FVP-4000T: recording & viewing issues

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FVP-4000T: recording & viewing issues

(3 posts)

DZ300

new member
Joined: Feb '23
Posts: 2
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Device: FVP-4000T
Software build: 25 May 22 (no new software detected)
Location: Warwickshire (Sutton Coldfield transmitter)

Hello!

I'm new to this forum so please go easy on me

Over the past few weeks we've started to notice that whilst recording one programme most other channels are non-watchable ("this channel is scrambled or not available"). The non-watchable channels vary depending on which channel is being recorded and sometimes more channels are viewable than at other times when recording the same channel.

I've done some testing, namely:
1. Record BBC1 (SD) and ITV1 (SD) simultaneously
Result: (1) during recording I can't see BBC1 and BBC2 but all other channels are viewable
2. Record BBC1 (SD), ITV1 (SD) and watch C4
Result: The Signal Check indicates that all 3 tuners are working and at near 100% strength & quality
Finally, when recording BBC1 (SD) and ITV1 (SD) simultaneously, more often than not the BBC1 recording will FAIL; ITV1 recording is generally OK.

Things I've tried:
1. SMART Channel Search: 0 channels found (!)
2. Disconnect power: no difference to above behaviour

So, does anyone know (a) why these symmptoms are occuring all of a sudden and (b) what to do about it? Nothing else in the setup, either on the PVR or TV, WiFi connection, has been changed.

Many thanks!

Dan

| Thu 9 Feb 2023 14:23:46 #1 |
Martin Liddle

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Joined: Feb '11
Posts: 4,679
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DZ300 - 1 hour ago »
Over the past few weeks we've started to notice that whilst recording one programme most other channels are non-watchable ("this channel is scrambled or not available"). The non-watchable channels vary depending on which channel is being recorded and sometimes more channels are viewable than at other times when recording the same channel.
I've done some testing, namely:
1. Record BBC1 (SD) and ITV1 (SD) simultaneously
Result: (1) during recording I can't see BBC1 and BBC2 but all other channels are viewable
2. Record BBC1 (SD), ITV1 (SD) and watch C4
Result: The Signal Check indicates that all 3 tuners are working and at near 100% strength & quality
Finally, when recording BBC1 (SD) and ITV1 (SD) simultaneously, more often than not the BBC1 recording will FAIL; ITV1 recording is generally OK.
Things I've tried:
1. SMART Channel Search: 0 channels found (!)
2. Disconnect power: no difference to above behaviour

You have given a pretty comprehensive report so that is a very good start. First thing to check is that you have the HDMI lead well separated from the aerial lead. Strange as it may sound, 100% signal strength may be too high (signal quality should be consistently 100%) so if you have an amplifier try temporarily bypassing it or try an adjustable attenuator in the aerial feed with the aim of getting the signal strength down to about 80%. I am not a great fan of the SMART channel search which can leave your tuning in an odd state. I would suggest sacrificing your schedule of future recordings and doing another autotune or doing a manual tune using the instructions in the FAQ at https://myhumax.org/forum/topic/manual-tuning-instructions-1

| Thu 9 Feb 2023 15:46:05 #2 |
DZ300

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Joined: Feb '23
Posts: 2
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Hi Martin,

Many thanks for your response.

I can confirm that the HDMI cable and aerial lead are sufficiently separated and never cross. I can also confirm that the signal strength actually fluctuates between 80~90% (my initial observation of "100%" was in fact the signal quality rating ... oops!)

I've performed a non-SMART autotune with no discernable difference and the manual tune made no difference either.

Interestingly, if I'm recording something on BBC1 I can only view BBC1, 2 and 4 but non of the other channels are viewable. If I record BBC1 and ITV1 then most other channels are viewable with the exception of BBC1 and 2! Very strange.

I'm starting to suspect that one of the tuners isn't functioning properly despite all 3 showing good signal strength and quality. Whether that has an impact on the machine scanning for channels is unclear to me. I'm not quite sure how to proceed from here. I don't really want to purchase a new machine but may well have to.

Cheers!

Dan

| Sun 12 Feb 2023 21:38:17 #3 |