Red Mist/BBC4 issue with set top box.

[Ian_m]

Anyone remember what sequence, key presses, channel changes etc causes the red mist / 1/2 picture type problem with BBC4 on set top boxes ?

Had a couple of BBC4 recordings the other day from my Sony DTU800 where it had a red screen and said if I could see the picture behind the text I should retune.

Not seen this before. I have manually rescanned the Sony box, but I think it still does it.

Not been able to replicate the issue playing around with channel changing etc.

[Cainam]

I think it is when it goes off air. E.g. if BBC 4 only broadcasts from 7pm to 7am (say) then at 7am when the channel goes off air the warning message appears.

This issue was (is!) that at 7pm when the picture comes back it still leaves the warning message on, with the result that you describe.

So as long as you make sure that the last thing you record on that box each day is NOT something on a channel that goes off air, you should be OK. So you could set a manual recording to 4am each day for 5 minutes on BBC1 or something, so that it it is always on a valid channel.

I think that is right anyway!

[Ian_m]

:up:That could be it then.

So a little bit of manual recording of BBC1 is needed before 7am shutdown....

Thanks...

[rwtomkins]

I'm very surprised to hear you've still got this problem. I have the same box as you and used to be plagued with it but Sony long ago fixed it with an update and I've never had it since. Are you sure you have the update installed?

If it's any help, next time I have the box on, I could take a read-out of the version number.

[Ian_m]

I was a bit surprised abou the red mist issue, but it appears to be only BBC4 it has the issue with. I regularly record BBC3 stuff (mainly Eastenders at 10pm) and not seen it before.

Any way I set the following recordings on BBC4.

1. Recorded Sunday BBC4 programme (James May) recorded fine.
2. No more recordings until Monday 8am, after which BBC4 was offline.
3. Monday BBC4 News at 7pm was red misted. Pressing 9 (BBC4) on the Sony remote retuned it to BBC4 and pictiure was fine.

and
1. Monday BBC4 news, recored fine.
2. Changed channel to BBC3 at 10pm, whilst BBC4 was active.
3. Tuesday BBC4 news recorded fine.

So it looks like you have to switch the Sony box away from BBC4 whilst it is active to prevent the next BBC4 recording failing.

Not too sure what the Sony firmware revision is.

[rwtomkins]

Hi, sorry, I don't come here very often these days.

I watch BBC4 A LOT and I never have this problem so I think there's a fair probability that you have an outdated software version. If you pick up the remote and go Menu - technical information - manufacturer information, what software version do you have? It should be v1.15.01 U. If it's not, you need the update which according to a concurrent thread is not being broadcast any more but is available for a fee if you return the box to Sony. I don't know how to do this but others apparently can help.

[bryl]

I get this problem from time to time with a sony box bought off ebay, which in all other regards is excellent. The irony is that I bought the sony to replace panasonic which was rendered useless by the recent freeview changes. It needed a software fix that seemingly is no longer broadcast. Panasonic indicated they would let me know when it would be broadcast and that was many months ago! Must check that Sony version number. Maybe sony customer services will move quicker.

[Ian_m]

Well I just retried the previous method to generate the red mist problem and was fine this time.

1. Recorded a BBC4 programme recorded fine.
2. No more recordings until following day, after which BBC4 was offline.
3. Recorded BBC4 News at 7pm and was not red misted.

So looks like it is not 100% repeatable, which explains why I haven't seen it before.

Not had time to find the Sony firmware revision yet....

[rwtomkins]

C'mon guys, how easy could it be? You just pick up the remote, press menu, click on technical information then manufacturer information and there is your answer! 10 secs max, I promise you, and I'm not even a technical guy!

[Ian_m]

C'mon guys, how easy could it be? You just pick up the remote, press menu, click on technical information then manufacturer information and there is your answer! 10 secs max, I promise you, and I'm not even a technical guy!Finally got in front of TV and my Sony box is 1.14.02.

[rwtomkins]

Thanks for solving the mystery, Ian_m. So your problems are down to an outdated version of the software. As I said before, it looks like you'll have to choose between living with it (as per what Cainam advised earlier in this thread) or sending the box back to Sony UK for an update.

[Sneals2000]

Thanks for solving the mystery, Ian_m. So your problems are down to an outdated version of the software. As I said before, it looks like you'll have to choose between living with it (as per what Cainam advised earlier in this thread) or sending the box back to Sony UK for an update.

Is it worth checking whether that update is scheduled to be broadcast over the BBC Engineering data channel as well? Our TV updated itself OTA this week with a new update via this route.

[rwtomkins]

Is it worth checking whether that update is scheduled to be broadcast over the BBC Engineering data channel as well? Our TV updated itself OTA this week with a new update via this route.

Sadly, it seems not. See post #48 onwards here:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=418614&page=2

Edit: although if someone has had the box a long time without switching it off, it might be worth switching it off and on again because that's what you have to do to load the software after it's been broadcast.