HDR-Fox T2 vs FVP-5000T

Norrette

New Member
Thought I'd list on here things you should know if you are going to upgrade from the T2 to the latest offering. I don't know about the previous versions of the FVP, so it's possible they are better than this. If anyone has found a work around for any of these points I'd be grateful.

Edit: See updates down the thread

1) Instead of text descriptors for the channels on the EPG we now have icons (mine's a 46" Bravia telly - but I can't see those icons) time to throw the remote away as I have to get up in front of the telly to read them.

2) There is no pop-up during scrolling or info button for the EPG to tell you what the content of a program is in full - so something like 'Drama' on R3 just reads like that - then you have to click ok and then wait for 2-3 seconds (a fetch from the internet?) to get the info on a seperate screen - pain in the rear if the play (film/doc) is not what you were hoping for. Rinse and repeat.

3) It forgets what my favourite group is after standby - so I have to reset this by changing the channel via my favourite group and then going back to where I was.

4) There is no creation of folders - Ok I was aware of this before purchase - but didn't know that you can't rename files either. So different names of a programs in a series is out of the question. (and of course you can't scroll through and look at the pop-up - see 2 above)

5) I tried non-padding for my first recording - fail - missed the first minute. Switched to padding - minimum amount either end is 3 mins. (I used to have 1 min start and 2 minute end)

6) Search by genre (eg movies) only gives today's schedule. There must be a way around this surely?

7) The only way to remove from wifi is to factory restart! I tried to make wifi fail with an incorrect password (as I do on my DVD player) - but it just goes back to the previous password! I want to remove it as it's hammering my broadband from some reason. I also want to find out how dependent the options are on wifi (see 2 above) so I will try this - but I'll have to back off what I've recorded so far first of all, however...

8)...I have a three hour piece from last night that I particularly want to save (BBC4). It tells me it's too large to copy - even though my USB drive is 64GB and I have subsequently copied individual files adding up to 4 hours. - Resolved

I have been trying to find something positive to tell you all...how can a company do this to a perfectly good operating system? I may just as well copy from my telly. All the new options are readily available on my telly re: internet access, I just want a PVR to store and organise my media. Should be simple.
 
Last edited:
It sounds very similar to our Freesat box, which has inbuilt catch-up services. I believe the interface for this is dictated by Freesat, so if the situation is similar with yours it's possibly not entirely Humax fault for the sh1t displays. (Our TV is 50" and I often have to select a channel row so I can read the text to be sure which one it is.)

On our 1010S the factory reset is separate from the disc format (in a different branch of the menu tree IIRC), so you may be able to do that reset without losing your recordings.

The thing with the Wi-Fi may be logical. These boxes are now sold with the catch-up facilities prominent. It may be that call centre experience is that many cries for assistance are due to the customer not realising they've lost the Wi-Fi connection. So riveting into the system like this may reduce such 'idiot' calls. (Never forget that most products are built for the mass market ... I'm sure you follow my drift :) ).
 
Humax are a bunch of incompetent idiots (IMHO) who all need a good slap around their collective heads with some very wet and smelly fish.
I wouldn't buy any of their current stuff.
 
I agree, the 4000/5000 are backwards steps from the T2 with so much great useability taken away.

The use of the coloured buttons for rapid navigation is one of the most obvious omissions and have been replaced with multiple button presses instead, then there is the lack of ability to create folders of course not forgetting the lack of 'i' button!

Don't get me started on the speed issue :laugh:
 
I can confirm that you can reset without losing your recordings. You will lose your schedule though.

As to not being able to copy off (or on) big files. If you have access to a pc on the same network, then enable the ftp server and use your favourite ftp client and copy that way. I've used it to copy all my decrypted T2 files across (and some off again when I hadn't decrypted properly) and some of these were Glastonbury files so 9GB+.

You might also check your memory stick isn't formated as fat or fat32 since that would only allow 4GB files and would be nothing to do with the Hummy. Try NTFS or EXT32.

Can't help with speed I'm afraid - it's slow and we have to live with it. I'm getting slower as I get older though so not an issue :)
 
it has an ftp and samba server but you will need to enable them. You'll find it under file share settings. I use WinSCP as a good ftp client on my PC if you're looking for a recommendation. Nice GUI and all drag and drop etc. One tip - the default password if requested on the Hummy is 0000. Can't remember whether that was for the 5000T or the T2.

I'm not sure what the max file size is of a recording - if that's what you mean. On a fat32 formatted device it used to be 2GB but these days it's 4gb I think. Either way using NTFS should be your best option I think. Anyway if you use the ftp or samba server you shouldn't have any issues.
 
Default passcode is 0000 on the HDR-FOX and HD-FOX. The user might have changed it, of course.
 
Update on the above.

7) I managed to block the device from broadband via my router - this can be set by ranges of hours. So I might give it an hour a day if that's needed.

This has helped with 1) - Now I see text instead of piddly little icons

8) is now resolved (yes it was Fat32) and I'm surprised to see that the 5000T will write to NTFS and the full 5GB file (although the copy took over an hour) So that's all good ;-)

A new issue 9) related to point 5 is that with 3 minute padding (the minimum we're allowed) a programme recording that starts at 7pm on BBC4 - which only starts transmitting at 6:59pm is completely borked. Error messages are thrown up and I only got a sound recording for the full half hour plus, the screen was black. If it would only work without padding that might not be a problem - although a guy on MyHumax has said they know about this issue.

I think my T2 fail is a tuner problem. I don't have time this week to experiment, but will report later.

I might set up a wish list on MyHumax and would include a Wireless disconnect option in the set up menu and padding variants down to 1 minute. These are my 'must haves.'
 
Update on the above.

7) I managed to block the device from broadband via my router - this can be set by ranges of hours. So I might give it an hour a day if that's needed.

This has helped with 1) - Now I see text instead of piddly little icons

8) is now resolved (yes it was Fat32) and I'm surprised to see that the 5000T will write to NTFS and the full 5GB file (although the copy took over an hour) So that's all good ;-)

A new issue 9) related to point 5 is that with 3 minute padding (the minimum we're allowed) a programme recording that starts at 7pm on BBC4 - which only starts transmitting at 6:59pm is completely borked. Error messages are thrown up and I only got a sound recording for the full half hour plus, the screen was black. If it would only work without padding that might not be a problem - although a guy on MyHumax has said they know about this issue.

I think my T2 fail is a tuner problem. I don't have time this week to experiment, but will report later.

I might set up a wish list on MyHumax and would include a Wireless disconnect option in the set up menu and padding variants down to 1 minute. These are my 'must haves.'

I haven't lost a single recording on my HDR-1000s in months nor on my my new FVP-5000T using accurate recording but I don't record anything much on the minor channels. Using padding especially during periods like Wimbledon where the broadcasters often make late changes to the schedules and in the crossover period between back to back recordings often causes issues. I also suspect that the 4000/5000T boxes suffer the condition where the use of padding causes all recordings to cease after 7 days without being booted. The HDR-FOX-T2 had this issue (now fixed).

Strongly recommend you try using the box for a period with start and end times set to auto.
 
Hi Graham,

In the interest of science ;-) I have turned it back to auto. will monitor which shows are cut-off. Inresting my naff recording was the only HD one I've tried...tomorrow will tell.

Kit starting to be a bit buggy. I tried to set record on a program for 1 am-ish tonight on Beeb4 - I was offered the HD option which I took, as it was an art program. It just kept coming back to 'set record or remind' option rather than confirm the recording as set. After about 5 mins I gave up and went back to the EPG and hey presto it is now showing set to record. This is just bad testing I think, showing the wrong pop-up at the wrong time.

I switched on this evening at about 5:40 After a few minutes I tried to switch to BBC1 (the box was still on beeb4 from last night). It refused to show the current program as 'live' (Pointless) and eventually I had to change programs via the channel up and down arrows on the handset. I thought it might be a warming up issue. However, it's just now happened again with a program on at 8pm. The thing in common with all of theses issues is that they were all part of a series. #IKnowABugWhenISeeOne

I might put this also on MyHumax but they seem a bit defensive on there, rather than trying to iron out these teething troubles which are likely to be expected.
 
I thought it might be a warming up issue.
Yes, you're right. You have to wait for the valves' temperatures to stabilise before recording anything.
I might put this also on MyHumax but they seem a bit defensive on there
Understatement of the millennium. That one called B***y is a right old hy*****te.
 
Hi Graham,

In the interest of science ;-) I have turned it back to auto. will monitor which shows are cut-off. Inresting my naff recording was the only HD one I've tried...tomorrow will tell.

Kit starting to be a bit buggy. I tried to set record on a program for 1 am-ish tonight on Beeb4 - I was offered the HD option which I took, as it was an art program. It just kept coming back to 'set record or remind' option rather than confirm the recording as set. After about 5 mins I gave up and went back to the EPG and hey presto it is now showing set to record. This is just bad testing I think, showing the wrong pop-up at the wrong time.

I switched on this evening at about 5:40 After a few minutes I tried to switch to BBC1 (the box was still on beeb4 from last night). It refused to show the current program as 'live' (Pointless) and eventually I had to change programs via the channel up and down arrows on the handset. I thought it might be a warming up issue. However, it's just now happened again with a program on at 8pm. The thing in common with all of theses issues is that they were all part of a series. #IKnowABugWhenISeeOne

I might put this also on MyHumax but they seem a bit defensive on there, rather than trying to iron out these teething troubles which are likely to be expected.

You should post on MyHumax, Barry and I will try and replicate. If repeatable Barry will tell Humax towers :). The issue re the current programme would normally be a broadcaster issue (Now/Next not reflecting the live content). If you show now/next you should be able to confirm this. Unfortunately I can't help with BBC4 HD as my transmitter (Lark Stoke) doesn't have COM 7/8. Sutton Coldfield is not reliable due to a forest at the back of my garden.

If you get a broken recording icon, it normally just means there is no video at the start for a second or so. Playing the recording to the point where there is video fixes the issue and replaces the broken Icon with a thumbnail of the first frame.
 
Norrette . As a matter of interest, why are you so interested in switching off the WiFi?
want to remove it as it's hammering my broadband from some reason.
What does that mean? Are you on a limited download scheme or something or is it bringing your network to its knees?
 
Norrette . As a matter of interest, why are you so interested in switching off the WiFi?
What does that mean? Are you on a limited download scheme or something or is it bringing your network to its knees?

It definitely seemed to slow either my network or wi-fi reponse times. But in any case I'm not mad about devices being always on for security reasons. But my router has solved this issue by my blocking the device through most of the day. (I also now get text on the EPG rather than the unreadable channel logos - which is a benefit to me.)
 
You should post on MyHumax, Barry and I will try and replicate. If repeatable Barry will tell Humax towers :). The issue re the current programme would normally be a broadcaster issue (Now/Next not reflecting the live content). If you show now/next you should be able to confirm this. Unfortunately I can't help with BBC4 HD as my transmitter (Lark Stoke) doesn't have COM 7/8. Sutton Coldfield is not reliable due to a forest at the back of my garden.

Will try this tonight

If you get a broken recording icon, it normally just means there is no video at the start for a second or so. Playing the recording to the point where there is video fixes the issue and replaces the broken Icon with a thumbnail of the first frame.
Yes, it was a broken icon initially - it was just the second item I'd recorded in the life of my ownership (~1 week) and the first HD recording. But it wouldn't let me cycle back to the beginning - if I used the fast backward button I could see the pixellations, but I couldn't go forward. Each time I pressed start from the beginning it would jump to the same place in the middle of the recording.
However, this appears to be a one off - so maybe it's just things settling down. (that doesn't sound very technical does it?)
 
Hi Graham,

In the interest of science ;-) I have turned it back to auto. will monitor which shows are cut-off. Inresting my naff recording was the only HD one I've tried...tomorrow will tell.

Kit starting to be a bit buggy. I tried to set record on a program for 1 am-ish tonight on Beeb4 - I was offered the HD option which I took, as it was an art program. It just kept coming back to 'set record or remind' option rather than confirm the recording as set. After about 5 mins I gave up and went back to the EPG and hey presto it is now showing set to record. This is just bad testing I think, showing the wrong pop-up at the wrong time.

I switched on this evening at about 5:40 After a few minutes I tried to switch to BBC1 (the box was still on beeb4 from last night). It refused to show the current program as 'live' (Pointless) and eventually I had to change programs via the channel up and down arrows on the handset. I thought it might be a warming up issue. However, it's just now happened again with a program on at 8pm. The thing in common with all of theses issues is that they were all part of a series. #IKnowABugWhenISeeOne

I might put this also on MyHumax but they seem a bit defensive on there, rather than trying to iron out these teething troubles which are likely to be expected.

Were you recording Pointless at the time ? If so only way to change to that channel while remaining in the epg is select the currently recording episode in the list. If you have a lot it's a lot quicker to exit and simply tap in the required channel number.
 
Back
Top