It’s Time to Download the Philips DPM8000 Firmware Update v1.60

 

My, How the Time Flies

It was only four months ago…

2013 was coming to a close, and you were probably thinking up New Year’s resolutions you might actually keep. The polar vortex was, as of yet, an unknown threat. And we waxed enthusiastic about the veritable cornucopia of goodness found in version 1.1 of the Philips DPM8000 firmware.

Well, it only took Philips two months to come back with some further improvements to their offering. According to the release notes, Philips launched version 1.60 on February 21^st of this year—which was a lightning quick turnaround for an update.  We announced the release via Twitter but wanted to take it a step further and provide some specifics for those of you not following us on Twitter. For your convenience, we have this latest version hosted in our Philips Resource Repository.

 

What Should I Do with this New Firmware?

Firmware v1.60 for the DPM8000 is currently available for download. This update applies to all of the 8000 series devices.

If you’re not sure what do with this firmware file once you download it, we’ll break it down for you.

The DPM8000 User’s Manual lists these steps:

1. Make sure the battery is fully charged to prevent interruptions during the update.
2. Connect to the computer via USB.
3. Copy the firmware file to the root directory of the DPM.
4. Disconnect the DPM from the computer. The firmware will auto-update, which may take a few minutes.

*Also note that you should not try to use the DPM while the firmware is updating—this could corrupt the update.

 

Is There Another Way?

Why yes, of course:

1. Connect your DPM8000 to a computer with Philips SpeechExec Pro v7.5 (or higher).
2. When the application launches, click the [Settings] icon—it’s the one that looks like a cog wheel.
3. In the menu table on the left, click [Updates] and then [DPM Firmware].
4. You should see a [Check Now] link. Click it, and the software will check for available firmware updates. When the system finds one, click [Yes].
5. You’ll get a dialog box with instructions. Read and follow them carefully. When you’re ready to proceed, click [OK].
6. After you disconnect the DPM, another dialog pops up with more instructions. Again, read carefully and follow through.

 

So What Did I Get?

Now we’re at the fun part. This v1.60 firmware update is choc-a-bloc with new features, as well as a few fixes. Of course, if you want more in-depth information about this release, you can peruse the Readme file.

Now that you’ve leveled up your device(s), you have these capabilities. Congratulations!

• Search within a data list using the barcode scanner (DPM8500 only)
• Scroll in a data list using the slide switch – think of it like a mouse wheel
• Receive a warning if the data list you transferred to your DPM isn’t valid
• Select which column to sort by in a data list
• Utilize active external speakers to listen to your dictations
• Realize immediately when you’ve inserted a write-protected SD card
• Wipe your device of all non-DPM files upon disconnection

 

Didn’t you say something about fixes?

I did.

• You can now use your DPM8000 series as a USB microphone or speaker on Mac OS X.
• The mandatory barcode input field now actually requires scanning. (This only applies to the DPM8500).
• The PIN lock time no longer expires too early.
• When recording, you now get improved frequency response in the lower band—in case you were going for that “Barry White” sound.

 

Signing Off

All in all, firmware v1.60 is a useful update for intermediate to advanced Philips DPM8000 users. That being said, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, we recommend keeping the firmware up-to-date on all of your recorders.