A I've just spoken to Humax. The basic attitude to the favourites issue was "the box has always worked that way" and that they haven't had "that many" complaints about it. No amount of arguing could even convince the guy it was a stupid way to implement favourites. As he also reckons my box is probably faulty and needs to be returned, I reckon my Humax ownership experience is going to be a short one.
My Humax Forum » Freesat HD » HDR 1000, 1010, 1100S
Newbie problems or bugs?
(54 posts)-
| Tue 3 Jan 2017 13:45:36 #11 |
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No point in asking Humax about your/my favourite channel problem as they didn't come up with the UI and I don't think your box is faulty.
Possibly Freesat want to give all the channels that pay to be on their EPG a fair shot at being watched. So when you press guide you get the EPG with all the paying channels on it starting from the channel number you are currently tuned in to its then up to you to decide where to go and what type of channels interest you.
If every Freesat customer could just limit the EPG to only ever showing the main channels (like most Sky subscribers) then would that be fair on those smaller TV channels that are paying and helping to keep the Freesat EPG going ?| Tue 3 Jan 2017 15:22:53 #12 | -
Well the guy at Humax certainly defended their stance on favourites as if it was under their control. On other issues he said you need to take that up with Freesat but not the favourites problem.
I can see what you are saying about the smaller channels, but in that case why offer favourites at all?
I have just done a reset on my box so I will see how it performs now.
After the reset obviously all my scheduled recordings disappeared from the box. It was very frustrating though when I opened up my Freesat app to see all of the recordings still there, presumably because it hadn't re-synced yet, but have no way to either back them up or re-sent them to the box. Surely it can't be that hard to set up something to do that? It would certainly take the annoyance out of having to do a factory reset in the first place.
| Tue 3 Jan 2017 17:04:02 #13 | -
It probably can but I think the other categories are more transient depending on what program you are currently looking for. Favourite channels are unlikely to change on a regular basis and are the total set of channels you want to look in with the other categories sub-sets of that. I have just checked on my Samsung TV and the way the favourites work on that is exactly what you would want. You can even have more than one named group of favourites for different users. Once selected you only see your favourites in guide and channel up and down takes you through them in your preferred order. That is in Freesat mode so it's not a Freesat restraint.
My impression so far is that the 1100s is potentially a great bit of kit let down badly by ill thought out and buggy firmware.
| Tue 3 Jan 2017 20:34:39 #15 | -
Geoff_T - 1 hour ago »
My impression so far is that the 1100s is potentially a great bit of kit let down badly by ill thought out and buggy firmware.It's been buggy since day one and it is still buggy now and I've never been keen on the UI but mines still going after many years and it is pretty dam reliable so I'm not bothered about a few unusual characteristics. (But the reboots need fixing soon)
It certainly isn't perfect and the remote record app was a disappointment too but it isn't that bad a PVR honest.
(I have the older 1000s with 2tb HDD)I have a gen 1 Panasonic Freesat TV and deleting channels is a breeze but getting to favourite channels take a few button presses (guide/up/select). Not that I use the guide on the TV much.
| Tue 3 Jan 2017 22:28:10 #16 | -
I'm disappointed in it but my problem is there aren't too many alternatives. I don't want to go back to paying a subscription to Sky, and the IP streaming based alternatives seem a bit too new to be reliable and I'm not sure how wife friendly they would be either. So I might have to just grin and bear it and hope I get used to it's quirks. I just wish gadget software/firmware was better quality. I'm battling with a Windows 10 laptop that has the apparantly common "battery not charging" bug that keeps clearing then re-appearing, I don't need a buggy PVR as well!
| Tue 3 Jan 2017 23:09:07 #17 | -
My Humax HDR1100s has now gone back and I have been refunded. I've plugged my Sky box back in for now as I still have a week or so left until my contract expires. Going back to smoothness of operation of the Sky box just re-iterates how poor the Humax/Freesat box operation and reliability was. I have ordered a HDHOMERUN box to see how well that works as I already use Plex to stream my media so maybe that can provide the PVR solution too. If not I will have to swallow my pride and pay Sky £10 a month just to use their box as a PVR.
If Humax and/or Freesat senior managers do read this forum please take note. I was fed up with paying Sky for a lot of channels I dont watch and was extremely keen for the Humax 1100s to be the ideal Sky replacement. I went into the purchase full of positivity, but it was a huge disappointment. Sort out the software (whoever's it is that is causing the problems) and the reliability and you would genuinely have a winner, as it is it feels like you are expecting the end user to do beta testing for you.
| Sat 7 Jan 2017 11:17:20 #18 | -
Geoff_T - 35 minutes ago »
My Humax HDR1100s has now gone back and I have been refunded. I've plugged my Sky box back in for now as I still have a week or so left until my contract expires. Going back to smoothness of operation of the Sky box just re-iterates how poor the Humax/Freesat box operation and reliability was. I have ordered a HDHOMERUN box to see how well that works as I already use Plex to stream my media so maybe that can provide the PVR solution too. If not I will have to swallow my pride and pay Sky £10 a month just to use their box as a PVR.
If Humax and/or Freesat senior managers do read this forum please take note. I was fed up with paying Sky for a lot of channels I dont watch and was extremely keen for the Humax 1100s to be the ideal Sky replacement. I went into the purchase full of positivity, but it was a huge disappointment. Sort out the software (whoever's it is that is causing the problems) and the reliability and you would genuinely have a winner, as it is it feels like you are expecting the end user to do beta testing for you.I'm not trying to insult you but I really don't think you have been prepared to give the Humax a fair crack of the whip. This in effect has been unfair to Humax and yourself.
We had two Sky boxes and both were regularly plagued with faults throughout the time I used them - over a decade.
What's with all the angst over favourites? I have never used them, as after only a few weeks use I could remember most of the channels I watch from memory. Not difficult when I only had to remember the main five plus a few extra.
It's actually rather good to use your grey matter than always taking the easy route - remember use it or lose it.I have had my 1000s almost since release date, not sure if that is 3 or 4 years now. In all that time it has rarely let me down and still works remarkably well.
I wish you well in going back to Sky. At least you have the added pleasure of knowing you are helping keep the Murdoch family in the manner to which they are accustomed.
| Sat 7 Jan 2017 12:01:53 #19 | -
The favourites was only a very small part of it. It's the freezes, re-boots, failed recording and glitches in the recordings generally that were the deal breaker for me. I had to make a decision within the refund period so maybe I was hasty, but from reading other posts on here I don't think so.
I have no experience of the older boxes, only the 1100s so it is specifically that box I am talking about.
Regards Murdoch, that is one of the reasons I was (and still am) trying to find an alternative to Sky!
| Sat 7 Jan 2017 12:14:41 #20 |
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