Live recording loses almost all other channels

MWS

New Member
I just received a Graded HDR Fox T2 as a 'Managers Special' from humaxdirect. It's great, but if I record 'live', i.e. there's a program on and I just press the red button to record, nearly all (but not all) of the rest of the channels show the 'no or bad signal' message. This is particularly frustrating for us as we have no tuner in our monitor tv.

Is this a problem that should be fixed with software updates or some other fix, or do I have a bad box that should be returned? Your suggestions much appreciated...
 
My graded T2 doesn't do that. Sounds like you need to speak to Humax about a return.
 
Thanks, started to think the same.

Extra information:
Software is 1.03.11 date 10 Dec 2013, loader a7.34. From the firmware update list this software seems to be rare. Could this be the problem? The box has been installed two days, but not updated overnight.

Tests:
Live recording of channel 107, still have signal on 106-111, but all others lost.
Apart from the loss of signal message, there are no 'bars' on the signal strength meter in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Scheduled recording of 103 ITV HD, lose that channel (!?!) and 101 through 105, but can still get almost all other channels apart from random ones through the list.

Bit disappointed, been looking forward to getting one of these for ages. Didn't get a DTR1000 because of all the reports of software problems!

Any other observations out there before I go through the hassle of sending it back? My old 9200 feels like a faithful friend at this point?
 
My graded T2 doesn't do that. Sounds like you need to speak to Humax about a return.
Good thought, just re-routed (it did cross over, but should it be so sensitive?) tested again, but no change.
Thanks
 
Sorry, replied to wrong reply (newbie...)

Good thought, just re-routed (it did cross over, but should it be so sensitive?) tested again, but no change.
Thanks
 
It sounds like you have only one tuner working (or at least T2 decoding on one tuner). This could be confirmed by a detailed analysis of the services you can get and which you can't, but there is a means to test the tuners on the hidden service menu.

For accessing the service menu, see instructions in Things Every... (click) section 9. Then see menu item Signal Detection and you will be able to examine Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 separately.

Yes, it is entirely possible for the HDMI signal to degrade the incoming aerial signal, especially at 1080p. The aerial lead needs to be decent quality (not the nasty thin wire the supermarkets sell) and the HDMI lead could do with being a decent screened type too.

You might also like to give the box a full shake-down: Commissioning an HDR-FOX (click).
 
Thanks Black Hole, thorough reply as expected. Here are the results:

In the service menu (very handy...) both tuners show as present and correct.
Each are identified as 'Terrestrial' on 538000kHz, 8 MHz.
Both show Stength 38-40%, Quality 100%
The box is fed from an aerial booster.
I don't think that the signal is the problem, since the picture quality is excellent, and on initialisation of the box it found the channels very quickly.

I also went through the commissioning page, and the three channel HD test was fine, it just lost signal to loads of other channels while it was recording, but my 9200 would do the same when recording two programs at the same time, as expected in most circumstances (common mux excepted).

Both the HDMI and aerial leads are heavy duty good quality screened items. The aerial, booster and leads were installed professionally. We are in a rental house and the aerial was not working when we moved in, and the rental agent called them in. They knew what they were doing.

Any other ideas?

Thanks very much for your help!
 
The three-channel HD test could work (possibly), even with only one tuner, because the services listed are all on one mux. What about the BBC1HD/SD test?

Other than that I'm out of ideas, but that doesn't matter - all we are trying to do is eliminate "user error" and so confirm that the unit is duff and needs to be returned. It's a bummer if the unit passes my commissioning tests but is still duff in some way!
 
Just an extra detail, perhaps only to prove that there is a genuine problem, when recording just one program and trying to watch a different channel, the message says that there is nothing being broadcast (though there is, this even happens on BBC News) but the information plate shows that there is signal (bottom right hand side).
 
Just retrying the BBC1 HD / SD test. Once the HD channel is set to record, and we swithch to the SD channel, there's no picture shown (though there is signal). I set it to record anyway, and surprise surprise it didn't record the SD channel at all even after letting it run a good few minutes. Interestingly, the system threw up the message about recordings of less that 30 seconds not being stored.

Is the verdict a thumbs down on this box then?

What a pain....
 
I reckon so. To absolutely definitely confirm this is not an HDMI bleed problem, check you can view BBC1 and ITV (StDef) separately. Now unplug the HDMI cable and perform the test "blind" (the front panel display will provide some info):
  1. Set BBC1 (LCN 1);
  2. Press record;
  3. Set ITV (LCN 3);
  4. Press record;
  5. Wait 60 seconds;
  6. Restore HDMI;
  7. Stop recordings;
  8. Check results.
 
Ok, done. Just to note that after reconnecting the HDMI lead and stopping the recording, only the BBC recording appears in the media listing. This was the first one to be set recording.

In addition, after stopping the recordings, the box is on channel 4 (for some reason) and saying that there is nothing being broadcast. I go up and down o e channel and the broadcast is just fine.
The BBC recording is just fine though.....

Really appreciate the support. Any final thoughts?
 
Last ditch: factory reset. Humax will ask you to do it anyway:

Menu >> Settings >> Installation >> Factory Default
 
Last ditch: factory reset. Humax will ask you to do it anyway:

Menu >> Settings >> Installation >> Factory Default
Thanks, a good suggestion.

I had already done so a few times, so called Humax support to ask for advice.

Chap called Conor was very helpful and patiently listened to me prattle on about all I had done. He asked for a factory default with HDD format as expected, and asked me to start a recording. When he then asked to check any other channel and the problem was as described he offered an exchange box without a quibble.

The relevant forms were emailed within 10 minutes, and within an hour or so had a courier appointment to collect the old box on Tuesday. Hopefully the exchange box will do the trick. I shall be sure to perform the full shake down on delivery....
 
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