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Walker (Vestel) WP645TS-HD combo STB 'blanks out' weak but useable terrestrial signal

  • 30-10-2013 10:42PM
    #1
    Antenna
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭


    At a house where a single aerial is passively split this was found to be happening:

    (with MUX1 on Ch 45, MUX 2 on Ch 49)

    Switching from a MUX 1 channel to MUX2 (which is a bit weaker) - often this Walker (Vestel) Saorview Approved STB will play the channel for 3 seconds but then both picture and sound blank-out with just the 'no signal' prompt in the centre of the screen.

    I discovered the following:

    Press the INFO button on the remote BEFORE the picture blanks out - this will hold reception though with the Info OSD in the bottom of the screen.

    Watching that reception over several minutes this reception was break-up free! it proves the box is blanking out a weak but useable signal

    Alternatively- after the picture blanks out double-press the EPG button will result in the picture returning (though the 'no signal' notice remains) and double-press the Mute button will get the sound back (though this process has to be repeated if there are signal fluctuations up and down again)

    Look at the attached pictures. A 0% signal level but with a 30% (enough for reception) or even sometimes 50% quality reading is displayed with the reception on ch49. The 0 for signal causes reception to blank out.

    0% signal strength of course makes no sense if there is actually a signal being received, which there is.

    Admittedly the signal strength is only just above the 'digital-cliff' - with other equipment found to be just 3dB or so above it, but if a weak but useable signal is there it should be displayed (with a brief 'weak signal' advisory OSD) rather than both picture and sound being muted after 3 seconds.

    This Walker STB seems to be behaving like a walkie-talkie etc with a 'squelch' control which is set too high!

    Placing an amplifier before the box solves the problem

    However trying a non-Saorview approved receiver at the same aerial point has an uninterrupted reception of all channels without an amplifier!

    Is there just an unusual flaw with this particular STB or have others found this to be the case?

    Software version is the latest V3.8 if that made any difference?


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