5000T failed recordings

JennyT

New Member
We had a Humax 5000T which failed to record when we went on holiday, and at other times started to record 5 minutes after schedule but with a broken picture. Eventually we replaced it with a new 5000T but we have the same problem. After a lot of trial and testing, we have found that it only records if we have the TV turned on AND we are watching the TV through the Humax. All other recordings fail with a broken picture and in some cases they don't start until 5 minutes after the scheduled time. I find it hard to believe that both machines have the same problem, but I am at a loss as what could fix this. I would be grateful for any suggestions please.
Thank you.
 
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We had a Humax 5000T which failed to record when we went on holiday, and at other times started to record 5 minutes after schedule but with a broken picture. Eventually we replaced it with a new 5000T but we have the same problem. After a lot of trial and testing, we have found that it only records if we have the TV turned on AND we are watching the TV through the Humax. All other recordings fail with a broken picture and in some cases they don't start until 5 minutes after the scheduled time. I find it hard to believe that both machines have the same problem, but I am at a loss as what could fix this. I would be grateful for any suggestions please.
Thank you.
This may be a combination of a few things rather than just the one cause.

Do you have masthead amplifier, or other aerial booster, or aerial distributor?
If you do, then how is it powered?
 
This seems to be a signal problem rather than anything to do with the 5000T. That the signal fails if the TV is off suggests something upstream is only powered when the TV is turned on. Very peculiar though.
 
Tell us about your aerial, the cable from it to the 5000, what all the connections between it and the TV are and signal/quality readings on both devices. (With pictures if poss.)
 
I also believe it is a signal problem. The information the others have requested would be helpful.
I suppose the other possibility is that you are in an area where you can pick up multiple transmitters and the Humax is tuned to the wrong one, or maybe more than one. Check to see if you have channels at 800+. If you have duplicate channels ( eg BBC1 on 1 and 800 or the HD version on 101 and 8?? ) check the signal strength/quality of both.
The signal quality dropping on the Humax when the TV is turned off is confusing. People usually report the TV signal goes if the Humax is off! Not something you can easily track as you can't view the signal quality with the TV off!
 
Not something you can easily track as you can't view the signal quality with the TV off!
With nothing plugged into the TV except the HDMI from the 5000T (not even the aerial), it should be effectively "off" to the rest of the system, but there's no point pursuing this without a lot more info from the OP.
 
Thank you all for your replies. As there is quite a bit of crossover I'll try and answer all questions here.

We had a new mast amplifier fitted in September, because we were getting a lot of picture breakup. The guy who came out it. found that the one we had was no longer working and he replaced and tested it. He replaced the cable from the aerial and also replaced something on the aerial itself. I'm sorry but I'm not very techy and I don't know the name for it, but I have a photo.

We are in an area where we can pick up 3 different transmitters. We did delete a lot of 800+ channels from the Humax, but I think I should investigate this a bit more.

I have 10 photos in total but only 2 of them will load - the rest are too large. I have tried converting some of them to zip files, but they are still too large.

On tests, the signal quality is 100% and the strength is averaging around 90%.

20221121_104524.jpg20221121_104503.jpg
 
We had a new mast amplifier fitted in September, because we were getting a lot of picture breakup.
Your mast head amplifier has to be powered from somewhere. Where? If it's by the TV, how is the power getting through your 5000T (which I presume is installed between the aerial and the TV)? If it's by the 5000T, why is it losing signal when the TV is off? If it has a separate PSU, why is there a problem at all? That's why it's confusing.

I have 10 photos in total but only 2 of them will load - the rest are too large. I have tried converting some of them to zip files, but they are still too large.
You need to reduce the resolution and JPEG quality. If you're using a mobile device, there is often an option to choose reduced file sizes for uploads.

We are in an area where we can pick up 3 different transmitters. We did delete a lot of 800+ channels from the Humax, but I think I should investigate this a bit more.
That's not your problem.
 
Your mast head amplifier has to be powered from somewhere. Where? If it's by the TV, how is the power getting through your 5000T (which I presume is installed between the aerial and the TV)? If it's by the 5000T, why is it losing signal when the TV is off? If it has a separate PSU, why is there a problem at all? That's why it's confusing.


You need to reduce the resolution and JPEG quality. If you're using a mobile device, there is often an option to choose reduced file sizes for uploads.


That's not your problem.
What is a PSU?
 
Photos of the amplifier, side of the TV, back of the 5000T and a frame from a failed recording.
 

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No. I still can't see where your mast head amplifier is getting its power from.

I don't have access to a FVP-5000T (nor, obviously, your TV), but if it were a HDR-FOX there would be settings for powering an amplifier:

MENU >> Settings >> Installation >> Antenna Power = On​
MENU >> Settings >> System >> Power Management >> Power Saving in Standby = Off​

There is a possibility that the equivalent settings on your 5000T got reset, but I still can't see why the signal corresponds with when the TV is on.

Try this: view a live broadcast using the 5000T, and then disconnect the aerial cable from the TV. If the TV is phantom-powering the amp (somehow through the 5000T pass-through), then disconnecting the TV's aerial cable should kill the signal despite the TV not requiring a signal.

You might find similar settings in the TV's menus, in which case you need to make them as above.
 
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No. I still can't see where your mast head amplifier is getting its power from.

I don't have access to a HDR-5000T (nor, obviously, your TV), but if it were a HDR-FOX there would be settings for powering an amplifier:

MENU >> Settings >> Installation >> Antenna Power = On​
MENU >> Settings >> System >> Power Management >> Power Saving in Standby = Off​

There is a possibility that the equivalent settings on your 5000T got reset, but I still can't see why the signal corresponds with when the TV is on.

Try this: view a live broadcast using the 5000T, and then disconnect the aerial cable from the TV. If the TV is phantom-powering the amp (somehow through the 5000T pass-through), then disconnecting the TV's aerial cable should kill the signal despite the TV not requiring a signal.

You might find similar settings in the TV's menus, in which case you need to make them as above.
I've just found the invoice from when the amplifier was fitted and it says "mast amplifier and psu". I think the PSU must be the white gadget in photo 3 (photo 1 of the last 4 photos I uploaded). The aerial lead on the left of this photo comes in from the aerial on the roof, and it is plugged into the PSU. Another lead goes out from the PSU and into the Humax.

I'll check the settings for powering the amplifier.

Thanks again.
 
The aerial lead on the left of this photo comes in from the aerial on the roof, and it is plugged into the PSU. Another lead goes out from the PSU and into the Humax.

I'll check the settings for powering the amplifier.
There are 3 leads coming out fro the PSU. There are the two that you mentioned. There is a third, thinner, lead. This supplies the power. What is that thinner lead connected to?
 
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There are 3 leads coming out fro the PSU. There are the two that you mentioned. There is a third, thinner, lead. This supplies the power. What is that thinner lead connected to?
The third (white) lead is connected to the mains socket.
 
We had a new mast amplifier fitted in September, because we were getting a lot of picture breakup.
Ah, I knew there'd be more to this.
The guy who came out it. found that the one we had was no longer working
Really? If that happened then everything would stop working altogether. Did that happen?
and he replaced and tested it.
Tested it where? Straight off the aerial? From the socket on the wall? At the input to the 5000 or the TV or both?
He replaced the cable from the aerial and also replaced something on the aerial itself.
How old is the aerial? It would have made sense to replace that as well. If the cable needed replacing then water has probably got in (the cowboys don't seal the connections properly). Does it go in to the loft? The amp. would have been better placed inside where you can get to it (and potentially bypass it) and it saves it from the weather (ask me how I know - I must update the thread about my aerial hassles!).
We are in an area where we can pick up 3 different transmitters.
Roughly where are you and which transmitter do you think you're using? Is it really the correct one or are you using a sub-optimal one for some reason? If you've got lots of 800+ channels then you're receiving reasonably well from at least two, although the masthead amp. is probably responsible for that.
I think the PSU must be the white gadget in photo 3
It is. I don't know why BH couldn't work that out.
There is a third, thinner, lead. This supplies the power. What is that thinner lead connected to?
Huh?

The photos have been reduced in quality so much that they're not much use, but the one showing the back of the Humax is not great in terms of cabling.
Both aerial in and out seem very tight, as do all of them actually. You should aim to reduce the pulling tension on all of these otherwise you're just building up unreliability problems.
That left-hand cable connector (presumably the one from the amp.?) seems very iffy, but we'd need to see a decent picture of both ends of it, in proper light to assess better i.e. take it out to photograph it and don't compress it to hell.

My guess at this point is that you've got too much gain from a huge masthead amplifier that is not really needed, and possibly a dodgy cable too.
Now you know why the amp. should be inside.
 
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I can’t find any antenna power settings on my 5000T so I think that’s a red herring.
90% signal strength is considered by some to be too strong. Can’t say it caused me a problem.
Probably worth putting your details into the coverage checker https://hummy.tv/forum/link-forums/freeview-coverage-checker.41/ to find out which transmitter you should be using - although you may need to check which way your aerial is pointing. Then a manual retune may be needed - when all the other problems are sorted.
Do you have the make and model for the PSU? Might then be able to find a manual on line to see if there is anything wrong there.
 
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