Topfield 5800/FAQ

Q: Should I do a Factory Reset, what will I lose?
A: A factory reset will not delete any recordings, but it will delete all the timers you have set. It will also reset the following:
 * Transparency
 * Interactive services
 * Time slip

More noticeably all the channels will need to be rescanned after a factory reset. The process is described in the manual

If you wish you may preserve your timers by using Channel Manager to do the factory reset & rescan, alternatively UKTimers TAP is a small easy to use TAP to import/export timers.

When changing between some firmware versions a factory reset is essential to avoid problems.

Q: How do I get my remote apart to clean it?
A: Look here and here

Q: Why do I have a broken up picture or no signal at tuner 2?
A: The following checklist is a good starting point.
 * Check the Toppy.Org FAQ first here & follow links to guides.
 * Aerial has been damaged or is inappropriate or is pointing in the wrong direction reception predictor.
 * Downlead is damaged or of poor quality or with joints in it or very long. CT100
 * Water has got into the cable or aerial connection.
 * The supplied short RF coax patch cable at the back of the box is missing. link 2&3
 * Signal is too weak, 65 - 70% is normally about the minimum, quality should be close to 100. Signal TAP
 * Channels at the top end of the frequency range are more affected by atmospherics.
 * A masthead amp may help, check power is on if you have one. It is not a universal fix.
 * Planned works on your transmitter.
 * Birds on the aerial as discussed here
 * Indoor aerials can be trickey discussed here

Radio ham garbled audio interference has been reported.

Q: What firmware should I use on my TF5800PVR
The recommended firmware is "TF5800-5.13.65beta" with essential patches added as a minimum.

The unpatched version of the recommended firmware is linked from here and the patching tools and files are all here.

Some specific patching recommendations have been made & firmware with patches already applied are available to download, for example in the firmware section of CW's Guide to a Stable Toppy.

When referring to patches a link to SimonC's Firmware Patch Decipherer is often given, for example these are the essential 5800 patches HPT2

Anyone wishing to experiment with the 5.14.x "Freeview Playback" firmware should be warned that there are severe problems with the current 5.14.08 & earlier versions of this firmware that will sometimes make it crash & also regularly miss recordings. Some patching recommendations are here if you insist. This firmware is not recommended even though some machines are shipped with this firmware installed.