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My Humax Forum » Freesat HD » FOXSAT HDR

1. 

   patpending
   

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   I couldn't believe when at about 10am today the signals from my Foxsat HD PVR remote control stopped being accepted by the unit.

   I hope I am not duplicating information, but the helpful thread quoted is for a different range of equipment.

   Looking at this thread:

   http://myhumax.org/forum/topic/remote-control-has-stopped-working/page/22

   it appears that Humax somehow broadcast a software update (as part of the satellite information? - my box has no telephone or computer link) overnight.

   Failure to receive this, or a box with a corrupted ID, can mean the remote control has no effect on the box.

   The control is working - a red light lights up on it every time it zaps, and I have changed the batteries.

   I religiously turn off all my electrical goods at the mains overnight so my box will not have received any software updates delivered overnight.

   In that thread there are various proposals, including a system reset for which you need to input four zeros (my remote signals will not be accepted with or without the satellite dish aerial connected) and a computer update involving a serial connection.

   By using the manual controls on the front of the unit, I can scroll through channels, switch between my two satellites (19.2°E and 28.2°E) and go through menus, just not input digits.

   I cannot see the ID my box thinks it has or which version software it has (probably don't know where to look), though the blue "HUMAX" screen on boot says "HUMAX U7.54"

   Neither "automatic" nor "manual" software updates has found anything.

   As a first step, should I reconnect the satellite aerial to it, leave it set to "automatic update" and leave it on standby overnight?

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 14:03:28 #1 |
2. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   When you press a control button on the remote control, which white button at the top flashes red ?

   If it's not the pvr button then press the pvr button and try again.

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 15:58:24 #2 |
3. 

   patpending
   

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   grahamltthompson, thank you so much! Now the commands are registering! Before I looked here, that box was going on the skip!

   Are the buttons at the top of the remote for four different settings - the box ("PVR" which sounds like the "Plym Valley Railway" to me), a Humax television ("TV"), a DVD player ("DVD") and "audio"?

   the thing is just overspecified and far too fiddly! Out of interest, I was advised I could make a software change to improve interaction with non-freesat (non-freesat being the key reason to have satellite for me) - how would I connect my PC to the box?

   Thanks again!

   PS D'oh.

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 17:25:51 #3 |
4. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   patpending - 22 minutes ago  » 
   grahamltthompson, thank you so much! Now the commands are registering! Before I looked here, that box was going on the skip!
   Are the buttons at the top of the remote for four different settings - the box ("PVR" which sounds like the "Plym Valley Railway" to me), a Humax television ("TV"), a DVD player ("DVD") and "audio"?
   the thing is just overspecified and far too fiddly! Out of interest, I was advised I could make a software change to improve interaction with non-freesat (non-freesat being the key reason to have satellite for me) - how would I connect my PC to the box?
   Thanks again!
   PS D'oh.

   The remote control can control your recorder (pvr - personal video recorder), most TV's, most DVD players and most Audio anplifiers. The method to set up these is in the manual together with the codes for pretty well all popular kit.

   Using custom firmware you can access non-freesat channels and set simple timers for these if your box and PC are connected to a home network.

   For more details see here

   http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1747997-media-file-server-bundle-foxsat-hdr-release-4-0-a.html

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 17:54:44 #4 |
5. 

   dino
   

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   PVR in this context = Personal Video Recorder.

   The same physical Humax remote control can control other machines (TV, DVD and Audio) if the appropriate white button is pressed. For people who don't use the facility and accidentally press one of the other white buttons it appears that the remote has simply stopped working as it no longer controls the PVR.

   I think you might have been referred to the custom firmware known as the Media and File Server Bundle. Amongst many other things, this allows you to add non-freesat channels to the Humax while still operating in freesat mode.

   You'll need to connect the Foxsat to your home LAN in order to get the most out of the custom firmware.

   Google "Media & File Share bundle foxsat" you'll find plenty of information to get going.

   It is quite simple to do and instructions are readily available at the link you'll find.

   If you only want non-freesat, it might be best if you run the Humax in non-freesat mode - but then just having a generic satellite PVR would have been better than a Freesat box if you want non-freesat.

   Dino

   sorry for duplicating informatiom

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 18:01:00 #5 |
6. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   Dino
   sorry for duplicating informatiom

   No need to be sorry

   It happens all the time when more than one person is creating a post at the same time. In this case I happened to push the send button first

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 18:10:07 #6 |
7. 

   patpending
   

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   Thank you both guys!

   The changes you can make to this box are far more "proper geek programming" than unwashed usery stuff. But the reward would be great!

   Is "freesat" a brand, then? I hadn't heard the word before I bought this on recommendation. The main downsides so far are not having all my favourite channels from both satellites in one single list, and not having an EPG beyond the next programme. Picture quality is superb.

   How do you connect the box to a computer? Do you really need a serial lead?

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 18:19:34 #7 |
8. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   patpending - 52 seconds ago  » 
   Thank you both guys!
   The changes you can make to this box are far more "proper geek programming" than unwashed usery stuff. But the reward would be great!
   Is "freesat" a brand, then? I hadn't heard the word before I bought this on recommendation. The main downsides so far are not having all my favourite channels from both satellites in one single list, and not having an EPG beyond the next programme. Picture quality is superb.
   How do you connect the box to a computer? Do you really need a serial lead?

   Right

   Freesat is a company jointly owned by the BBC and ITV whose sole purpose is to maintain a satellite based epg similar to the one you will find on a Freeview box.

   In freesat mode you should have a week of epg data from each channel and the capability to set series recordings which will automatically record all the episodes of a series.

   It's source of income is from broadcasters who transmit fta (Free To Air) and pay the Freesat epg fees. Sky also provide a considerably more expensive epg service.

   The extra channels you get in non-freesat mode are channels who don't pay to be on the epg.

   The box is connected to a home network by a lan port (the socket is known as a RJ45 socket).

   When you have a broadband connection the provided router normally has 4 of these sockets.

   At it's simplest you plug in a long enough cat5 lead into the box lan port and the other end into one of the router sockets.

   There are other ways of making the connection

   eg

   Using the mains and a pair of homeplug adaptors.

   Wirelessly using a wireless bridge device.

   | Mon 26 Aug 2013 18:27:58 #8 |

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