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  • Freeview Box - TVonics - Any Questions?

FAQ's

My previous freeview box stopped working within a year of purchase. Will yours be any better?

We expect all of our products to offer you many years of trouble free service. One of the key problems with many low cost FREEVIEWTM Boxes is they skimp on the power management circuitry to save cost. Result such boxes run hot. Now all the best electronics engineers will tell you straight away that one of the best ways to improve electronics reliability is to keep the vital electronic components cool. By spending just that little bit more and using advanced micro-chips to efficiently provide power to the key processing chips and TV tuner(s) within our boxes, we significantly reduce the amount of energy wasted which results in less heat generated in our boxes. Result, your FREEVIEWTM /FREEVIEW+TM box runs cool and it should last longer. Its also kinder to the planet and your pocket!

How long does it take for digital teletext and interactive services to load?

Our boxes are some of the fastest to deliver teletext pages and interactive red button services (BBCi). Fast and responsive are how access to these services should be. A high performance 32 bit microprocessor within our boxes quickly searches for the page you are looking for and presents the page on the screen for you. Now you can page through news, weather, sports, info and other data services almost instantaneously in most cases.

How easy are your remotes to use?

Since we were selected by help scheme operators to deliver special FREEVIEWTM boxes to assist elderly users to switchover to digital TV, we invested time and energy developing a remote control that was comfortable to hold and easy to read what the purpose of each button is. Independent testing conducted by BERR (UK Government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly known as the Department or Trade and Industry), concluded that the TVonics help scheme remote control was identified as being the easiest to use by a panel of end users some of who suffered manual dexterity issues.

How do I copy a recording to a VHS tape or a DVD recorder?

Our FREEVIEW+TM boxes are provided with two SCARTs. Simply connect your VCR by SCART cable to SCART labeled VCR on our FREEVIEW+TM box. Set the VCR to commence recording from its SCART connection. Then using the library key on the remote control, select playlist (Yellow button). Select the order in which you wish to transfer your recordings. Then select the first recording and press start playlist. Then press record on your VCR and the playlist will record as its being played on the FREEVIEW+TM recorder.

With only one SCART on my TV, how do I connect my DVD player and a freeview box?

All our Twin SCART FREEVIEWTM and FREEVIEW+TM boxes let you connect your DVD player to the second SCART (VCR) on the rear panel of our boxes. Connect your TV to the SCART labelled TV on our box. If you wish to watch your DVD instead of FREEVIEWTM , simply press play on your DVD player. Our box will sense this and automatically route through the DVD signal to the TV in preference to the FREEVIEWTM channel. Press stop on your DVD to return to watching FREEVIEWTM .

What if my FFREEVIEWTM box is in standby - Will I still be able to watch my DVD?

We preserve the power to the SCART loop through circuitry when our FREEVIEWTM box is in standby, so any equipment connected to the VCR SCART on your TVonics FREEVIEW box will be passed through to the TV.

 

>With all these new channels how do I find out what is on?

With all our products we provide a simple and intuitive 8 day TV Guide. Simply press the TV guide button and then use the up/down arrows to choose a channel. Then using the left/right buttons, move the highlight (cursor) over the programme you want to view or find out more about. Simply press the “info key” to obtain the programme information.

If I have an analogue TV without a SCART input, can it be converted to FREEVIEWTM ?

Yes. Choose one of our FREEVIEWTM boxes which includes an RF Modulator inside.

(MFR-200, MFR-300, MDR-250). They simply connect between your TV aerial and the aerial input of your TV (free lead provided). You simply need to tune a spare analogue TV channel (e.g. channel 7) on your TV to UHF frequency 38 and it will think it has a new analogue channel. On this new analogue channel we output the digital channel you wish to view. Simply leave your TV on the same channel and then use the TVonics remote control to select the digital channel you wish to view. The MDR-300 available through the government help scheme also includes an RF modulator.

How can I record FREEVIEWTM ?

To record FREEVIEWTM you ideally need a FREEVIEW+TM digital TV recorder. The Tvonics range of DVR-FP and DTR-Z FREEVIEW+TM recorders allow you to record one program whilst watching another or alternatively record 2 programs simultaneously whilst watching a previously recorded program.


What kind of quality can I expect when watching a programme on playback from your FREEVIEW+TM boxes?

Here is the great news! Exactly the same as the quality you get when watching a live TV channel using our FREEVIEW+TM box. We always record in full digital broadcast quality. Watch the same recording as many times as you like.Say goodbye to fuzzy recordings.

I get great reception on BBC but I sometimes have problems receiving ITV and other FREEVIEWTM channels. Why is this?

Prior to the digital switchover, the BBC decided to use a slightly more robust digital TV transmission mode so more people could receive their services. If you live in an area of poor reception or you existing aerial does not provide a strong enough signal, you may find that you get excellent BBC services but interrupted or no services on other channels. Check your post code area to verify you are in a region that has FREEVIEWTM coverage. Ask a CAI registered aerial installer or Registered Digital Installer for advice on upgrading your aerial to improve the FREEVIEWTM signal you receive. After digital switchover the signal strength should improve in most cases for all FREEVIEWTM channels.

I have heard that FREEVIEW+TM can cope with programmes running late. Tell me more?

Another great improvement with FREEVIEW+TM is its ability to deal with programmes running late. If the broadcaster so chooses, they can send out a message which informs FREEVIEW+TM digital TV recorders to change the time a programme will be recorded to accommodate changes in broadcast schedules (e.g. following an over running tennis match or News bulletin) . The modification will only occur if the broadcaster themselves send out the change required to the schedule.

With such a large hard disk, how do I keep track of all my recordings?

We provide an easy to navigate on screen Library. You can view your programmes by the date when you recorded them, alphabetically A to Z, size of the recordings and even by the ones you have watched. No need for that scrappy exercise book with pencil rub outs of what is on each tape. Welcome to the easy way to decide which video recording to watch tonight!

Can I select several recordings to watch one after the other?

Yes you can. We provide the playlist function for just this purpose. In the recordings library simply select the programmes you want to watch one after the other. Then use the start playlist function and each one will play one after the other. As each programme starts to play the programme synopsis is briefly displayed on the screen. This is a great way to archive off several recordings to a VHS tape or to a DVD via the second SCART connection. Simply set your VCR or DVD recorder to commence recoding just before you use the start playlist function.

I have heard some digital TV recorders can clunk and whir away which I would find annoying. What are your machines like?

We design our products to be quiet from the start. By selecting only premium hard disks which are quiet in their operation and which were themselves designed for digital TV recording applications, we are able to offer you a quiet experience. Better still, when in full standby, our Freeview+ recorders are totally silent.

Why should I buy a FREEVIEW+TM recorder with a large hard disk?

Series recording quickly starts to fill your disk with all your favourite TV shows. Users with small disks (80GB – 40 hours) typical of those provided by Sky for their Sky+ service frequently have to end up deleting programmes before they find time to watch the recorded TV series to make room for new series. We offer up to 500GB hard disks in our FREEVIEW+TM recorders which allows you to record 250 hours of FREEVIEWTM TV. Now you can record TV in the summer to watch in the winter.

My TV accepts S-Video (T/C) input. Do your Freeview boxes support this?

Yes the TV SCART outputs on our MDR range of FREEVIEWTM boxes and all our FREEVIEW+TM digital TV recorders can be switched to output S-Video (Also known as T/C) instead of RGB video. If you are using the second SCART input on your TV (AV2, Input-2 etc) you will need to make sure your TV is set to YC. If you do not set the TV to accept S-Video you will only get a black & white picture!

Can I hide the FREEVIEWTM box behind the TV set?

As standard with our MDR-200, MDR-250 and MFR-300 models we provide a free IR extender lead which lets you mount the FREEVIEWTM box behind your TV. Simply position the discrete IR sensor unit next to or on top of your TV so you can control the box using the supplied IR remote controller. We even thoughtfully provide you with a free sticky pad to attach the IR extender.

During the time of digital switchover I have heard that I will have to manually retune my FREEVIEWTM box several times. This sounds complicated to me. Can you make this easier for me?

We work extremely closely with the organisations planning and implementing the digital switchover. All FREEVIEWTM receivers will need to retune one or more times during the switchover period. Our FREEVIEWTM boxes (MFR-200,MFR-300 and MDR-250) include technology we developed for the UK government help scheme. If enabled, the box will automatically re-tune every night to scan for new services. Simply leave your box in standby overnight and your box should have found your new range of FREEVIEWTM services. Note however if you obtain your FREEVIEWTM service from a repeater transmitter rather from the main transmitter, you may not obtain all your services until later in the day. In such cases we recommend you use the autotune function from the menu in late afternoon on the day(s) of switchover.

How can I reduce the amount of energy your boxes consume?

All of our FREEVIEWTM and FREEVIEW+TM products are designed to be frugal in their consumption of energy, whilst still offering best in class high performance. Once placed into standby, our boxes switch off all unnecessary functions of the box gradually over a period of 20 minutes. In standby all of our FREEVIEWTM and FREEVIEW+TM boxes consume less than 2 watts. The power being consumed in standby is to allow for routing of RF signals and SCART signals through the unit so you can use your TV with your VCR or DVD recorder. Some of our products also offer an auto-standby function that places the box into standby at 3am if you forget to select standby and you have not used the remote controller between 2 and 3am. This feature can however be turned off if desired.

I have heard about the government help scheme to assist me converting to digital. Are your boxes available through the scheme?

Yes. We were the first company to design and manufacture FREEVIEWTM and FREEVIEW+TM digital boxes to be approved by the scheme. Whitehaven was the first region to switchover to digital and our boxes were exclusively supplied for the scheme there branded as Logik.

For the Scottish borders region we are supplying EAGA PLC our MDR-300 FREEVIEWTM box which is fully compliant with the scheme requirements. The MDR-300 is only available through the scheme. Users seeking to purchase a retail variant of the MDR-300 should instead select our MDR-250 which has all the same usability features of the MDR-300 but omits the front panel buttons. You do gain however though a remote IR extender with the MDR-250 which allows you to hide the box behind your TV for a neat and tidy solution.

MDR-300 owners can purchase the same remote IR extender through our online site if they wish to hide their MDR-300 behind the TV.

Our MFR-300 micro FREEVIEWTM box offers the same features as the MDR-250 but without the SCART connections. So if you have an old TV or portable TV with no SCART fitted or available to use, the MFR-300 offers you all of the usability of the government help scheme in a neat and tiny package. (Key pad beep not supported on MFR-300) >

The MDR-300, MDR-250 and MFR-300 are all supplied with our easy to use scheme approved remote control. It is easy to hold, has clearly labelled high contrast keys and includes a non slip soft touch casing.

We also supply to EAGA the DTR-FP1600AD which is a FREEVIEW+TM (Group 1 compliant) digital TV recorder with a 160GB hard disk (80 hours of recording) and offers Audio Description services (when broadcast) for live and recorded TV. Ideal for visually impaired and blind users.

Visit www.eaga.com or www.helpscheme.co.uk for more information.

What is series recording all about?

Series recording is a superb new feature offered by FREEVIEW+TM digital TV recorders. The broadcaster transmits additional information indicating if a programme is part of a series. When you select to record a programme and series recording is supported for the programme, you will be offered the choice of recording the series.

Sometimes I want to record three programmes that are on at the same time. Can I do this?

The straight answer is no, but ... FREEVIEW+TM includes a clever service (alternative instance) which will look through the TV Guide and search for another time during the week when the same programme might be broadcast (perhaps even on an alternative channel e.g. ITV2). So if you attempt to record three programmes at the same time the FREEVIEW+TM recorder might inform you that an alternative booking has been set and indicate when and which channel it will be recorded on later/earlier in the day or week. If however there is no alternative instance (repeat) being broadcast that week, then the third programme will not be recorded.

With my VCR I have to wait until a recording has finished before I can watch it. I have heard that this is not the case with a digital TV recorder. Please explain?

With FREEVIEW+TM you can indeed commence watching a programme from the start that is still currently being recorded. There is no real magic here. It is simply because a Hard Disk does not need to be rewound like a tape. So the read/write sensor on the disk has enough time to hop across the disk many times a second to allow for simultaneous writing and reading to/from the disk. Net result is, you can arrive home 10 minutes late and still be able to watch the football match or indeed any programme you are recording straight away. Effectively you are simply watching live TV, but delayed by 10 minutes. You can pause it and rewind it etc.The recording will still be available to watch again.

Pause and rewind Live TV. What’s this all about?

When the machine is not being used to record two channels (1 channel for our single channel recorders), it constantly records to a temporary space on the hard drive the programme you are currently watching. So if the phone rings, you can take the call and then afterwards either rewind to the point you were watching when the phone rang or, if you happened to press pause when the phone rang, press play to watch the programme from the point when the phone rang.

Its also great for rewinding a part of programme you either didn’t understand or you simply want to watch the clip again (England 5 Germany 1 for example).

As it is only a temporary buffer, it is constantly being over written and so it only has a maximum of 2 hours. Every time you change channel, the buffer is cleared and starts to fill up again with TV from the new channel you have selected.

I have seen on some digital TV recording systems that its not possible to continue listening to the current TV programme whilst setting up new programmes to be recorded. I find this very annoying.Is your box any better?

With our FREEVIEW+TM boxes, you can listen to the current programme whilst perusing the TV guide deciding what to record. We agree with you that it is annoying not to have this really useful feature.

Picture in Picture. I would like to be able to see a small inset video of what is happening on another channel whilst watching my current programme. This would be very useful whilst waiting for the rain to stop in a cricket or tennis match. Do your FREEVIEW+TM boxes support Picture in Picture?

Yes our latest generation FREEVIEW+TM boxes (DTR-FP and DTR-Z range) support Picture in Picture. You can position which quarter of the screen the inset video is displayed in. Using the channel jump button, you can simply flip quickly between the two programmes. Note that Picture-in-Picture is not available when you are recording.

Why should I select FREEVIEW+TM rather than a rival + system offered by a pay TV operator?

With FREEVIEW+TM you simply buy the box and then its free to use thereafter (apart from energy and TV licensing). No contract, or monthly subscriptions and no phone line connection required. If your recordings are from channels which are available for free from FREEVIEWTM, why pay for the pleasure of recoding them? Compare and contrast the size of the hard disk. A TVonics 500GB FREEVIEW+TM + system can record up to 250 hours of digital TV. A PayTV system with a mere 80GB hard disk can only record a mere 40 hours. Consider also, physical size, noise, energy consumption, ease of use.