Arfadent

It sounds like you are using a straight through serial cable and not a null modem cable. The null modem crosses the transmit and receive pins and most also link a few others for various other reasons. If you arent using a null modem cable then you can get them fairly cheaply from you nearest electronics reseller or make one if you are so inclined. You can find no end of pinouts for them by doing a yahoo/google seach on 'null modem pinout'. Hope this helps, Arfa

Thanks Philip, I had to take the STB off the Plasma last night and go back to a SD box because it was going out of audio sync horribly and was not displaying channels and doing all sorts of annoying things. So if you can do something for this version that would be really good. Arfa PS I hope you are getting paid for working on a Sunday!!!

Well fortunately there is about 100000 sites on the net that have the pinouts for a null modem cable so I made up a cable no problem but when I ran the software, it reports that I have the wrong model stb. When I go into the STB info screen, I get..... Model 4120000000 H/W 2.00.00 S/W 1.02.03 Maybe Philip can shed some light on this please??? Arfa

Yehaaa! Thanks Philip! I just want to know when you say 'Null Modem Cable" is it just a straight through cable with pins 2 & 3 crossed or are there other differences? Arfa,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Is it just me or is the service from STB manufacturers/distributors slowly but surely starting to pick up??? I am all for it and congrats to all the companies who are listening in and responding to the problems instead of the old method of telling 200 customers a day that this is "the first time that anyone has had a problem with the xyz123 model" Arfa

Can't help you with the pincushion problem sorry but I can tell you that the little panel is probably glued/sealed shut. They use the same cabinet for their satellite receivers (most companies only use one case for both devices) and that is where you would insert the SIM card. Arfadent

Morgus, I have had the same thing happen about 5 times and its always switching to channel 9 and just once it has rebooted when I selected the EPG as well. Arfadent

As far as I can tell, if you have a powered masthead amplifier then this box can send power up the coax cable to power it and thats the control for it. I used to have one and I had a plugpack with an inline adapter on the coax to send the power up to the amp, this would save you having to use the adapter. Arfadent.

Hmmm, its not getting better for me.. Box has reset itself about 6 times in the week that I have had it. Jerky image still happens from time to time. Is that the smell of Citrus (lemon) or Leather (footy) I smell? Arfadent

smt_007, I was hoping that someone in the know (eg. Phillip from Kristal) might be able to tell us. Arfa

Nobby, I certainly dont think that a screen saver would pop up just because you have been watching the same TV channel for a while surely? Not only that but a message saying "No Video" static in the middle of the screen would burn in much worse than a constantly changing TV image. Arfa

Well I hate to be the spoiller for the "we love homecast" club but I may have some issues with the box. Firstly, I have come back into the room twice after leaving it on for a bit and the picture has vanished and there is a little message on the screen saying "no video", if I then change channel then its all back to normal. Also, on about a dozen occasions in the last 4 days, the picture starts jerking like its only doing about 10 frames/sec. Same thing though, change channel and all is back to normal. Minor annoyances: (not problems, just things I dont like) When you go into some of the menu options, the picture and sound vanish and you just have the menu only, not semi transparent and overlayed on the TV program like in some of the other menus. Also the 'exit' button from the OSD menus is also the 'previous channel' button so if you mash the 'exit' button a couple of times to exit a menu you quite often end up changing to your previous channel as well. Just something I am going to have to learn not to do. Other than that, its quite an attractive box, runs cool, PQ is excellent, channel change is pretty quick, EPG & now/next works most of the time and the OSD's are very clean and easy to read. All around a pretty good box if you ask me. Arfadent PS I am running the 1.02.03 sofware version which seems to be later than the one on the homecast website. What versions is everybody else running?

Mullins, Behind a little green round sticker on the back of the plasma, there is a jack which with a serial cable you can upgrade the internal program of the panel. Will let you know how I go with the Vtek people. Arfadent

Thanks Mullins, Didnt actually get the email but thanks for the reply here anyway. I can't even get 720p to work at the moment, only 576i and 576p. I am trying to get a software upgrade out of VTek at the moment, I will let you know how I go because I suspect you will have the same problem I have when you go to buy a HD STB. Cheers, Arfadent

Thats very promising but do you know who he (or she) might be? Arfa

Just how can you argue with that???

~28.125 kHz @ 50Hz, from memory... Just heard back from the Vtek tech (sounds like an echo) and he didnt seem too sure about those figures when I quoted them to him. He's has gone off to check and get back to me. Dr P and Santa, just how confident of those figures are you? Cheers Arfadent.

That is true JB, that would certainly make you a hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is at! Arfadent

I don't know which is more sad. The fact that someone captured the ad and put it up on the internet to prove the point. OR The fact that I felt the need to download it and check it out for myself. NO WAIT. Hang on, I do know which is more said..... OK, I'll just be going now. Arfadent

Matey, you offering $400 for someone to walk away with your footy? If so, I'm game I dont know Binxx, I'd hold out for a few more dollars!!!

Geez you guys are good. (possibly a bit scarey to know that off the top of your head too!) Many thanks to both. I'll pass this one to the tech and see if he can do anything about it. Arfadent

Thanks Dr P, I appreciate your incredibly fast response. If anyone can be a little more specific, I would certainly like to hear from them as well. Thanks again, Arfadent Edit: PS, Dr P, 'All your base are belong to us' ROCKS!!!

Hi Everyone, I am having a problem with my 1080i compatible VTek plasma not syncing a 1080i HD signal and I emailled the taiwanese manufacturer and they said that it may not be set up for Australia as the 1080i signal frequency varies from country to country. He said that if I can let him know what frequency the Australian 1080i uses then he might be able to give me a BIOS/program update for the panel to fix it. Does anyone know what frequency we use over here or even how to find out? Thanks in advance, Arfadent

Hi Everyone, I have a VTek 42" plasma that will supposedly do HD 1080i but I have been unable to find a STB that it will work properly with. If there is anyone out there with one of these panels running HD 1080i, could you please tell me which STB you are using and did you have to do anything to make to work correctly. Many thanks for your time, Arfadent

we sure are mate! ddarby, Any idea of an eta or price yet? Arfa