All Channels missing when HDR started

[R7814N]

1. Missing channels
When starting the drv there is increasingly a message that there are no channels available. I am given no choice but to do a fresh scan for the channels that are available. This is a fairly new problem. Can I do anything about it?

My aerial connection is poor. The coax needs repairing. I do get channels but with rain most, but not all channels, can not be viewed as the reception is too poor. Would this be the cause of all channels not being found at startup? If not what should I run to avoid having to do fresh channel scans, at least each week.

I have been thinking about getting a chromecast type streamer. I want one with rj45 ethernet connection not wifi. Is there a streamer that can be used with an HDR such as the fox?

2. Advert Filtering
Add filtering is not working on Smithsonian, PBS, Yesterday. Is this to be expected?

3. What DVR do you recommend as a replacement, which at a minimum can addblock and preferably can take the other addons offered for the Fox T2 or has most installed as part of the operating system?

 

[Luke]

You are very brave. Three Four different questions in one thread. I hope this doesn't get confusing.

1. Missing channels
When starting the drv there is increasingly a message that there are no channels available. I am given no choice but to do a fresh scan for the channels that are available. This is a fairly new problem. Can I do anything about it?

My aerial connection is poor. The coax needs repairing. I do get channels but with rain most, but not all channels, can not be viewed as the reception is too poor. Would this be the cause of all channels not being found at startup? If not what should I run to avoid having to do fresh channel scans, at least each week.

1a. This almost sounds like an uncommanded factory reset. These are normally associated with an HD-FOX T2 rather than an HDR-FOX T2.
You state that you are given no choice but to a fresh scan. Are you sure about that? Normally if the channel tuning gets removed it will force you to go to the Installation menu but it will not force you to do a fresh scan.
Is it really forcing you to do a fresh scan?
Are your other settings back to their defaults?
Have you tried a deliberate factory reset?

I have been thinking about getting a chromecast type streamer. I want one with rj45 ethernet connection not wifi. Is there a streamer that can be used with an HDR such as the fox?

1b. The streamer would need to be plugged into a different HDMI socket on your TV. It would not be able to pass through the HDR-FOX T2.

2. Advert Filtering
Add filtering is not working on Smithsonian, PBS, Yesterday. Is this to be expected?

2. By "Advert filtering" what you are referring to?
You use to have detectads set to chaserun, only bookmark ends of ad breaks and crop recording following ad detection. Is that what you mean?
Please would you also give some more details about what you are referring to?
E.g. What do you mean by "not working"
E.g. Is it OK for some of the other channels? If not then check your Internet Settings on the HDR-FOX T2 and that you still have Content Share switched on.
E.g. Has it ever been OK for those 3 channels?
E.g. When did you last notice that those channels were OK?
E.g. Are those channels in your exclusion list for detectads?

 

[Black Hole]

These are normally associated with an HD-FOX T2

What makes you think that??? I've never known an HD-FOX to do that. Isn't it more likely to be the reception problem identified...

My aerial connection is poor.

You cannot rely on anything with a poor signal. It's all very well if live TV breaks up, but a PVR trying to record a broken up signal will have a very hard time of it.

I have been thinking about getting a chromecast type streamer. I want one with rj45 ethernet connection not wifi. Is there a streamer that can be used with an HDR such as the fox?

A streamer is a streamer, a PVR is a PVR. End of. No, PVRs will not record the output of a streamer.

Advert Filtering

As standard, the HDR-FOX does not have "advert filtering", nor does any other off-the-shelf PVR. If you are talking about the Custom Firmware detectads facility, that's a question for the Custom Firmware section of the forum.

What DVR do you recommend as a replacement, which at a minimum can addblock and preferably can take the other addons offered for the Fox T2 or has most installed as part of the operating system?

There are none. The custom firmware is an enthusiast "hack" of the HDR-FOX specifically, because Humax left enough back doors open for us to get in there and do stuff. Not so more recent machines, so far as we know, and no commercial operator will be allowed to block adverts and still have a Freeview licence.

The best you will be able to do is DIY - see the DIY section of the forum.

 

[prpr]

My aerial connection is poor. The coax needs repairing.

No it doesn't. Both it and the aerial need replacing. Ask me how I know!
Until you do that you are wasting your time trying to fault-find downstream.

 

[Luke]

What makes you think that??? I've never known an HD-FOX to do that. Isn't it more likely to be the reception problem identified...

From a brief discusion between you and /DF in 2021 that re-reading I misunderst0od
Looking around now it is a known HDR-FOX T2 issue. E.g.

Repeated initial startup process

Hi all, My HDR-FOX T2 has been great since I purchased it, however I have an annoying issue that seems to have developed at some point in the past 18 months. I'm not exactly sure when it started as I was having some issues with the HDD. The sequence of events is below. Around Christmas 2018 I...

hummy.tv

Isn't it more likely to be the reception problem identified...

No.
The message reported is what you get when the tuning dtatbase is empty, not what you get if the expected signal isn't being received.

But as PRPR has already pointed out, it is a wast of time trying to sort out STB issues first.