RDR-HXD870 HDD/DVD recorder software update - stuck or - Factory Reset and No Freeview Guide - AGAIN

[MellowNoma]

I have 2 Sony RDR-HXD870 HDD/DVD recorders, but recently, late August 2022 it seems that Freeview have done another upgrade, on 24 August 2022 - "EarthxTV and Celebration TV launches on Freeview and other channel changes", and about that date my Sony RDR-HXD870 HDD/DVD recorders were initially stuck in the (software) UPDATE, but now I have done a factory reset to free the hardware, but the hardware has become unable to load the digital program guide, as I have now had to revert to the option of installing the channels as though I live in France or anywhere else that isn't the UK, as that is blocking the hardware it seems, as it did in mid 2013, and in 2019. This is due to the susceptible hardware built-into the  recorders, and is only a problem due to it. Sony need to get their experts together and resolve this issue ... once again!

If I choose the UK for digital reception then the channels are found, but once the easy setup is complete, and the installation menus have been closed, then the screen remains black, apart from a few brief seconds of a TV being shown that then freezes and goes back to a black screen. The channels do not load consecutively, as the channels seem to skip, so you might first get BBC2, the CH4, or nothing else, then ITV3, then QUEST, then sometimes the TV screen loads a few non-consecutive channels but no picture.

It must be YET ANOTHER FREEVIEW UPGRADE ISSUE that is blocking/banjaxing the TV channel transmission and the hardware's ability to display it.

This needs to be fixed ASAP by SONY - if the data is leaking or being misinterpreted into the hardware then it is due to faulty hardware being fitted in the first place, and it is a manufacturers problem to fix.

[Elodin]

Hey, I followed these steps and they worked fine with me.

Disconnect everything that is connected to the recorder (Even the aerial)

Make sure the DVD/HDD recorder is turned 'on'.

Remove any DVD disc from the machine and close the drawer

Press and hold the "Stop" button, then press and release the "on/standby" button, then release the "Stop" button. The product is then turned 'off' and all settings are reset to factory default, with all potentially corrupt 'tuning' and 'EPG' data removed.

The recorder will now need to be re-tuned and set up following the step-by-step on screen instructions and let me know. I hope this helps.

[MellowNoma]

I've already followed that "factory reset" procedure several times over the years, but it is not making the slightest bit of difference on this occasion, sadly.

[Mooly01]

I also have two of these brilliant machines and for curiosity tried a Factory Reset just to make sure all was OK, and it was. No issues with tuning.

Given that you have two of these (and I assume both are having the same issue) would point to it being something that has changed with the Freeview platform.

Just out of interest which (transmitter) region are you in? It may be useful evidence if more reports are received.

Also, are your machines running the most recent firmware which I think is 1.70   

[MellowNoma]

However, I forgot to add that I am in the Manchester (Winter Hill transmitter) area, which was one of the areas affected last time around that this Freeview corruption occurred to these Sony HDD/DVD recorders

[MellowNoma]

Another factor I forgot to add that you asked about, is that one certainly has the v1.70 firmware installed, but I am not sure about the other one at the moment. However, I really don't think that the firmware is a factor in this matter, as it wasn't in the previous 'corruption' episode of the Freeview data.

[Mooly01]

Interesting as I'm on Winter Hill as well. That's very strange. I assume you are on the main transmitter and not a relay. If your aerial (the aerial elements) are positioned horizontally you are most likely on the main transmitter, if they are positioned vertical it will be a relay.

When you did the reset and went through the setting up process did you select the EPG Guide option. It's not a default, you have to move the cursor down to select that option. Also do not attempt to set the obsolete analogue options. Just select 'UK' and 'Do not set' for those.

[MellowNoma]

I have now managed to work out a way to get the Freeview to work with UK TV stations on my RDR-HXD870, though I am not entirely sure how I managed it !!😳

I had done a factory reset before I got started, however, I tried the short RF lead idea, but that just got me no additional or ANY TV channels to add to my setup. So, I did another factory reset before I got started again, and so I had no channels on my system setup (not showing), so I tried to do  what others have said, and select Digital Guide before I chose Initial Setup, which I have done in the past, and then chose the usual options, English, UK, Search for stations, which, as usual found the correct number of channels, with a few duplicates which it deleted and completed setup.

Then ... the same'ol..same'ol situation, select a TV channel, if you can, as it takes ages to move from one TV channel to another, though you can go from 1 (BBC1), to 2 (BBC2), then 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 are missing, so it eventually tries to load channel 7, each channel displays a channel screen, current programme, for about 3 to 4 seconds then the screen image 'freezes' and goes 'blank' to black. Other channels are missing or work as the others I've mentioned. The TV Digital Guide screen is more of a lilac, and yellow theme colour scheme than the usual blue, and many of the TV programme stations are missing from the schedule. This is the issue I reported from about 24 August 2022.

So, I did I another factory reset before I got started again, and so I had no channels listed, so I opted for Digital Guide once more, but then I put the ususal RF/aerial lead in, and of course it showed I had no channels to display, so I went to Initial Setup and chose the usual options, English, UK, and set another few settings that I usually choose, but did not do a TV channel/station search, I just exited back to what would usually be where the TV channels would display, to what I had expected would be a 'blank' black screen, but then I got BBC1 displaying working as usual - even though I had not done a search of TV stations/channels at that point - so that was weird in itself. Several other channels were in their usual place, but ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 to name just 3 TV channels, were listed in the 800s section, so I went into channel sort and moved them to where they should be, and then I exited that part, and went to Digital Guide to see what that then looked like. So, I had BBC1 as 1, BBC2 as 2, ITV1 as 808, and Channel 4 as another 800 channel, the same for Channel 5, but they were listed and they worked, but the Digital Guide still had a lilac/yellow colour scheme.

I switched the system off at that, happier that I had most, if not all, of my TV channels working again on the RDR-HXD870, even though they were in sort of weird listing/numbering order and the colour scheme was unusual.

Later that day I switched the system back on and the usual blue Digital Guide screen was present, and the lilac/yellow scheme was gone.

I do not have an ideal setp, and it is not working as it should be expected to work, but it is working, so currently I am grateful for that.

Thanks to all for your suggestions, ideas, but none of them seemed to work for me, and I am not exactly sure the process was exactly as I have described/explained it, but it is working for the most part, so I can use it.

Having said that, SONY should never have allowed the situation to get to this sorry state of affairs where customers have to 'pull their hair out' to try to solve an issue that should never have needed fixing by many other adversely, and similarly affected customers having to offer their help to other customers, while SONY employees don't interject, even to offer solutions, whether they be hardware, software or guidance, as none of that has been forthcoming from the manufacturer. SHAME on SONY!

[mikewest]

I have this machine, though I no longer use the HDD function.  Until recently I’ve been using it as a DVD player, but it has now stopped loading DVDs.  After churning over for a while, it says the disks are incompatible and opens the tray. It accepted and played my disks until recently, and I’ve tried several - all with the same result.  I’ve now got it connected to a spare TV for test purposes.  Is there a reset procedure I could try?

[Mooly01]

There is a reset procedure but I doubt it will have any effect on this.

Turn the unit on as normal and wait a minute or so. Make sure there is NO dvd in the tray.

Press and hold Stop on the front panel first and then while still holding Stop press the the Power button on the front. The unit will power down and go to standby. When you next turn on it should be in OOB (out of box) state.

I suspect you have other issues.