"Tiny Tim" wrote in message ...
My Amstrad DRX300 is 18 months old. Just recently the picture seems to keep
turning itself orangey/red. This seems to coincide with autoview switching
to a pre-selected programme. I can correct the error by going into picture
settings, not changing anything at all, and then saving the settings and
exiting.

I have widescreen, scart enabled and RGB selected and the picture is fed to
the RGB input on my TV. Given that I can correct the fault without wiggling
wires this is either a feature or a fault of my digibox. I've only noticed
it happening regularly (several times a day) since I've started making more
use of autoview.

Does anyone know what the problem is and whether there is a permanent fix?

Thanks,
Tim.



Try changing your video settings to PAL if this corrects it you at least have a temporary fix but I wouldnt rule out a
faulty scart until you can test this

Tiny Tim wrote:

In practice I am not taping, I simply have autoview
enabled to save me switching manually through a host of programmes that
appear at the same time each day.

I wonder if you are leaving the digibox in standby between programmes?
If so, try leaving it on instead. You are sure that it is all
connected as in the FAQ, aren't you?

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

"Tiny Tim" wrote in message
...
Jomtien wrote:
Tiny Tim wrote:

In practice I am not taping, I simply have autoview
enabled to save me switching manually through a host of programmes
that appear at the same time each day.

I wonder if you are leaving the digibox in standby between programmes?
If so, try leaving it on instead. You are sure that it is all
connected as in the FAQ, aren't you?

I just scanned the FAQ at the link in your reply and couldn't find
anything
about connections other than the NTSC 3.58 bit. The TV will handle PAL,
NTSC
4.43 and NTSC 3.58, plus an AUTO setting. I've been using it on AUTO.

I've just tried cycling through the PAL/NTSC4.43/NTSC3.58/AUTO settings on
the TV and noticed that on all settings except PAL the picture takes on a
more saturated and warmer tone, but not as orangey as when the fault
appears. I'll leave it on PAL for a bit and see if the picture remains OK.

Regarding cables, I don't use RF at all. I have fully wired scarts
connected
to my VCR and TV and they are each connected to the correct socket.

Regarding the power status, the box is powered on continuously from about
07:30 each morning until at least midnight each day. I use autoswitching
simply to change channel for me throughout the day as various programmes
come on in their regular timeslot. This saves me having to look up which
channel I want to be on every 30-60 minutes.

While typing this up I've just run a little test and set an autoswitch
event
that has just triggered. Guess what, even though I've changed the TV
settings the picture has gone orangey again, at the precise moment that
the
digibox switched channels. So I tried setting the digibox deliberately to
PAL output and allowed the TV to accept composite and still the picture
was
dark and orangey. I set the digibox to output RGB, set the TV to accept
RGB
and everything is sweet once more.

I've just checked the RGB performance of the TV with a DVD into the same
scart socket and the picture quality and hue are perfect.

So it seems to me that two things are happening here....

1) The digibox forgets that it is supposed to be outputting RGB every time
an autoswitch occurs (manual channel changing does not suffer this
problem);

2) Even with everything set up to use PAL/composite signals the quality of
the signal from the digibox is actually flawed.

So unless I'm doing something wrong, and I can't think what that might be,
the question remains - is this digibox behaviour (forgetting to output RGB
every time it autoswitches programmes) a common feature, either of Amstrad
or all digiboxes, or has my box developed a fault?



Funny - I've just experienced a slow recurring transient between 'normal'
and a washed out sort of sepia whilst watching Ab Fab. on my main TV (scart
RGB) - appears not to happen on the RF circuit though.
The slow transient suggests its not a cabling problem.
Also, my box keeps on refusing to accept IR signal (I have 3 remotes, non
work) only a reboot cures.

This box has just been swapped under warranty. Bet it's a dodgy refurb,
can't wait to go thro' the tech help b.s. again with sky.

debully

Tiny Tim wrote:

I wonder if you are leaving the digibox in standby between programmes?
If so, try leaving it on instead. You are sure that it is all
connected as in the FAQ, aren't you?

I just scanned the FAQ at the link in your reply and couldn't find anything
about connections other than the NTSC 3.58 bit.

Regarding cables, I don't use RF at all. I have fully wired scarts connected
to my VCR and TV and they are each connected to the correct socket.

This is the FAQ connection info that I was referring to.

Your connections should be like this:

TV = scart = Digibox TV socket
Digibox VCR socket = scart = VCR
Antenna = RF = VCR = RF = TV

If you have anything other than this then that may be the source of
your problem. Otherwise it isn't anything that I have ever come
across.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

Jomtien wrote:
Tiny Tim wrote:

I just scanned the FAQ at the link in your reply and couldn't find
anything about connections other than the NTSC 3.58 bit.

Regarding cables, I don't use RF at all. I have fully wired scarts
connected to my VCR and TV and they are each connected to the
correct socket.

This is the FAQ connection info that I was referring to.

Your connections should be like this:

TV = scart = Digibox TV socket
Digibox VCR socket = scart = VCR
Antenna = RF = VCR = RF = TV

If you have anything other than this then that may be the source of
your problem. Otherwise it isn't anything that I have ever come
across.

As I mentioned, I don't use the RF connection at all and the scarts are
wired correctly. i.e.

TV = scart = Digibox TV socket
Digibox VCR socket = scart = VCR

I just set an autoswitch event this morning, this time to stay on the same
channel, and once again the signal from the digibox has turned composite
again.

I do not see how my connections can be to blame when repeatedly and
consistently the digibox output signal changes EVERY time it triggers an
autoview event and the only solution is to "reset" the output signal options
on the digibox.

I am now forcing a system software update just to see if anything changes
and will post back when done.

Tiny Tim wrote:

I just set an autoswitch event this morning, this time to stay on the same
channel, and once again the signal from the digibox has turned composite
again.

I do not see how my connections can be to blame when repeatedly and
consistently the digibox output signal changes EVERY time it triggers an
autoview event and the only solution is to "reset" the output signal options
on the digibox.

If the connections were wrong, especially if it was the common error
of a third scart lead, then I can see how the TV could react wrongly
to the spurious control voltages.
Have you tried this on another TV? The digibox RGB scart pin control
voltage may be being altered slightly when the digibox autoview kicks
in (autoview makes pin 8 on the VCR scart go high) and your TV may be
especially sensitive to such a change. Does your TV have component
input on scart? Erroneous internal switching from RGB to component can
have odd effects on the colour.

Or the Amstrad may just be knackered.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

Jomtien wrote:
Tiny Tim wrote:

I just set an autoswitch event this morning, this time to stay on
the same channel, and once again the signal from the digibox has
turned composite again.

I do not see how my connections can be to blame when repeatedly and
consistently the digibox output signal changes EVERY time it
triggers an autoview event and the only solution is to "reset" the
output signal options on the digibox.

If the connections were wrong, especially if it was the common error
of a third scart lead, then I can see how the TV could react wrongly
to the spurious control voltages.
Have you tried this on another TV? The digibox RGB scart pin control
voltage may be being altered slightly when the digibox autoview kicks
in (autoview makes pin 8 on the VCR scart go high) and your TV may be
especially sensitive to such a change. Does your TV have component
input on scart? Erroneous internal switching from RGB to component can
have odd effects on the colour.

Or the Amstrad may just be knackered.

The voltage thing is a distinct possibility.

I didn't mention it because I didn't think it relevant, but I take a
composite feed out of the scart link to go to a digisender. This is
weakening the composite signal available to the TV, which is not a problem
when the TV is using RGB for its colour and brightness information.

However, if the TV "thinks" its only getting composite and not RGB, it is
going to use this compromised composite signal - I proved the effect of the
digisender by connecting/disconnecting and it was the cause of the colour
disruption.

In this process of lead wiggling the problem does seem to have disappeared
so maybe there was a connection weakness which combined with a marginal
voltage from the digibox could have caused the problem. Anyway, everything
seems to be working perfectly, for now;-)

Thanks for your help and ideas Jomtien.

Tiny Tim wrote:

Anyway, everything
seems to be working perfectly, for now;-)

Great.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)