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Second tuner hardware fault?

G

georgetaylor

New Member
Does anybody have experience with this problem....

Appears that the second tuner is not working, if a channel is being watched and a recording starts on another channel (probably on a different multiplex) then this recording will fail due to 'no signal', if that channel is switched to it shows a black screen. If all recordings are manually cancelled, then each channel works perfectly through the guide, even a channel showing 'no signal' will come back to life when switched away from and back again. I assume this is because the tuner used gets re-assigned.
If I watch (say) BBC1 and press record for BBC1 and BBC2, then this works OK, presumably because they are on the same multiplex and I am only using one tuner.

Is there some way to see which tuner is being used for the current recording?
Some way to test the tuners one at a time?
Disable the second tuner so the box doesn't try and use it?
Would a firmware refresh sort it, or does this sound like a hardware problem?

I already did a factory restore (which sped up the menus) and a HDD test (which showed no errors).
 
You can perform a test on individual tuners using the "signal test" option on the hidden service menu - see Things Every... (click) section 9.

If one is broken, I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done to prevent the HDR trying to use it, other than to avoid situations where it might be used or try to allocate it dummy tasks. Tricky, but at least it sounds like it is tuner 2 that is the problem not tuner 1.
 
Record BBC1 and try to watch ITV (different MPx). If you can't, it's the second tuner up the Swanee.
 
Thanks for the clue about the hidden menu.
I can't be at the dodgy box for a few days, but I checked my own box and the menu should be able to prove the second tuner is at fault. Hopefully it shows a clear bad signal or some error message, up to now I am only surmising from the behaviour that the second tuner is at fault.
Indeed I set it to record first BBC1 and ITV (both SD) and the ITV recording failed, also BBC1 and ITV2 and the ITV2 recording failed. BBC1 and BBC2 can be recorded together.
Maybe the code is corrupt, I will check the hidden menu to see what it says about the second tuner and then reload the firmware from USB, maybe it comes back to life.
 
lancer said:
Is is possible to buy new tuner units and replace them for these boxes should one fail?
Click to expand...
I have a disassembled HDR-FOX T2 handy which was going to the WEEE skip. It is the version with horizontally aligned RF connectors that uses separate RF IN/OUT modules. They look quite fiddly to de-solder and place back on.
Also it may not be the RF IN itself but one of the 2 tuner processors on your main board that is faulty.

I could post you the board if yours is also the horizontal type. Unfortunately I did not know if the HDR-FOX T2's faults were due to a board malfunction or a power supply malfunction. I've already cannibalised the other parts.
 
Visited the dodgy box today.
Verified that recording two separate multiplexes always failed the second recording.
BBC1HD and CH4HD+1 failed the second recording.
BBC1SD and ITV1SD failed the second recording.
BB1HD and ITV1HD works OK, because same multiplex.

Looked at the Tuner 1 and 2 info in the hidden menu, and both tuners show a good signal on all multiplexes!
Seems like there is no problem with either Tuner, the box thinks it is getting a good signal on both.
Re-flashed the firmware from the USB stick, tested again and the problem remains the same.

If I had to guess, the problem seems to be that the box is unable to switch to the second tuner, when the hidden menu is accessed it only looks at one tuner at a time, what is required is to show both together. When the hidden menu shows the signal for the second tuner it's really showing the numbers for the first tuner because it failed to switch over. Or something.

I think it is time for a new box.
 
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