I have just joined this forum in order to post regarding the above issue. I don't usually do these forums, but need to share this to show others that they are not alone in this problem.

Like everyone else on here, on Friday 19th July 2013, my Sony hard drive recorder lost all channels.

I thought it was just me and spent all night trying to fix the problem. I tried re tuning several times, and it kept saying it had found 118 channels but none would come up. The menu on the digital download screen also appeared in a different format to usual.

Eventually my recorder froze on TUNING at first, so I had to switch it off from the mains and then back on again. It then froze in UPDATE. I eventually went to bed at 3am having spent hours trying to sort it out.

I have to work this weekend and rely on the recorder to record the programmes I want to watch whilst working.

When I got up in the morning (20th) the recorder was still stuck on UPDATE so I turned it off from the mains again.

I phoned the Sony retail shop in Ealing Broadway and the sales assistant didn't know anything about it, but he did say another lady had phoned up with the same problem. He gave me a phone number for an independant store which fixes Sony equipment. I telephoned them and they knew nothing about it and said to bring the recorder in so they could take a look and order parts from Sony if necessary. Just for them to take a look would cost £33. They said they closed at 2pm but would keep it over the weekend and look at it on Monday.

I decided against taking it in on Saturday as they weren't going to look at it anyway until Monday.

I googled and found out about the Firmware download. I had no CD's so had to go out to the shops before starting work and buy some.

I downloaded the firmware and then put the CD into my recorder following the instructions. (My recorder was initally 1.15) It started the download but became stuck on Download 5. I was worried about turning it off (as per the warning instructions) so went to work and left it. On my return 10 hours later it was still frozen on Download 5.

Eventually I had no choice but to turn it off from the mains.

It then froze on UPDATE again, After several times of switching it on and off from the mains, I eventually got it to turn on and I checked my download which now showed 1.24.

I tried downloading the digital channels again but still nothing.

It's just totally unacceptable. When I got to work I was talking to another female colleague about it and the same thing had happened to her Sony recorder as well, at the same time!. I then googled the date of '19th July 2013 Sony recorder problems' and found this forum.

It sort of makes me feel better that I'm not alone, but it's shocking that a large company like Sony can run their business like this! I'm not a technical minded person and neither is my colleague and both of us thought it was our machines. Had I taken it into the repair shop, that would have cost me £33 minimum - which would have been wasted money. I even thought that my machine which is about 3-4 years old was knackered and I would have to buy a new one!

 I know this seems trivial to some people but when you work long hours, you would like to come home after and relax and watch yr fave programmes you have recorded. I have to work later today as well and will not be able to record the White Queen which I love.

I'm working Monday as well, and due to the nature of my job, I won't be able to hang around on the phone for ages trying to get through to Sony.

Does anyone have their correct support phone number? The ones I found through Google are: 0905 0310006 & 0800 25 25 60 60 but who knows if they're the right ones!

I hope this problem is sorted immediately. Weekend or not, Sony should be working on rectifying the problem which no doubt has caused countless people a great deal of inconvenience and difficulty. This problem should be treated as a priority. I am guessing that Sony have probably made money from this as I expect that many people have thought that the fault is with their recorder and have gone out and bought a new one!

I think I'd be interested to know their sales figures on dvd recorders this weekend!

SONY PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY AND UPDATE YOUR CUSTOMERS AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE INTERIM. COMMUNICATION IS KEY!