Bell TV 9241 HD PVR discussion thread

[Pinza]

Bell never announce future releases of firmware, it just appears.

[kfarrell]

Yesterday my 9200 after 5 years of service decided to onlt display audio on the 800 channels and no video , after reading this thread this morning ( no pip ,freezing etc) should I get a refurbished 9200 and not a new 9241 ?

[Pinza]

First thing I would do is try Component output, if you are connected with HDMI currently. Then as for a replacement, you need to ask yourself if you use the TV2 output, the OTA Tuner or PiP features on the 9200, as all these are missing on a 9241.

[kfarrell]

thanks for the quick response I did try component to no avail OTA we don't have in Halifax but the picture in picture is good for Sunday football , do you have a 9241 if so what has been your experience ?

[Pinza]

I would never "downgrade" from my 9200 & 9242's, I use PiP and the TV2 features too much.

[draithby]

Hi
I share all your frustration and have experienced each of the major prob already describe3d for 9241.

However in last 3 days the 9241 has started to reboot itself very frequently.

It is amasing how bad this thing is.

I have never been so frustrated with a piece of technology as this thing.

Daniel

[alstein]

Originally Posted by boubou64

I had a 9200 for 4 years, NEVER had a problem renting ppv high def movies.
Got a new 9241 receiver installed yesterday, tried renting high def ppv movie and hdcp error coming up saying that I couldn't watch it on this.
I have a samsung 1080p tv and high def receiver and hdmi. I called tech and they tell me I have to use component video cables. I lost it!!!! what's the flslfhsdfjsdo? that's like going back 8 years in time!
How to find a way around that or I call star choice or should I say Shaw!
just about ready for rabbit ears right now!
anyone got a fix???

Hi. I have the 9200 PVR, and for the first time ever, I got a message when trying to rent a PPV hi def movie that my TV was not HDCP compliant. I checked my Toshiba manual ( I have a 57HX93), and it specifically states that " The DVI/HDCP input on your TV is designed to accept HDCP program material in digital form from EIA/CEA-861 compliant consumer electronic devices....". I called Bell TV tech support and was told that they had recently turned on HDCP, and that my only option was to connect using component cables. I told the person, that I was perfectly happy with my current HDMI/DVI connection and that I didn't want to make the change. She said there was no alternative, and I asked to speak to a higher level tech person. She put me on hold and after 10 minutes I hung up. Perhaps it is because my TV is over 5 years old, but this is a real pain. Any suggestions?

[57]

Many TVs have handshake issues, especially the older ones with DVI (not HDMI). See the following FAQ on the topic:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=71112

[alstein]

Originally Posted by 57

Many TVs have handshake issues, especially the older ones with DVI (not HDMI). See the following FAQ on the topic:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=71112

I don't believe this is a handshake issue. I have no problem watching HDTV via the HDMI/DVI connection from the PVR and my Toshiba HDTV. I also, until now, never had a problem watching pay per view programs this way. This is the first time I have ever seen this type of message on my screen, directly relating to HDCP. I also tried to purchase a movie on a non-HD channel, and got the same message.

[boubou64]

Interresting!
well, I'm working at getting rid of the 9241 and getting the 9200 back
in any case, I purchased a Apple TV
no more PPV for me from Bell
You'd think they'd want the business for PPV but all they are doing is pissing the customers off. I have no intention on cluttering the back of my setup anymore than it already is with component cables just so that I can rent Bell PPV movies.
If this is the way Bell is going, I think that they will be losing a truckload of money from PPV renters.

[Johnyk]

Well I have been living/playing with a brand new bell 9241, and I would have to sadly say that I have had to experience nearly all of the problems reported in this forum. Darker picture, comes as a Dish network 119 wrong satellite detected at install, would not detect sw21 until I directly connected the receiver to bell at 91degrees then the software update took and sw21 detection worked. Signal strength at 55% and red till software update then 98% and green. Wobbly audio once so far, a one or two second skip in audio/video when watching live tv. My harmony 659 set up first time and appears to work ok with the 9241. I noticed a much narrow detection for the 9241, ie I have to point the harmony right at the 9241 to function. With my older bell3100 pointing the harmony in any general direction towards the electronic cabinet would work, even bouncing off the windows or fireplace glass would work. Poorer picture quality on SD channels compared to 3100. This was partially solved by using svideo connection on Sd channels and component connection on HD channels. I use 2 different buttons on The harmony to achieve this work around. Overall I am not happy, but then the wife bought it for me so she can record 2 shows at once. Wait a minute, maybe she didn't buy it for me. She got a better deal at THE SOURCE then at the bell store. $50 cheaper at the source and another $25 off If she got a source credit card. Also the 3 year extended warranty at the source was $54 for 3 years instead of $10 a month at bell. Oh yeah I have been a bell tv customer for over 10 years and my original 4500 is still running fine.

[Ohlias]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I thought I would try...

Here is my set-up:

Yamaha HTR-6150 HDMI
Sharp LC-45D40U (45" LCD, 60hz 1080i/720p) HDMI
Bell PVD-9241 HDMI
80GB PS3 "fat" HDMI

Everything is hooked up via HDMI and functions normally. I used to have a Videotron (Scientific Atlanta) HD non-PVR. My TV has been manually tweaked to picture using the Videotron and PS3 as sources hooked to one HDMI input on the LCD and through the Yamaha AVR. PQ from the PS3 or Videotron HD was very good. Since swapping out the Videotron for a Bell PVR, PQ on SD and HD channels on the PVR is lacking. It seems the Bell PVR exports a very dark signal. I'm usually very picky and anal about this stuff, but even my wife notices!

I've gone though the Bell PVR, but there are only settings for 1080i/720p (mine is set to 720p, as I read here was what Bell converts to).

Is this normal, should I maybe ask Bell to swap the box (rented)? Are there any settings that I can adjust? Any other tips?

Thanks!

[BrystonUser]

What you are seeing is unfortunately normal for this model. I immediately noticed the picture to be darker than the Model 6000 which it replaced in my setup and the SD picture is really bad when viewed via component or HDMI. I is exceptionally soft not to mention dark. To get a better SD picture you need to manually go into the menus, switch from 720p (or 1080i) to 480p and use either the composite or S-Video outputs. This will get the best SD picture and highten the brightness a bit, at least that's what I found. The reason I say swtich from 720p/1080i when using composite or S-Video is because if you are picky like me you should immediately pick up on the video going in and out of focus every 15-20 seconds or so. This annoyed me to no end when I first got the receiver. I had Bell send out another receiver to see if it was just mine but the issue was on the replacement so I just sent that one back. The problem, from what I can determine is that if left at 720p/1080i the pathetic video scaler in this thing can not be bypassed so if you are watching a SD signal and setup for 720p/1080i the box upconverts to the resolution you have set and then of course if outputting via composite or S-Video those cables can't pass an "HD" signal it must be down converted again and this introduces the out of focus problem. So if you set the box to 480p it acts more like a pass through and the picture remains in focus.
In the end I just gave up on getting a great picture out of this box and accept it for what it is and run everything via HDMI and leave the box set to 720p.

[Nick9drs]

Hi there everyone,


I recently bought a PVR from Bell or rather rented. Originally I ordered the 9242 model, when the installer showed up with the 9241 model. I was told the 9242 models were the "older" model and were discontinued. When (several) times talking to different reps, i was promised the 9242 model with out a problem. Hope knowone else has had to go threw this. It was a nightmare. Anyway, I was wondering what the difference between the two are as in specs and capabilities. Hoping that because I finally decided to give in and surrender to the "WILL of BELL", that I did not make the wrong choice in keeping the 9241 model.

Thanks.

[Pinza]

This is well covered in this Forum but basically;

9242 has an OTA Tuner, 9241 does not.
9242 can feed a second TV with an independant program, the 9241 does not.
9242 ships with HDMI cables, 9241 does not.