Firmware 01.0x.350 Bug & Wish List

[madmax]

Bugs fixed in this firmware:

1. duplicate LCNs will no longer cause timers to fail or recordings to be interrupted or damaged.

2. duplicate LCNs will no longer cause the EPG to have blank areas, recording indicators to not be correctly displayed or recordings to fail.

3. (for FTA only) if an EPG entry is missing the short description, correct information will now be listed in this field.

4. (for FTA only) programme cells will no longer have overlapping duplicates which differ by only a few minutes.

5. when browsing the EPG, if heavy use of the navigation buttons produces the message "Control locked. Please exit from the Program Guide then the control returns", pressing OK or EXIT to dismiss this message no longer causes the unit to lock up.

6. pressing PLAY on a historical event (to create a future 'view' timer) no longer causes the screen to go blank and the unit to lock up and your 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'EPG Action' --> "Set Timer" setting to be reset to "Change Svc".

7. when opening the EPG to the single-service style and pressing LEFT until the first service in your current list is reached, pressing the REC button on a future program now always behaves properly i.e. a timer will be created.

8. (for DP-S1 only) the WLAN settings are now saved with the first use of the Apply button.

9. files with a dot in a file name can now have the part after the dot renamed via the "Rename" function.

10. after entering a 0 (zero) key in the middle of a file name, the cursor no longer moves two spaces to the right.

11. editing a file with 'Delete A->B' or 'Cut out A->B to a new file' when the B marker is placed close to the end of the file no longer damages the file and makes it unplayable.

12. when playing a CD, the track number on the front panel updates correctly to match the on-screen display.

13. (for DP-S1 only) while in File Player --> DVD drive, changing the disc type no longer causes the unit to get stuck permanently on the "Loading" message.

14. the unknown file which sometimes appeared at the top of the list in the 'File Playback' --> 'HDD' --> 'Recordings' folder will no longer appear.


Currently identified bugs:

B1. Picture and sound issues, as follows:
(a) for units which receive duplicate broadcasts of the same service, sometimes the weaker/poorer quality service is assigned the main LCN, while the stronger/better quality service is relegated to LCN 350+ (workaround - determine which channels are the strongest/best quality for these duplicated services, then after deleting these duplicated services, do a partial service scan for only the channel you desire).
(b) regular sound dropouts on some amplifiers when audio is set to "passthrough" and while viewing a channel broadcasting AC3 audio (workaround - rewind into the buffer and view from there).
(c) (for DP-P2 and LiDiC only) when timeshift is set to "Enable", selecting channel 950 or 951 often results in picture and sound freezing (workaround - go down one channel then back up, or set timeshift to "Disable").
(d) using digital audio output for sound and HDMI for picture results in lip-synch error, with the audio being ~100ms too early (workaround [if your amp has no audio delay setting] - use component connection for picture instead).

B2. Recording and time-shifting issues, as follows:
(a) when the "Timer Conflict" message appears, and one of the original two timers is chosen to be deleted in favour of the new timer, this action will only be remembered until the next reboot, after which the new timer will be deleted and the original timer will be restored (workaround - EXIT the "Timer Conflict" window, then delete your chosen original timer via the EPG or via 'POP-UP' -> 'Timer List', before creating the new timer again).
(b) when simultaneously recording two instances of the same program (e.g. 7 and 71), manually stopping one of these recordings causes corruption in the other.
(c) a timer with a 'Recurrence' setting of "Specify" causes a "Timer Conflict" message when a second timer is created via the EPG for the same channel and timeslot on a different day (workaround - add the second timer manually instead).
(d) a 'view' timer which overlaps simultaneous 'record' timers but is set for a service from one of the recording muxes will cause a "Timer Conflict" message, even though this service could be viewed by manual selection.
(e) 'view' timers are terminated when a 'record' timer finishes and the unit is either returning to standby or was set to shut down via the "Later" method.
(f) if a timer recording is manually stopped early, but after the pre-padded start time of a following timer, that following timer does not begin instantly - instead it will only begin at the unpadded scheduled start time.
(g) pre-padding is given priority over current manual recordings, even when 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'Soft Padding' --> 'Soft Padding Priority' is *not* set to "Pre-padding".
(h) if the Instant Recording window is open when a timer begins for the same channel, the "Accept" button no longer functions, and when "Cancel" is chosen or EXIT is pressed, the timer recording will fail and no recorded file will be created.
(i) if 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'Time-Shifting' is set to "Disable", a native Beyonwiz recording is played and then an instant recording is started, after choosing "Accept" in the Recording pop-up window, the duration of the recording (default 70 mins or user-adjusted) may be increased by the time length of the previously-played Beyonwiz recording (see here for more details) (workaround - use 'Pop-Up' --> "Recording Information' window to decrease the duration back to the desired length).
(j) while time-shifting, sometimes skipping forward to the live position fails, and you remain a few seconds behind the live broadcast (workaround - press STOP to return to live tv).

B3. EPG issues, as follows:
(a) when browsing the EPG in single-service mode, heavy use of the navigation buttons can cause the EPG to crash and the unit to become unresponsive, requiring a reboot.
(b) a timer which spans the midnight boundary, extends into the timeslot following and has a recurrence of 'Specify' will not show the pink shading in the timeslot following.

B4. (for DP-S1 only) Optical disc playback issues, as follows:
(a) DVDs with MP2 audio play with no sound on the first attempt until a navigation function is used.
(b) the last fraction of a second of each track of an audio CD is skipped, resulting in disjointed playback of normally seamless tracks.
(c) response to remote control navigation functions is delayed, and sometimes ignored completely.
(d) inserting a video DVD while a recording is in progress causes a blank spot or picture breakup in the recorded file of ~1 second.

B5. File playback issues, as follows:
(a) large high-bitrate .ISO files have jerky playback with no sound (workaround - press STOP and play the individual VOB files).
(b) some files give the "Unsupported format" error when trying to play them, yet they play perfectly via the preview function.
(c) when playing a .tvwiz file from a USB or network drive, any changes or additions to bookmarks are lost when playback is stopped if no significant editing function was performed subsequently (workaround - do a 'delete' or 'keep' edit after adding or changing the bookmarks).
(d) audio files on a USB external HDD which take up more than two lines of text in the moving window box (displayed on the TV screen) will cause the unit to become unresponsive (workaround - shorten the file name).
(e) problems playing the following files over network or USB HDD:
. (i) HD recordings stutter and freeze.
. (ii) VOB files freeze at certain points.
(f) for some .mkv files, the audio sample rate is incorrectly identified as 0, causing the audio to stutter and play too fast.
(g) (for DP-P2 and LiDiC only) using the zoom function for H.264 Wiz files gives an incorrect/inconsistent aspect ratio.
(h) 4:3 material is slightly zoomed and cropped along the top and bottom of the picture.
(i) photos saved in portrait mode having a height greater then 3,000 pixels cannot be displayed (workaround - save them in landscape mode and use the 'rotate' function, or re-scale these images to a height of 3,000 pixels).
(j) photos with a pixel width not divisible by 16 may not display properly, and may even result in an "Unsupported format" error.
(k) trick mode does not work when playing a variable bitrate mp3 file (VBR MP3).
(l) when playing VOB files, you cannot select alternate audio streams during playback (only plays the 0x80 stream, causing some files to have no sound at all. Workaround - use VOBrator to change the audio stream to 0x80).
(m) pressing 'Play' after rewinding will start playing from a point ~15 seconds earlier from the chosen point.

B6. Networking issues, as follows:
(a) (for DP-S1 only) video files played wirelessly frequently succumb to unpredictable freezes, even in systems that stream successfully, with the BW often corrupting the wireless network necessitating reconnection. (We suspect the cause is poor error handling and/or limited buffer tolerance to changes in network/BW demands).
(b) (for DP-S1 only) many reports of wireless incompatibility with WPA2 or WPA/WPA2 routers (see here for more information).
(c) when viewing files on another Beyonwiz server unit, the sort order and filename layout are different to the recordings file list on the server unit (see here for an example of the current inconsistencies).
(d) when playing a .tvwiz file on a network drive, the Pop-up menu does not appear, making editing the file impossible.
(e) when chaseplaying a file on another Beyonwiz server unit, playback will stop at the live point when chaseplay was started (workaround - start playback again and skip to the previous position, playback will now continue further into the file).
(f) when using a LAN, if the Primary DNS Server is unavailable, in some cases the Secondary DNS Server IP setting is not used (we suspect a timeout issue).
(g) (for DP-S1 only) wireless network settings menu shows the settings for the wired network, however the green "Status" button shows the correct wireless settings.
(h) (for DP-S1 only) switching networks from wireless to wired (or vice versa) does not terminate the interface of the appropriate network.
(i) changing the WizPnP client setting of a unit to "Disabled" does not remove access to WizPnP servers in the File Player --> 'Network' listings.
(j) for DHCP network, the unit does not request a lease renewal before expiry (does not affect most home users).

B7. Copy / move / rename issues, as follows:
(a) renaming a file can sometimes make it disappear from the file list, and it happens every time for SBS recordings using the FTA guide (workaround - press the 'soundtrack' button while in the File Player to re-index the file list).
(b) sometimes moving a file will create a new folder with a name ending in ".tvw" inside the destination folder, and the file will be inside it. However, the file will give the "Error loading media file" message when trying to play it.
(c) some USB drives appear full, when they are actually empty.

B8. Editing issues, as follows:
(a) subtitles will often disappear at the point where a cut was made (workaround - press pause twice to make the subtitles reappear).
(b) editing a file results in the loss of a few resume play markers.
(c) performing a 'Keep A->B' or 'Copy A->B to a new file' creates an inconsistency in the resulting file between the recording end offset in header.tvwiz and the size element in the last entry in the trunc header file. This can cause WizPnP file copy clients (e.g. WizFX, getWizPnP, WizZilla) to copy more of the recording than the edited size.

B9. Front panel issues, as follows:
(a) when audio is set to 'Passthrough' mode, the sound indicators remain displayed on the front panel, despite page 4 of the original manual stating they shouldn't.
(b) when playing a file, sometimes the time counter does not appear after displaying the file name, especially when beginning playback and resuming playback after a pause.
(c) when in standby, the front panel clock displays in 12hr time even if 'Time Format' is set to 24hr time (note: cannot be fixed due to hardware limitation).
(d) the USB indicator on the front panel does not light up when a USB device is connected or a memory card is inserted.
(e) in the File Player, when using the PREV button to skip to the previous file in the file list, the front panel displays "NEXT".
(f) after renaming a channel, the display shows the name of the first channel in the current list regardless of what channel you are actually viewing. This persists only until a channel change occurs.

B10. User interface issues, as follows:
(a) in File Playback, if you select a file with the BLUE button and then try to preview another file, it begins playback of the ticked file instead.
(b) the sort order of files is often incorrect, the only exception being Beyonwiz recordings on the internal HDD. One known problem is files containing any of the characters _ & ' . , ; + [ ] $ # ^ ` in their name will not sort correctly for the New->Old or Old->New functions.
(c) activating the sleep timer while a video file is loading before playback begins (e.g. avi file) causes playback to malfunction.
(d) deleting a Favourite Group that is higher in the Favourite Group list than the currently used group causes your current group to change to the next group in the list. The Favourite Group appears to be tracked by its position in the Favourite Group list rather than its name.
(e) when 'Set-up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'File Player' --> 'Resume Play' is set to "Ask", if EXIT is pressed to close a 'Resume playback?' prompt, the resume position (timewise) of that file is remembered and applied to the next file you play.
(f) after setting a censorship control in 'Setup' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Access Control' --> 'Censorship', recording files and DVDs classified at or above the censored level are still playable without the required pin code.
(g) when playing a .AC3, .WAV or .MP3 audio file, the POP-UP button does not work unless you display the timeline first, e.g. by pressing OK or performing a Trick Mode function.
(h) when browsing an external storage device or network share, the following folder names do not show correctly: xwiz - does not show; xrad - shows as a file instead of a folder; xradxxx... - does not show (where x = any character).
(i) when trying to delete a radio service after selecting a TV service from a Favourites group, the radio service is not deleted, and instead the TV service is deleted from the Favourite group (workaround - select a TV service from the All Services list before deleting the radio service).
(j) when using a USB device which has two or more FAT32 partitions, if you rename only one partition it still appears with the previous name.
(k) the File Player takes a long time to open (7-15 seconds) the first time after a reboot when a network connection is unavailable.

B11. WizTV issues, as follows:
(a) the WizTV aspect ratio is incorrect for 4:3 TVs, making photos look tall and skinny.


Wishes granted in this firmware:

1. in the "Add Timer" and "Edit Timer" windows, the following information was added:
. (i) in the "Service" field, the LCN is shown before the channel name.
. (ii) in the "Date" field, the actual day of the week is shown before the date i.e. Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat or Sun.

2. timers are no longer deleted during a service scan or when performing the 'Clear service information' function. Timers which end up with an invalid service setting as a result of a service scan are flagged in the Timer List.


Current wish list:

W1. Timer improvements, as follows:
(a) in the "Add Timer" and "Edit Timer" windows, make the following improvements:
. (i) in the "Date" field, when using CH+/- to change the date, the month and year fields should roll forwards/backwards when the day or month values reach the edge boundaries.
. (ii) in the "Start Time" field, allow the end time to be editable, and automatically adjust the "Duration" field after the end time is edited. When using CH+/- to change the time, the hours field should roll forwards/backwards when the minutes value reaches the edge boundaries. The "Date" field should also automatically update if affected.
. (iii) in the "Duration" field, add an additional UI control '1,2,3...', to allow keypad entry (similar to the "Auto Delete" field).
. (iv) in the "File Name" field, add an additional UI control 'RECALL', to toggle the asterisk before the file name. Then in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR', add a setting "Default Timer File Name" with two options "Automatic" or "Pre-set", to allow the user to choose whether or not timer file names are given an asterisk by default.
. (v) in the "Mode" field, add a third setting called "Power Only", so a timer can be used as a power-on timer only. When this mode is selected, "Service", "File Name" and "File Lock" settings should be greyed out. These timers should be given a default name "Power On/Off Timer" in the Timer List.
. (vi) between the "Mode" and "File Lock" fields, add a new field "Destination", with the ability to select a folder on the HDD (should be greyed out when "Mode" field is set to 'View' or 'Power Only').
. (vii) when the timer date does not match the recurrence setting, upon choosing "Accept", display a pop-up message "Timer date changed due to recurrence selected" for 3 seconds.
(b) apply the 'Channel may be changed...' and 'Shut down now / later' messages to 'view' timers.
(c) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'Soft Padding', add a checkbox called "Pad between consecutive timers on same service".
(d) upon starting a manual recording whose duration conflicts with a later timer, or upon creating a timer which conflicts with the duration of a current manual recording, automatically reduce the duration of the manual recording to end at the starting time of the conflicting timer, and display the following pop-up message: "Manual recording duration reduced to [x] minutes, due to a conflict with a scheduled timer".
(e) in the "Timer List" window, make the following improvements:
. (i) add a new column between the service type and file name columns to show the LCN.
. (ii) make YELLOW = Advance Timer, which advances the selected timer to its next scheduled recurrence and display an on-screen message "Timer advanced to next occurrence". For 'Once' timers, display the message "This timer has no recurrence [Dismiss]".
. (iii) make BLUE = Suspend/Reactivate Timer, which suspends the selected timer indefinitely until it is reactivated by the user, and display an appropriate on-screen message "Timer suspended" and "Timer reactivated". Flag these suspended timers with a suitable icon.
(f) upon completing a service scan (manually or via DCM), if any timers are affected by a change in service data, display a pop-up window "The service scan has affected some timers. Please check the Timer List".

W2. Instant recording improvements, as follows:
(a) in the "Recording" pop-up window, add a new setting "Ending Point", with three options "Manual" / "End of current program" / "End of next program", where the latter two options automatically calculate the Duration, including post-padding. Then in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR', add a new setting "Instant Recording Default", with three options "Manual < > [x] minutes" / "End of current program" / "End of next program".
(b) in the "Recording" pop-up window, make "File Name" the name of the current programme, and when "File Name" is selected, allow the < > buttons to scroll through the list of programme names as listed in the EPG for that channel (currently sets name of programme 40 minutes from start time, which is often wrong).

W3. Skip / FF function improvements, as follows:
(a) allow the rewind button to decrease the fast forward speed, and the fast forward button to decrease the rewind speed.
(b) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Preferences', have a setting "Trick mode time bar" with two options "Time position" or "Time difference", where "Time position" is the current implementation, whereas "Time difference" will show the amount of time you have moved during the trick operation.
(c) improve smoothness of fast forward and rewind for x8, x16 and x32 speeds.
(d) allow the numeric buttons to jump you to a % position in the file e.g. 0 = start, 7 = 70% position.
(e) add x1 rewind speed.
(f) allow single-frame advance forward and backwards.
(g) improve the accuracy of the resume play position after a fast-forward or rewind.

W4. EPG improvements, as follows:
(a) (for FTA only) if one tuner is not currently in use, allow it to scan all channels in the current favourite group to fully populate the EPG.
(b) allow the EPG to display during file playback, including the INFO button for program synopses. Also allow timers to be set from here.
(c) add a menu item "Update Guide" to the "Pop-Up" menu, which will download the latest guide data (rather than having to exit live tv and go through the "Set-Up" menu).
(d) add 'Record series' function, to automatically set timers for the same programme title wherever it appears in the EPG.
(e) when performing a 'Set Timer' EPG action on a program cell which contains two or more timers, display a pop-up window "Please select the timer you wish to access, then press OK.", followed by a list of the appropriate timers in firing order. After OK is pressed, perform the appropriate action on the selected timer. Also make RED = "Add" and GREEN = "Delete".
(f) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'EPG Action', add a third option "Change Svc & Exit" to automatically hide the EPG after changing services.
(g) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'EPG Scroll', add a checkbox sub-setting called "Move cursor only one line", which should be greyed out when EPG Scroll is set to 'One line', but active when set to 'Half page' or 'Full page'.
(h) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Network' --> 'Ice Guide', add a setting 'Download from' with options 'USB' and 'Memory Card' (for those who don't or can't connect their unit to a network).
(i) add a third EPG layout in a similar style to JustEPG.
(j) allow xmltv guide data to be used.
(k) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Network' --> 'Ice Guide', add a setting 'Update Time', where you can set a time for the unit to update the EPG data each day (for those who leave their unit on 24/7).
(l) add an EPG search function, using the on-screen keyboard and displaying a list of all matches from programme titles and extended information. Allow creating a timer to record any programme in this list.
(m) make the 'Full page' EPG scroll move 8 lines (currently moves 7 lines).
(n) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'EPG Scroll', add a checkbox sub-setting called "Move cursor only one line", which should be greyed out when EPG Scroll is set to 'One line', but active when set to 'Half page' or 'Full page'.
(o) divide blank areas into cursor segments of 1 hour, on each hour, to allow easy timer creation.

W5. Improve the Trashcan and Space Manager functions, as follows:
(a) in 'Set-Up' -> 'Misc.' -> 'Preference', add the following settings:

Trashcan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enable / Disable
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ ] Include manual deletions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Auto erase trash < > 1-365 days, Never
Space Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enable / Disable
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ ] Include Recordings folder
Timer File Importance Default . . < > 1-9, Keep

Notes:
(i) When Trashcan = Enable, only Auto Deletions go to the trashcan. Tick the first box to also send manual deletions to the trashcan. Tick the second box to have each trash file erased after the set number of days.
(ii) When Space Manager = Enable, when 6GB trigger is reached, only trash files are erased until 16GB space is achieved, in order of trash life remaining, then by age for files with a trash life of Never. Tick the first box to also allow files in the Recordings folder to be erased if trashcan is exhausted, in order of File Importance and then by age.
(iii) File Importance will appear as a setting in the Add Timer/Edit Timer windows, and also via File --> 'Pop-up'.

(b) in the Trashcan's pop-up menu, have a function "Empty trashcan".
(c) make the 'HDD full' pop-up message stay on-screen until acknowledged, and then only re-appear when a new recording tries to begin.

W6. DVD / CD playback improvements (for DP-S1 only), as follows:
(a) allow playback of VCDs.
(b) remember the resume point of a DVD if it is not ejected, even after powering off the unit.
(c) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Preference', add two settings "CD Autoplay" and "DVD Autoplay", both with the options "Always" / "Ask" / "Never".

W7. File Playback improvements, as follows:
(a) allow the 'PLAY' button to function at the folder level. This would play all files in the folder, including all files contained in sub-folders of this folder. In 'Set-Up' --> 'Miscellaneous' --> 'Preference', add options to set file advance delay time of [x] seconds for music, photos and movies individually (should only apply to 'play folder' mode).
(b) when sorting photos by time, use Time Taken metadata instead of time modified.
(c) allow numeric keys to jump the file list to the corresponding letter or number (according to 'Keyboard Order' setting in Preferences).
(d) add the ability to randomise a folder or playlist.
(e) support for REC, WMA lossless, FLAC, MKA, TIFF, H.264(AVI), MP4 lossless files, OGG, OGM, M3U playlists, plus support for chapters, multiple languages and subtitles in containers such as MKV and MP4 (click on links for technical specifications).
(f) recognition of .MTS and .M2TS files (currently these play only after renaming the extention to .MP4).
(g) when selecting files to make a playlist, the blue "Select" button should put a number in the box, rather than a tick, to determine the play order. The number should be sequential, starting from the current number of files already in the playlist.
(h) during slideshow, autoload the next photo in advance (so there is no "Loading" delay between photos - the ONLY time you should see this message is if you are skipping through them quicker than the unit can load them).
(i) improve visualisation whilst playing music files. At the beginning and end of each song, show the cover art (.jpg file) along with tag data for song title, album title and artist. In between times, have some sort of pleasant visualisation (Windows MCE is a good guide). Also allow photos or muted videos to be played in the background.
(j) add an option in 'Preferences' to not show folders and files beginning with a "." in the file list.
(k) add an option to show thumbnails for recorded tv, photos and movies.
(l) make the 'Resume Play' function resume from a position slightly earlier than the stopped position i.e. similar to when resuming after a pause
(m) when using the zoom function and pausing playback, allow the picture to be panned using the LEFT, RIGHT, UP and DOWN buttons.
(n) add a search function using the on-screen keyboard, and display a list of filename matches (including id3 tag matches for music) for the current file type in the current folder (including sub-folders). Allow immediate playback of any file in this list, as well as "Add to Playlist" function.
(o) allow variable playback speed, with audio and subtitles.

W8. Picture improvements, as follows:
(a) improve tuner settings for Australian conditions, especially UHF (a few people are having signal problems where every other brand of PVR seems to work fine).
(b) in the "Colour Setting" menu, add settings for "Red Green Blue", "Gamma" and (if possible) "Sharpness".
(c) improve DVD de-interlacing method from bob to motion-adaptive (see discussion here for more info).
(d) in the "Colour Setting" menu, add buttons for "Save user settings" and "Restore user settings" (perhaps yellow and blue).
(e) add a 14:9 zoom mode.
(f) in the "Colour Setting" menu, add an option to display a test pattern (a suitable test pattern will need to be created for this function).
(g) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Configration' --> 'A/V Output' --> 'Component Video' and also 'HDMI Video', add an option "Passthrough", which will output the broadcast resolution unmodified (for those with external video processors).
(h) allow a custom output resolution.
(i) add picture centering controls.

W9. Sound improvements, as follows:
(a) add a function to allow adjustment of SD channels volume compared to the HD channels.
(b) speaker indicators on front panel should show the current signal (currently shows audio setting only).
(c) add a menu item in 'Set-Up' --> 'Miscellaneous' --> 'Preference' as follows: "Passthrough PCM remote volume", with two options "Enable" or "Disable".
(d) allow audio delay adjustment during live tv and file playback to correct any lip-synch problems.

W10. Network functionality improvements, as follows:
(a) add to WizFX the ability to:
. (i) create and edit timers
. (ii) schedule copy/move functions
. (iii) copy external files to the unit's internal HDD
. (iv) delete recordings from the unit's internal HDD
. (v) continue a failed copy/move function from where it stopped.
. (vi) convert files to .ts format and simultaneously copy or move them from an external drive to another destination.
(b) move the network scan functions out of the File Player and into Set-Up, as follows:
. (i) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Network', add a fifth menu item "Favourite Shares".
. (ii) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Network' --> 'Favourite Shares', have a 3-column layout similar to that of 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Favourite', with the columns titled "Group", "Fav. Share" and "All Shares". For the 'All Shares' column, assign the coloured buttons as follows:
RED = Scan for Shares
GREEN = Delete Share
YELLOW = Clear All Shares
BLUE = Share Details
. (iii) when 'Scan for Shares' is performed, only new shares should be added to the current list of shares, and these should be given a default username and password of those specified in the 'Windows Sharing' menu.
. (iv) the 'Share Details' screen should show information such as username, password, availability and read/write access, and allow the username and password to be edited.
. (v) the File Player --> Network screen should only show the Groups and Favourite Shares within (as specified in Setup), and should have a single function BLUE = Share Details (for viewing only - cannot be edited). The current Scan, Find PC and Clear All functions should be removed.
. (vi) if a share in File Player --> Network is unavailable, display the message "Share currently unavailable", and retain the share in the list.
(c) allow access to a USB HDD attached to another Beyonwiz unit enabled as a server.
(d) files copied using WizFX should include the date and time in their filename, the same as it does when initiating a copy from the unit.
(e) if the unit is booted with no network connection present, automatically connect to the network once it becomes available.
(f) wake-on-LAN for both sending and receiving (note: receiving cannot be implemented due to hardware limitation).
(g) improvement to error tolerance and network robustness when wirelessly streaming files, whereby the BW provides more meaningful error messages (rather than the current "Unsupported format"), maintains connection and allows the user to recommence streaming in a timely manner.
(h) create versions of WizFX for Mac OSX and Linux.
(i) ability to connect to media servers such as Tversity.
(j) support for DLNA devices.
(k) ability to lock the ethernet interface to 10 half-duplex or 100 full duplex (to prevent video playback stuttering on some networks).

W11. File copying / moving / editing / deleting / renaming improvements, as follows:
(a) have two editing menus, as follows:
YELLOW -> POP-UP
Delete Start -> A
Delete A -> End
Cut out Start -> A to a new file
Cut out A -> End to a new file
Cancel

YELLOW -> YELLOW
Delete A -> B
Keep A -> B only
Copy A -> B to a new file
Cut out A -> B to a new file
Repeat play A -> B
Cancel

(b) allow folders to be created at the root level of the internal HDD (note: this will not be allowed by Beyonwiz due to many hidden folders being at the root level).
(c) allow copying or moving to an NTFS HDD (note: not possible with the Linux 2.4 kernel currently in use).
(d) when editing, allow marker B to be set earlier in the timeline than marker A.
(e) allow files to be deleted from a networked WizPNP server.
(f) allow deletion of non-empty folders after giving a suitable warning.
(g) add an "Undo" function to the editing pop-up menu, which will undo the previous edit function. This would require a pop-up dialog "Save edits? (Yes / No)" when you press STOP to return to the file list, where answering "Yes" would clear the undo points and "No" would cancel all edits and return the file to its original state.
(h) allow renaming of multiple files by using the blue button.
(i) the ability to schedule a time for a copy or move function.
(j) when using the copy / move function, the destination should default to the same location last used for this function.
(k) show the progress of a copy / move function according to the total data size, rather than the number of files.

W12. Front panel display improvements, as follows:
(a) ability to dim the front panel display.
(b) after selecting the "Shut down: Later" function, display the message "Shutdown pending..." on the front panel, and go back to normal display if shutdown is cancelled.
(c) add a remote control response indicator e.g. flash the tv or radio icon.
(d) in 'File Playback', show selected folder name or file name (to allow navigation without turning on your screen).

W13. User interface improvements, as follows:
(a) enable 'Information Box' function for recorded programmes and media files (similar to that of live tv), and show relevant information such as:
. (i) live tv - incoming video resolution, audio format, description, rating and "(R)" for repeat and "HD" for high definition if applicable.
. (ii) recorded programmes - same as above, plus programme length and file size.
. (iii) movies - video format, audio format, movie length, file size and file format.
. (iv) music - bitrate, song length, file size and file format.
. (v) photos - resolution, file size and file format.
(b) show the amount of free space available on a connected USB storage device.
(c) allow folders to be ticked (via the blue button) when performing functions such as move/copy, playback and adding to a playlist.
(d) when browsing folders in the File Player, show the cursor on the first file or folder in the list rather than the 'up level' icon.
(e) change the mute on-screen display to utilise the existing volume display, except with a red X through the speaker icon and no sound waves. Replace the volume number and volume bar with the word "Mute" in red. Make this display disappear after 5 seconds, but continue to show "MUTE" on the front panel.
(f) show the current clock time on the progress bar for live TV and file playback.
(g) in 'Set-Up' -> 'Misc.' -> 'File Player', add a new setting "Location Default" with three options "HDD Root Level" / "Recordings" / "Last Used". If the last used location no longer exists, open to the HDD root level instead.
(h) in the File Player, add a sixth storage device "Wiz Servers" which shows the enabled WizPNP servers (i.e. remove them from the 'Network' section).
(i) upon completing a service scan (manually or via DCM), if any timers are affected by a change in service data, display a pop-up window "The service scan has affected some timers. Please check the Timer List".
(j) allow folder paths to be saved in the Favourites section of the File Player.
(k) change the 'TV Out' and 'Zoom' functions to only show the current setting with the first button press, and only change the setting with subsequent presses (as per 'Sleep' function).
(l) display the partition names of FAT-32 partitions on a USB HDD or thumb drive.
(m) add a new menu item to File --> 'Pop-up' called "Attributes". This should open a two-column window where you can choose from a pre-set list of attributes to tag each file e.g. "John watched", "Keep for burning" etc. Make RED = Create Attribute (using on-screen keyboard), GREEN = Delete Attribute, OK = Assign/Remove Attribute.
(n) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'File Player' --> 'Default Filter', add a fifth setting "Last used". Make the other 4 settings open the file player to the chosen filter every time, not just the first time after bootup. If the last used filter cannot be remembered after a power cycle, then have a sub-setting on the next line called "After Power-on", with four options "Media" / "Movies" / "Music" / "Photos".
(o) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'OSD', add four new settings "Progress bar timeout", "Volume bar timeout", "Info bar timeout" and "Recording start timeout", to set the number of seconds these displays will be on-screen before disappearing (make a value of 0 = Do not display).
(p) add the following functions for all displayed lists, including the EPG:
REW - move up one page in the list
FF - move down one page in the list
PREV - jump to the first entry in the list
NEXT - jump to the last entry in the list
(q) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Favorite', in the "Fav. Service" column, replace the service type icon with the LCN (similar to the "All Service" column).
(r) in live tv "Pop-Up" menu, add a menu item "Recorded Programmes", which when selected will display a transparent window listing all files contained in the "Recording" folder on the HDD. Selecting a file will stop live tv, play the chosen file, then automatically return to live tv when finished. If this cannot be done, then make this function directly open the Recordings folder in the File Player.
(s) in "File Playback", when playing a file, allow "Pop-Up" to show a list of all files contained in the current folder. Selecting one will stop the current file, and start playing the new file (would save time when searching for a particular file).
(t) re-assign the functions of the coloured buttons as described here.

W14. Time and power management improvements, as follows:
(a) after a power interruption, the unit should:
. (i) wake up.
. (ii) automatically perform an HDD check.
. (iii) if the internal clock has lost its time setting due to a long power outage, and 'Time Mode' is set to 'Manual' or 'Auto', the unit should retrieve a broadcast time-stamp and reset the clock.
. (iv) check timer list - any repeat timers already expired should be rolled forward to their next occurrence, and any timers which should be currently active should begin immediately.
. (v) return to its previous state (Standby or On) when finished.
(b) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Configuration' --> 'Time', make the 'Daylight Saving' and 'Region' settings active for all time modes. When "Daylight Saving" is set to "Enable", show two new sub-settings "Start Time" and "End Time". These settings should have default times according to the 'Region' setting, but should also be editable via a pop-up window with the following settings: Month / Week / Day / Hour. e.g. April / 1 / Sun / 02. When this time is reached, the unit should:
. (i) change the 'Time Offset' value by +/- 1 hr.
. (ii) change the duration of any current recordings by +/- 1hr.
. (iii) change the countdown to wake-up for the next timer recording by +/- 1 hr.
. (iv) add 1 year to the Start/End Time.
(c) change Network time to update every 4hrs.

W15. Remote control improvements, as follows:
(a) have 3 selectable remote control code sets, so that one unit's remote does not interfere with another Beyonwiz unit (for those with IR repeaters).
(b) add discrete remote control codes for MUTE ON and MUTE OFF.

W16. On-screen keyboard improvements, as follows:
(a) add characters ? : / to "Special Lock".
(b) add numbers (for those who don't use the Beyonwiz remote).
(c) assign the coloured keys to be as follows:
RED = select on screen keyboard type (cycles through lower case, caps, numbers, special characters then back to lower case [or alternatively add a row of numbers to the keyboard])
GREEN = insert a space under the cursor
YELLOW = delete the character under the cursor
BLUE = move left one character (start focus at end of text, wrap back to end if beginning reached)

W17. Subtitle improvements, as follows:
(a) make the 'subtitle' button toggle subtitles on and off, without having to navigate the pop-up menu.
(b) allow options in 'Set-Up' to change the font size and screen position of subtitles.
(c) set the transparency of the subtitle window to that of the current transparency setting in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'OSD' --> 'Transparency'.
(d) display subtitles during FF/REW functions.
(e) allow multiple subtitle files of different languages for a video file.

W18. Miscellaneous:
(a) GPL compliance (to allow WizAps to be written).
(b) add picture-in-picture (note: this would have to be limited to SD channels only due to hardware limitations).
(c) maintain the timeshift buffer when changing channels.
(d) reduce startup time by going to live tv sooner in the process (possibly disabling some features for a short time until startup is completed).
(e) allow recording directly to a networked HDD or USB device.
(f) when the unit is left in pause mode, on a menu screen or performing a file transfer for [x] minutes, dim the screen. In 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Preference', add a menu item "Screensaver" with the ability to set a value for [x].
(g) in 'Set-Up' --> 'System' --> 'Initialize', add a new setting "Restart", to allow restarting the unit without powering down and up again.
(h) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'Time-shifting', add a new sub-setting "Buffer Size" with options 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 mins.
(i) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'Access Control', change the current 'Censorship' setting to three separate settings "Live TV Censorship" / "Recordings Censorship" / "DVD Censorship".
(j) support for wireless keyboard.
(k) spin the HDD down if 'Set-Up' --> 'Misc.' --> 'PVR' --> 'Time-shifting' is set to "Disable".
(l) in 'Set-Up' --> 'Configuration' --> 'A/V Output' --> 'Video Type', add a third option "Auto" (would play material at its encoded frame rate e.g. 24Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, for those who have a display which can support it).

[sub3R]

Nice work as usual madmax.


Duplicate service scan issue:

The duplicate service scan issue when carrying out a full service scan at my location as found here still exists in this 01.05.350 f/w.

SC10 Taree (Middle Brother) services indicated 99% signal strength & 99% quality on the S1, & these three services were incorrectly renumbered as LCNs 364, 365 & 366.
SC10 Coff s Harbour (Mt Moombil) services indicated 81% signal strength & 99% quality on the S1, & these three services were incorrectly left below LCN 350.
The Panasonic TV indicated 10 out of 10 signal strength & 10 out of 10 quality for SC10 Taree (Middle Brother).
The Panasonic TV indicated fluctuating readings between 4 & 5 out of 10 for signal strength & fluctuating readings between 4 & 5 out of 10 for quality for SC10 Coffs Harbour (Mt Moombil).
The TV renumbers the SC10 Mt Moombil services correctly to above LCN 350 & correctly leaves the SC10 Middle Brother services as found.

The solution with this first upgraded DP-S1 was to delete all SC10 services after the scan & carry out a partial scan for SC10 Taree (Middle Brother).

*** It would pay users receiving duplicate services to check where the weakest & strongest duplicate services have been placed by the wiz following a full service scan ***
If my scanned services had been left as scanned, I would certainly have had reception problems with SC10 in poor conditions.

Added 6-Feb-11: The 2nd DP-S1 was today upgraded to 01.05.350 with the same incorrect duplicate service results for SC10 after a full service scan.
In this case the signal strength was 69% & the quality 99% for SC10 Coffs Harbour (Mt Moombil). SC10 Middle Brother was 99% signal strength & 99% quality.
ABC Mt Moombil was handled correctly at 65% signal strength & 99% quality as was SBS Mt Moombil at 63% signal strength & 99% quality. ABC & SBS Middle Brother were both 99% signal strength & 99% quality. All these readings were taken from the DP-S1.
I didn?t carry out any checks with the TV today, but no doubt the signal strength & quality readings for SC10 Mt Moombil would have been worse than yesterday's readings (signal strengths on the S1s of 69% today vs 81% yesterday for SC10 Mt Moombil).
Refer to the above link for any Middle Brother & Mt Moombil details in my earlier post.

As with the first upgraded DP-S1, the solution was to delete all SC10 services after the scan & carry out a partial scan for SC10 Taree (Middle Brother).

This function clearly doesn?t work reliably & should be listed as a bug.

[sub3R]

I have added more relevant information to my post made yesterday.

[tonymy01]

Unfortunately for the wiz, the ability of the tuners to report a meaningful strength/quality used for this scanning process is not all that able to work out good from bad, it seems that some scanning situations may test this ability..

[prl]

Unfortunately for the wiz, the ability of the tuners to report a meaningful strength/quality used for this scanning process is not all that able to work out good from bad, it seems that some scanning situations may test this ability..

I think the signal quality is a good indicator, but I agree about signal strength.

[sub3R]

Unfortunately for the wiz, the ability of the tuners to report a meaningful strength/quality used for this scanning process is not all that able to work out good from bad, it seems that some scanning situations may test this ability..

Yes, I came to that conclusion Tony just after I first picked this problem up with 01.05.334. The idea was good & I thought there may be some improvement with 01.05.350, but there wasn?t for me - I would say a fairly large proportion of the Port Macquarie/Hastings area would test it & fail it.

The way I see it, the wiz isn?t capable of always making the correct decision based on signal quality comparisons, so it obviously needs to make comparisons between duplicate services on signal strength in addition to signal quality. If it did this then it may work correctly.

In addition to this being listed as a bug, I think there also needs to be a warning in the FAQ and Tips area.

[mcpaton]

Feature Request:

Ability to add a "child lock" to the big blue button when the unit is ON, to prevent kids powering it off...

[prl]

Feature Request:

Ability to add a "child lock" to the big blue button when the unit is ON, to prevent kids powering it off...

If the TV isn't being watched, and the Beyonwiz is just on for recording something, when the front button is pressed, a popup comes onto the screen asking if you want to turn off when the recording finishes, immediately, or to cancel the power-off. When the pop-up times out, it automatically selects "power off when the recording finishes".

There is a PIN lock for startup, perhaps another one could be added for shutdown.

[IanSav]

Hi Mcpaton,

Ability to add a "child lock" to the big blue button when the unit is ON, to prevent kids powering it off...

There is always the option to move the unit out of reach of children, put some sort of door in front of the unit (as in put the unit in a media cabinet with a door) or teach the children not to play with their parents toys.

Even if the unit is switched off it will turn on to perform recordings. If it is on and recording then the pop up as Peter described should protect the recording(s) in progress.

Regards,
Ian.

[peterpcuser]

When you press info then info again which brings up the text for that program (whether it's watching TV or in the EPG) is there any way you can enable the zoom button to make the text bigger?I already tried it,but the zoom button has no effect when viewing text.

When pressing file playback there are many folders and options around.Your're able to press left,right,up,down and can end up on Media,Movie,Music,Photo,HDD,Network,USB.....
and it can get confusing.Is there a way to press 1 button which will simply take me to my recordings in a single box menu where I can playback and delete my recordings?

Thanks

[IanSav]

Hi Peterpcuser,

When you press info then info again which brings up the text for that program (whether it's watching TV or in the EPG) is there any way you can enable the zoom button to make the text bigger?I already tried it,but the zoom button has no effect when viewing text.

There is currently no way to change the font size on the screen.

When pressing file playback there are many folders and options around.Your're able to press left,right,up,down and can end up on Media,Movie,Music,Photo,HDD,Network,USB.....
and it can get confusing.Is there a way to press 1 button which will simply take me to my recordings in a single box menu where I can playback and delete my recordings?

When you first enter File Player you can navigate to the HDD Recordings folder. Then you can play and/or delete recordings and/or return to LIVE TV. When ever you return to the File Player will resume in the same place and mode as when you last left it. You will need to do the navigation step the first time you use the File Player after each power up. The location will be remembered for as long as the unit is left on.

Regards,
Ian.

[madmax]

Is there a way to press 1 button which will simply take me to my recordings in a single box menu where I can playback and delete my recordings?

We already have wish W13(g) and W13(s) to try to simplify file playback. I doubt either of them will ever happen though....

[peterpcuser]

There is currently no way to change the font size on the screen.

Fair enough but when viewing photos you can press the zoom button and it zooms in very close.I'm hoping to achieve the same thing when viewing text by pressing zoom.It would be great to be able to press left,right,up,down when using zoom to view photos and text.

EDIT: I thought I should add this idea on text.If I had the choice of changing text size in setup-Small,Medium,Large vs Having to press zoom every time i'm viewing text to make it bigger,I would rather have change text size in setup.That way you can set it permanent without having to press zoom.


Info screen current text size


Info screen large text request either by pressing zoom,or change text size in setup

When you first enter File Player you can navigate to the HDD Recordings folder Then you can play and/or delete recordings and/or return to LIVE TV When ever you return to the File Player will resume in the same place and mode as when you last left it. You will need to do the navigation step the first time you use the File Player after each power up.The location will be remembered for as long as the unit is left on.

Yes i'm aware of that and that's what i've been doing,pressing File Playback and Live to go back and forth.But whenever I turn the unit off then back on and press File Playback it takes me back to the 3 folders Recodings,Content,Trashcan.I don't know why,if there was a way where it would remember the exact place I was in,the recording files without having to press ok,ok that would be great.

How about in options there can be a setting which states "File Playback will always take you back to the exact place you were" Enable/Disable No matter if you turn the unit on or off,it will always remember the exact place.

[madmax]

How about in options there can be a setting which states "File Playback will always take you back to the exact place you were" Enable/Disable No matter if you turn the unit on or off,it will always remember the exact place.

I don't think it's possible to remember through a power cycle, I'm pretty sure we've explored that option already. So W13(g) is the next best thing.

[prl]

...
I don't think it's possible to remember through a power cycle, I'm pretty sure we've explored that option already. So W13(g) is the next best thing.

Anything that can be turned into a set of "keyword=value" lines (not sure what the line length limit is, though) can potentially be saved across a shutdown using the existing machinery (/tmp/config/main.conf).

So something like:

FILEPLAYER_CONTEXT=Recordings/SavedStuff/Movie_I_Was_Watching.tvwiz

or even:

FILEPLAYER_CONTEXT=1/3/5

(where the numbers are indexes into the lists at each level in the browser) should be do-able.

[madmax]

Anything that can be turned into a set of "keyword=value" lines (not sure what the line length limit is, though) can potentially be saved across a shutdown using the existing machinery (/tmp/config/main.conf).

Well, I hope it really is that simple. Then we could have a setting such as:

File Player Initial View [Root level / Recordings / Last position]

That would be sweet, I would choose Recordings for sure......should I amend W13(g) accordingly?

[prl]

...
That would be sweet, I would choose Recordings for sure......should I amend W13(g) accordingly?

That'd be fine by me.

[dddp]

Feature request - if it is possible

visual indication that a file has been played when viewed in file player - or, conversely visual indication that a file hasn't been played when viewed in file player

[peteru]

Anything that can be turned into a set of "keyword=value" lines (not sure what the line length limit is, though) can potentially be saved across a shutdown using the existing machinery (/tmp/config/main.conf).

You probably don't want to save frequently modified information to the flash. The config partitions use the same two erase blocks over and over. Eventually the flash will wear out.

A better location to save this kind of data would be the (much smaller) EEPROM, where transient settings, such as volume and last viewed LCN are stored. I believe the EEPROM currently has around 200 bytes free out of the 256 bytes available.

Alternatively, the HDD would make a better choice than the flash - it already holds various caches and indices.

[prl]

Anything that can be turned into a set of "keyword=value" lines (not sure what the line length limit is, though) can potentially be saved across a shutdown using the existing machinery (/tmp/config/main.conf).

You probably don't want to save frequently modified information to the flash. The config partitions use the same two erase blocks over and over. Eventually the flash will wear out.
...

It only needs to be saved at shutdown. I thought it was anyway. Playback resume points are saved in flash.

[madmax]

Feature request - if it is possible

visual indication that a file has been played when viewed in file player - or, conversely visual indication that a file hasn't been played when viewed in file player

The problem is how do you define "played"? Sometimes the end of a programme is at the beginning of the next programme, so this file could be marked as played even though you haven't watched the main programme yet.

[dddp]

Feature request - if it is possible

visual indication that a file has been played when viewed in file player - or, conversely visual indication that a file hasn't been played when viewed in file player

The problem is how do you define "played"? Sometimes the end of a programme is at the beginning of the next programme, so this file could be marked as played even though you haven't watched the main programme yet.

way i see it is if the 1st part hasn't been seen and you then watch it and it's missing it's 'end' it's logical that the 'end' will be at the beginning of the next file whether that file is marked as watched or not doesn't really matter. Also, if the file with the 'end' on it has been watched, you'd have realised that this file contains the 'end' of the previous file and so skip/ffd to get to the portion that contains the show after the 'end' and so not see the 'end' and so spoil the story

[madmax]

whether that file is marked as watched or not doesn't really matter.

A feature that cannot be relied on is pretty much a waste of time. It is also of virtually no use to multi-user households.

[prl]

This is something that has been discussed a number of times already on the forum. The main problems are:

• How to define "watched"? Padded recordings are not normally watched to their physical end, only to the end of the program that contains them.
• Where you have recordings of consecutive programs on the same service, the end of the first program is almost always in the second recording. If you watch the second program first, do you mark it as watched, even though it contains part of an unwatched program? How do you even tell?
• If there are several people in a household who watch the same recordings, but at different times, "watched:" for one person is not "watched" for another. It's probably in this situation where a "watched" marking would be most useful, but a single "watched" flag just won't do the job.

Anyway, we normally mark watched programs manually. With two presses of the green button.

A less drastic approach that works for two people is to have a pair of folders for recordings that have been watched by one person but not the other. You have to manage this manually, though. We do this sometimes when one of us is away.

[sub3R]

Feature request - if it is possible

visual indication that a file has been played when viewed in file player - or, conversely visual indication that a file hasn't been played when viewed in file player

The problem is how do you define "played"? Sometimes the end of a programme is at the beginning of the next programme, so this file could be marked as played even though you haven't watched the main programme yet.

And would a file that had a relatively short section played at the start & end to set the A & B markers for editing be flagged as being played?

I have often thought it would be a good idea if you could manually mark a recording as played & also as in the process of being played (something like two different coloured markings). Sometimes it can be over a week before I get back to finish watching a recording, & occasionally both members of the household don?t get to watch the same recording together. In these situations I rename the recording by adding a short bracketed word at the end of the recording name but that usually gets truncated so it can?t be read anyway.
I wouldn?t like the wiz to automatically mark the recordings though.

If the recording is on the PC?s Ext HDD it is a quick process to move the recording to a different folder. However, if the recording is on the wiz?s HDD it is not worth the time & effort to copy the recording to a different folder on the wiz?s HDD.

[prl]

Here are some earlier discussions of this idea, the more recent first. The oldest dates from Jan 2008.

http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4158
http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/phpbb2/viewt ... 0907#50907
http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/phpbb2/viewt ... 8969#48969
http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/phpbb2/viewt ... 8241#38241
http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/phpbb2/viewt ... 7502#17502

As mentioned in the first (most recent) of those, there is already a wishlist item that would allow manual tagging of recordings as "watched (by someone)". The post says it's W13(k), but it's now W13(m).

[sub3R]

?.
As mentioned in the first (most recent) of those, there is already a wishlist item that would allow manual tagging of recordings as "watched (by someone)". The post says it's W13(k), but it's now W13(m).

Thanks for the links Peter. I remember a fair bit of the discussions in some of those but I don?t remember the discussion on this final wishlist proposal. No UI visualisation in the file player & having to pull up a separate menu to see what has been played doesn?t make much sense to me.

I think glow?s suggestion below is a good one.

You could just rename the recordings - e.g put your initial at the beginning to indicate that you've watched it.

With the initial at the beginning it doesn?t disappear off the screen if the recording name gets truncated.

[prl]

...
I think glow?s suggestion below is a good one.

You could just rename the recordings - e.g put your initial at the beginning to indicate that you've watched it.

With the initial at the beginning it doesn?t disappear off the screen if the recording name gets truncated.

Or, radical as this may appear to some, people could just talk to each other.

[Donno]

...
I think glow?s suggestion below is a good one.

You could just rename the recordings - e.g put your initial at the beginning to indicate that you've watched it.

With the initial at the beginning it doesn?t disappear off the screen if the recording name gets truncated.

Or, radical as this may appear to some, people could just talk to each other.

Is there a firmware update available for that functionality?

[IanSav]

Hi Donno,

Is there a firmware update available for that functionality?

I am sure that there will be someone who will demand the feature be added.

Regards,
Ian.

[Chuckles]

Hi Donno,

Is there a firmware update available for that functionality?

I am sure that there will be someone who will demand the feature be added.

Regards,
Ian.

Whilst us introverts will insist it be made a purely optional feature via a user setting....

[madmax]

Now, a quick summary of where we are at with bugs and wishes so far:

Bugs:
1. Duplicate services incorrectly analysed and sorted - I have actually seen this myself on my Dad's unit (albeit on beta .346, but likely no difference). So I can confirm this bug. I have put this in the 'Picture and Sound' issues as bug B1(a), for want of a better place, because I guess it does affect your picture and sound quality. And you can't get much more prominent than B1(a).
2. Control locked on single service EPG still occurring - only one report so far, needs confirmation.

Wishes:
1. PIN lock for shutdown - only one user so far, needs a seconder. I'm wondering, would the Wiz be able to distinguish between a front panel shutdown and a wakeup -> record -> shutdown? Because that would kill the idea if it can't.
2. Default File Player location - already an existing wish, and modified to add 'Last Used'.

But I just had an idea - what if you could Enable/Disable a default File Player location, and when enabled, set any location you like? e.g. Recordings is an obvious choice, but what about a WizPnP server, for an H1 with no HDD attached? Could be handy. And when set to 'disabled', it will simply open the last used location. Could this be a useful and workable extension of this idea? I guess there will be cases where the default or last used location is unavailable, in which case it could fall back to the HDD root level.

Thoughts?

[peterpcuser]

I added 2 pictures by editing my post on the first page to show you what I mean by enabling the zoom button when viewing text in the info screen.

[prl]

... I'm wondering, would the Wiz be able to distinguish between a front panel shutdown and a wakeup -> record -> shutdown? Because that would kill the idea if it can't. ...

There must be some point in the firmware where it can distinguish between them, because in one case it gets a remote or front panel event, and in the other case it doesn't. Whether it's easy to slip mcpaton's suggestion into the control flow is hard to tell without the source code. At the point where the recording demand stops, it can certainly tell whether it was started manually or started from a timer, because it does different things in the two cases.

I'm inclined to go more with IanSav's suggestion, but then I never had any problems with our one child with the "children don't play with the adult's toys" method. Nor with her friends, either. However there's a large YMMV factor in that

[madmax]

I added 2 pictures by editing my post on the first page to show you what I mean by enabling the zoom button when viewing text in the info screen.

If you can't read the info box, doesn't that suggest you can't read the Guide either? The text is the same size. And there is no fix for that.....time for a bigger TV??

[IanSav]

Hi Madmax,

1. Duplicate services incorrectly analysed and sorted - I have actually seen this myself on my Dad's unit (albeit on beta .346, but likely no difference). So I can confirm this bug. I have put this in the 'Picture and Sound' issues as bug B1(a), for want of a better place, because I guess it does affect your picture and sound quality. And you can't get much more prominent than B1(a).

Inserting items into lists that cause existing, and potentially well known, items to renumber is poor form. Inserting an item into a group to which it doesn't apply is equally poor form. Please create a new section at the end of the list called "Tuning / DCM issues, as follow:" and add this item there.

2. Control locked on single service EPG still occurring - only one report so far, needs confirmation.

This new report did not have the "Control Locked" pop up so it is a different issue.

1. PIN lock for shutdown - only one user so far, needs a seconder. I'm wondering, would the Wiz be able to distinguish between a front panel shutdown and a wakeup -> record -> shutdown? Because that would kill the idea if it can't.

This is not likely to be practical or possible. Changing the way the front panel works is not a matter of changing the firmware. The micro-controller hardware will need to be changed. Further, the use of the front panel buttons should not require the remote control to enter a PIN. Any changes to cause an interlock on the front panel power button should rely on some sequence of front panel button presses to engage / disengage the interlock. All in all this is not a good candidate for a firmware wish list item.

In practical terms this user is better off contacting Mark (Warkus) and getting some sort of switch added to his unit that enables/disables the front panel buttons. This switch could be hidden elsewhere on the Beyonwiz case where little fingers are less likely to explore.

2. Default File Player location - already an existing wish, and modified to add 'Last Used'.

But I just had an idea - what if you could Enable/Disable a default File Player location, and when enabled, set any location you like? e.g. Recordings is an obvious choice, but what about a WizPnP server, for an H1 with no HDD attached? Could be handy. And when set to 'disabled', it will simply open the last used location. Could this be a useful and workable extension of this idea? I guess there will be cases where the default or last used location is unavailable, in which case it could fall back to the HDD root level.

Thoughts?

This description does not match Wish 13(g) (I prefer the words used in the actual wish.)

I still believe that one of my earlier wishes, not present in your list, would be a better alternative. The idea was to add a new item to the LIVE TV POP-UP menu such that the list reads "Timer List", "Recording Information", "Watch Recording", "Tuner Information", etc. (For DP-S1 owners the list should read "Timer List", "Recording Information", "Watch Recording", "Watch DVD", "Tuner Information", etc. where the word "DVD" is replaced by a word appropriate for the media in the drive, e.g. "DVD", "CD".)

The idea is that you can set your favourite File Player starting point but users should always have an independent mechanism to directly jump to watching recordings without changing the last used File Player location.

Regards,
Ian.

[sub3R]

?.
1. Duplicate services incorrectly analysed and sorted - I have actually seen this myself on my Dad's unit (albeit on beta .346, but likely no difference). So I can confirm this bug. I have put this in the 'Picture and Sound' issues as bug B1(a), for want of a better place, because I guess it does affect your picture and sound quality. And you can't get much more prominent than B1(a).

Thanks madmax. As serious as this bug sounds, once the services have been partially rescanned, the problem is fixed ? at least until another full service scan is required. I?m happy it made it into the bugs list, but I agree with Ian on where it [edit] shouldn?t go. If you decide to leave it in the 'Picture and Sound' section I don?t think it should be inserted above an existing item. [end edit]

?.
2. Control locked on single service EPG still occurring - only one report so far, needs confirmation.

When I get some time I?ll try this seeing I could make it fail in the last 3 or 4 public releases. To date I haven?t tried heavy navigation with 01.05.350 & therefore haven?t had any problems.

[madmax]

Inserting items into lists that cause existing, and potentially well known, items to renumber is poor form.

I've been doing this since day 1, interesting that you should suddenly find it an issue after all these years.

Inserting an item into a group to which it doesn't apply is equally poor form. Please create a new section at the end of the list called "Tuning / DCM issues, as follow:" and add this item there.

It certainly crossed my mind, but I'm just trying to keep the categories to a minimum so it doesn't get too cluttered. I'll look at this later.

I still believe that one of my earlier wishes, not present in your list, would be a better alternative. The idea was to add a new item to the LIVE TV POP-UP menu such that the list reads "Timer List", "Recording Information", "Watch Recording", "Tuner Information", etc. (For DP-S1 owners the list should read "Timer List", "Recording Information", "Watch Recording", "Watch DVD", "Tuner Information", etc. where the word "DVD" is replaced by a word appropriate for the media in the drive, e.g. "DVD", "CD".)

The idea is that you can set your favourite File Player starting point but users should always have an independent mechanism to directly jump to watching recordings without changing the last used File Player location.

That's an angle which could simplify things a bit. W13(s), while slightly different to your idea and a bit over-the-top, would at a minimum take you directly to the Recordings folder in the File Player. That would mean the File Player button would be better to take you to Last Used, and there would be little need to have any setup options. But I suppose one can't hurt.

[peterpcuser]

If you can't read the info box, doesn't that suggest you can't read the Guide either? The text is the same size. And there is no fix for that.....time for a bigger TV??

No nothing wrong with my TV it's 51 cm and I never said I couldn't read it.When I get very close to the TV yes I can read it.But when i'm sitting back on the couch watching TV from a distance and I press the info button,the text is very small and there's so much room around for zooming in as you can see by the first picture I uploaded.

Like I said you can already use the zoom button when viewing photos,why do you think they have that option?Small TV?No they allow you to zoom in to blow things up making it bigger.

The zoom button is already there and it would be great if it could be enabled when viewing the info screen.Using the arrow keys when viewing both photos and the info screen would be good too.

[IanSav]

Hi Madmax,

I've been doing this since day 1, interesting that you should suddenly find it an issue after all these years.

The problem is that in my browsing this forum to research my answers for new enquiries I keep hitting posts where people quote your bug list numbers only to find that you have subsequently renumbered the lists. Over a short period of time this may not be a problem but when you look at some old posts this can become very confusing.

Regards,
Ian.

[prl]

I referred to a wish list item recently where it had moved from the letter originally given it (and quoted in an old post) to another; it wasn't that hard to find the one I wanted (and repost with the new number/letter).

[madmax]

The zoom button is already there and it would be great if it could be enabled when viewing the info screen.Using the arrow keys when viewing both photos and the info screen would be good too.

Okay. But to keep the wish list under control, I have a rule that more than one person has to want it before it makes the list. So, if you can find someone to 'second' your wish, onto the list it goes.....

[IanSav]

Hi Peterpcuser,

No nothing wrong with my TV it's 51 cm and I never said I couldn't read it.When I get very close to the TV yes I can read it.But when i'm sitting back on the couch watching TV from a distance and I press the info button,the text is very small and there's so much room around for zooming in as you can see by the first picture I uploaded.

Like I said you can already use the zoom button when viewing photos,why do you think they have that option?Small TV?No they allow you to zoom in to blow things up making it bigger.

The zoom button is already there and it would be great if it could be enabled when viewing the info screen.Using the arrow keys when viewing both photos and the info screen would be good too.

The Beyonwiz does not use a font scaling system and most of the screens are painted graphically. What you are asking is not at all easy to do and will definitely never be possible as a simple firmware update. (The entire system will need to be rewritten from the ground up to support font scaling.)

While I sympathise with your issue I tend to agree with Madmax that perhaps it is time for you to invest in a TV with a larger screen. This will produce larger images and larger text that will be easier for you to view from your normal seating position.

Regards,
Ian.

[IanSav]

Hi Peter,

I referred to a wish list item recently where it had moved from the letter originally given it (and quoted in an old post) to another; it wasn't that hard to find the one I wanted (and repost with the new number/letter).

Did you fix that broken reference in the other person's post?

In brief, it is better not renumbering lists that are used as reference pointers.

Regards,
Ian.

[prl]

Hi Peter,

I referred to a wish list item recently where it had moved from the letter originally given it (and quoted in an old post) to another; it wasn't that hard to find the one I wanted (and repost with the new number/letter).

Did you fix that broken reference in the other person's post?

In brief, it is better not renumbering lists that are used as reference pointers.

Regards,
Ian.

It was in my own post, and no.

When I post bug or wish list items, I try to put a link in to the list I refer to. That way the post stays consistent, no matter what changes are made to future lists. I can't recall whether that was the case for that particular post, though.

[mcpaton]

Thanks for the "smart" options. Fact is we have an H2 in the kids play room, that we mainly use for the media player function for kids TV shows and movies. The bright blue light is a magnet for my 12 month old daughter to scoot up to and press on and off.

We have an LG plasma in the room which we have activated the Child Lock function on - the power ON button works, but once the TV is on, pressing any button on the TV just brings up a pop-up screen saying "Child Lock On". We have coded the BW remote to power the TV on and off, preventing the kids from powering it on and off all the time.

The same functionality for the BW would be fantastic, if possible.

[sub3R]

?.
2. Control locked on single service EPG still occurring - only one report so far, needs confirmation.

When I get some time I?ll try this seeing I could make it fail in the last 3 or 4 public releases. To date I haven?t tried heavy navigation with 01.05.350 & therefore haven?t had any problems.

I can confirm this bug & I didn?t get the ?Control Locked? popup to appear.

Sequence of events:

• With Prime7 in the single service FTA EPG, I started scrolling down from the oldest EPG event to the newest event by using relatively quick presses of the down arrow button (the button wasn?t held down at any time). The wiz wasn't recording at the time.
• When I reached the newest event I right arrowed to Prime7two (the next in the list) where I used the green button to go up to the oldest event.
• In Prime7two I scrolled down from the oldest EPG event to the newest event by using relatively quick presses of the down arrow button (the button wasn?t held down at any time).
• I pressed the right arrow button with the intention of going to Prime7mate which was next in the list, but nothing happened. I couldn?t get any response from any of the navigation buttons.
• By pressing the exit button the screen went black after quite a while with just the small video screen that works in conjunction with the EPG still displaying correctly in the top RH corner. I pressed the file player button to see what would happen & the file player eventually displayed but responses from any button presses were very slow. The response of the S1 had slowed right down.
• Pressing the On/Standby button on the remote caused the S1 to go to standby after approx 30 seconds.

Even though I was pressing the down arrow button relatively quickly it was typical of quickly searching for an event in the EPG. I haven't tried this but I would guess the workaround would be to use fairly slow finger presses when scrolling - & don't do it when the wiz is recording, with earlier f/w the recording terminated as soon as the EPG hung.

From memory this sounds something like the original bug quite a few f/w versions ago before the ?Control Locked? popup was implemented.

[madmax]

I can confirm this bug & I didn?t get the ?Control Locked? popup to appear. [snip] From memory this sounds something like the original bug quite a few f/w versions ago before the ?Control Locked? popup was implemented.

Thanks subby, added as bug B3(a).

[hoder]

one thing I'd like to see on the wishlist is a "fast" playback.
Something around 1.5x speed but with audio and subtitles still supported. Maybe toggle on & off when the play button is pressed.
I've found this useful at times watching programs recorded on my pc and I think it couldn't hurt to have this feature on the wiz as well.
I'm not sure if this is possible or not but maybe someone more familiar with how it works can shed some light on this...