a common problem on some sat boxes since AC3 started to be used.

Thing is the problem is there in scart also on mine anyway. Haven't tried scart since firmware upgrade though.

STB wrote: »

VLC is playing the stream as is ? Arer you running it through TSDoctor before playing it ? Most HD TS recordings wont play unless you clean them up using TSDoctor which rebuilds the PMT etc. Either way it does sound like the problem is indeed at the HDMI, in conjunction with how the software ha been configured for it.

Yes playing the recording as is. Didn't do anything else.

TheCeltictiger

willyb007 wrote: »

Use a USB Stick and go to "Tools" - "Upgrade by USB" scrool over to "Dump File" and Dump your list to USB. This can be used to reload your list after the FW Upgrade. Hope this helps, If not i have posted a link to a list based on the S*y FTA Channel List earlier in this thread.

When I follow the above steps, I have my personised dump file.abs on a USB stick. I have installed the latest v2.14B firmware without any problem and then installed the previously saved dump file but it reverts me back to the earlier firmware 2.13B.

Is there any way to save your favourites on the latest firmware using a Mac, as the Ariva channel editor is PC compatible only.

willyb007

TheCeltictiger wrote: »

When I follow the above steps, I have my personised dump file.abs on a USB stick. I have installed the latest v2.14B firmware without any problem and then installed the previously saved dump file but it reverts me back to the earlier firmware 2.13B.

Is there any way to save your favourites on the latest firmware using a Mac, as the Ariva channel editor is PC compatible only.

Not sure however i have posted a link earlier today with a link to the new firmware with built in Channel list and Have favourites saved on that too. You could fiddle around with that list then and dump your new list to usb stick. that way you will have a new list and new firmware.

See the problem was I understand that the dump file for old list also dumps the old firmware which is why it reverts to 2.13.

I have never used a Mac so i couldn't tell you how to work a way with the Ariva Editor on one.

Johnboy1951

TheCeltictiger wrote: »

Is there any way to save your favourites on the latest firmware using a Mac, as the Ariva channel editor is PC compatible only.

I downloaded one of the .abs files to my PC but could not view or edit its contents unfortunately.

Like you I am not using Windows so the Ariva editor is of no use.

I have not, as yet purchased one of these boxes, but am very interested in them for future use.

Not very convenient when the editing software is not available for my choice of operating system

Charlie-Bravo

Just started reading this thread but got a little tired after the first 3 pages - here are my questions:

1. what polish website delivers to ireland?
2. what is the total cost including shipping?
3. have all the bugs been fixed in the firmware?

willyb007

astrofluff wrote: »

Just started reading this thread but got a little tired after the first 3 pages - here are my questions:

1. what polish website delivers to ireland?
2. what is the total cost including shipping?
3. have all the bugs been fixed in the firmware?

1. Satsklep
2. Just shy of €83
3. No, Yet box seems fine for some people, me included

channelsurfer2

anyone with the tv3 problem which DTT transmitter site are they using? mine is cairn hill...

Tony

channelsurfer2 wrote: »

anyone with the tv3 problem which DTT transmitter site are they using? mine is cairn hill...

I can see it on 3 Rock at the moment. Ferguson say they are working on another software revision, I've made them aware of the TV3 and ITV London HD issues.

Taltos

Well - just got my new combo a few minutes ago.
Thanks Tony.

Looking forward to getting it set up. Hopefully I will not make too much of a nuisance of myself on this forum - but very excited - quite a bit of interest from my colleagues too so am under pressure to get it working

Cheers

Tony

My pleasure, thank you for ordering. Please do let us know your experience with the box.

Taltos wrote: »

Well - just got my new combo a few minutes ago.
Thanks Tony.

200motels

I can't for the life of me understand how you have to go to all the bother of recording Irish channels with boxes from all over the place. Get Sky for 23 euro a month and record away at your hearts content with 7 day EPG series link and at just over a 5 euro a week which is way less than a packet of cigs or near enough to the price of a pint. For the sake of a few euro you don't need Flash drives or hard drives or anything else which you have to buy in the first place.

Tony

Thats a different point of view but 23 euro a month is forever, a combo box and hard drive are one off costs. Sky boxes come from all over the place too.

200motels wrote: »

I can't for the life of me understand how you have to go to all the bother of recording Irish channels with boxes from all over the place. Get Sky for 23 euro a month and record away at your hearts content with 7 day EPG series link and at just over a 5 euro a week which is way less than a packet of cigs or near enough to the price of a pint. For the sake of a few euro you don't need Flash drives or hard drives.

s_gr

whats the update on new fixed firmware, are ferguson aware of the problem or have they assumed its been fixed??

Do we all need to email them again?