Thursday, 21 October 2010

Please contribute to the site

OK, this is the first commentable blog post of the site and I've got my begging bowl out already. Although I will be using the avforums.com world-record thread to populate some of this site, it'll be a tough task without some help from you out there. I'm looking for postings from 8320HD owners that can fill up any "static" sections of this site (see the set of navigation tabs).

So that's bugs, features you'd like to see, links to useful 8320HD info, more stuff about the latest firmware [though I've covered the release and installation process already], any rumours you've heard about future firmware or places selling the box etc. and, finally, any non-obvious things you've found out when using the 8320HD.

Please post them as a comment on this posting (which I will be heavily moderating - it's not a chat Web site :-) ) and anything useful will be copied to the appropriate tab section and a credit to the poster given on the page. I reserve the right to delete off-topic postings and eventually remove the oldest ones (or any that have been already transferred to a tab section). Also note that spam protection will quarantine any post containing URLs until I get a chance to review them and approve/reject them.
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17 comments:

  1. rkl21 October 2010 at 21:55

    OK, that's commenting working I think - let the flood begin...

    ReplyDelete
  2. denis martindale22 October 2010 at 11:23

    I've added a link to this blog on the Yahoo Group for Netgem and Tesco Technika products:

    http://tinyurl.com/netgemgroup

    Files, photos, links.

    ReplyDelete
  3. denis martindale22 October 2010 at 11:33

    http://tinyurl.com/fetchtvstarter

    This webpage can be copied to the PC and to some formatted FAT32 USB pen drive. The 0000-websearch.html webpage can be accessed via the USB port, Menu, Media Centre. It opens and displays the links. The link http://tinyurl.com/fetchtvstarter on that webpage loads the latest online version. Save it as a bookmark/favourite by pressing info then green and choose a number eg 902 to get to the online version later.

    It includes the Radio and Telly forum and the AV forum links plus some email options.

    ReplyDelete
  4. denis martindale22 October 2010 at 11:40

    The EPG can be set to black screen and no sound if tuned to channel 303 or similar channel. This also helps when surfing the Internet as not all displays fill the TV screen area.

    ReplyDelete
  5. rkl22 October 2010 at 16:41

    Thanks for those tips and the link Denis - they're now in the Hints & Tips and Useful 8320HD Links sections of the site with a credit to you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. denis martindale23 October 2010 at 11:27

    http://tinyurl.com/rthome

    This visits the Radio and Telly Forum which includes Freeview tricks and tips such as explained on various webpages here:

    http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/sitemap.html

    The Forum has a section for the Netgem/Fetch TV and Tesco Technika discussions. The Netgem Forum went offline, so some customers visited here instead. However, the Netgem Forum had lots of the original IPlayer and BT IPlayer comments and is back online just for reference:

    http://forum.netgem.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. denis martindale23 October 2010 at 11:46

    http://www.fetchtv.co.uk/support.html

    This explains that there are extra help and support pages to be checked:

    If you are experiencing problems with your FetchTV or Technika SmartBox, or have any questions regarding the service, please contact our support team at

    http://www.fetchtv.net/helpdesk/

    (This is where the limited ticket system is available.)

    Alternatively, you will find comprehensive help on our support site at

    http://www.fetchtv.net/FAQs/

    (The Top Ten questions include the info on the latest September 2010 PDF User Manual/User Guide. The Fetch TV and Tesco Technika users can't view PDF files, so please try this instead:

    Use this PDF file's URL

    http://tinyurl.com/fetchtvsept2010

    on this website:

    http://tinyurl.com/online-viewer

    and scroll down to select all pages if not viewing one page at a time. PC users can save the View All webpage as a complete webpage with each page image for reference.)

    The PDF file is also in the Yahoo Group files:

    http://tinyurl.com/netgemgroup


    To contact Fetch TV...

    Call the FetchTV Helpline on 08450 347 348.

    Helpline hours are:
    Monday-Friday 3pm-9pm,
    Saturday 5pm-9pm,
    Sunday 4pm-8pm.

    Calls cost the same as a local call.

    ReplyDelete
  8. rkl23 October 2010 at 15:41

    Again, thanks for the new links, Denis, they're much appreciated. I'd already linked to the helpdesk, FAQ and Yahoo Groups pages in my links section, but I have added the support page and Radio & Telly UK forums.

    You do know that an 0845 number costs 4.5p a minute on a BT line (and a mimimum total call charge of 5.5p)?

    I haven't added the PDF URL to the site though because I think that anyone who works out how to surf the Net using the USB stick "trick" is going to be able to download and view a PDF on their PC anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  9. denis martindale27 October 2010 at 03:15

    Halloween Half Price Films Promotion:

    http://www.fetchtv.co.uk/whats-on/halloween-promotion.html

    You'll also see details when you use the Menu, Fetch TV option and go online. NB some films as low as 99p and even the HD films are reduced in price.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AJP28 October 2010 at 14:13

    I'd like to add "Folders" to the Wishlist - the ability to auotmaticaly file new seies-linked recordings under folders given the same name as the series.

    This will keep the recording library much more manageable as the Smartboxes menus are not very high def and 320GB of recordings will be a lot to trawl through.

    Folders works expectionally well on the Topfield 5800/5810 running MyStuff tap.

    Cheers,
    AJP

    ReplyDelete
  11. rkl28 October 2010 at 22:00

    Thanks for the new posts! The Fetch TV promo is interesting (and I did see it myself a few days ago), but I have serious reservations about the whole PPV setup, especially since the whole point of Freeview was exactly that, it's free!

    I'm uneasy that Fetch TV have my credit card details (which I can't delete, despite their account page claiming I can), even though I've never bought a single thing costing money from their PPV offering (or subscription in the case of Sky Player).

    Their claim that it's used for age verification is really bogus - surely you only need to do that when something of value is purchased, not when you're registering the box and not buying anything costing money?

    I'm happy to leave the posting from Denis up until the Hallowe'en offer ends (which is when? I don't see anything mentioned on Fetch TV about how long it lasts), but I won't be putting it in the links section or posting up a blog entry about it.

    Andrew's folder suggestion is a good one, so I've added it to the Feature Wishlist section with an expansion of the idea (why limit folders to just programme names?) and credited Andrew for the comment. Now if only UK TV could improve so my Recordings List page wasn't currently blank :-(

    ReplyDelete
  12. denis martindale17 November 2010 at 14:42

    Hello, again.

    I've updated the Netgem Group to include extra links and files for the Telstra T-box for the Australian market

    http://tinyurl.com/netgemgroup

    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/netgem-i-player/links/Telstra_T_Box__Australia_001289741253/

    I've also added the Wiki website link that you have added to your blog.

    The Telstra T-Box PDF files are added in the Netgem Group's files section.

    ReplyDelete
  13. denis martindale17 November 2010 at 15:03

    Hello, again.

    The Netgem Group Photos Section has a few of the close-up images for the 8320HD box and there are also extra images in the 8320HD PDF User Guide for September 2010.

    http://tinyurl.com/netgemgroup

    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/netgem-i-player/files/0-Fetch%20TV%20User%20Guide/

    The PDF file info:

    Fetch TV website PDF for Sept 2010 explaining the features of the Smartboxes, 7000 and 8000 and the Tesco Technika 8320 HD Smartbox.

    This is for PC Users, yet for Fetch TV users, use this URL

    http://tinyurl.com/fetchtvsept2010

    on this website:

    http://tinyurl.com/online-viewer

    and scroll down to select all pages if not viewing one at a time.

    PC users can save as a complete webpage with all of the PDF page images.

    So it's possible to get more 8320HD images that way. But the original PDF file lets you zoom in at higher magnification for better images.

    ReplyDelete
  14. denis martindale29 December 2010 at 02:42

    I found an images slideshow here:

    http://www.pocket-lint.com/review-gallery/5090/technika-smartbox-8320hd-pvr-review/1#image

    I updated the Yahoo Netgem Group links section with several new website reviews and Freeview advice websites:

    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/netgem-i-player/links/00_Fetch_TV_HD_Freeview_Box_001269692241

    ReplyDelete
  15. denis martindale29 December 2010 at 04:12

    Recording Tests:

    Example Programme starts at 1.00 pm and ends at 1.27 pm.

    Rewind to 12.59 pm to allow it a few seconds just before a recording begins. Press pause then REC then red.

    Press the HDTV button to get to the current time eg at 1.33 pm to press REC and then red to stop.

    Check Menu, My Recordings and DATE order eg use the >> button to switch if needed. Check the time 12.59 pm recordings even if they have the previous programme title! It should say it's 33 or 34 minutes long.

    Test start and end sections to see if you got these right. Otherwise you could rewind a little to get it to end at 1.28 pm instead of 1.33 pm. The HDTV button is just a variation on fast forward actions.

    The rewind timeshift action helps during a current show eg bid tv, price-drop tv. Get a start position, rewind an extra minute, press pause then REC then green for the automatic record action instead of manual. (The recording actually starts after a short delay.) Press the HDTV button to get to NOW. Continue viewing (and recording).

    If wishing to manually end a recording, which could go on for another few hours, press REC and red to stop. About 10 seconds later, the recording actually stops. During these tests, the INFO button displays if recording or not and also the time position eg 12.56 pm, 12.59 pm, 1.28 pm or 1.33 pm. The programme INFO also changes as the new show begins, but it takes about 5 seconds to press buttons to start a recording as soon as this INFO appears and another 10 seconds before the recording action truly begins.

    So about 15 seconds would be lost, perhaps spoiling the hoped-for recording, plus the start plus the programme's title and info.

    The solution is to correct the previous programme's title and info, so these end when it ends. Whatever commercials follow must then be updated with the new programme's info.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Unknown8 February 2011 at 18:30

    Don't know if this is a bug or not, I was messing about with my aerial & decided to retune the channels. For some reason it tuned into the nearest a welsh one(not the one I was pointing towards) winter hill. There were a few channels missing such as Film 4 & Yesterday. I eventually got it to use the Winter Hill & tune in the channels. When I looked channel 4 & 4+1 weren't there in the guide but would be listed when I looked at the signal strength?? No matter how many times I re-scanned they wouldn't be there. After trying everything I looked in the Favourites only to find that C4 & C4+1 both had an X by them, changing these to a tick solved the problem.

    ReplyDelete
  17. woof wash dog grooming29 November 2011 at 16:06

    Hi

    I am thinking about buying a second hand 8320HD. Would you still recommend them? Otherwise I will build a media centre (albeit much more expensive!) Cheers and the Blog makes for an interesting read

    ReplyDelete

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