# Daewoo DS608P Setpal Freeview Box



## Foxy (Mar 7, 2003)

I've just got my hands on one of these, as it was recommended for low signal strength.

By searching the forums, I've found how to get into the engineering menus, but given the "if you make a mistake in here your box will explode  " warnings I've also found, could somebody, who has their box set up to work nicely with Tivo, go through the settings?

Many thanks!


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Don't worry - it's all very easy 

These should be the only settings you need to change.

Best thing to do to stop adverts and unwanted scanning for new software (as it looks like there won't be any more)

From any channel press Status Select Text Text Select. This takes you to the engineering screen.

Press Right Right Right Right. This takes you to the Promos page.

Press 1. This disables the promos from being downloaded.

Press Right. This takes you to the EPG page.

Press 1 and then 2 to disable the new EPG functions

Press Status to return to the TV.

Unplug your box from the mains and leave it for 30 seconds. This will clear all the adverts that have previously been downloaded.

Plug the box back into the wall. Tada! No more adverts and no automatic downloads of promos.

You can do the same thing for OAD - simply change the download/scan time to "never".

T


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## jtzi (Jul 26, 2004)

Hi Foxy - not sure whether you know but the Setpal technology upon which this Daewoo (and some other Freeview boxes) was based has now ceased to be supported due to the company going to the wall (I can't remember the details)...

Just wanted to say that if you hear about any of this and it subsequently makes you question your purchase then don't worry. I've been using one for the past few months and have found it to be fine. Very few lockups (can't remember when the last one occured), great signal strength and some good features in the engineering menus for allowing the interactive stuff to be switched off etc.

All in all, not a bad purchase IMHO. Hope it works as well for you as it has for me.


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## pmk (Jan 1, 2002)

Does anyone know the names of all the models that are based on the same "software" that allow you to disable new channels being added etc?

Do these boxes also allow you to turn off MHEG?

TIA


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## IainJH (Mar 27, 2002)

this might help -

http://www.dttboxes.co.uk/receivers/setpal.html

I have the labgear and was lucky to get a software update about a year ago. Apart from the occasional missed channel change it works fine (and MHEG is turned off)


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## Fred Smith (Oct 5, 2002)

pmk said:


> Does anyone know the names of all the models that are based on the same "software" that allow you to disable new channels being added etc?
> 
> Do these boxes also allow you to turn off MHEG?
> 
> TIA


The SetPal's all had the same internals but in different coloured cases apart from the Labgear and Portland which had a different case design and colour from each other.

Daewoo DS608P
Daewoo DS608T
Dijam 32VU
Labgear DTT100
Triax DVB2000T
Portland DP100

Yes you can turn the MHEG off.

The last firmware release was 0157 but anything with 0058 onwards was usually reliable. Firmware 0050, the initial release was a disaster with a common green screen of death (not the same as TiVo) issue.

Note only firmware 0156 and 0157 support the optional subscription (one of £5.00 payment) EPG.


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## Foxy (Mar 7, 2003)

terryeden said:


> Don't worry - it's all very easy
> T


Many thanks :up:

What about setting it to re-start on a particular channel. Is that necessary?



jtzi said:


> Hi Foxy - not sure whether you know but the Setpal technology upon which this Daewoo (and some other Freeview boxes) was based has now ceased to be supported due to the company going to the wall.


Many thanks for the concern, but I was aware


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Foxy said:


> Many thanks :up:
> What about setting it to re-start on a particular channel. Is that necessary?


If the power goes off unexpectedly, you'll want it to automatically switch on. I set mine to automatically start on BBC1 - but it really doesn't matter - once the power has come back your TiVo will change the channel.


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## MrNoisy (Jun 5, 2002)

Another useful option you might want to turn off is the scanning for new channels(called something like 'forced scan') - else you can get a 'checking signal, please wait' message for a short while, when TiVo changes the channels


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## Foxy (Mar 7, 2003)

terryeden said:


> Press Right Right Right Right. This takes you to the Promos page.
> Press 1. This disables the promos from being downloaded.


Done :up: 


terryeden said:


> Press Right. This takes you to the EPG page.


 Not on mine. Would that depend on the software version? Mine is Build_0136



terryeden said:


> You can do the same thing for OAD - simply change the download/scan time to "never".


Done :up:


MrNoisy said:


> Another useful option you might want to turn off is the scanning for new channels(called "Forced channel scan")


Done :up:


terryeden said:


> If the power goes off unexpectedly, you'll want it to automatically switch on. I set mine to automatically start on BBC1 - but it really doesn't matter - once the power has come back your TiVo will change the channel.


Not that it matters, but (in the interest of completeness) how do you select the channel? On the ""Software Functions" page, I can press 2 to change the "Power up to channel" from "Disabled" to "7" and back again, but I can't see how to change from "7" to anything else.

What about the "MHEG Digital Text on the "Software Functions" page, should that be off?

Many thanks, to all, for your help so far! Hopefully this thread will be of help to others!


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Foxy said:


> Done :up:
> Not on mine. Would that depend on the software version? Mine is Build_0136


You have an older firmware version - they're unlikley to transmit a newer one - I wouldn't worry, you're not missing much.



Foxy said:


> Not that it matters, but (in the interest of completeness) how do you select the channel? On the ""Software Functions" page, I can press 2 to change the "Power up to channel" from "Disabled" to "7" and back again, but I can't see how to change from "7" to anything else.


That's because you were on channel 7 when you entered the screen. Change to channel 1 then enter the engineering menu again.



Foxy said:


> What about the "MHEG Digital Text on the "Software Functions" page, should that be off?


Yup. Unless you want to have "PRESS RED NOW" burned on all your recordings, you can safely turn it off.

T


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## MrNoisy (Jun 5, 2002)

terryeden said:


> Yup. Unless you want to have "PRESS RED NOW" burned on all your recordings, you can safely turn it off.
> 
> T


And it will be a lot more reliable too!


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## Cainam (May 25, 2004)

Quote from terryeden:


> You have an older firmware version - they're unlikley to transmit a newer one - I wouldn't worry, you're not missing much


I have the same freeview box with a much earlier firmware version - 059 I think. Assuming there is never going to be an OTA download, is there anyway to force an upgrade?

I know there is no serial port in the back that allows you to send new firmware over like with the Goodmans boxes, but the innocent in me thinks something must be possible.

Such as: An OTA upgrade is 'simply' sending the right signals through the aerial socket into the freeview box. With a PC with a TV-out card, can't a signal with no TV channels, but the update signal the freeview box is expecting, be sent out from the PC card, and into the freeview box? When the update has happened the normal aerial lead can be plugged back in.

Probably much harder than I envisage though....and still too hard for me


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Cainam said:


> I have the same freeview box with a much earlier firmware version - 059 I think. Assuming there is never going to be an OTA download, is there anyway to force an upgrade?


Short answer - no.

Long answer - No.

Longer answer - yes. If you can convince the now defunt SetPal and/or Daewoo and or Ofcom to broadcast the update.

Even longer answer - if you got hold of the software (very tricky) and a PC card that could broadcast the equivalent of a FreeView MUX (almost impossible) you might be able to do it.

Easiest answer - but a new box if the firmware level really bothers you!


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## IainJH (Mar 27, 2002)

why wont Daewoo request an OTA upload for you? (of the most recent firmware).

I asked them to do that January last year, and a week later it was in the DTT's schedule. Setpal had gone by then and Daewoo still did it. Bless them, and my setpal box has been perfect ever since.


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## Foxy (Mar 7, 2003)

IainJH said:


> Why wont Daewoo request an OTA upload for you? (of the most recent firmware).
> 
> I asked them to do that January last year, and a week later it was in the DTT's schedule. Setpal had gone by then and Daewoo still did it. Bless them, and my setpal box has been perfect ever since.


What would be the benefit of the latest software? Does it give extra features or is the benefit from bug fixes?

How did you contact Daewoo to ask for the update? If there is a benefit to be gained, how many of us would need to contact them?


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## IainJH (Mar 27, 2002)

google for daewoo and call them. It wasnt hard to find the right number.

re the benefits - my box crashed, as well as interupting recordings at 2 or 3am each day looking for an update as it had earlier firmware. The update fixed that. If you dont have that then great.

I dont know the other answers, sorry.


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## Cainam (May 25, 2004)

I e-mailed Daewoo about a week ago after reading this thread (using the e-mail address "information @ desuk . co . uk" (without the spaces)

I got the response:



> I am afraid that Setpal controlled the over the air downloads, and as they are out of business your box will not be able to receive any more downloads. The only updates the box will receive is new channels or information that Freeview add to their broadcasts.


If anyone can recommend a different e-mail address of phone number, i am willing to have another go!


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## MrNoisy (Jun 5, 2002)

It costs a lot to do an over the air download, so IMHO it's not going to happen now :-(.

It is possible to update the software directly by soldering a header onto the PCB + connecting an ST connect, but that costs thousands and you need a flash image!


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

Keep monitoring http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/download_schedule.pl, maybe they might re-do a download.


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## sprust (Apr 2, 2002)

If you check the web site given in the previous post you'll see that the last version of code for Setpal boxes is going to sent out again next week.


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## Foxy (Mar 7, 2003)

sprust said:


> If you check the web site given in the previous post you'll see that the last version of code for Setpal boxes is going to sent out again next week.


Thanks for the heads up. I happened to check the site last week, for the first time in about six months, but I missed it by a week!
Any way to find out why they are releasing an update and what benefit we'd get from taking it. If my understanding is correct, Novapal are defunct or no longer involved in Setpal, so who is releasing the update?
Having followed the instructions that I was given above, to turn off the OADs, if I decide that I want to take the update, can I wait until I know that the Tivo is not about to use the box and then use the "Force OAD NOW" function or is the OAD only broadcast at certain times?


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

With this update you'll be able to purchase a 7 day EPG for £5 IIRC.

The charge is one off and will allow you to schedule your SetPal for up to a week in advance.

No real use to any one with a TiVo, but the update's useful for a few bug fixes and should you ever want the EPG.

I beleive the transmission is being paid for by 4TV who supply the EPG.

If you've stopped your SetPal from scanning for new software, you'll need to do a forced scan.


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## jtzi (Jul 26, 2004)

I seem to think I've got Build 136 - is there a version history anywhere on the web or can anyone tell me what I'm likely to gain? My Daewoo 608 is pretty stable currently so I'm loathed to do anything to jeopardise this (though the kid in me want's the latest firmware just for the sake of it being the latest  )

Thanks.


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## Fred Smith (Oct 5, 2002)

If you look at post 5 and my post 6 above it will give you some info. If you want more then plough through this thread (below), you should find what the differant versions did / do.

My two are on 0157 since the last update(s) and are very stable.

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=53307


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## jtzi (Jul 26, 2004)

Thanks for that - I went to the trouble of googling but can't think why I was so lazy that I didn't bother to search THIS forum!!! Oh well...


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## alan clark (Sep 30, 2009)

Foxy said:


> I've just got my hands on one of these, as it was recommended for low signal strength.
> 
> By searching the forums, I've found how to get into the engineering menus, but given the "if you make a mistake in here your box will explode  " warnings I've also found, could somebody, who has their box set up to work nicely with Tivo, go through the settings?
> 
> Many thanks!


I would be very grateful if you would forward electronic copy of the Daewoo setpal BS608P operating manual, as I cannot set it up on my TV. ??

regards,

alan


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## alan clark (Sep 30, 2009)

Would anyone who has a copy of the operating Manual for Daewoo BS 608 S .please send me an electronic copy.

Regards,

Alan


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## Fred Smith (Oct 5, 2002)

alan clark said:


> Would anyone who has a copy of the operating Manual for Daewoo BS 608 S .please send me an electronic copy.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Alan


Assuming you mean DS608S. These boxes (Setpal's) were killed by the Split-Nit earlier this year. You are wasting your time.


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

I assume you mean DS608? It won't work any more due to the return needed - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/29_09_09_freeview.pdf

Sorry, I don't have an e-manual to send you. But the machine is little better than a doorstop now.

(Wow - blast from the past... Have I really been wasting my time on here for that long...?)


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## steveroe (Oct 29, 2002)

Can I check why you're asking? That box is listed as one of the boxes that may no longer work following today's Freeview retune (site currently down due to heavy demand). They may have a manual on there when it comes back online.

Freeview advise calling the manufacturer on 0844 887 2525, although quite what they'll do I don't know!


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## Fred Smith (Oct 5, 2002)

steveroe said:


> Can I check why you're asking? That box is listed as one of the boxes that may no longer work following today's Freeview retune (site currently down due to heavy demand). They may have a manual on there when it comes back online.
> 
> Freeview advise calling the manufacturer on 0844 887 2525, although quite what they'll do I don't know!


They have not worked for some months not just from today, if a user kept up with the several retunes over the last year.


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