Pioneer DVR-550h Problems

[sliverman]

I have a Pioneer DVR-550h and some one was playing with it and recorded some video and it will not let me erase the title.

I get this
"cannot edit title because the tv system is different then the recorder's settings"

Is there a way I can reformat the hdd or erase the titles that I can not erase. I have about 90hrs of video I can not erase.

When I found out what happen I had to rest the system video so I could get video again.

If anyone can help me please. Thanks.

[orsetto]

Since you live in Texas, there are two different versions of the 550 you might have: we need to know which one. They were never officially sold in the USA: there was either the Canadian import model, or the "global" multi-region dual-format PAL/NTSC model. The Canadian model works only in NTSC and has no timer grid, the global model includes something called the "guide plus" timer system and when you look in the Home Menu>Initial Setup screens you can find a setting for "Line System" with choices of 625 (PAL) or 525 (NTSC).

If you have the Canadian model, something is seriously hosed on the HDD and you won't be able to fix it except by reformatting the HDD. This cannot be done without the special Pioneer service remote and service dvd, tools which are not that easy to find these days. You could try unplugging the 550, opening the unit, unplugging the HDD cables, wait ten minutes, plug them back in, restart the recorder. Set it to HDD mode, and look in the Disc Setup screen to see if the option "Initialize HDD" appears. If it does, click on it to reformat the HDD. If it doesn't, you'll need the service tools to force the "Initialize HDD" option to appear (its usually not accessible).

If you have the multi-region global import model, it might be that your friend recorded those videos in PAL format, then set it back to NTSC, and the machine is now telling you it can't edit/delete those videos until its switched back into PAL mode. This gets very complicated, because your TV becomes a part of the problem or solution depending how it handles PAL signals from the 550. The 550 does not itself convert PAL to NTSC, it works in one mode or the other. If you are able to select the problem titles in the HDD navigation window and they play normally on your TV, your TV is doing some kind of conversion or is a dual-mode TV that auto-switched to PAL. The 550 PAL/NTSC setting is partially automatic and partially manual: it has one overall setting which controls the record mode, but during playback it will auto switch from one to the other. If the machine is currently set to record in NTSC-USA mode, and you try to play the HDD titles your friend recorded in PAL, during playback a PAL signal will come from the 550 line outs and if your TV can display PAL all will appear normal (if your TV says it cannot display the signal or everything looks weird, your TV is definitely USA-NTSC only and those titles are definitely recorded in PAL). While the 550 will automatically switch playback modes based on the recordings, it cannot edit or delete those recordings unless its master operation setting matches the recordings. You may need to switch the unit to PAL to delete the titles, and if your TV can't display PAL you'll need to bring the 550 to your friend to view/delete them on his TV.

If you followed all of that, you're a genius: I wrote it based on the manual, and I'm lost.

Anyway you'll want to go into the Home menu>Setup Menu and check the settings for Line System and Color. For normal USA use, the machine should be set to 525 Line System and the "NTSC-On-PAL" option should be turned OFF. When dealing with PAL recordings, the line system should be set to PAL, then switch the unit back to NTSC when finished. If you can't view anything on the TV, you can also switch back and forth between NTSC and PAL mode by holding down the front panel STOP button then pressing the INPUT SELECT button.

Probably the easiest thing to do is first check the Disc Setup screen and see if "Initialize HDD" is available: if you see it, use it, this means the recorder knows it needs to reformat. If you do not see "Initialize HDD", then the HDD is OK but there is something wrong with the recordings. Call your friend and ask if he was using your 550 to dub PAL tapes or DVDs. If he says yes, just bring the unit to him and ask him to delete the titles for you. If none of this works, you'll have to bring the 550 to a Pioneer Video service center and it will be very expensive to repair. Tell them its a later version of the final American DVR-640 model, and they'll know how to repair it.

[sliverman]

Thanks for the help.

I have the multi-region one. I was able to get it to erase the titles after I swapped it to the 625 (PAL), the line setting was the problem.

Thanks