Philips 3575/3576 and Magnavox H2160 Features, Setup and Operation

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Nov 27, 2007 14:20

Wrestling is the most difficult thing to record off television, not football. In fact, baseball is harder than football, because of the way it's shot. Football is fairly easy, about on par with a typical movie or television show.
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 02, 2007 14:41

The Philips does pass HDTV. I have the coax from the wall right into the recorder, then out to the tv, where QAM is still there with all the 720 and 1080 channels. Unlike my cable box, which strips HD content.
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 10:14

Hmmm .... if you have cable Internet, plug the modem in after it and see if it works. My IP is a semi-static DHCP, so I don't want to unplug myself and lose the IP. Otherwise I'd test for you.

I would assume it is.
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

handyguy · Member Joined: 25 Mar 2003

Creepy:

'The whole CC area is somewhat tricky, with all sorts of landmines such as (1) a Second Audio Program (SAP) can be used as an option for CC (solution: turn on SAP); (2) sending Progressive scan over Component cables will "strip" ANALOG CC since it's in the VBI of an Interlaced signal (solution: send 480i); and (3) HDMI can't send ANALOG CC to the TV (solution: use other connection).'

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 11:06

I have PPV, but I never buy anything. I guess I could try some of the free on-demand shows. I could rewire the digital box. Right now, I have the signal split, not chained.
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

LCSHG · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005

wabjxo

When you say the 3575 First on the cable. Do you mean it would be placed First on the cable input than from the 3575 to the Cable input
It seems that is implied. If so can the 3575 pick up a signal from the cable without a cable box to decode it?
If it cannot why put it first before the box?

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

LCSHG · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005

wabixo

A bi-directional Cable Box is required to order any Pay For View programs
Call a cable company like Time Warner, they will tell you that an order For a Pay For View program requires a bi-directional Box.

If one received some programs unscrambled and that’s all they used. They wouldn’t need a cable box.

If they wanted PPV, regardless of service purchased They would Need A Cable Box. Are you saying that an owner of a 3575 should put it in front of the cable box? --- Why

My service at present is Dish Network and a Pay For View order is by Phone
For Cable,and there was no Cable Box. How would one order a Pay For View program?
Use the 3575, or another pass through recorder, or the TV? --- I Don’t Think So

My son-in-law has cable service and receives some 40 channels without using a cable box.
But he does purchase some Pay For View programs and for this he has to use a cable box,
That was provided by the cable co.

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 19:01

I have to wonder why you'd put a cable box AFTER the recorder. Would you not want to maybe record some of those programs? Am I missing something here?
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jjeff · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 19:09

LCSHG,
I think the reason a person would want to have the 3575 BEFORE the cable box, would be to be able to record a program that the 3575 can tune into. Then at the same time, say watch something different on the cable box. What would complicate things though is if you needed to request something from PPV, that would require that the cable box send a signal BACK THRU the 3575. I think the issue is, does the 3575 allow signal to go backwards thru it, back to the cable company. At least that's how I read it. And yes, to be able to record something that came out of the cable box(eg. PPV), the 3575 would have to be AFTER the cable box, but that's not the question.

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 19:16

"would be to be able to record a program that the 3575 can tune into. Then at the same time, say watch something different on the cable box"

This is why I am split instead of chaining.
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

jjeff · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 19:40

Wabjxo, Sorry, your right. I was thinking of the old days, when a person would record only off of coax, but of course a person would just use the line out of the cable box to go back to the 3575's line in, so no need to have the cable box before the 3575. Hopefully you'll find someone out there to answer your original question, all stay out of the frey, since I dont have a 3575(yet) or any pay tv.

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 19:47

I've got to say that the "no loss" aspect is arguable. A high-bandwidth Monster splitter could easily outperform the built-in wiring that performs the pass-through of a DVD recorder. Signal loss can happen inside the machine.

Not saying that it does, but it could. So maybe this is a moot point? If its in the name of quality, it might all be in vain?
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wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

LCSHG · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005

wabjxo
jjeff

wLordy, Lordy, You are both an example of – how to make a very easy system a nightmare

A Cable co. is required provide 1000mv signal to a customer
When I had cable I used a splitter or two to connect my equipment to record and play different programs. I would defy you or anyone to tell the difference in recording with or without splitter. You could sure tell using some machines pass-through
With satellite I use a splitter on the output for two of my recorders

When lordsmurf said a machine could be worse than a splitter, he was being kind.

Why would any thinking person that liked or had a3575 be concerned about it being?
Bi-directional
With satellite service it would make no difference.
With Cable a splitter would be far better than this obsession with pass-through

Not only the cable box but your thinking is in Timbucktu

Your comment
“I'm sorry we're not "connecting" on this, and I think it might only get more confused with more discussion. Let's just say you're right.”
---------------------------------------------------------

That’s a REAL COPOUT It’s condescending but only proves you can’t back up your comments.

The comments mad in your Reviews are off the wall and wrong. Yet you continue to ignore comments that point to errors in your review and comments
Many if not all the links are to comments made by you and way to many are wrong
On this site and another there have been some very good (reviews) comments relating to the 3575 yours is Not One

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 04, 2007 22:29

You also experience loss of signal by using flimsy RG59 cables. Using decent-graded RG6 tends to solve most signal quality issues. Yank every wire in the house if you have to, and even up to the pole.

Amplifiers can help at key splits. Before or after, your choice, test for quality variances. Good ones, not crappy ones.

Then high-db splits and short wires from wall to unit are best. Do not EVER have coiled up wire laying around. That's where your signal quality disappears, into those unused lengths. Learn to cut wire and re-head it ourself, make small 1-foot and 2-foot lengths. Or beg the local cable-co to do it for you, and they often comply happily. It takes them (literally) about 30 seconds to head a wire because they do it so often and have the special tools for it.

Never rely on component internals to truly pass a signal unharmed. Some are fine, but a majority of them do degrade, as the internal Chinese crap-grade wiring is weak. This held true with VCRs as much as it does DVD recorders. Both passed, just that VCRs also modulated a signal out with it, not just simple pass.

Even if pass-through is bidirectionally transparent, it's still ideal to keep modems and other comm-priority devices closest to the household input, not farther down a chain or split combo.

Pretty much watch yourself from the dish or pole all the way to the television, when dealing with coaxial cables.

DSL being faster than cable is a myth too, FYI. Just want to throw that in. Most anti-cable folks had a bad experience with a bunch of cruddy wires or other bad coax setup. DSL plans are typically the slower plans these days, as many lines are aged by decades, or simply overcrowded in older sections of town.
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LCSHG · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005

Lordsmurf

You and I have had some differences in opinions but I respect your opinions
I say this because I don’t want anyone to think I’m another jjeff.

In your last post I Fully Agree With You
More problems are caused by faulty equipment, cables and/or connections
I use the composite some s-video outputs. Except for some functions that may only be provide on, component , I feel they are as good

To add

With all things being reasonably, equal as the system, cable connections, etc
I have DSL and have noticed a slowdown in service that, I feel is caused by excessive use and poor lines.
Given proper connections I feel --- Cable is faster by a good 30%

Rletson · Member Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Location: United States

Just a data point: Took delivery on a 3575H from Circuit City and on setup noted that 1) it couldn't get past digital channel 117 (tried forever to tune it) and 2) the disc drawer refused to open. Other functions, including a brief test recording to HD, seemed OK. Philips service (quickly contacted and pretty articulate) suggested a genuine mechanical/electrical problem and offered an RMA if CC balked. CC customer service (quickly contacted but less articulate) suggested taking it back to the local store for replacement/refund. (I'll try the former--there just aren't any reasonable HDD alternatives.)

Thanks, by the way, to Wabjxo and the others here who piled up so much info and made researching which box to buy pretty much a one-stop affair.

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States

lordsmurf · Posted: Dec 05, 2007 18:21

Hold in the disc drawer button longer than normal. But not too long. Not too short. It's quirky, like my laptop.

Digital channels can take 30-40 minutes to scan. Wait.
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Rletson · Member Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Location: United States

Wabjxo: Our cable carries both analog and digital signals--the Philips tore through the 70+ analog stations and only stalled on digital 117. When I stopped the scan and then tried to access the digital channels manually, the tuner would go to right 177 and nowhere else. If I stopped it early, I could see a handful of local and cable-system signals--but stepping up to Black Hole #117 always stopped everything cold. I'll have to ask Charter what's lurking there.

Lord S: I tried various button-pressings for the drawer, but nothing worked. The unit (which, if it matters, had a September pack date) went back to CC, and I await its replacement.

wabjxo · Member Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Location: United States