Over responsive Remote Control

G

glesgafella

New Member
Hi
My first post and I need help

I've had my T2 for 8 months with no problems, however today when I used the remote control's directional buttons with the EPG the box responds by just scrolling through every channel until I press exit.
I know it's not a fault with the remote as I have another and the box responds in the same way.
I have the latest firmware AFAIK

Anyone help?
Thanks
 
Sounds like a stuck key, but as you say it's the same with multiple remotes. You could confirm by observing the remote's IR emitter through the viewer of a digital camera.
 
Black Hole said:
Sounds like a stuck key, but as you say it's the same with multiple remotes. You could confirm by observing the remote's IR emitter through the viewer of a digital camera.
Click to expand...

Thanks but it's not the keys M8 the light only blinks once but the box re-acts as though the buttons are being continually pressed, it happens with any selection menus.

I'm sure I've read that there was a fault with the remote being over/under responsive when I reseached before buying but thought this had been rectifyed with firmware
 
Bit of a long shot but have you tried removing the batteries? I'm not sure how else you could reset the remote.
 
Fmrl said:
Bit of a long shot but have you tried removing the batteries? I'm not sure how else you could reset the remote.
Click to expand...
Tried that, as I say it's not the remote it seems like the box itself .

I'm thinking I should try a factory reset but it's almost impossible to choose the option on the menu screen as it just keeps rolling over

I had hoped it may have been a reported fault on these forums, I've contacted Humax and I'm awaiting a reply

I'ts still under guarantee but I can't return it (to Argos) as I no longer have the origional receipt and packaging

Thanks anyway
 
Have you tried putting something opaque across the front panel? That would rule out an IR signal or interference from lights etc.
 
It's sorted:)

I switched the box off at the mains for a few hours and it seems to have corrected it's self.
Whether this is going to be a problem in the future will remain to be seen

Anyway a big thanks to those for their input
 
glesgafella said:
I'm sure I've read that there was a fault with the remote being over/under responsive when I reseached before buying but thought this had been rectifyed with firmware
Click to expand...
In the very early versions of the firmware the response to the remote when in the program guide was not particularly quick but this was fixed a long time ago. I have no recollection of wide spread reports of the problem you are suffering. Many similar faults are traced to an external cause eg a remote for another product with a stuck key.
 
glesgafella said:
It's sorted:)

I switched the box off at the mains for a few hours and it seems to have corrected it's self.
Whether this is going to be a problem in the future will remain to be seen

Anyway a big thanks to those for their input
Click to expand...

I think it is a coincidence and will come back to bite you. I suspect there is another fluctuating IR source in the room which happens not to be on at the moment, which confuses the Hummy. I used to get a lot of problems with a Fergusson TV randomly changing channel etc until I changed an old original flourescent bulb for a newer type, but even if you don't have one of those try af123's suggestion when it happens again and see if eliminating all possible external input relieves it.
 
af123 said:
Have you tried putting something opaque across the front panel? That would rule out an IR signal or interference from lights etc.
Click to expand...

I have seen CFL lamps do strange things with IR links when they are first switched on. Once they warm up things seem to come right.
 
I've just started to get this (or a very similar) problem on my T2 which I bought in January. A couple of times a shutdown and restart have cured the symptoms, but after coming home after a few days away the box was pretty much unusable. Sluggish to the remote and when it did respond it would mostly scroll continuously through any menu.

In my case it is definitely an IR receiver issue and covering up the sensor stops the scrolling. However, I have no lights on (daylight only), the computer monitor is not in line-of-sight and I've turned it off anyway. Other remotes are covered up to eliminate them.

Something is interferring and I really don't know what. I might rig up an IR detector and a scope to look for a signal, but in the mean time....

I'VE FOUND A CURE!

I have a piece of white paper hung over the sensor. This seems to attenuate whatever the interferrence is whilst still alowing the remote signal to get through.
 
I've just hit this too and I'm very confused. Covering the IR sensor does seem to stop the scrolling but there are no lights lit in my lounge at all. All other remote controls are removed from the room and this FOX HDR has worked perfectly until today. I've tried a factory reset, reflashing the firmware, then another factory reset but still this keeps happening. However it does make me think that the "repeat" IR code for this remote must be pretty crap for it to be so easily confused so I'm going to try setting one of the "alternate remote code" options (i.e. the "multiple Humaxes in one room" solution) and see if that helps. I'll report back if it does.
 
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be the remote, when viewing the remote IR LED through a digital camera viewfinder (phone will work too) pressing the buttons some of them stayed on after taking my finger away from them.

To resolve it I opened the remote and cleaned the contacts and the membrane with Isopropyl alcohol, since then the issue has not returned but I'm sure it will once the sweat and grease from handling the remote builds up again. (yeuch)
 
It's not the remote as I can take it out of the room and the Humax continues to 'scroll'. Given the 'cover the sensor' solution, I have a suspicion, but it's based on intuition and similar issues elsewhere and not fact.

I wonder if the IR sensor on the Humax has AGC (auto gain control) to boost its sensitivity. Now with age, perhaps a component has failed or a solder joint has gone and now the AGC is running 'flat out' all the time. As a result the IR sensor circuitry is being over-driven and is prone to oscillation. If a valid IR command comes in then Humax processes it. But the sensor also starts oscillating giving a 'false signal' which is interpreted as 'receiving something, but I don't know what'. A poorly designed IR interface might well interpret this as 'they're still pressing the previous key' and thus instead of 'up once', the Humax thinks it's seeing 'up, up, up, up, up...' Pressing a different key makes the IR circuitry stop and process the new valid code, but then off it goes thinking it's seeing the new code repeated. Sheilding the sensor allows it to 'see' an IR code without being driven into oscillation.

So, anyone taken a look at the IR sensor board and circuitry? Any thoughts on whether this is what might be happening? If it is then perhaps a quick bit of resoldering might fix the problem permanently.
 
If you were to install the custom firmware and the IR package, you'd be able to see the signals that the software is seeing. The interesting thing is that the codes are checksummed by the time the software sees them but this could just be for the benefit of communication between the receiver module and software, although those packets are checksummed again.

At least it could provide some insight into what is being received.
 
I think someone replaced a front panel display to fix an IR problem (still searching for the thread), you could try the spares number on 08446698800, alternatively how about fitting a filter over the IR receiver to cut down the input a bit
 
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