Page 1 of Philips 610 Timer Cam1 S input

My Philips 610/05 DVD recorder fails to make timed recordings from the front panel S-video input (CAM 1). The recorder wakes up at the preset time but the fluorescent display declares "No signal". Manual recording from this input does work (showing the source, the cable and the 610`s input circuitry is working). Timer recording from the neighbouring composite video input socket does work. So far, the failure has been 100% repeatable.

Could others please report here if their recorders are similarly afflicted.

FWIW the recorder is a Sainsbury £100 one and has had 3 firmware upgrades; currently on the BT1_21.zip one.

I can manually record from CAM1 S-video. The resulting stills are better than those available from Hi8!

I recall that the manual says timer controlled recordings are not possable from CAM1. So you`ll need an external timer and servo to push the button. Alternatively use a scart adaptor to EXT2.

I also have the Sainsburys bargain but its still running the original firmware as my internet connection is dial-up.

Thanks twig_insect. I had already resorted to the workaround of S-video via a SCART adaptor into EXT2. It is not exactly blindingly obvious from the manual that EXT2 can accept S-video! But it does and timed recordings of S-video by that route do work.

However, returning to the original issue, it is CAM2 (the Firewire input fitted to the 615 and 616 models but not on the 610) which the instruction manual says cannot be timer recorded.

As I wrote in my original posting, timer recording from CAM1 does work as expected when putting composite video into the phono socket. But when using the S-video socket in timer mode, the recorder says "No signal".

When manually going up or down the channels/inputs using remote or front panel buttons, the machine usually takes a moment or two to decide whether CAM1 has video at the composite or S-video socket. There is some detection mechanism to decide which is active. Indeed this dectection only occurs once at the time of selection. I mean if you have composite going in and switch to CAM1 then the recorder (eventually) selects that composite signal. If you then pull out the phono plug and insert S-video it is not recognised as being present. Only when CAM1 is selected again is the detection mechanism triggered and the S-input accepted.

I suspect that there is a firmware bug such that in timer mode the recorder looks only at the composite socket.

Would 610 owners please try the simple test of making a timer recording from the front panel S-video input and report here if successful or not.

This item was edited on Thursday, 28th October 2004, 13:06

:o Oops, another senoir moment! I`m sorry.

My DVDR610 behaves as yours drgeoff. The recorder says "No signal" momentarily but the CAM1 S-Video picture is output via EXT1 to the TV. No recording is made and the timer indicator goes out after the timer period ends.

My DVDR610 still has the BT112 firmware.

Will you tell Philips about this. For me it would help if the timer could use CAM1.

Before starting this thread I had already told Philips and had received a reply which did not inspire confidence. Basically they said that as the machine was within the 1 year warrany period, go back to the retailer. I doubt they had tried themselves to reproduce the scenario I reported.

Hence I`d like to have some more evidence suggesting that ALL 610`s do this, rather than one or two of us having faulty units. Then maybe Philips will look at the matter properly.

I see that Philips have released firmware BT1_35 dated 17 October 2005. Among the listed fixes is stated:

"Software upgrade now enables the possibility of timer recordings from Y/C input."

It has only taken 12 months! (Assuming the fix actually works.)