Philips 3595H problem with 1 record

[Kiwidomi]

Hi everybody,

I have an issue with 1 record on my HD. When I go on it using the browser, trying to delete it, I cannot do anything any more. Cannot move to any other record, cannot come back to the menu or anything else, and after some seconds, the item shut off.
I can access the records located before the faulty record and play them.
I can pass over, quickly, this faulty record and access the records located after to play them. No problem.
Everything is OK. The only thing is not to stop on this record.

Any idea of what I could do?

[orsetto]

This is a fairly common problem with aging DVD/HDD recorders: the cause is corruption of the actual computer hard drive video file inside the unit (which appears on screen as a recording in the title menu or HDD navigation).

In most cases the corruption is caused by a physical defect (bad block, etc) in the hard drive recording surface, but sometimes it is caused by the recorder operating system becoming confused by the specifics of that one recording (copy protection, aspect ratio, data rate, etc).

If this corruption is sufficient to lock up the unit whenever you choose that video in the menu or attempt to play it, I'm afraid the only solution is to let the unit erase the entire HDD (so it can block out that bad part of the HDD and remember not to use it for recording). You will lose ALL the videos on your HDD when you erase it, so be sure to burn those you want to keep onto DVDs beforehand.

Note erasing the HDD may not be a long term fix: once a recorder HDD develops one error, it usually develops more as time passes. Erasing may let you use the unit for several months or a year, but another error may occur and it might be worse (to the point it prevents you from playing or saving any of the contents to DVDs). This risk is OK if you only use the recorder for casual, temporary viewing and won't mind if you have to erase it again.

But if you want to be sure the unit is 100% reliable with no risk of losing any important recordings, it is best to replace the faulty HDD with a new HDD. This may not be easy: the 3595H is not designed exactly the same way as some other similar Phillips units. You might need to find an older IDE connected HDD, preferably the same 250GB Seagate (160GB should also work). Getting the 3595 to recognize and properly format a new HDD can be a little tricky, as one needs to plug in the power cord while pressing some front panel buttons at the same time. Then you might need to download a firmware update.

Repair info for this model might be easier to find on more Euro-specific sites like AVForums, or random reports like this one from other owners.

[Kiwidomi]

Hi Orsetto,
Thank you very much for your answer.
I don't have records that I absolutely want to keep and my use is only for casual and temporary viewing so that I can erase the disk.
Can you please let me know how to do that.

[orsetto]

The 3595H version sold in NZ may or may not function exactly the same in repair modes as the North American versions, so you might need to try different methods before your unit recognizes a command to erase/initialize/format its HDD.

Method 1: Turn the unit off and let it sit for a few mins. Then use the fingers of both hands to press this button sequence on the front panel: hold down the "previous chapter" [<< and STOP buttons simultaneously with one hand, then while holding those use your other hand to press and hold the POWER button until the unit turns on. Let go of the buttons, and the display should read FMT KEY then FMT HDD then FMT DONE. Wait for FMT DONE display to change back to the clock time or --/-- before using the unit. If unit shows FMT FAIL instead of FMT DONE, the HDD is too damaged to be erased or used, and must be replaced.

Method 2: Turn unit on. On remote control, press these buttons one after the other quickly (within three seconds): SKIP, 0, 7, 9. A service diagnostic screen should appear on your TV. Wait a few seconds for the self-check to complete and show OK or NG on the first three lines. Once self-check completes, press the OK or ENTER button on your remote (the central button surrounded by four arrow keys). The unit should proceed to format/erase the HDD. When it finishes the format, press Power button to exit service mode.

If neither of these methods restores your 3595H to usable condition, you likely need a new HDD. Installing a new HDD can be difficult due to the need of pre-initializing it with firmware etc. The complete procedure is explained in this VH thread post (post #72 on page 3 of the thread).

[Kiwidomi]

Thanks again.
Just a question, if method 1 or 2 don't work, is there any risk that I can't use my recorder after that?
And also I live in NZ but I bought the recorder in New Caledonia (French Territory). Don't know if it matters???

[orsetto]

Yes, there is a risk that the recorder may be left in an unusable state if either method fails to format the HDD completely (you would then need to replace the HDD). This would only happen if the HDD is too faulty to tolerate formatting, in which case it was likely to fail soon during normal use anyway. Perhaps try Method 2 first, because the first stage of that is a no-risk diagnostic. If the self-check screen shows a NG result on any of the lines, it would indicate the HDD may be too faulty to format. If the results show OK on every line, the HDD will likely format with no problem. If you see NG and decide not to proceed with the format step, DO NOT press the OK button on your remote: simply exit the diagnostic by pressing the power button to turn the unit off. If you press OK the unit will proceed to formatting the HDD.

Since you are not using your 3595H for critical recordings, and only use it casually, you could choose not do anything and just wait to see if the HDD eventually freezes altogether. This might take anywhere from several weeks to more than a year depending whether the defect in that one recording is confined to just that one small spot on the HDD (and doesn't spread or worsen). If you can live with the inconvenience of being careful to avoid that one recording when using the unit, it may continue working reasonably well otherwise for quite some time.

I mentioned potential differences in Phillips units depending on country of sale mostly because there can be issues with firmware downloads and installs. This should not be an issue if you are using the unit to erase/format its existing original HDD, but could complicate installation of a replacement HDD if that proves necessary. Phillips website tends to obscure exactly what firmware works best with what version of recorder sold in what country, which can lead to the recorder not working properly and requiring a lot of troubleshooting if the wrong firmware is applied during installation of a new HDD.

AFAIK, this business of needing to apply freshly downloaded firmware to a new replacement HDD is only necessary with EU/AU/NZ models. The North American versions allow simply installing a new HDD with no further modifications. I'm not certain, but this is most likely due to the USA/Canada versions lacking the EPG feature used to make timer recordings in DVB-T countries.

[Kiwidomi]

Thank you once more for all those explanations.
I will try to apply method 2 and see if the result shows OK on every line.
If not, I will leave it as it is and just try not to stop on the bad record when using the browser.
Will let you know what happens.

I just wanted to thank you very much. That's very kind from you to spend time to answer and explain.

[Kiwidomi]

I have tried method 2 but nothing appears when I press "skip" 0 7 9. Only black screen.
Any other idea?