Remote not controlling PVR properly (not batteries)

J

JeremyT

New Member
Yesterday the Humax RM-F04 remote that came with my HDR FOX T2 stopped controlling it, after a number of years of good service.

It still controls the TV as expected, but the controls in PVR mode seem mapped to different actions. Channel up, volume up, OPT+ and probably several other buttons make the unit go into standby and also work to turn it back on. OK flashes up the "PVR" dialogue on the TV to show that PVR mode is activated - however the white PVR button at the top is the one that actually turns it back from TV to PVR mode (though I don't think it shows the "PVR" dialogue box on screen).
On the directional pad, right arrow goes to the next channel and left arrow skips back a second or so; up and down don't work, therefore I can do anything in the menu.

My one year old did get hold of it briefly, but my wife thinks he can't have done much.

I can't find a solution anywhere on the forum or wider internet, and have replaced the batteries with brand new Duracell Ultra Powers with the built in charge meter showing that they are full. I tried the method I found in several places to change the communication channel that the remote uses with the TV, but only channel 1 worked. I switched to another HDMI cable and input port on the TV in case there was interference in the original

I also took the unit apart to clean the PCB and back of the buttons (with methylated spirit, as per instructions on here). There's no change in its functioning from that any of these actions.

Given that the remote still seems to work with the TV, but not with the PVR, is it the later or former that's broken?
Should I order a new remote from eBay or Amazon to check it out?
 
Thanks Martin.

Black Hole, I just wanted to avoid lots of responses with people suggesting I should replace the batteries, since earlier forum posts are clear that's the number 1 issue with remotes
 
For some reason I skipped over that sentence, sorry.

Make absolutely sure there are no other sources of IR in the room (or even outside it, shining in), not even other handsets that are (supposedly) inactive.

It seems to me the problem has not yet been isolated to either the handset or the HDR-FOX - I'm inclined to suggest the receiver module in the HDR-FOX is to blame (but with a strong warning that when leaping to assumptions in this way it is always necessary to keep any alternatives in mind).

The problem is how to prove it and what one can do about it. Do you know anyone with an HDR-FOX or HD-FOX from whom you can borrow their handset, or try your handset with their unit?

If you can definitely prove where the blame lies, handsets are replaceable and HDR-FOX front panels are replaceable (see https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/hdr-fox-hardware-commissioning-disassembly-repair.5728/).

However, assuming your HDR-FOX is connected to your home network (so that you can use the TV Portal, for example), you might find all that too much trouble once I show you a work-around:
  1. Install the Custom Firmware (CF) - see Quick Guide to Custom Firmware (click);
  2. Open the web interface (WebIF), click Package Management, then the Available tab. Find the package listed as "ir" and click Install;
  3. Reboot the HDR-FOX (WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Reboot System);
Now, in any web browser you might have handy (eg on a tablet or smart phone, as long as it is linked to your home network), by bookmarking <IP_address>/plugin/ir/remote.jim you will get a "virtual" remote control handset on your device ("<IP_address>" represents the address used to access the WebIF when installing the CF).
 
I may be missing the point but... Is the remote one of those that can be reprogrammed to deal with multiple Humaxes in the room? Any chance your one year old could have changed the remote control transmit frequency [by pressing all/some/many of the buttons] but not the Humax box receive frequency? See https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/using-more-than-1-humax-box-in-the-same-room.24/ Whether you can reset the remote, if this is the problem, I don't know. I could be talking out my rear end, but it could be worth a look.
 
I concluded it wasn't that, based on the Humax responding but erratically. However, no harm in checking.
 
EEPhil said:
Is the remote one of those that can be reprogrammed to deal with multiple Humaxes in the room?
Click to expand...
JeremyT said:
Humax RM-F04
Click to expand...
Bog std. 4 channel one.

JeremyT said:
I tried the method I found in several places to change the communication channel that the remote uses with the TV, but only channel 1 worked.
Click to expand...
So you didn't actually get it to change channels? And I suppose when you say 'it only worked on channel 1, you mean works (badly) as described in post #1?
Seems to me that a channel change is unlikely because if you actually manage to change channels, then nothing on the original channel works, it's not scrambled as described.
 
Black Hole said:
However, assuming your HDR-FOX is connected to your home network (so that you can use the TV Portal, for example), you might find all that too much trouble once I show you a work-around:
  1. Install the Custom Firmware (CF) - see Quick Guide to Custom Firmware (click);
  2. Open the web interface (WebIF), click Package Management, then the Available tab. Find the package listed as "ir" and click Install;
  3. Reboot the HDR-FOX (WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Reboot System);
Now, in any web browser you might have handy (eg on a tablet or smart phone, as long as it is linked to your home network), by bookmarking <IP_address>/plugin/ir/remote.jim you will get a "virtual" remote control handset on your device ("<IP_address>" represents the address used to access the WebIF when installing the CF).
Click to expand...
Installing the customised firmware and IR package will also let you turn on debugging which shows the actual remote control codes being received by the firmware. That will help pin down whether this is a problem with the remote control unit or something else like the front panel module.
 
Thanks all for the help. I've been meaning to install custom firmware for a while, so this looks like a good excuse to do so, and being able to debug it will save me buying a remote if the front panel is at fault, or vice versa.

FYI, I had unplugged the network cable to confirm that wasn't causing the problem (I only connected it a couple of weeks ago, as we've moved and I hadn't set up a wired network), but it had no impact, so I'll reconnect it. There shouldn't be any other IR source (all other remotes have no batteries, and the DVD recorder is powered off at the mains). I'll remove the Amazon Fire (remote and stick) from the room, in case that emits any IR in addition to Bluetooth.

EEPhil / Trev; I did try to change the channel; the PVR button on the remote lit red, but the TV never showed any message on screen. The remote obviously changed comms channel (since it failed to get the Hummy to do anything), then went back to badly controlling the box when I reverted the remote to channel #1. Thanks for the suggestion.

Unless there's something else for me to try, I'll install the custom firmware and report back.
 
Try all 6 remote modes and see if any work. Changing the remote mode, but not the box mode, would be the easiest thing for a child to do.
 
af123 said:
That will help pin down whether this is a problem with the remote control unit or something else like the front panel module.
Click to expand...
I don't understand how. Whatever traffic the debugging reports could be equally well corrupted by the handset as the receiver - or is there something I'm not aware of?
 
Black Hole said:
I don't understand how. Whatever traffic the debugging reports could be equally well corrupted by the handset as the receiver - or is there something I'm not aware of?
Click to expand...
It depends on what we see. You're right, it might not be possible to untangle things sufficiently.
 
Thanks for the guidance. I've been running the custom firmware for a couple of weeks now, which makes the Hummy usable with the virtual remote (and as some great new functionality - thanks). I've tried the various other proposed fixes (turning on and of at the back, trying all 6 remove modes), but none of those restored functionality to the remote.

Unfortunately, I can only get the normal custom firmware to work (HDR_FOX_T2_1.03.12_mod_3.13.zip), not the debugging kernel - with the latter, the Hummy just goes into a boot loop, though I can flash back to the normal custom firmware. Is there an easy way to install the debugging kernel?

I'm going to look for my old One4All universal remote to see if I can get that to control the device properly, though I'm not convinced it will, since the RM04 operates the TV properly. Use of the universal remote may at least isolate the problem to the front panel.
 
Thanks, based on the exchange you had with af123, I thought there was a possibility it may help with diagnosing the problem.

Anyway, the One For All (Kameleon 8) remote basically works, though only with codes for a Humax satellite receiver (with no forward, rewind, pause, etc controls), so isn't really usable.
I've forced the One For All to learn several of the faulty keys from the RM-F04, and they cause the same incorrect behaviour as when sent from the RM-F04 itself (e.g. CH+ turns off the Humax, OK displays the "PVR" dialogue).

This seems to show that the problem is with the RM-F04 rather than the receiver, and the RM-F04's ability to send the correct codes to the TV suggest that it's programmed to send the wrong codes in PVR mode, rather than a hardware fault.

Before I spend the money on a new RM-F04, does anyone have any thoughts on how to force the RM-F04 to send the correct codes?
(I've already tried changing it to another remote mode/channel, but the remote isn't communicating that correctly to the Hummy and it therefore just ends up on a different mode, while the box is still in mode 1)
 
OK, thanks. I'll see if I can set the One For All up properly, otherwise I'll order a new RM-F04.

Thanks everyone for your help.
 
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