Page 1 of The Mico R311 DVD Recorder – Some FAQ to help you live with it.

Basic pointers & FAQ before you start

The manual has some errors in it, resulting in users experiencing poor quality pictures when connecting to the SCART sockets, if you connect it as per the pictures, this seems to be OK.

Users expect perfect pictures when they use SCART leads from Poundland.

Does it have a RGB input?

No.

Does it have a Firewire input?

No - Though I do hear murmerings that it can be retrofitted. :B

Is it multi region?

It is multi region out of the box.

What can it play?

It plays VCD, CD, MP3 & SVCD in addition to DVD's. It does not play DiVX format movies (unless you know different).

My Mico is faulty & I need support who can I contact?

Pulse Service Centre Ltd.
Unit 1, Tregwilym Industrial Estate
Rogerstone, South Wales
NP10 9DQ

Phone 08700 13 76 25

I have lost the manual.

Download a new one from here

Set up FAQ

Machines are best when set up as per the above note namely Sky\NTL box connected via SCART leads to EXT2 & TV connected via SCART leads to EXT1(this also corrects a possible 4:3\16:9 viewing issue with widescreen TV's).

All it does is display a message saying "TV ON?"

You will find that only the remote control will work when you first turn it on. You have to connect everything up as per the instructions, then go though the main setup stage by pressing "OK"on the remote. Once you have completed this, the buttons on the front panel will function.

When I try to close the tray it closes, displays the word "BLOCKED" in the LCD display & then ejects.

This is a dealer lock, removed by unplugging it, plug it back in whist holding down the play, stop and open/close button on the front of the machine.

I am connected up via SCART leads to my Sky box and TV & there is a faint ghosting scrolling across the TV screen during viewing and recording.

Some outside device will be interfering, switch it off as a temp solution & get a good SCART lead with individually shielded cables. Alternatively disconnect pin 19 from the SCART lead (as it is looping back a video signal into your DVD player from SKY or VCR ). Dismantle one end & prise out Pin 19, tape over with insulation tape & leave it located inside the plug as you reassemble.



If you do not get a picture on your unit, fit the lead the other way about.

When I turn on the DVD it takes over the TV.

This is a function of a switching signal on pin 8 - Disconnect this pin inside the SCART lead feeding the TV in the same way as pin 19.

I have a somewhat grainy picture on Sky in EXT2 with the Mico switched off; but a perfect picture with Mico switched on.

You have RGB set on your Sky boxes, the Mico only likes a pure PAL 50 signal. Set your Sky box to PAL

Media FAQ

My disc's are not being recognised by the player.

Check the discs are +R or +RW

+R\+RW Brands known to work are

Datasafe
JVC
Maxwell
Memorex
PC Line
Traxdata
Verbatim

My recordings won't play on another machine.

+R discs need to be finalised before using in another player, this will prevent you from making further recordings. +RW discs do not need to be finalised & can be used in another machine & recorded on again & again & again.

Operation FAQ

I can record but can't actually see SKY until I press the "RECORD" button.

Press "Monitor" on the remote to "see" what the Mico is looking to record, alternatively press "RECORD" & then "PAUSE", when ready to start the recording press "RECORD" again.

I cannot copy some DVD's or VHS tapes from another machine or it displays Copy Protected" on the front panel.

Copy protection mechanisms are preventing you from doing this, Sonel make a suitable lead to remove copy protection signal.

Region 1 DVD's play in black and white.

It is putting out an American NTSC signal which your TV can`t handle. Refer to the manual to set the DVD output to PAL only.

My Mico will play some Region 1, but it won`t play several of them. It just comes up with the map showing the different regions, saying that it can`t play that region.

This is RCE protection against "grey imports", some Mico's do not get this issue. The Mico needs to be set to the correct region & not Multi-Region, fortunately the hack has now been revealed:

The following code will allow you to change to suit your needs

1. Press "Play" button while "No Disc" showing on the display
2. Press "159"
3. Press "210054147" which will be shown on the display
4a. Press "001" for region 1
4b. Press "002" for region 2
4c. Press "255" for all region
5. Press "Play" to confirm

Can it "timeslip" (record & playback at the same time)?

No you would need a DVD RAM or a HDD based recorders to do this.

Can I shift the order of recorded programs?

No - Delete a program & you just have a great big space in the same location. Which can be recorded on again as one big chunk or lots of little ones, be careful not to over run into the next recording as it will be over written. Unused & erased space is not able to be combined.

I have a "phantom" recording set up & I am unable to clear it, on exiting back to the main screen I have a "! Standby" to commence recording.

Go into setup-recording options & set Sat - EXT2 to Off.

How can I get to the erase disc option?

On the start up (Thumbnail) page. Push the up button until you have no thumbnails & the screen should say something like this. "Unlocked...Pal....DVD playback/Edits" Just push the right key & the menu system that comes up will show you the `Erase Disc` option.

When I make my edits there`s no "Make Edits Compatible" option.

The function isn`t on there it seems like the manual covers two models, R311 and R311i.

Advanced FAQ

Can I make discs to send to family in USA or Canada?

It`s not simple the U.S. and Canada use NTSC & Europe PAL (this is not related to region codes) signal formats.

Region 1 discs will be in NTSC whereas all region 2 discs will be in PAL. Where most if not all European models accept a NTSC signal, most North American DVD`s and TV`s are not capable of playing the PAL signal.

All discs you create on the MICO will be region free but it will only record in NTSC if it gets an NTSC source ie Eastenders is in PAL & it will record it in PAL.

You could put a standards converter between the source and the DVD recorder, but the quality would suffer as a result.

The other alternative is to burn to a DVD+RW, then put this in your PC, and do a PAL to DVD conversion on there. This would be a time consuming exercise & you` would need plenty of hard disc space free & a DVD recorder in your PC, but the quality will be better.

Alternatively, next time they are over here they buy a cheap TV & DVD to take back.

The information in this FAQ comes from posts made by forum members of DVD Reviewer (http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk), you follow the advice & suggestions given at your own risk & no responsibility for loss or damage will be entertained.







If we don`t take care of the customer, maybe they will stop bugging us.

This item was edited on Tuesday, 8th March 2005, 10:00

Thanks for compiling this great list of FAQs. I`m still having trouble getting region 1 discs to play in colour though, and the manual doesn`t give any information on changing the output to PAL from NTSC - it only suggests altering the `black balance` which makes the picture a somewhat lighter shade of grey.
My other player is multi-region, and my television accepts a colour picture from it fine, so I don`t think it`s the TV.

I think you may need to check your TV settings for the input PAL\NTSC\Auto.

I think this was covered in the main thread for the Mico R311 which most of the FAQ was lifted from.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.

Well done `Rassilon`. I can`t paste this into the first post in the big Mico thread as it says " this message is too old for you to edit your posting". So people will have to use this thread unless the `Mods` can insert it into the big one

Cheers Paull

I dont think I missed anything too obvious out of the FAQ - Got a stonking headache out of trolling through (& occasionally backward) sorting the wheat from the chaff for my trouble. ;)

Any updates or things that I missed please remind me.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.

I think there should be a sticky forum for posts like this.

I`ve stuck a link to this thread here

club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=129146

Fame at last (rather than infamy, infamy infamy they all have it in for me;) )

Cheers KDH.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.

I`ve had a slight problem with my Mico R311, so I called the Pulse Service Centre on the number above, and it`s out of service now. Just a recorded message saying "please take it back to where you got it from"...

My problem is, when I play a finalised DVD+R in a normal DVD player, all my edits have not been saved. Hidden chapters play. Where I`ve edited in my own chapters after recording: Gone. I`m left with a disc that has a new chapter every 5 minutes where auto-chapter has put it.

I get no "make edits compatible" option in the menu. Just finalize.

Anyone else had this problem and if so, is there a solution?

Quote:
When I make my edits there`s no "Make Edits Compatible" option.

The function isn`t on there it seems like the manual covers two models, R311 and R311i.