Updating the PVR80 | |||||||||||||||||||||
If you've lost BBC1 and BBC2 after the 4th November rescan, download firmware version 5.7 for the T810 from
this website and follow the update instructions below.
If you use the Winter Hill transmitter, you may need to do a manual scan of channel 62 (after the upgrade) in order to get the BBC North West programmes instead of BBC Wales.
Please note that the following photos and instructions are based on the invaluable information found here, and here. None of the original discovery work belongs to me. As time has gone by, various notes have been added here based on feedback from people who've updated their boxes. As a result, the page has become a bit untidy and less easy to read. I do recommend that you read through it all in case there is something specific to your box.
Updating the PVR80
Connecting the PVR80 to the ComputerYou need a serial cable to connect between the RS232 socket on your PC and the RS232 socket on the back panel of the PVR80.The serial cable is a 'straight-through' 9-pin cable (pin 2 to pin 2, pin 3 to pin 3 etc.) with a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other. The end with the pins may have fixing screws or threaded bushes which you will need to remove to prevent them catching on the PVR80 socket. If your PC doesn't have an RS232 serial socket, you can use a USB converter cable. (Note the system requirements - a driver may not be available for Windows 7). NOTE: Although I get emails from people telling me they've successfully updated the box with a USB-Serial adapter cable, I probably get as many telling me of problems. I guess all adapter cables are not the same and it has to be trial and error.
Someone who successfully used a USB-Serial cable writes: I would advise those using a USB-serial converter cable to get the latest and correct driver for their OS from the manufacturer. Check the device and vendor IDs from:
Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information Select "Components" > "Problem Devices"If the USB-serial converter cable is listed here, note the 4 alpha-numeric ID codes for the Vendor (VID_XXXX) and Product (PID_XXXX) under the "PNP Device ID" heading. The hardware manufacturer information can then be obtained by entering the ID codes in the PCI Database: There are usually direct links from here to the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website. After installing the correct driver, the converter cable both installed correctly and updated the firmware in the DTR80. It's also been reported that the following USB-serial converter works well:
Prolific USB to Serial Converter USB\VID_067B&PID_2303&REV_0400 USB\VID_067B&PID_2303 It should be noted that most modern PCs without an external serial (COM) port may well have the hardware already installed on the motherboard and it may be possible to easily add a suitable socket 'riser' plate at the back of the computer. Alternatively, PCI RS232 cards are available to add a serial port provided you have a spare PCI socket on the motherboard. For laptops, a Serial Port CardBus PCMCIA Card might be more successful than a USB-Serial adapter cable - although I haven't tried this.
Download and Extract the firmwareAfter downloading the 5.7 firmware, extract the .bin, file and save it on the Windows Desktop.
NoteDigiHome DTR80: There are 2 versions of the DTR80. The first is a Vestel T810, which means it's essentially a PVR80. The later versions are Vestel T816. Check which version of the machine you have - either "T810" or "T816" will be on the barcode label on the underside of the machine before downloading the appropriate firmware.
Note for Windows versions later than XPIf you're using Vista or Windows 7, you'll need HyperTerminal
The Procedure
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