Almost an entire night of recordings failed

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Almost an entire night of recordings failed

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GarryP

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Checking my recordings this morning from the previous night I found that every recording from 9PM through 2AM had failed with the message that less than 30 seconds had been recorded.

It started well:
CH4 8-9PM (Agents of SHIELD) - Series Link - Successful

But then:
BBC1 9-9.30PM (HIGNFY) - Series Link - Failed
BBC2 10-10.30PM (QI) - Series Link - Failed
CH5 10-10.55PM (Body of Proof) - Series Link - Failed
CBS Reality Mid-1AM (Unsolved Mysteries) - Single Recording - Failed
Radio 6 Mid-2AM (Nemone) - Weekly Timer - Failed

Recordings from 7.10AM this morning seem to be okay, so far, touch wood. I'm scared to check!

All of the channels were manually tuned to the same transmitter.
The box had been powered down completely - unplugged after waiting for the drive to spin down - less than three days ago.

Can anyone tell me what - if anything - I've done wrong please? And what can I do to stop it happening again?

P.S. I've noticed that sometimes when I stop watching a recording I get a message that the channel the box is tuned to is not transmitting, but it was when I started playing the recording. And flicking through the channels a bit gets the signal back eventually. Is this part of the same problem?

| Sat 13 Dec 2014 16:32:51 #1 |
MontysEvilTwin

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What's your software version? Are there files there and if so do you get the error message when you try and play them? Try copying them to an external USB stick or drive. If this works, connect the stick/ drive to a PC and delete all files except the '.TS' files. Will the TS files now play?

| Sat 13 Dec 2014 18:37:13 #2 |
Martin Liddle

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GarryP - 3 hours ago »
BBC1 9-9.30PM (HIGNFY) - Series Link - Failed
BBC2 10-10.30PM (QI) - Series Link - Failed
CH5 10-10.55PM (Body of Proof) - Series Link - Failed
CBS Reality Mid-1AM (Unsolved Mysteries) - Single Recording - Failed
Radio 6 Mid-2AM (Nemone) - Weekly Timer - Failed

What is the eact error message if you try to play one of the failed recordings?

P.S. I've noticed that sometimes when I stop watching a recording I get a message that the channel the box is tuned to is not transmitting, but it was when I started playing the recording. And flicking through the channels a bit gets the signal back eventually. Is this part of the same problem?

That doesn't sound right to me. I would start by carefully checking the aerial fly lead to make sure the connectors are properly attached. If that isn't the cause then I don't have any other ideas and you might try ringing or emailing Humax support to see what they say.

| Sat 13 Dec 2014 19:40:37 #3 |
GarryP

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Thanks to both of you for getting in touch.

Apologies for the delay in my reply but I was waiting to see what happened with my recordings last night. Amazingly they all worked. (I really shouldn't have had to use "amazingly" there.)

MontysEvilTwin, the software version I'm using is the out-of-the-box UKTFAC 1.00.07. (I tried upgrading yesterday afternoon but it didn't do anything. I probably did something wrong and will try again soon.)

When the recording fails it creates a file where the icon is the normal grey film-strip rectangle but there's a black lightning flash also within the rectangle. The length of recording says "0 mins" and when you try to play the recording a dialog box pops up saying something like (but I can't remember exactly) "Recording failed (less than 30 secs recorded)".

I don't have any of the duff files anymore as I thought they were useless and so deleted them. The next time it happens - and I'm sure there will be a next time as it happens quite often (e.g. the last episode of "Falling Skies" went the same way the previous week) - I'll try copying them to my laptop and seeing what's what, then report back here.

Martin, the message I get is pretty close to what I've said above but it's probably not verbatim.

I don't think that the aerial is to blame (fingers crossed). My TV has no problem using the signal passed through to it by the Humax box and my old Topfield - on the same aerial and cable - never lost a channel. (It had many many other faults but that wasn't one of them.) I could be wrong about this however, and a strong wind or something may have done damage recently. I'll check what I can.

If the problem persists I'll try to get more exact information and post it here. I'll also try upgrading again and see what happens. Then, as you say, getting in touch with Humax may be in order.

Cheers.

| Sun 14 Dec 2014 14:02:11 #4 |
GarryP

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Well, as I assumed, I've had more channel "dropouts" again.

Here's what happened, step-by-infuriating-step:
* Listening to Radio 4 quite happily.
* Called up media manager and started to play a recording.
* About 10 minutes later I stopped the recording.
* No sound from the TV.
* Exited the media manager.
* Black screen showing white "Channel is scrambled or Not Available" message in the centre.
* After a few seconds, message changed to "No Programmes are currently being broadcast on this Channel".
* Changed TV over from AV input to Digital TV.
* Tuned into Radio 4 on the TV.
* Channel is just fine through the TV.

At this point the TV is using the signal sent to it through the Humax box. Therefore, to me, there is nothing wrong with either the TV or the aerial. If the TV can see the signal just fine - it's the same one that the Humax box is getting - then it must be the Humax box that is somehow at fault.

* Changed the TV back to AV input.
* Using the Humax remote, flicked up a channel.
* Same "No Programmes are currently being broadcast on the Channel" message being displayed.
* Another message appeared for only a moment saying something about "scrambled" but it was too quick to see properly (and therefore write down), then the last message returned.
* Flicked down a couple of channels.
* Signal now being displayed properly.
* Flicked back to Radio 4.
* All seems okay.

However:

* Started playing recording again.
* After about 15 minutes, stopped the recording.

And the same thing happened all over again.

After flicking around the channels a bit I got a picture back again but, after watching another 30 minutes or so of recording, the same thing happened for the third time!

This is very annoying and after months of similar things happening - I've not had a week since I bought it where something similar hasn't happened - I'm just about at the end of my tether with this blasted thing.

Can anyone suggest the best way for me to get in touch with Humax? I've a feeling that a "general" support line/email won't cut it and I need a more "technical" review of the problem. (Or at least someone who won't fob me off with "Have you tried switching it off and on again?" questions.)

| Tue 16 Dec 2014 13:47:56 #5 |
Martin Liddle

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GarryP - 1 hour ago »
Can anyone suggest the best way for me to get in touch with Humax?

Ring up the Humax technical support number and explain everything you have done. It sounds to me as though the box has an unusual fault and if you are persistent they will offer an exchange.

| Tue 16 Dec 2014 15:47:12 #6 |
GarryP

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Thanks for getting back in touch Martin.

I know I'm probably being a bit of a pain in the bum.

I'm currently trying to get the software upgraded - another major hassle - before I contact Humax. (One of the first things I assume they're going to ask is if I'm on the latest version, so I'd like to pre-empt that.)

Once I'm on the latest version - and am still having the same problems - I think I'll be in a more robust position to complain, even though I really shouldn't be having these problems in the first place.

If they do offer an exchange I hope they don't ask me to send the existing box back before I get a new one. Even with all of the problems I've been having I do actually have quite a few recordings I'd still like to watch. (I don't have anywhere I can copy approx. 250GB of recordings over to in the meantime.)

And then there's the worry about shipping time-scales over the Christmas period. Oh, it never rains…

Anyway, thanks again for your help.

I'll try and remember to post my progress here, in case it helps anyone else.

| Tue 16 Dec 2014 16:47:32 #7 |