Free-View Box Software?

horhif · 24 May 2013 at 10:35

Hi,

I have a Ferguson made FreeView box. It developed an issue where it wouldnt switch on.

I took out the hard-drive, and attached it to my windows pc. it said the hard-drive needed formatting, which i did.

Now I've put it back into my FreeView box, but when i switch it on, nothing happens.

Is there some type of software/firmware i need to load on to the box? i've contacted Ferguson Electronics but they've not replied.

thanks for any advice

TheVoice · 24 May 2013 at 10:52

The hard-drive will contain data the box needs to operate, yes.

NZB · 24 May 2013 at 10:54

I know i shouldn't but i genuinely laughed reading this. What did you think would happen when you formatted it?

I'm not sure how successful you'll be getting the software from Ferguson. The updates for freeview boxes in the UK tend to be over the air ones.

horhif · 24 May 2013 at 11:13

NZB said:
I know i shouldn't but i genuinely laughed reading this. What did you think would happen when you formatted it?

I'm not sure how successful you'll be getting the software from Ferguson. The updates for freeview boxes in the UK tend to be over the air ones.

i knew that i would lose the data on the hard-drive, but when i attached the hard-drive to a pc when using Windows or Ubuntu, it said it was unreadable and needed formatting.

what i thought would happen was that i could then download the software off a website etc.

i maybe should have checked that out first

but sure that hindsight and all that

andy_mk3 · 24 May 2013 at 11:16

Have a search, I used to have a Thomson freeview recorder, and there was a way of formatting the drive from pressing buttons on the front panel.

The firmware will be stored on the box itself, not the hard drive, no critical information will be on the drive. There may also be a way to revert back to an old firmware from front panel buttons too. But like I said, have a search, every box is different.

horhif · 24 May 2013 at 11:20

andy_mk3 said:
Have a search, I used to have a Thomson freeview recorder, and there was a way of formatting the drive from pressing buttons on the front panel.

The firmware will be stored on the box itself, not the hard drive, no critical information will be on the drive. There may also be a way to revert back to an old firmware from front panel buttons too. But like I said, have a search, every box is different.

thank-you, i'll have a look tonight when i finish work. cheers

MeatLoaf · 24 May 2013 at 11:26

I had a digifusion box and the hard drive died in it. However the box did operate as a normal freeview box without the drive.

Which box do you have? Maybe its a rebadge of another similar box. If so there may be a generic software you can use.

horhif · 27 May 2013 at 15:00

MeatLoaf said:
I had a digifusion box and the hard drive died in it. However the box did operate as a normal freeview box without the drive.

Which box do you have? Maybe its a rebadge of another similar box. If so there may be a generic software you can use.

i have a Ferguson Astratec pvrtu1

thanks

varkanoid · 28 May 2013 at 17:06

From the google search I've just done I think its kaput.
Can't even find a service manual.

Unless you can find another pvrtu1 that you can somehow copy it from I think you better off binning it.

Or maybe a faulty one of you know where auctions that you might be able to swap the hard drive over from.

horhif · 29 May 2013 at 15:04

varkanoid said:
From the google search I've just done I think its kaput.
Can't even find a service manual.

Unless you can find another pvrtu1 that you can somehow copy it from I think you better off binning it.

Or maybe a faulty one of you know where auctions that you might be able to swap the hard drive over from.

no problem. thank - you very much for your help