U4 Zero Length Recordings and on Wrong Tuner

[ozlooper]

I have a had a U4 for quite a while, i.e. now out of warranty, with no problems. Recently it started producing "random" zero length recordings. Since it was getting some pixelation and the signal bars on the wiz were sometimes dropping to zero. We had the antenna replaced and the wiring redone. No more pixelation and the strength bars are solid on 91/93, but the zero length recordings still occur.

After some research I updated to the latest firmware and tried viewing directly on each of the tuners. The strength bars show 91/93 on tuners A, B and C (D is not connected and is configured as such). The picture is fine on tuners A and C, but there is only a blank screen when using tuner B. I am guessing there is likely a hardware problem on tuner B, but is there anything else I can do to verify that or that I should do before contacting Support directly? And yes, I am sure it is tuner B that is playing up.

Once I discovered that I changed the preferred tuner for recording to tuner C, while the preferred tuner for direct viewing is still on tuner A. But even when there is only a single recording scheduled I still get a zero-length recording. Do I not understand this setting correctly?

Is there any end-user way to tell which tuner a recording was made on? If not, this is a request to have one please.

(Not that it is relevant, but I've been a BeyonWiz user since the DP-S1).

[Grumpy_Geoff]

I have a had a U4 for quite a while, i.e. now out of warranty

The ACCC may view that differently. I don't think they'll view a failure after 18 months as having a good run.

Once I discovered that I changed the preferred tuner for recording to tuner C, while the preferred tuner for direct viewing is still on tuner A. But even when there is only a single recording scheduled I still get a zero-length recording. Do I not understand this setting correctly?

Dunno, I've never tried it like that. It is possible that if you didn't switch broadcasters then the new preferences may not have come into play.

Is there any end-user way to tell which tuner a recording was made on? If not, this is a request to have one please.

Yes, there is. Bring up the timer list, locate the timer for the recording in question (towards the end of the list, after the waiting timers), select it and press i/INFO - observe the tuner ID.

[ozlooper]

Once I discovered that I changed the preferred tuner for recording to tuner C, while the preferred tuner for direct viewing is still on tuner A. But even when there is only a single recording scheduled I still get a zero-length recording. Do I not understand this setting correctly?

Dunno, I've never tried it like that. It is possible that if you didn't switch broadcasters then the new preferences may not have come into play.

Thanks for the reply. I have switched broadcasters on the direct tuner. I don't know how I can switch for the recording tuner, other than getting a recording to happen.

Is there any end-user way to tell which tuner a recording was made on? If not, this is a request to have one please.

Yes, there is. Bring up the timer list, locate the timer for the recording in question (towards the end of the list, after the waiting timers), select it and press i/INFO - observe the tuner ID.

Thanks again. The info confirms that the empty recordings are on tuner B even though I have got the preferred recording tuner as C. I noticed that the tuner info is not present on recordings made with older firmware.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

The info confirms that the empty recordings are on tuner B even though I have got the preferred recording tuner as C.

I don't think you need to change the tuner allocation settings, leave the Preferred tuner as auto and the Preferred tuner for recordings as Disabled.
Go into Tuner configuration and set Tuner B as nothing connected and save that.
I've tested that and tuner B is skipped, you'll only have tuners A and C (and in my case tuner D as I've the USB tuner installed).

I noticed that the tuner info is not present on recordings made with older firmware.

Correct.

[prl]

I have a had a U4 for quite a while, i.e. now out of warranty

The ACCC may view that differently. I don't think they'll view a failure after 18 months as having a good run.

They may well, but my experience is that warranty disputes under the Australian Consumer Law are actually usually handled through your state/territory's mechanisms for small claims disputes. How easy it is to access that depends on where you live. In the ACT it involves civil court action. In many states there's a Small Claims Tribunal (or something similar) that doesn't require getting all lawyered up. Civil court proceedings are likely to cost so much that even if you win, you lose.

From my experience of an ACL warranty dispute (to be clear, not with Beyonwiz)*, the ACCC will only get involved if there appears to be a pattern of failures to honour statutory warranties. Then the ACCC will act directly and things can get a bit sticky for the company.

Putting your complaint in writing
Your letter should:
...
• outline the steps you will take if you and the seller cannot resolve the problem (for example making a complaint to the consumer protection agency in your state or to the ACCC)

Consumer Guarantees: A guide for consumers

While I think that the statutory warranty is generally a good thing, it's annoyingly vague about many of the things that it calls "reasonable", like the expected lifetime of a product. That expected lifetime was the issue I was having in my dispute with a supplier.

* The dispute was eventually resolved to my satisfaction, but not by the supplier admitting that the statutory warranty applied, but by them suddenly discovering that the manufacturer's warranty was longer than what they'd originally told me (and longer than what I'd read on the manufacturer's Web pages).

[ozlooper]

The info confirms that the empty recordings are on tuner B even though I have got the preferred recording tuner as C.

I don't think you need to change the tuner allocation settings, leave the Preferred tuner as auto and the Preferred tuner for recordings as Disabled.
Go into Tuner configuration and set Tuner B as nothing connected and save that.
I've tested that and tuner B is skipped, you'll only have tuners A and C (and in my case tuner D as I've the USB tuner installed).

I noticed that the tuner info is not present on recordings made with older firmware.

Correct.

Thanks a lot for your help. I managed to find my USB tuner and install it (I was using the output from C to another device but that is no longer needed), and everything is working correctly on tuners A, C and D.

Cheers.

[dRdoS7]

Hi,

If A & B are the Dual tuner, A may disappear too. Eventually, C may be effected (affected?). It might be worth contacting BW.

dRdoS7

[prl]

If A & B are the Dual tuner, A may disappear too. Eventually, C may be effected (affected?). It might be worth contacting BW.

effect (verb) to cause something to happen
affect (verb) to cause something to change

So, "affected".

If you think you want to use "effect" as a verb, think again, because you probably don't

The new law effected many changes.
These changes affected many people.

[dRdoS7]

If A & B are the Dual tuner, A may disappear too. Eventually, C may be effected (affected?). It might be worth contacting BW.

effect (verb) to cause something to happen
affect (verb) to cause something to change

So, "affected".

If you think you want to use "effect" as a verb, think again, because you probably don't

The new law effected many changes.
These changes affected many people.

I've bookmarked this post.

Thanks.

[prl]

[Paul_oz53]

Given the affected tuner is A/B and C is actually also a dual unit, I wonder if the effect of swapping the two units around would restore the normal three tuner operation?