A few weeks ago, unaware that there was a recordable DVD in the drive, I did a reset, and since then my E85 refuses to download the TVGOS, and just roams the channels. I did a factory reset, but it did not help. Have I lost the TVGOS forever? The machine works fine in all other respects. I am in NYC, with Time Warner digital cable. Thanks
I am trying to find a hidden sceen for the TV Guide Onscreen. This isn't a part of Service Mode. It's a screen you see on your television that has a bunch of arcane information for the most part but some of it has to do with the channel it is receiving guide information from. I don't think 'The Great Panasonic Snafu' page has any info on it. I'm pretty sure I found out about it on this forum, but I'm not yet hard up enough to wade through all these pages of information to find it. There are too many.
I am also having the same kind of problem as Faure. I was getting the Guide data, but since I was switching back and forth between recording from my digital cable box and then from basic cable without the box, I would go in and change the Guide onscreen settings and every time I did this it would stop getting data. I fixed it once, but I don't know how I did it and haven't gotten Guide info in weeks.
Try a power down and unplug for 30 seconds, using the instructions below. Try changing your ZIP code to that of your local PBS station or your cable provider. After about 12 hours of letting the machine sit in normal power down, ready to record state, check the TVGO host channel listed in the 753159852 screen page one. (See previous post on how to access the screens.) Host channel should be something other than 0x0 and will probably be one of the local network stations. Also note the next download time. You will probably have to go through the confirm channel lineup before the next download time will show up (not sure). I believe that VideoBob posted this: Cal
I am in Manhattan, NY. With a digital cable system zip codes seem irrelevant. I get everything through the cable, not off the air. I have tried all the various resetting rituals described in the numerous messages here-- no luck. I have no way of knowing whether Time Warner, my cable provider, is blocking the TVGOS information, in order to push their own PVR sales. It would be great if I could find out that others in Manhattan are able to get the TVGOS, but I have failed in previous efforts to find that out.
You zip code is how TVGO figures out what channel lineup to use. Others have had luck resolving TVGO problems by changing their ZIP, as suggested. After a "power down and unplug" reset, watch your 753159852 screen 1. If the Host channel always stays at 0x0, there probably is no TVGO data to receive. That appears to have happened here. I checked with the local PBS station and they are sending the TVGO feed to Cox cable, but it apparently is not making it through to me. Cal
I went through the "can't find listings anymore" scenario with Comcast in Maryland several months ago. It turned out that there was a backdoor mechanism provided by the Cable company when they went to an all digital signal -- TVGOS can only load from an analog signal. What Comcast did was to add a duplicate of the local PBS station in analog on an unused channel. It wasn't documented or included in any listings. I had to get the instructions from TV Guide support (CE_Customer_Support@tvguide.com), but the answer was to wait until a scan was able to find a lineup, then add the analog PBS (channel 94) to my lineup manually. That did the trick - but it has to be redone after any reset. Of course this won't work if the cable company is not cooperative like Comcast was. They may be trying to steer customers to use their proprietary DVR service or something like that.
Just an update for those who read my post. I did receive the Firmware Update CD from Panasonic which was supposed to STOP my machine from going into self-check almost every time a DVD (x16) was inserted. After installing the software, the first disc was fine but then the "self-checks", "unable to read disc" continued. Then finally after inserting yet another disc, my entire TV Guide and list of scheduled recordings disappeared. At that point I called Panasonic and they told me that I could take it in to repair under my extended warranty. (I had bought this because the circuit board had gone out 4 months after I got he E85.) Anyway, it is less than a week since I took it in but I am anxious to hear the diagnosis!
How long have you had your E85? Did you experience the problem only with the 16x discs? We've been using thousands of 8 and 16x discs (Fuji) in our 5 E-85's for the last 3 years with no trouble at all.
Oops, meant to say E95. I have had it a little over 2 years. Problem started about 6 months ago with the "self- check" happening off and on. It just got progressively worse. I am starting to think it all began when I used TDK 16X DVDs made in India. Now the 16X TDK DVds made in Taiwan give me the "cannot read disc" message. It is fine if I use TDK 8x DVDs. The funny thing is that TDK seemed to be the most compatible brand of DVDs when I first got the E95. Used them with no problems for 1 1/2 years. Just waiting to hear from the repairman.
Skatter21, Thanks for the tip. Cox cable here has both analog and digital service on the same cable. We have the analog service. The PBS broadcast engineer thought that Cox might be taking their digital feed and converting it to analog for the analog customers, rather than using the PBS analog feed. So far Cox has now replied back to me. soju, I've just finished a spindle of about 100 TDK 16x DVD-R's. No problems. I have an E85. The label on the DVDs says Taiwan, nothing on the DVDs themselves to indicate where they were made. Cal
Cal, Thanks-- I suspect that Time Warner is preventing us from getting the TVGOS, to sell their own PVR service. The Host Channel is, indeed, always 0x0. I had changed the zip code to another in Northern Manhattan, but it did not help. The only reason I think that, perhaps, something else might be going on, is that I lost the TVGOS just after I did a reset with a recordable disk in the drive. But all my subsequent resets should have brought me back to square one, I would have thought... It is frustrating to have so much trouble with a machine that is, basically, a very nice device.
I have been watching the Onscreen Guide search for the host channel. The VBI Channel always seemed to be on channel 12 which is our PBS channel or 24 which is CSPAN 2. But now it says 0xC. Any idea what that means?
On the subject of 16x disks--The 85 and 95 models seem to be very touchy on disks,even with a new drive,digital board and updated firmware the drives don`t like some 16x disks--sony ones in particular. The later DMREZ models available in the U.K. seem to tolerate 16x disks due to the different drive and digital board type. These later machines are supposed to have multi format drives which are similar to pc drives( so they work better with the newer 16x disks ) Best Wishes Repairman
Is the Panasonic able to detect the PBS channel even when it is unable to download data from it? That is what mine appears to have done. I've only had luck getting it to download data for a short period. It seems like it stopped the downloads when I messed with the settings changing guide settings from not having a cable box to having one and then back again. Since I don't appear to be able to do this, this box seems like it was a waste of money. I'll have to try my luck with one of the free Tivo recorders next.
As far as I can tell, the VBI channel is always the last channel that you had tuned in prior to going into the 753159852 screens. What you are interested in is the Host channel. Note the next download time. Also look at pages 6 and 7. There is information there about the last download and last search. If the time/date are 0 or way in the past, something is wrong with the data feed. TVGO won't necessarily be coming from PBS. Some of the networks provide it as well. Our local ABC station provides the data but it is not making it through Cox cable to me. I don't know how the Panny chooses between multiple TVGO sources. I tried everything I could think of to get it off of ABC, back before the ABC TVGO data vanished. Try a power down and unplug. Also try changing your ZIP code. Both of these things tend to cause the Panny to go looking for a TVGO source. Cal
Ok, it's finally showing some more info. The VBI channel is 24, the Host is 12 and the Host ID says 0x5C0F. I have a feeling that it's going to start downloading data now. Still don't have a channel lineup yet. But I don't have the screens anymore that say 'Data has failed' or whatever it was. It just says 'There is no Data for this Screen. Seems strange that the thing takes such a long time to lock onto the right channel.
