I just read something on the avsforum that really has me scratching my head. Someone mentioned the fact that they own both an E85 and an E95 and they are both hooked to the same cable system, they both have the firmware update but only the E95 is getting the U99 errors. I've been thinking it probably is the TVGOS data that is the problem but if it is how do you explain that one? My head hurts.
Kossello - agreed. This originally was an editing thread which the software appears to have fixed. I editted all along (shorten, etc) with no issues. Starting around page 6 of this thread (mid September) it turned into a TVGOS issue. Like many, I recieved U99's after formatting my HD. When you go into the TVGOS debugging screen, you'll see something about used and free memory, as if the memory in question here is some flavor of RAM. If you format your HD (and you have TV Guide info), do you lose your TV Guide? I don't think so. Like someone else (probably RX7) has said, this is just a generic internal error. Mossler - Thanks for posting their number.
AKNewbie : Howdy Neighbor, 73127 here, closer to 73008 actually. Anyway, way to go man!!! I just got off the phone with Cheryl!!! Same thing AK put in his e-mail, SWEEET!!! You saved me a lot of typing!! We are really gonna get some fires started now! She told me that all the data on mine looks good, just sit back and wait, I really got the feeling she wasn't just "blowing smoke". I think we may finally get some action on it. RX7 Fan.
Try this link, it's to the Pana sitew in Japan,,, http://translate.google.com/transla...earch?q=Panasonic+U99&start=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=N
Speaking of the TV Guide, the short time I had TV Guide enabled, I noticed that it downloaded a long TV Guide ID. You can find this ID by hitting the Prog/Check button on the remote, using the up arrow to highlight the menu on the top line, and then moving right or left with the arrow keys until you see the screen with the bar titled TV Guide ID. Then arrow down to the bar. You might have to hit Enter, or it might automatically display the ID number at that point (sorry, can't remember). What the heck is that number? That is not a way for the DVR to report back over a cable interface to the cable provider or Gemstar is it? Although I no longer use the TV Guide function and the number is deleted when you disable the TV Guide download, the whole reason I refused to ever buy a Tivo or Replay DVR was because there was no way I was going to hook up to a phone line and permit my viewing habits to be reported. I searched the Net for many hours before buying the E85H to make sure there were no reports the machine was being used to "call home". Since the E85H had been on the market over a year at that point, I figured the absence of any reports meant the DVR was "safe" to use. I don't have cable Internet service, but that certainly would not prevent a device like the DVR from "calling home" over the cable connection - if the DVR was so equipped.
So DavieDave, did you input the serial number of your knitting machine? Just kidding! I think I read somewhere that the firmware from Japan won't work. Wrong region code and language. The E85 shows "unsupported" or somesuch. On the other hand, if your point was this error indicated a hard disk issue with editing. Point taken. I think in this thread (or maybe another) that was discussed and the 970 firmware was supposed to correct it. This thread has now become the TVGOS U99 error thread. I have considered that maybe we should start a new thread for that reason, but have not for fear of losing all the input from everyone. And as Kossello said, everyone should go to the current firmware just to fix the known editing problems. That's not to say a firmware update from Panasonic couldn't make the unit more robust with TVGOS issues. But this all started a couple of weeks ago for most of us, so...
Vulcan : I think the number is a generic ID sent to your box, I've seen it before on a GE bigscreen I've got (don't use it any more, will be hooking it up tomorrow to look at the data on it) a number shows up there, I'm pretty sure it's a 1 way deal. Side note, like AK might have mentioned, that was not one of the numbers Cheryl asked for. RX7 Fan ... but then again, she may already know what the number is!! (just pulling you chain) I really don't believe it is anything other than an I.D. sent to the box.
RX7 Fan, I wasn't implying that the ID identified the DVR owner personally, but to me that is not relevant. I don't wish my viewing habits to be reported - even anonymously. Does anyone have concrete input on the purpose of the ID number?
The only possible feedback mechanism for panasonic to learn anything about your viewing habits is to cause the machine to lock up requiring you to call them for support...
Warning: Long post RX7Fan: I actually DID set up my video cam on time-lapse so I will be taping the damn unit for 12-hour stretches to "catch" the U99 at the EXACT time it happens, even if it takes a week or 2. Hopefully I can get several. I'm in Pittsburgh, PA, zip 15207, so my times are Eastern (daylight savings until the end of the month). To clarify to anyone looking at these posts (kossello and others), there are TWO separate issues with U99, one is a board failure (total lockup/divide issue fixed(?) with the firmware update), and the other is the TV Guide On Screen U99, which goes away when the power button is hit. There is no firmware/hardware fix for this one. Rx7Fan: I did start another thread here earlier this week, but think we should just contiunue here (as you said, we'd have to x-ref all the info) RX7Fan: I have an older RCA TV (mfd July '99) with TV Guide+. I had it turned off, but since it lists the time of the updates (much like the service screen), I turned it on this morning. You asked if the "codes" for the RCA were the same, do you mean the troubleshooting 753159852? No, that doesn't work with this TV Guide+. Seems like the downloads DO NOT happen in the late morning/early afternoon, as from 11AM to 1PM, the RCA kept saying "update failed. Please check your connection" but as of 9PM, the TV downloaded the channels but no listings, asked for the correct channel lineup for my area, and said the next download would be at 11PM (eastern--not a troubleshooting screen, but the actual "listings" screen). The camera's going and I'm off to work, so I'll report back in the morning. Keep in mind that I'm going by Eastern time, and TVGOS troubleshooting pages are UTC (thanks, RX7Fan). The Panny didn't receive any station listings, just the correct time, from 11AM to 1PM. I have left it OFF since 1PM, so don't know what's going on with the Panny download yet, but no U99 YET. bns70: Can you or anyone else verify if the PBS broadcasts for TV Guide Onscreen are LOCAL or wide-area? Wide-area makes sense, similar to a like a network feed?, as you have to type in your ZIP code. Where are these broadcasters located? To re-state, my 85H was produced April 04 and I NEVER had this U99 problem until everyone else did in Aug/Sept 05, TVGOS was OK all this time until then. AKNewbie: Thank you SO much for your input--I'll be bugging poor Cheryl too if this continues into next week (which I expect it to) Mossler: Thanks for your continuing posts here and on other sites. I think the when the U99 hits, all downloads are stopped, so you won't get any additional listings until you hit the power button and another download happens in the evening/early AM. An off-topic aside about RCA to RX7Fan: my ex insists on RCA TV's for the Guide+ feature, but if you read newsgroups, TV repair people refer to them as "three year TVs" as they are JUNK. We went through two in the past 5 years, BOTH had the same problem (one within 3 mos. of purchase) with the brighness--screen going dim with brightness/contrast all the way up. This can be tweaked (fixed) with the brightness control at the back of the set, but still should not happen. Had one fixed within warranty, then within a month, it started to be TOO bright (so you could see the raster(?) lines), so I tweaked it DOWN that time. DO NOT BUY RCA.
U99 - update... Since I reflashed with the latest FW I have had no U99's to date. The TV guide is not populated but at least it now shows adverts and an ID number so clearly it's getting some data. I'll leave it running and see how it goes. FYI until I re-flashed the FW yesterday I was getting U99 every morning without fail. Tim
OK, I am having the U99 problem. Hasn't happened when I am dividing a title, though. Only when the unit is turned off. Which is worse, since if that happens I could miss a timer recording as happened with an episode of Lost. I got the unit about two weeks ago. Should I still update the firmware? Where can I find the latest firmware? If updating the firmware will kill TVGuide, I'd rather not go there. My TVGuide works for now (other than the occasional No Listing during an update phase). I can check the firmware version if somebody gives me a step-by-step guide on doing it. I am not an experianced tech guy so I kind of need to be treated like a layman... Thanks.
beckmen: No solution for this yet, to avoid missed recordings, TURN OFF your TV Guide Onscreen (see prior posts or user maunal) and use VCR+ codes or use your trusty VCR (if you still have it) like I'm doing for now. Updating the firmware won't help this particular problem. Btw, Lost is one of my favorite shows, too.
according to what TV Guide OS told me today.. this is what should fix the U99 problem. (supposedly it has worked for some other people) 1. Turn on your player. (But not in the TV Guide menu.) 2. Press & Hold the channel Up AND the channel Down button on the machine. 3. Wait until the unit says "BYE" and turns off. 4. Unplug the player, wait 30seconds. 5. Plug the player back in, turn on & re-enter setup. really freakin' simple, huh?
Thanks for all the help you've contributed on this topic as well Coyote24. It seemed like this last round of U99's prevented me from getting any new programming data, or maybe it was getting the data and the U99 caused it to lose it. At any rate it didn't repopulate the guide at all this week. I reset it and it seems to be getting the data back now.
Doesn't work... it may eliminate U99 but you still will not get any channel listing! I posted yesterday instruction how to reset using |<< + TimeSlip + OPENCLOSE which will also reset the unit to the factory and I'm not getting U99 but I'm still not getting any listing, too. You will get channel line-up and ads only. Sparc21
mtlove, I was one of the ones that told them that it worked for me but it only lasted about two weeks. I just reset it again, hopefully I'll get another 2 weeks out of it.
Greetings, This may be a long post, but hopefully I can get the group to give me a general thumbs up or down on whether I should return my DMR-e85h. I just bought one as an open box deal at Crcuit City. This unit was manufactured in March of 2004 so it must have been one of the early models. It had been on the shelf as a clearance item for 14 months, but not plugged in. I think someone bought it and returned it due to not being able to get it set up. Consumer Reports just came out with a new DVD recorder review and loved the Panasonics. I got it for a good price ($290) if it will work, but judging from what I've read here and elsewhere since my purchase, that is a shaky proposition. It hasn't downloaded any TV Guide listings in two nights. Actually it was unplugged the first night while I let the unit reset due to it freezing up. The second day (today) I had the U99 error when I came home from work. I have the warranty and even three weeks left to return the unit if I want to. I don't think Circuit City would do much other than refund my money if I try to get it worked on, even it I decide to purchase the 3 year $90 extended protection. My wife will never let me off the hook if I keep the unit and turns out to be nothing but problems, especially since I'm already aware of all these problems. Last night I found Seventy-five opinions on this unit posted at Amazon.com. Some absolutely love the unit. Just as many loathed it, and these were all posted before the recent U99 problems. I can be walked through loading up new firmware and I really wouldn't mind doing without the TV Guide listings if manually programming setting recordings isn't too cumbersome (I've done it on VCRs thousands of times). To sum up: I really want a hard-drive/DVD recorder, but I'm very averse to adding another maintenance headache to my life. Should I bail out now? Thanks for any input.
Greetings, This may be a long post, but hopefully I can get the group to give me a general thumbs up or down on whether I should return my DMR-e85h. I just bought one as an open box deal at Crcuit City. This unit was manufactured in March of 2004 so it must have been one of the early models. It had been on the shelf as a clearance item for 14 months, but not plugged in. I think someone bought it and returned it due to not being able to get it set up. Consumer Reports just came out with a new DVD recorder review and loved the Panasonics. I got it for a good price ($290) if it will work, but judging from what I've read here and elsewhere since my purchase, that is a shaky proposition. It hasn't downloaded any TV Guide listings in two nights. Actually it was unplugged the first night while I let the unit reset due to it freezing up. The second day (today) I had the U99 error when I came home from work. I have the warranty and even three weeks left to return the unit if I want to. I don't think Circuit City would do much other than refund my money if I try to get it worked on, even it I decide to purchase the 3 year $90 extended protection. My wife will never let me off the hook if I keep the unit and turns out to be nothing but problems, especially since I'm already aware of all these problems. Last night I found Seventy-five opinions on this unit posted at Amazon.com. Some absolutely love the unit. Just as many loathed it, and these were all posted before the recent U99 problems. I can be walked through loading up new firmware and I really wouldn't mind doing without the TV Guide listings if manually programming setting recordings isn't too cumbersome (I've done it on VCRs thousands of times). To sum up: I really want a hard-drive/DVD recorder, but I'm very averse to adding another maintenance headache to my life. Should I bail out now? Thanks for any input.
