I'm getting the same message on my new Dion Digital TV Recorder. It's supposedly a Freeview box with a 250GB hardisk and 7 day electronic programme guide - and it very probably is. But it won't record anything. I get the message "Media not alive". I'm wondering if it's because I get my signal from a communal system via fibreoptic which is then converted - ie, I'm not using my own roof aerial. I can't access planner. I can't manually record. I can't programme record. I might as well take it back - if it won't record for my property - and put the money towards Sky or else an actual digital tv set. The latter of course would lack the recording facility. But then Freeview reception seems excellent for a few channels and sporadic for others.
Richard
June 2011