EPG for some time ahead

[dragnil]

Greetings to those with much better knowledge of the system than I.

Here's the challenge:

On Thursday we leave for a holiday in France [no messages of symapthy please ;o) ]
On 8 September the Rugby World Cup starts and I'd like to record the games on ITV.

I'll have a laptop with me so:

Is it possible to log in remotely to my Hummy using the IP address?
Is it possible to have Hummy switched on and not going into "Off" after so many hours? I realise that this is probably in settings somewhere but I've not been there for a long time.

Any and all help gratefully received.

Best wishes,

David

 

[dragnil]

Sorry, should have said that the aim would be to set the EPG to record the whole series.

 

[MymsMan]

With the customised firmware you can install the Remote Scheduling (RS) package to do this (and more)

 

[dragnil]

Thanks, MM, I'm pretty sure I did install the firmware but it's such a long time ago I've forgotten what to do with it.
If you can spare some time to hold my hand I'd be grateful - how can I tell if the firmware is the right one?
Simple words please for this geriatric trying to keep his aged brain cells working. Thanks.

 

[prpr]

Type your Humax's IP address in to your browser. The main page of the Web Interface will tell you the custom firmware version in the bottom right. Should be 3.13.

 

[dragnil]

Wow, 3.13 (build 4028).
Great, where do I go from here? I'm grateful for any and all helping hands here. I've found the auto switch off and that seems clear enough.

 

[dragnil]

Ok, RS found and installed.
For progress so far, I'm awarding myself a glass (or 3) of wine. Tomorrow I'll see if I can make it all happen.
Thanks to all for all so far.
David

 

[Black Hole]

RS found and installed.

And an account set up at http://rs.hummypkg.org.uk/ ?

You'll also need WebIF >> Settings >> Advanced Settings >> Real-Time Scheduling = YES, and set some kind of daily reminder schedule to make sure the unit boots up at least once a day, so it can check the RS server for new instructions. If you want to be ultra-cautious, you also need a timeswitch on the mains so that power gets cut for a few minutes in the dead of night every day (preferably while the unit is in standby), so as to recover from crashes.

Is it possible to log in remotely to my Hummy using the IP address?

It's possible, but requires lots of hoops to be jumped through and it's much easier just to use the RS website as your means to remotely schedule recordings.

Is it possible to have Hummy switched on and not going into "Off" after so many hours? I realise that this is probably in settings somewhere but I've not been there for a long time.

Menu >> Settings >> System >> Power Management >> Automatic Power Down = Off... don't tell me you still have it turned on!

The boot-settings package can enforce your preferences.

 

[dragnil]

Thanks, BH,

"much easier just to use the RS website as your means to remotely schedule recordings."

Is it really that simple, I have an account at RS and I can see my EPG without IP address or anything like that?
Leave Hummy on and access on 2 Sep or after and it will record the series...

Auto power down has always been on - what's the disadvantage of this please? Being a Yorkshireman I turn things off when I'm not using them. ;o)

This has always been a great forum - thanks again.

David

 

[MymsMan]

Is it possible to have Hummy switched on and not going into "Off" after so many hours? I realise that this is probably in settings somewhere but I've not been there for a long time.

Auto power down has always been on - what's the disadvantage of this please? Being a Yorkshireman I turn things off when I'm not using them. ;o)

I think you have answered your own question!

Some would argue that leaving the Humax on 24x7 improves electronic lifetime by reducing the number of thermal cycles the components undergo.

BTW the Fan package is highly recommended - by maintaining a constant working temperature you avoid the hard disk getting too warm and that a constant medium speed fan is less annoying than one that cycles on and off at high speed.

Leave Hummy on and access on 2 Sep or after and it will record the series...

You don't need to leave the Humax on constantly to use Remote Scheduling - it just needs to wake up periodically to receive any scheduling instructions from RS, a daily repeating reminder or series record would be adequate for that

 

[Black Hole]

Is it really that simple, I have an account at RS and I can see my EPG without IP address or anything like that?

Yes. The rs package on the HDR-FOX periodically reaches out to the RS server – the RS server does not reach in to the HDR-FOX. It can't do that if the power is off, but so long as it powers up often enough...

Instructions here: https://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Remote_Scheduling

The EPG you see on the RS website is pooled from all the connected HDR-FOXes, and the view of it customised to your particular HDR-FOX's locality (from the service IDs). You can even manage multiple HDRs from one RS account (I do).

Auto power down has always been on - what's the disadvantage of this please?

Don't you trust yourself to turn something off when you don't need it, rather than have something turn itself off (sometimes inconveniently) just because you haven't given it any commands for the last three hours? What if you're watching a long programme (or run of programmes on the same channel) and haven't needed to press any buttons?

Auto power off is a stupidity, IMO, and especially so if you want your electronics to last.

 

[dragnil]

That's excellent and very clear, many thanks.
Re to auto power off thingy, it's never been a problem for me as I always switch off the Hummy after use and have not yet watched anything long enough for it to activate itself but I take your point.
To test my understanding I've used the rs site to programme a Ch 4 news tomorrow morning and I see that it always wakes and looke for updates earlier in the small hours. Fingers crossed. Thanks again.

 

[prpr]

I would highly recommend the mains timer (or similar) mentioned above. If you have internet access where you are then smart sockets are available for a tenner and you will be able to power cycle your device if/when it crashes. If it crashes and you don't have one, then RS is not going to work and you lose all your future recordings until you get home.
I've currently lost control of one of my devices (it was only rebooted yesterday morning) and it's damned irritating. The one I have got control of I put to standby before leaving (energy saving and all that) and have no way to force it to stay on . I'm just putting in my order for some more Tapo P100s.

 

[trog]

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[Black Hole]

If you have internet access where you are then smart sockets are available for a tenner and you will be able to power cycle your device if/when it crashes.

That's so long as you've noticed the crash. Having a nightly power-cycle makes sure without having to notice! These smart plugs can also serve that purpose, by programming repeat timers.

Note that if a power cycle occurs while the HDR is in standby, it will reboot to standby. Likewise, if the HDR is awake it will reboot to awake. Rebooting while in standby avoids interrupting disk activity.

"The simplest, cheapest way to make your home smarter."

I was sceptical Humax could be the cheapest, but that's not a bad price (not sure about "cheapest"). They look identical to my Gosunds.

I'm not sure how reliant these things are on the manufacturer-provided server, but as they can be controlled remotely I suspect that if the server went down (or was withdrawn) they would become paperweights.

I see that it always wakes and looke for updates earlier in the small hours.

No, what it's doing is waking to prevent the Humax code looking for updates (which it won't find). If you look on RS you'll see a "last seen" activity monitor – that will show you whether the rs package has taken the opportunity to phone home during the time it was supposed to be awake (normally every 10 minutes).

 

[prpr]

That's so long as you've noticed the crash.

RS can be setup to tell you.

Having a nightly power-cycle makes sure without having to notice!

Well yes, but it incurs a mostly needless power cycle.

Note that if a power cycle occurs while the HDR is in standby, it will reboot to standby. Likewise, if the HDR is awake it will reboot to awake.

I want an option to reboot to awake even if it was in standby. My efforts at poking the front panel so far have just ended in time-wasting and frustration.
Anyone got any ideas?

I was sceptical Humax could be the cheapest, but that's not a bad price (not sure about "cheapest"). They look identical to my Gosunds.

I've just paid a tenner for the P110 (with monitoring) and £7 for the P100 without.

I'm not sure how reliant these things are on the manufacturer-provided server, but as they can be controlled remotely I suspect that if the server went down (or was withdrawn) they would become paperweights.

That's the bugger.

 

[MymsMan]

RS can be setup to tell you.

You could also Ping the humax to see if it is alive

I want an option to reboot to awake even if it was in standby. My efforts at poking the front panel so far have just ended in time-wasting and frustration.
Anyone got any ideas?

You could add a periodic IR 0 to crontabs to bring the box out of standby, it should be harmless if already awake

That's the bugger.

Hive are already discontinuing support for some of their devices which are not cheap https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/n...ras-over-the-next-few-years--meaning-they-ll/

 

[prpr]

You could also Ping the humax to see if it is alive

How do you do that from a non-LAN device?

 

[Black Hole]

RS can be setup to tell you.

My boxes often lose contact with RS because of networking rather than having crashed (I know, that's my problem rather than anyone else's). Nonetheless I take your point, and I do get notification emails... and the means to reboot remotely (including the means to reboot my homeplug network!).

I want an option to reboot to awake even if it was in standby.

Yes, that would be handy and I've been contemplating it for some time. We already have a means to intercept the boot process to set Maintenance Mode according to a flag, so I assume it would also be possible to read a flag and boot to awake instead of standby - there must be a status flag somewhere telling the Humax code what the status was before power loss. The problem is how to set a flag when the unit is in standby, and it seems to me the flag has to be in an external storage system with independent access, and as the networking won't be running at that point perhaps something which could be read from USB.

You could add a periodic IR 0 to crontabs to bring the box out of standby, it should be harmless if already awake

I don't think it's a problem if you're happy to have the unit awake all the time, the problem is awaking it from standby remotely (or preventing it entering standby after a power-cycle reboot).

 

[dragnil]

I see that it always wakes and looke for updates earlier in the small hours.

No, what it's doing is waking to prevent the Humax code looking for updates (which it won't find). If you look on RS you'll see a "last seen" activity monitor – that will show you whether the rs package has taken the opportunity to phone home during the time it was supposed to be awake (normally every 10 minutes).

OK, another misunderstanding on my part but I'm learning, so thanks. RS is showing a "last seen" for this morning so I'm hopeful of a short recording later and if that's OK then we're hot to trot...

The smart plug is interesting but I don't have time - we leave tomorrow.