Is my hard drive on the way out? Blank new and old recordings - help!

Doppa

Member
All the programmes I've set to record tonight have recorded but they are all blank with the message "the channel is scrambled or not available" displayed at the start. They won't fast forward but stay on 0.00. Hang on a minute...

At first I thought it was just today's recordings that were affected but now all my previous recordings are showing as blank too even though I know they're not so I don't know what the heck has happened. Is the hard drive failing, is it just confused, does anyone have any experience of this?

I've just tried to rewind a live broadcast and the screen goes black and shows "the channel is scrambled or not available" so it seems to be a general failure.

It was recording two channels about 20 minutes ago and I tried to change the channel but got the message "Cannot change the channel while recording". Eh?

At first I thought it might have been some kind of confusion due to the BBC 1 channel changing its label to BBC1 NE&C but now I'm worried it's something more serious. It's just over 18 months since I bought it but it was a Humax Direct 'A' Grade. Maybe switching it off and on again might help?
 
As stated above, the Humax can, (very occasionally) forget how to decode it's own recordings, this is usually not permanent. Try placing in standby, waiting until the hard drive stops, power unit off (switch at rear) for a few seconds, power back on and then switch the unit back out of standby
 
Thanks for that MontysEvilTwin. It sounds very similar. I switched the Hummy off and on and and I was able to view all my previous recordings but also one I recorded tonight which previously was blank and wouldn't play, but the others were still blank so I guess they've had it according to Black Hole.

At least it's not a hard disk failure so thanks for your help, it is much appreciated.
 
Right now I am recording X-Factor on ITV 1 at the moment but there is no live output just "the channel is scrambled or not available" on a blank screen. What is happening? Does this have something to do with the encryption key too?
 
It would appear there are problems with ITv 1 and ITV 2 being off air so I'm glad it's not the Hummy!
 
There were no problems during X-Factor on ITV HD, as I recorded and watched the programme later, so perhaps the problems were just on ITV.
 
Yes, I discovered ITV HD was still on air but ITV 1 was off in the North apparently for about half an hour. I'm just glad it wasn't my Hummy again!
 
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