HDR-2000T picture freezes momentarily during live TV

[notac]

Once I had exchanged the original box for a new one and removed all the '800' channels our HDR-2000T appears to be fairly stable regarding total freezing.

However, now it frequently freezes for a few seconds during LIVE TV ?

Has anyone else come across this or do we have ANOTHER 'duff' box ?

This NEVER happened with the old 9200 !!!

 

[Black Hole]

This can happen on the HDR-FOX if it is having to use extra processing power to overcome write errors to the HDD (which it does even for live TV to maintain the time shift buffer). You could try using the menus to format the HDD.

 

[notac]

This can happen on the HDR-FOX if it is having to use extra processing power to overcome write errors to the HDD (which it does even for live TV to maintain the time shift buffer). You could try using the menus to format the HDD.

Many thanks for the quick reply.

I did think it looked a bit like a PC having 'hiccups' during HDD activity but since this is a fairly new box I'm surprised the HDD would need attention this early ?

We had the old 9200 for many years and NEVER had to re-format the drive ?

We have only recorded in standard format (not HD) to conserve HDD space so it's a puzzle ?

However, once we've watched all the recordings I'll try re-formatting to see what happens ?

 

[MartinLiddle]

Once I had exchanged the original box for a new one and removed all the '800' channels our HDR-2000T appears to be fairly stable regarding total freezing.

How many channels above 800 were there and how did you remove them?

 

[Black Hole]

I did think it looked a bit like a PC having 'hiccups' during HDD activity but since this is a fairly new box I'm surprised the HDD would need attention this early ?

There is always a chance of a duff component - why would you rule this out? As you are almost certainly within warranty you should be considering claiming a replacement, but as Humax support will ask you to format the HDD when you pursue this you might as well try it. Unfortunately the formatting available via the Humax menus may not be thorough enough, and the tools we have on HDR-FOX customised firmware cannot be installed on the 2000T.

We had the old 9200 for many years and NEVER had to re-format the drive ?

So what? If this does turn out to be an HDD problem, it's the luck of the draw.

We have only recorded in standard format (not HD) to conserve HDD space so it's a puzzle ?

So?

 

[Camarilla]

I'm having a similar issue with my HDR-2000T, plus a possibly(?) related one.

• Live transmissions freeze for a second or so and then resume. This happens two or three times a day when watching in HD or Standard modes.

• The PVR takes a long time to display a picture when I switch it on from standby (sometimes 60+ seconds - rarely less than 20.)

Occasionally, it won't turn on at all - I've waited 5 minutes with no picture. If I then switch it off and then on at the wall socket, it usually "springs" to life within 20 seconds. It shares a socket with my Sony TV, so recently I've been switching them both on as simultaneously as I can using the remote on the Hummy and the button on the Sony TV. Is it possible that some handshaking takes place between the two which only works on initial switch on? (I'm clutching at straws here...)​

​

Have I got a duff box? The PVR is only a few weeks old, so I've no doubt I could back up all the recordings not yet watched and swap the PVR under Comet's guarantee.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

[MartinLiddle]

Live transmissions freeze for a second or so and then resume. This happens two or three times a day when watching in HD or Standard modes.

What is the signal strength and quality when you see these problems?

The PVR takes a long time to display a picture when I switch it on from standby (sometimes 60+ seconds - rarely less than 20.)

If it is really in standby (as opposed to being half awake in the 15 minutes before a recording starts) then about 25 seconds is the expected time for it to boot and show a picture.​

Occasionally, it won't turn on at all - I've waited 5 minutes with no picture.

This sounds like an HDMI handshake problem. What model of Sony TV is it?

 

[Camarilla]

What is the signal strength and quality when you see these problems?

​

If it is really in standby (as opposed to being half awake in the 15 minutes before a recording starts) then about 25 seconds is the expected time for it to boot and show a picture.​

​

This sounds like an HDMI handshake problem. What model of Sony TV is it?

THanks for the prompt reply, Martin.

• Signal strength is usually between 45 & 50, sometimes goes up to 66; quality is always 100.
• Gosh! My old Toppy used to show a picture within <5 seconds, consistently (till it died)
• I can't say what the exact model number is - it's quite elderly, probably 10+ yrs old. No HDMI ports, it's connected via a SCART cable. Don't ask me to find the handbook - it's been gone for years...!

 

[Camarilla]

THanks for the prompt reply, Martin.

• Signal strength is usually between 45 & 50, sometimes goes up to 66; quality is always 100.
• Gosh! My old Toppy used to show a picture within <5 seconds, consistently (till it died)
• I can't say what the exact model number is - it's quite elderly, probably 10+ yrs old. No HDMI ports, it's connected via a SCART cable. Don't ask me to find the handbook - it's been gone for years...!

Breaking news... TV set is possibly a KLV-L32M1, according to Google-aided guesswork. Sorry, I can't put it closer than that.

 

[MartinLiddle]

Signal strength is usually between 45 & 50, sometimes goes up to 66; quality is always 100.

Those are perfectly satisfactory numbers; are you saying that the signal strength on a specific channel is fluctuating or that the signal strength is different on different channels?

Gosh! My old Toppy used to show a picture within <5 seconds, consistently (till it died)

What was its power consumption in standby?

I can't say what the exact model number is - it's quite elderly, probably 10+ yrs old. No HDMI ports, it's connected via a SCART cable.

OK that is different. I have no experience of connecting an HDR-2000 via SCART; maybe somebody else has.

 

[Camarilla]

Those are perfectly satisfactory numbers; are you saying that the signal strength on a specific channel is fluctuating or that the signal strength is different on different channels?

What was its power consumption in standby?

OK that is different. I have no experience of connecting an HDR-2000 via SCART; maybe somebody else has.

• Signal strength only fluctuates by a few points on each channel, but is different on different channels.
• Never checked power consumption. Are you suggesting that the Hummy may go into a deeper sleep, when in standby? THat would certainly explain it.
• I'll wait to see if anyone with SCART experience responds.

Thanks for your help. You've put my mind at rest about the 25 second start-up time.

 

[MartinLiddle]

Never checked power consumption. Are you suggesting that the Hummy may go into a deeper sleep, when in standby? THat would certainly explain it.

The Humax uses less than 1W in standby; one link I found for the TopField suggests it uses 8W in standby so yes I think the Humax goes into a much deeper sleep.

 

[Camarilla]

The Humax uses less than 1W in standby; one link I found for the TopField suggests it uses 8W in standby so yes I think the Humax goes into a much deeper sleep.

That accounts for that, then.
I'm still wondering about the "stuttering" while watching live TV. My Hummy would seem too young to expect HDD problems as suggested further up this thread. I'm prepared to back up everything and reformat the drive, but I don't want to do it if there's another possible solution. Finding a long enough time slot when the Hummy's not in service may well be challenging...

 

[MartinLiddle]

That accounts for that, then.
I'm still wondering about the "stuttering" while watching live TV. My Hummy would seem too young to expect HDD problems as suggested further up this thread.

I doubt that reformatting will help. If the stuttering is hard disk related then it will probably be due to sectors being reallocated by the disk firmware and this happens at a level below the file system. We became very familiar with this when the hard driver on our HDR-FOX T2 was failing. For experimental purposes I kept it in service rather longer than normal and with the custom firmware I could see that each stutter was related to one or more sectors being reallocated. Have you considered the possibility that the stutters are related to electrical interference?

 

[Black Hole]

If it were interference I would expect the "stutters" to be accompanied by severe picture break-up and pixellation. If that what the OP sees?

 

[steve444]

I have the same issue.
Box is hdr 2000t, sw 1.1.16
Live tv freezes regularly when watching, appears to be more regular the longer the box is on.
Signal and quality are both over 90%
When it freezes the picture just stops, no breakup, and sound continues, and once over (in 1 or 2 seconds) the picture and sound remain in sync.
If i swap to the same channel on the TV there are no freezes
If I swap the box to a different hdmi port the freezing continues
This is a newish (<6mth) refurbishment box from Humax (was not a problem before refurbishment!)
Any ideas?
I did not try the HDD reformat suggestion yet
Steve

 

[kagrun]

I have the same issue.
Box is hdr 2000t, sw 1.1.16
Live tv freezes regularly when watching, appears to be more regular the longer the box is on.
Signal and quality are both over 90%
When it freezes the picture just stops, no breakup, and sound continues, and once over (in 1 or 2 seconds) the picture and sound remain in sync.
If i swap to the same channel on the TV there are no freezes
If I swap the box to a different hdmi port the freezing continues
This is a newish (<6mth) refurbishment box from Humax (was not a problem before refurbishment!)
Any ideas?
I did not try the HDD reformat suggestion yet
Steve

Steve, did you resolve your problem? I have a near new HDR 3000T with the same issues. TV without Humax works without 'stuttering' but stutters when Humax connected. A Humax recording does not stutter; it ONLY occurs when live TV is viewed via Humax. Like your experience, there is no picture breakup nor sound pauses. Very irritating!

 

[Black Hole]

Live tv freezes regularly when watching, appears to be more regular the longer the box is on.

This indicates a heat problem.

 

[EEPhil]

Perhaps a related problem.
My 2000T occasionally exhibits this stuttering - but only when changing channel or, to be more precise, multiplex.
If I change from Dave ja vu to Talking Pictures TV then, occasionally, TPTV stutters for a couple of seconds and then resumes. Winding back, the recorded version is OK. I have yet to get to the bottom of this problem. However, changing the position of the aerial cable has sometimes removed the problem - only for it to re-occur later (possibly when I've nudged the cable again). Either the Humax is doing something extra that I'm not aware of or it is interfering with itself (!!!)

 

[Cdd]

I just called humax support regarding picture freezing on a new hdr-2000t.
I'd already checked the signal strength (99 to 100%) and searched for software updates. I was told my signal was too good!! We use a booster to connect a 2nd tele. Sure enough, so far, after disconnecting the booster the freezing has stopped.
I remember getting another 2000t 2 years ago and having this problem - that box has been at another premises since then working perfectly ok so I assume the signal there is not quite so strong.
The support guy said the signal needs to work at about 75 to 90% (if I remember correctly) otherwise you may need to attenuate the signal to bring it down.
Good luck.