Odd goings on with my PVR

Patemm68

New Member
Hi guys,
In the last few weeks my HDR Fox T2 has been doing some strange things! First off, I recorded a programme on BBC4, only to find that all I had was a blank screen and a message saying the channel was not available, so i had an hour of nothing.
Last night it failed to record a programme which was set on series record, and later I got the blank screen while recording another programme on BBC4, though luckily enough I noticed at the start, so checked BBC4 and the channel was there !
I've also had messages on other recordings saying that recording has failed, but on checking the complete programme WAS there !
Would you recommend a factory re-set, or is there another way to sort this problem ? If not, it looks like it could be heading for the bin !
 
Factory reset, full re-tune, install Custom Firmware and run Fixdisk procedure, check/fix your aerial (and report strength/quality for all muxes).
Not necessarily in that order.
There's probably nothing really wrong with it.

And there are two BBC4 channels - SD and HD. It helps to state which, as it may be important in the diagnosis.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Did your problems with the channel recordings (e.g. BBC4) happen after doing a re-tune by any chance?
Re. the issue where it says 'recording failed' but the recording's there, this can happen when the T2 misses the very start of the AR scheduled start time because other recordings have not yet finished at that scheduled time (if you were watching at the time, the dialogue box would come up saying there was a conflict and asking what you wanted to do). It then starts the recording as soon as one of the tuners becomes free and you may only miss less than a minute - but it still gives the 'recording failed' message. Mine's always behaved that way.
 
Did your problems with the channel recordings (e.g. BBC4) happen after doing a re-tune by any chance?
Re. the issue where it says 'recording failed' but the recording's there, this can happen when the T2 misses the very start of the AR scheduled start time because other recordings have not yet finished at that scheduled time (if you were watching at the time, the dialogue box would come up saying there was a conflict and asking what you wanted to do). It then starts the recording as soon as one of the tuners becomes free and you may only miss less than a minute - but it still gives the 'recording failed' message. Mine's always behaved that way.
Still can't understand why the recording was the correct length, but only a blank screen for that hour !
 
Do you have duplicate channels with numbers at the top of the epg ? If so it means you have picked up more than one transmitter on a auto tune. Best to manually tune to the MUX channels used by your preferred transmitter.
 
I'll rephrase GLT's question slightly. Do you have any channels in the 800s?
Do a manual tune of only the MUXs that are transmitted from the transmitter you think you should be receiving.
 
Then it ain't multiple transmitters. That's well and truly put that particular possibility to bed.
 
It does seem to have happened since the re-tune, although all the channels are there.
I thought that might be the situation, hence the question.
Mine has always exhibited the same unexplained phenomenon. Following a re-tune, the first recording done on BBC4 SD, whenever that occurs, will display the correct recording length but the programme cannot be watched because the only thing visible is a black screen with the message about the channel being scrambled or unavailable. All subsequent recordings for BBC4 are then fine.
The work around I developed is to try and remember it will do this following any re-tune and to then set a BBC4 SD recording after it's re-tuned for something I don't want to watch.

In so far as your other issue is concerned - in relation to a series recording not being carried out (and given the answer you have already given re no channels in the 800's) - I suspect I know what that might be as I've also had it happen very occasionally.
It seems the box will sometimes allow you to schedule two recordings at the same time in advance (usually the following week) when it has not yet got a record flag set against a future episode in a series link which will also be on at that same time.
It appears that this unusual setting conflict becomes possible (without the normal conflict warning message) when the later two recordings being set (that will eventually clash with the series episode) are being entered at a point before the box has recorded the current due episode in that linked series - meaning that, at that point, only that immediately due next upcoming episode is showing the series record flag against it (and, crucially, a flag has not yet been set against the future episode that will later get dropped). When the later clashing events actually arrive, three recordings have now therefore been set and it drops one - seemingly choosing the series link episode which was the one that got set last, at that particular time, in that scenario.
As you can see, with that combination of circumstances required, it happens very little in practice! But, seen on that basis, the behaviour of the box when it does occur has a certain logic to it!

So, in a nutshell, I agree with the earlier observation made to you that there is unlikely to be anything wrong with your box. You have merely encountered a few unusual events that can occur - and you happen to have produced them all together in a short space of time! See what happens using the box for a couple of weeks. It'll probably mysteriously have gone back to working ok again!
 
Then it ain't multiple transmitters. That's well and truly put that particular possibility to bed.
The 800 check is just a quick check and not ideal.

It is possible to have no 800 channels after a retune but still be tuned to multiple transmitters. As an example this happens on the HDR-FOX T2 if the reception from the secondary transmitter does not include any of the PSB muxes and some of the muxes from the secondary transmitter have a lower frequency then the main transmitter's versions.

It does seem to have happened since the re-tune, although all the channels are there.
Which transmitter are you receiving from and which channel numbers for selection does the following display
MENU > Settings > System > Signal |Detection > right arrow (next to the OK button) ?
 
Hi eryone,
Well, whatever was the problem it seems to have cleared itself now, so many thanks for your posts and info, it's much appreciated. :)
 
Back
Top