Aerial set up and spinning disc from newbie

My Humax Forum » Freeview HD » FVP 4000T, 5000T

Aerial set up and spinning disc from newbie

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silverfox2019

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I have a new Samsung Q85R TV connected to a Humax FVP-5000T, presently connected as follows:

1. the terrestrial aerial co-axial lead goes directly into the Humax
2. an HDMI cable connects both devices
3. another co-axial cable pushes the TV signal from the Humax to the TV. I think this is called (RF) loop-thru. Samsung help say it’s superfluous – maybe it is.

With this set up, to watch TV it seems I must have the Humax powered on all times, that is with the blue light on and the hard disc spinning. This is fine during the day but in the quiet of the evening the spinning noise is quite noticeable.

If I switch the Humax off, I lose the tv signal after a few minutes.

To get around the spinning noise, I am thinking of changing the co-ax cabling set up. I could have a Y-splitter-adaptor so that each device gets its own clean aerial signal with no loop through. That way if the Humax is off, the tv will still get a tv signal.

I wonder if this is OK. And I’m thinking is there simpler solution – like does the Humax not have some kind of standby state that (I haven’t found) that allows the tv signal to loop through but without the disc spinning nonstop. If so, how can I get to that standby state.

| Fri 6 Dec 2019 9:40:18 #1 |
Luke

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Providing your signal is not weak splitting it should be fine.

In the mean time you could just go into the FVP-5000T setup menus and change the "Power Saving Mode" to 'Off' and then select "NEXT" and press "OK" to continue.
On my version of the manual this is described on page GB10. This feature is normal on all modern retail PVRs (and a few others) since EU power consumption regulations first came in.

| Fri 6 Dec 2019 10:33:15 #2 |
Trev

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silverfox2019 - 4 hours ago » Samsung help say it’s superfluous – maybe it is.
It is if you only watch TV via the box. If you want to watch Freeview using the TV's tuner, it is definitely not superfluous. Essential is the word IO would use. Either from the loop through or a splitter.

| Fri 6 Dec 2019 14:28:51 #3 |
silverfox2019

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Thank you both.

Am I right in thinking if I use the Humax just to loop through (aerial-> Humax -> tv) and watch live tv via the tv's tuner even then the hard disc will be spinning all the time?

I would have thought Humax would have a kind of low power standby so the disc doesnt spin when it's not needed. Am I missing something.

| Tue 10 Dec 2019 9:59:13 #4 |
grahamlthompson

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silverfox2019 - 12 mins ago »
Thank you both.
Am I right in thinking if I use the Humax just to loop through (aerial-> Humax -> tv) and watch live tv via the tv's tuner even then the hard disc will be spinning all the time?
I would have thought Humax would have a kind of low power standby so the disc doesnt spin when it's not needed. Am I missing something.

The hdd doesn't run when the box is in sby (only a sky box does this 24/7), It only runs when the box is recording or watching for a recording start (about 15 mins before a scheduled start).

It has two power saving modes.

Low power sby on less than 0.5W in sby. In this mode the RF loop through amp is unpowered. Using a splitter means you don't need the loop through amp so can use low power sby. .

Low power sby off - Loop amp powered (guestimate about 0.6W). Passes aerial through to TV when in sby.

The box is designed to minimise power comsumption. It even turns off a any tuners not required for the current recording/viewing.

| Tue 10 Dec 2019 10:19:06 #5 |
missselainei

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Hi, I've just got a new 5000T and have exactly the same problem, not having reception if the box is turned off, (was about to ask for help but you've done it for me silverfox2019). Something definitely make a spinning/humming noise.

| Wed 11 Dec 2019 15:31:37 #6 |
grahamlthompson

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missselainei - 4 hours ago »
Hi, I've just got a new 5000T and have exactly the same problem, not having reception if the box is turned off, (was about to ask for help but you've done it for me silverfox2019). Something definitely make a spinning/humming noise.

That's because the box hasn't yet gone into full sby.

There are a number of reasons

1 It's busy carrying out housekeeping duties.

1 It may be deleting recordings you have asked it to. This doesn't happen instantly.

The box appears to go to sleep, but the HHD will continue running till the deletions are complete. It will completely shut down once any tasks that require HDD access are complete.

If you turn off the box halfway through a recording of course the HDD runs till the recording is complete.

Surely you don't expect pushing the power off button to dump an ongoing recording

Both are completely normal with pvrs that use a Linux OS.

| Wed 11 Dec 2019 20:32:08 #7 |
missselainei

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Thank you for the expert information Graham. My box is completely new and wasn't recording or deleting. I am not a technophobe nor an expert just somewhere in the middle getting used to a new machine. I will now think twice before asking any more silly questions but I thought that is what forums are SK about

| Wed 11 Dec 2019 20:44:02 #8 |
grahamlthompson

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missselainei - 20 mins ago »
Thank you for the expert information Graham. My box is completely new and wasn't recording or deleting. I am not a technophobe nor an expert just somewhere in the middle getting used to a new machine. I will now think twice before asking any more silly questions but I thought that is what forums are SK about

Who said you asked a silly question ?

Your post said

"Hi, I've just got a new 5000T and have exactly the same problem, not having reception if the box is turned off, (was about to ask for help but you've done it for me silverfox2019). Something definitely make a spinning/humming noise.
"

That's not a question it's a statement. Did you not read my full explanation to the poster you quoted fully explaining that the HDD does not run when the box is completely in sby ? It states the conditions that the HDD continues to run when the box appears to be in full sby. So yes the box under some circumstances means you can hear the HDD running.

Having already posted the reasons why this can happen why did you make the post you made (not a question at all).

I merely re-iterated the same info to try and explain why you can hear the HDD when the box appears to be shut down. Quite why you appear to be insulted baffles me.

There is two issues here.

1 If the TV aerial input is routed via the Box to the TV Using it's aerial out to TV in. You have two power saving options.

The default is power saving on. When you turn press the power off button the small amplifier inside the box that passes on the aerial to the TV is also turned off to save power. So if you are using the TV tuner you loose the signal. If you change the power saving option from on to off than the loop amp is powered so you don't lose the picture. Whether or not the HDD runs has no relevance. If the box needs access to the HDD it remains powered (the video output to HDMI is turned off), if not it powers off.

The simplest option is to fit a TV splitter to the aerial feed. Connect one output to the box the other to the TV. You can then leave power saving on and when you use the TV tuner the power on/off condition of the box has no effect.

You only need to press the box power on switch if you want to watch it when you select the TV HDMI input you have connected it to.

The thread title is totally misleading,

The spinning disk and the aerial setup have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The aerial setup depends entirely on the power saving option chosen and whether or not you have provided a independent feed from the aerial to the box and TV (simple one in two out splitter).

Whether or not the internal HDD is spinning is under the control of the box.

If the current ongoing operation of the box requires the HDD to be powered it is. Once it no longer needs to use HDD it is powered off. Which is exactly what the OP suggested should happen, except it already does.

In addition the box already turns off tuners that are not required,

Next query - My box only shows a signal from tuner 1. (read the faq's).

| Wed 11 Dec 2019 21:13:07 #9 |
GrahamRHK

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I can shed a little more light on Disk activity. If the FVP is not doing anything else (eg recording) it runs for a further 3 1/2 minutes after standby to sync with the HUMAX portal - one important function is to check for a software update. The FVP also wakes up for about 15 minutes in the small hours (between 3 am and 5 am) to sync schedules and guides from all the online services. Also, if the media server is running, it never switches off. Network stays active, disc stays active etc. Worth bearing in mind. If remote recording is on - the FVP will wake up at the prescribed interval. The SMB and FTP servers only run when the FVP is not in standby.

| Thu 12 Dec 2019 17:21:58 #10 |