Signal always lost after rebot from web-if

[davew04]

I have a late-model HDR, and I've never had a successful reboot from the web-if.
On the reboot, I consistently get a “The receiver is not receiving a signal or the signal is too weak” message, which can only be fixed by turning off via the remote, waiting the ~8s until the HDR turns off properly and then turning back on.
Pending schedule changes do get applied on the first remote reboot, and multiple consecutive reboots from the web-if don't sort the signal problem out.
I never get the signal error in any normal use (my actual signal is fairly good).

This issue was the case with its original combination of firmware (1.03.xx?) and the first compatible custom firmware I could install, and is still the case with the current setup of the latest manufacturer and custom firmware, both installed after a clean replacement of a failing HDD.

It's not a big deal, since it's still far nicer using the web-if EPG to set up recordings and using the handset to sort the issue out, reboot, but I was wondering if there was anything I'd overlooked which might make remote rebooting successful?

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

I have one HDR-FOX 'RE' box in service and have set up two others. I have seen exactly the same thing with two of the three boxes: a reboot after a crash, or from Web-If, brings the box back up without a tuner signal. Putting the box into standby and then turning it back on with the remote or front panel button gets the tuner going again. I have never had a recording fail due to lack of signal. Recently, for me, the problem has gone away with Web-If reboots: I know that af123 has made some changes to the reboot routine. Do you have everything up to date, i.e. custom firmware/ kernel 3.03 and the latest Web-If version?

 

[Black Hole]

Is the message definitely coming from the Humax, or could it be that the HDMI has not started up and the message is generated by the TV? I have never seen this on my population of non-RE HDRs.

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

Definitely from the HDR-FOX. I have only seen this on 'RE' units. If you were not using custom firmware you would only see this happen after a crash.

 

[davew04]

Firmware+CF is all up-to date (Custom firmware version: 3.03 (build 2368), Humax Version: 1.03.12 (kernel HDR_CFW_3.03)) but I've had the same issue from the first CF I was able to use on my HDR, which is an 'RE' with the vertical antenna sockets.

I'm not sure of the precise age of my unit, but I bought it only a few weeks before the 2000T came out.

 

[davew04]

I'm not sure it's ever crashed as such in normal use - it's hung up a few times and needed powering off and on, but I guess since that's a 'complete startup' the issue wouldn't appear in that situation.

Actually, remote reboot did seem to work just once, last week, but never before and not since, so presumably that was some kind of fluke.

 

[davew04]

The bodge solution I adopted was to install the ir package and use it to turn the humax off after changing schedules, rather than trying a reboot.

When it is manually turned on again, the changes get applied, and if changes need to be applied before the next expected manual turn-on, I can just walk downstairs and turn it back on, since that will usually have resulted in it having time to shut down properly before being turned on.

 

[kev7378]

The same happens with mine (all late models): I always use the remote, or front panel, to shut them down and restart to avoid loss of programmes. It does mean a short walk for the one; and the need to leave them long enough to have truly shutdown if it needs to be restarted to schedule a "near" recording.

Good idea about using the IR package if you only need to shut it down.

 

[HarveyB]

Have you considered the Webif Reboot option on CF Diagnostics panel...

 

[Black Hole]

I think the situation here is that the unit doesn't start up again after the reboot shutdown. IIRC this is typically the case when the unit has woken on a timer rather than manually.

 

[kev7378]

Recipes to demonstrate and recover from the problem…

Edit: Of course the problem will only show up on affected units...

For no timers: with the box in standby switch it off at the mains, count to 10 and switch it back on and let it cycle thru to standby.

But the following “works” any time...

Power up from the remote/front panel (if it is not already).

(Observe picture on connected TV, monitor or “video capture device”)

Access the WebIf.

Either:
Reboot from Diagnostics, or
Schedule a recording using the WebIf EPG (the usual thing we want to do),
the “Restart Required, Reboot Now” button appears at the top of the page,
press it. Press the confirmation (Restart the Humax now) button...

Then wait while the box goes down and comes back up.

(The TV picture will go black, green, show a “No signal” message whatever depending on the connected device)
(The Humax logo will appear on the connected device)

Instead of current programming “! The channel is scrambled or not available” is displayed on the connected device, where “!” represents an exclamation mark inside a Humax style graphic of a triangle:


This is soon replaced by the message “! No programmes are currently being broadcast on this channel”:


The front panel shows the correct channel.

Some facilities work via the remote control:

Selecting a new channel with the remote changes what is shown on the front panel, but you get “!The channel is scrambled or not available” followed by “! No programmes are currently being broadcast on this channel”.

However: 1. pressing the media button and playing a program will lock the interface; 2. it will not shutdown via the remote or the “(!)” on the front panel.

The WebIf appears to be fully function (even after locking access from the remote/front panel by trying to playback a file).

Rebooting by the WebIf does not fix the problem.

Best safe fix is probably:

Reboot it from the WebIf and then keep dabbing your finger on the “(!)” on/off button on the front panel whilst it restarts – it will shut down if you stop doing this as soon as the blue ring dims (this happens almost immediately after it displays the channel name). Then power off and on again at the mains.