help - unable to use ondemand or showcase

My Humax Forum » Freesat HD » HDR 1000, 1010, 1100S

help - unable to use ondemand or showcase

(935 posts)

REPASSAC

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OK - record Via a VCR.
No freesat unit needs a card.
You will find that currently only generation 1 non-Humax freesat PVR's are around. These have less on-demand opportunities, etc.

Humax have quite a large share of the freesat market due to their units hardware reliability and adherence to freesat's specs.
I would avoid any of the cheap low end brands - however I am reluctant to mention these by name here.

I still find your problem strange. I don't think you detailed what happened when you tried say channel 901, on demand or the backward EPG.

| Sat 19 Sep 2015 14:54:43 #911 |
bmck

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Thanks for your feedback. Humax do seem to have the best choice of boxes, which is why I am so disappointed.

As far as the problem goes, that's the most irritating part of the whole thing.

The box WAS getting a signal from my router!

I could watch 901, BBC Iplayer and ITV player.
The box was telling me I was connected, and also, it's MAC address was showing on my router admin on my PC.

A few people have mentioned in this thread that the problem is purely a Freesat software one, and nothing to do with the actual machine.
I can't really argue with that.

I couldn't find info on attaching photos to posts, so hopefully this is OK.

Thanks again.
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| Sat 19 Sep 2015 16:18:42 #912 |
JamesB

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Most boxes didn't have this problem. You could try buying another Humax and see if it's okay.

Or look at Freeview boxes. Humax will have a Freeview Play box out soon. (Allegedly)

| Sat 19 Sep 2015 17:15:21 #913 |
bmck

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Thanks James, I know you wouldn't hear from people "unless" they had bad experiences, I don't know if I could go through all the bother again. I read a post from someone who was on their fourth replacement box

Freeview would mean having to get an aerial properly installed.

Cheers

| Sat 19 Sep 2015 17:46:57 #914 |
JamesB

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Sky sub, then. Or try one of the non-Humax Freesat boxes. Or look on ebay for an old Sony DVD/HDD recorder, which though SD would definitely be a step up from the VCR.

| Sat 19 Sep 2015 18:56:17 #915 |
bmck

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Thanks James, more research needed by me.

| Sat 19 Sep 2015 20:32:07 #916 |
REPASSAC

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bmck - I would guess that your problem was related to your local environment.

We do know that the Freetime units do several network checks - some of which interact with freesats servers. I would guess that for some reason, one of these was timing out.

I did have a non PVR problem accessing Netflix on my TV via my VPN, it was timing out. I found that by overriding the VPN's DNS and using my ISP's solved it. Better latency I guess.

I don't suppose there is anything non-typical about your LAN?

Anyway, other branded units just give you 901 and most also 903 for on-demand.

| Sun 20 Sep 2015 15:12:10 #917 |
bmck

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If the thing had not worked, out of the box, I might have suspected a network problem, but when I first got the Humax it worked perfectly, On Demand, Showcase etc all by Wifi

It was only after the Freesat software update that it stopped working. It didn't matter whether I connected by Wifi or Ethernet cable. My router is a TP Dual band, I tried connecting to the Humax with both frequencies, no joy.

Every other network device in my house works normally - Phones, Tablets, Blu-ray player. It's all good.

Thanks for your feedback.

| Sun 20 Sep 2015 17:32:18 #918 |
grahamlthompson

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bmck - 36 minutes ago »
If the thing had not worked, out of the box, I might have suspected a network problem, but when I first got the Humax it worked perfectly, On Demand, Showcase etc all by Wifi
It was only after the Freesat software update that it stopped working. It didn't matter whether I connected by Wifi or Ethernet cable. My router is a TP Dual band, I tried connecting to the Humax with both frequencies, no joy.
Every other network device in my house works normally - Phones, Tablets, Blu-ray player. It's all good.
Thanks for your feedback.

Did you fix the local IP-address used by your box so it remains the same ?

I fix the IP-address used by my kit after it was allocated by DHCP, using my router setup address reservation to the MAC address of all my kit to ensure it always remains the same. That way the kit I have that has a web based interface uses the same address every time.

| Sun 20 Sep 2015 18:12:46 #919 |
JamesB

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bmck - 1 day ago »
I tried everything to try and get On Demand back, I even bought a new router! Nothing worked.
The only option left was to return the Humax to the shop.
That's what I did, and got a full refund (£229)
I'm very disappointed at the Humax box, as I had read all the reviews etc and thought I was getting a top product, but I'm more disappointed at Freesat.
My previous set-up was a HD TV, old Sky Digibox (with Sky Freesat card) and a VCR (remember them ? ) That's what I'm going back to, so, no HD but at least I'll be able to record again!

Could you clarify - was the Humax having problems with On Demand, or recording, or both?

| Sun 20 Sep 2015 18:14:01 #920 |