Any suggestions for a freeview box that doesn't auto shutdown?

[tivofromdayone]

For the past two years I have had a Ferguson freeview box connected to Tivo with no problems at all. Recently though, the box updated itself on the sly and now insists on shutting down at around 3 am every morning to try and download an EPG. Complaints to ferguson were no help, their advice to 'go to the setup option and set the guide back to previous settings' was useless as the guide part of the setup has been greyed out and unselectable since it updated. They say their engineers are working on an option to override the shutdown, but it doesnt help with 'now and again', 'millenium', 'the professionals' and anything else that no longer records in the early hours. Apart from irritating me, it is giving my missis the prime excuse to ditch tivo in favour of SKY+, and the switch off problem is beginning to make even me consider it as an option, and I am diehard Tivo.

The biggest irritation with the ferguson is the 'your machine needs to go into standby to download the (useless to a tivo owner) EPG, press any button to cancel this shutdown. So tivo lovingly records the message counting down from 60 seconds to zero before stopping recording as the box goes off.

Can anyone suggest a suitable replacement so I can hit this freeview box with a sledgehammer and bin it.
I need a box that will stay on 24/7, and only update the EPG if I want it to do so.

[RichardJH]

For less than £35 you can get a freeview box that works perfectly with Tivo. http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-8452.aspx
Shop around and you may get cheaper.

[tivofromdayone]

Thanks for the response there, when you say works perfectly with Tivo, is this freeview box one you are using right now? I only ask as my ferguson fdt2000 also worked perfectly until the automatic/forced update ruined the box with the 3am updates that shut it down regardless of what it is doing at the time.

Would really like to know what freeview boxes others are using with Tivo right now that definitely stay on 24/7 unless specifically shut down by the user.

As many suggestions from people who are NOT being crippled by this new EPG scenario.

I found today that because the box shut down during a recording the other night (5 minutes into something I really wanted to watch), that it also ruined a morning recording as well, Tivo did it's job or sending the 3 digits to the freeview box to turn it over, but by the time freeview woke up, it only responded to one digit and consequently recorded the wrong channel. Even more sickening as you watch it happening on the recording later in the day.

Help! I can't be the only one getting frustrated by this, but dearly want confirmation from those who aren't of the boxes that aren't caught in this trap.

[...coolstream]

Hi,

I did some searching for you and discovered that the Thomson/Ferguson 4.8 update has messed up the boxes for a lot of users. There appears to be some hope for a fix in week commencing 18 June.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=552393&page=10 #238

I hope this helps

[RichardJH]

works perfectly with Tivo

Yes I have had no problems with this box. BTW it is also available as a Digilogic DSTB1000. Same remote and innards to box just in a slightly larger case.
Both use IR code 20030 fast under manufacturer Logik

[AMc]

I'm using a Wharfdale box from Argos. You can specifically disable the checks for updates and mine stays on for months on end without issue (so far).

Now down to £25 from £35 so probably being discountinued.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5320503.htm

Some people reported sound drop outs with theirs but mine is OK YMMV.

[tivofromdayone]

Thanks for the information so far guys, keep them coming though, should this ever happen to me (or anybody else for that matter), a list of working freeview boxes to choose from would be of great benefit.

I briefly had trouble with my fdt2000 not long after getting it and bought a philips model to replace it, unfortunately I never managed to get the philips and the Tivo to talk to each other reliably, so 30 quid wasted there.

My mother also uses Tivo, with the same ferguson freeview box and also now has the same problems as me, so I will be searching for a new freeview box for her very soon. The more we can choose from, the better. Keep them coming guys.

I've taken the plunge on Richards advice, bought a Digilogic DSTB1000 for 20 quid, cant connect it up til weekend but fingers crossed it will do the job.

If it works fine, I'll show you a picture of the sledgehammered ferguson before I post it to ferguson with a note of disgust at the change to it's firmware.

In the meantime, I will make do with trying to tell as many people as possible to avoid the fdt2000 for use with Tivo.

Incidentally, I saw the fdt2000 for sale at currys the other day, and in the bumf, it says the box has NO auto shutdown. Had I just bought it I could have at least taken it back. Doh!

[tivofromdayone]

I have hopefully added a pic of what happens here so people get a better idea of what it is doing. It's my first picture upload to this forum, I apologise if I get the size wrong. It would have been so much better to have it flash up ' your freeview box needs to go into standby to download an update, if this is an appropriate time to shut down, press ok, otherwise update will only take place on next put in standby. It could stick around for 30 seconds then go away without further interuption, and then only come back (preferably smaller so as not to completely ruin a recording) every hour.
The people who do things like this to us really mustn't have any idea or consideration for those who record programs to watch later.

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews11073.html

[AMc]

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=312888 is a 6 page (and counting thread) that offers thoughts and opinions on the best Freeview box you can buy on the high street for Tivo use.
IMHO there's very little need to duplicate it.

[tivofromdayone]

with respect, I did actually look through that link before starting this thread off. Although the thread you mentioned was initially a promising start (to a point), showing as it did the models that worked with Tivo. It did not address the situation I am currently in, that of a new EPG being rolled out that has seriously reduced the usability of my Freeview box (and potentially other models from the thread link you just pointed out).
As a result, and knowing that my FDT2000 had worked perfectly and was eligible for inclusion in that list, after this recent Freeview/EPG change my box was obviously rendered useless for Tivo. Many of those listed may also have the same problem.

I don't want to have to keep buying different models from various manufacturers only to find they also now auto shutdown at 3am, hence the request for information from people using a freeview box with their Tivo at this moment in time. Only their input can confirm if the firmware updates and EPG downloads have caused them any trouble.

Any information from the thread mentioned on boxes that did work prior to Freeviews recent EPG changes is now potentially unreliable

.

[SteveA]

If it works fine, I'll show you a picture of the sledgehammered ferguson before I post it to ferguson with a note of disgust at the change to it's firmware.


A video would be better ;)

[tivofromdayone]

Digilogic DSTB1000 works perfect, no auto shutdown, and a bonus is it changes over quicker than the ferguson, and also has a better display. Thanks for the advice Richard. It's hammer time :)

[aerialplug]

I suspect auto-shut down is going to become an increasingly worrying issue over the next few months. There have been many who criticise people not putting their recievers into standby or not switching them off overnight so some manufacturers, in an attempt to appear green, are adding this feature to their boxes.

Some (Sky+ for example) are sensible and allow you to turn the facility off, while others I guess just foist it on you without option (though I haven't done much research on this so maybe they all have the facility to turn it off at present).

While turning the box off in the mains is definitely going to help (power consumption wise), I think on most STBs, standby often doesn't save much electricity and some (e.g. Sky) remain fully powered up in order to do EPG and encryption maintenance and save only a few watts.

[tivofromdayone]

I agree wholeheartedly with that post, though at least some appear to be taking the opinions of their buyers seriously. After all, if it doesn't do what you want it to, will you buy off them in the future? That said, for Tivo users on freeview, it only reinforces the need to know more about which boxes are still usable 24/7 without an auto switchoff.

Quick update on the digilogic, like the ferguson, it has a 'box needs to do a download, yes or no' screen, it appears around 1pm (ish) on a daily basis, its transparent, so you can still see something of the picture during the message, stays in place for around 30 seconds then if not cancelled, totally blanks the screen (except for a 'download status bar) for around a minute while it checks for a download (which as yet it hasn't found), after which the channel returns to normal. Crucially, Tivo carries on recording the channel throughout the process, so although not perfect (no way to disable the search option from any of the menus), it does mean I only lose a small proportion of the program being recorded, and after my previous ferguson box auto shutdown and refusal to auto restart, It is a huge improvement.

[RichardJH]

Glad the Digilogic works ok for you.
I never realized that it did the upgrade screen as you said.
Just searched through some suggestions recorded and now can see what it does.
I guess I don't record much of importance at that time.

[tivofromdayone]

Honestly, not a problem Richard, glad of the advice and happy to have my more important recordings back. Like yourself, afternoon is never that important, just glad to have a box that stays on now. I should point out that I read earlier, that this digilogic box is available with two different firmware/updates. Not sure which one I have at the moment, but reviews say that despite the difference, it apparently doesnt find updates regardless of which version it is on. I'll be happy if it stays that way.

[tivofromdayone]

Just found out that the ferguson box was (is) a rebadged and boxed Thomson DTI-1000. apparently, The thomson also suffers the same niggle of auto shutdown (stating the obvious, as it is the same hardware), but I thought it deserved a mention. whilst hunting around for info though, I came across this site with a very large list of compatable freeview boxes (http://www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/stb.htm).

Might prove useful. While I am here, I should also say that on the digilogic I found an option to disable it's firmwares auto update setting, since that tiome, I actually havent seen the 2 minute blank space at predetermined times issue. Thats not to say it hasn't happened, but it appears to have totally cured it at the moment.

[RichardJH]

digilogic I found an option to disable it's firmwares auto update setting,

How and where did you find that option

[tivofromdayone]

Menu
config
Receiver upgrade (selecting the receiver upgrade option opens up the menu to disable automatic updates and/or force updates).

since setting this to disable, I havent seen the 2 minute blank screen in any of my recordings. hope it helps

[RichardJH]

:up: so simple didn't realise the option was there.

[bubieyehyeh]

For less than £35 you can get a freeview box that works perfectly with Tivo. <URL removed>
Shop around and you may get cheaper.

Yep got one them and it works fine for me also. Bought mine in tesco shop rather online for same price.

[hokkers999]

For the past two years I have had a Ferguson freeview box connected to Tivo with no problems at all. Recently though, the box updated itself on the sly and now insists on shutting down at around 3 am every morning to try and download an EPG. Complaints to ferguson were no help, their advice to 'go to the setup option and set the guide back to previous settings' was useless as the guide part of the setup has been greyed out and unselectable since it updated. They say their engineers are working on an option to override the shutdown, but it doesnt help with 'now and again', 'millenium', 'the professionals' and anything else that no longer records in the early hours. Apart from irritating me, it is giving my missis the prime excuse to ditch tivo in favour of SKY+, and the switch off problem is beginning to make even me consider it as an option, and I am diehard Tivo.

The biggest irritation with the ferguson is the 'your machine needs to go into standby to download the (useless to a tivo owner) EPG, press any button to cancel this shutdown. So tivo lovingly records the message counting down from 60 seconds to zero before stopping recording as the box goes off.

Can anyone suggest a suitable replacement so I can hit this freeview box with a sledgehammer and bin it.
I need a box that will stay on 24/7, and only update the EPG if I want it to do so.

I thought that the new s/w load in the $ky+ boxes also did that?

[6022tivo]

The new SKY software shuts down the box "to be green!" lol..

It can be switched off in the menu for all you CO2 consumers..

[aerialplug]

It can be switched off in the menu for all you CO2 consumers..

Essential if you're using it to provide video for a TiVo. I originally did this but I've since got a second Sky box on a multiroom contract for TiVo and I've turned the auto shutdown back on now that I use the Sky+ as a genuine Sky+ box.

[Pete77]

So ordinary Sky boxes are unaffected by this so called improvement then?

My experience of both Freeview and Sky boxes is that they save all of 1W by being in standby mode instead of on!

[katman]

My experience of both Freeview and Sky boxes is that they save all of 1W by being in standby mode instead of on!

I was at the Cedia show last week looking at the current range of Fujitsu Plasma screens and all of them have a standby consumption of 0.6W

I think we should turn our TVs to Standby for the duration of the "Dont leave it on standby" adverts as that will save more power than switching off totally when not in use LOL