Odd problem - 9300t Vs TV?

LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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I've tried Search but couldn't find anything related - just wondered if anyone else has had a similar problem to the one driving me mad........

We have a 9300t linked to a Panasonic Viera Freeview TV - both about 5years old I think.
Last year we had a problem where the Humax was suddenly 'switched off' and reception is TV only. We would set it back to the HDMI1 and it would be OK for a very short time before doing it again....and again....and again....
We took the TV into a local repair man - I would have thought he'd need the whole set-up but he said to just bring the TV. He ran the TV for 2 days, couldn't find a problem...charged us handsomely blah, blah....

When it started doing it again we switched the cable to HDMI2 and it was fine for many months before it started doing it again.

The box pops up at the bottom of the screen showing the channel etc, over and over again when it starts playing up. The only way we can sort it is to remove the TV control and put it as far away as we can - annoying as we can't then control the volume or mute. We can only watch live TV until it settles down but then we can use the Humax as we want to and watch recorded programmes.. After about a week of hiding the TV control it will have settled down enough to keep it in the same room....for a while and then it starts again. It's not too bad if you're watching a programme live but we work odd hours and mostly watch programmes that we've recorded.

The recorded programmes are many and I'll go and ditch as many as I can to see if that helps but is there anything else that might be causing it? - apart from old age.........we're not in a position to replace either at the moment!

Comments

  • Martin LiddleMartin Liddle Posts: 3,243
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    LesleyC wrote: »
    The recorded programmes are many and I'll go and ditch as many as I can to see if that helps but is there anything else that might be causing it?

    It is an unusual problem and I don't know the cause but would be confident that deleting programs will make no difference. I suggest that you remove the HDMI connection and try using a SCART cable and see if that helps.
  • LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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    Thanks for the prompt reply Martin, we'll give that a go.
  • anthony davidanthony david Posts: 14,499
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    It is interesting that your Panasonic remote control seems to be part of the problem, there is a possibility that it could be faulty, (sending spurious signals due to worn out buttons). Have you started using any energy saving bulbs near the TV recently as some people on these forums have reported odd effects with them? I'm assuming from what you says that the problem is with the TV, not the recorder, and that the Humax doesn't actually turn off itself but that the TV switches from HDMI to its tuner. If the problem is due to spurious control signals via HDMI then using SCART will solve the problem, there will be no change in picture quality if a good quality cable is used.
  • LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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    Have you started using any energy saving bulbs near the TV recently as some people on these forums have reported odd effects with them? I'm assuming from what you says that the problem is with the TV, not the recorder, and that the Humax doesn't actually turn off itself but that the TV switches from HDMI to its tuner. If the problem is due to spurious control signals via HDMI then using SCART will solve the problem, there will be no change in picture quality if a good quality cable is used.

    Well! you learn something every day! There is a wall light immediately above the TV but no energy saving light bulb, there is an energy saving light bulb about 4 m away but I assume that isn't close enough to affect the TV?

    Yes, the problem is the TV, the Humax stays on and if we're watching a recorded programme it just carries on playing but the TV has changed it from the HDMI and we can't watch it We have to hit the Pause button on the Humax control, run and fetch the TV control, change to HDMI and press the Stop button and give up trying to watch the recorded programme. The TV will be fine apart from the info box popping up every few seconds..

    We have tried a new SCART lead.....and we remembered that we'd had a problem a long time ago with that and that was why we'd changed to using an HDMI lead. Using the SCART lead produces a picture that is divided into 4 parts - big black lines like the Cross of St.George in black, and each quarter shows a part of the TV picture but all muddled up.

    Would it be worth trying a new - Universal - TV remote?

    We're back to HDMI2 and hiding the TV control all night and most of the day. It's behaving at the moment but as soon as the TV control becomes unresponsive then we'll have to hide it away from the Humax again.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    LesleyC wrote: »
    Well! you learn something every day! There is a wall light immediately above the TV but no energy saving light bulb, there is an energy saving light bulb about 4 m away but I assume that isn't close enough to affect the TV?

    Yes, the problem is the TV, the Humax stays on and if we're watching a recorded programme it just carries on playing but the TV has changed it from the HDMI and we can't watch it We have to hit the Pause button on the Humax control, run and fetch the TV control, change to HDMI and press the Stop button and give up trying to watch the recorded programme. The TV will be fine apart from the info box popping up every few seconds..

    We have tried a new SCART lead.....and we remembered that we'd had a problem a long time ago with that and that was why we'd changed to using an HDMI lead. Using the SCART lead produces a picture that is divided into 4 parts - big black lines like the Cross of St.George in black, and each quarter shows a part of the TV picture but all muddled up.

    Would it be worth trying a new - Universal - TV remote?

    We're back to HDMI2 and hiding the TV control all night and most of the day. It's behaving at the moment but as soon as the TV control becomes unresponsive then we'll have to hide it away from the Humax again.

    Does the TV have a "Factory Reset" or similar option in the menu system? It might be worth trying that. It will reset it back to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box so will go through all the initial set up procedure again. But if there is any weirdness going on in the set-up of the beast that might clear it out.

    Have a look on the TV remote for a model number. If you find one and google it you might find someone selling a replacement. Might be an alternative to a universal remote.

    And why hide the remote? Just take the batteries out. If indeed it is some odd effect of the remote sending spurious signals to the TV. Though I notice above that you say it happens even if the TV remote is not near the TV? Second paragraph where you say you have to run and fetch the TV remote. If it does happen whether the remote is in range of the telly or not then that might suggest the remote is not guilty after all.

    Though if the remote is in the same room and not stuck in a cupboard/drawer it is surprising how the infra red signal can bounce around the walls and find it's way to the TV. But if it is in another room or locked away in a cupboard/drawer and the TV switches away from HDMI then you have to wonder if it's not the TV itself that has the problem.
  • anthony davidanthony david Posts: 14,499
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    Assuming that the SCART cable isn't faulty and that it is seated properly, and also assuming that the Humax is OK on SCART with another TV, the fact that you are seeing four pictures means that the TV is displaying the Humax picture with the wrong syncs, probably those from the TV's tuner. This is a fault condition which possibly may be cleared with a factory reset and is probably connected with your other problems.
  • LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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    Thank you both for your replies.

    Once the problem has started (usually because I've not acted as soon as the TV remote is not responding quickly when changing volume or changing it to HDMI) then it will still cause problems from the far end of the house where we put it - if we remove it straight away it will eventually settle down but for a few days we have to fetch it to change it to HDMI and set the volume and then take it back to the end of the house.
    It's taken ages to find a way to enable us to use the whole set up lol.

    We'll try factory reset.....I'll come back and let you know. My own default setting is to throw the whole lot in the nearest skip :)
  • LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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    I've come back to let you know how I got on.
    I didn't do a factory reset as everything behaved itself as long as I left the TV control in a different room overnight.....until today...

    As soon as the TV remote became unresponsive I remembered that the recordings 'planner' was very full so I've removed lots of recordings - I had 197 recorded programmes and I've culled them down to around 50. Straightaway everything settled down.

    I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but I've come back to report my findings in case it helps anyone else in the future.
  • anthony davidanthony david Posts: 14,499
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    Thanks for replying to us all, so few people have the courtesy to do so on these forums. Pleased to hear all is OK now.
  • LesleyCLesleyC Posts: 29
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    It's a pleasure.
    I've always found the regulars on this forum to be very helpful, especially to people like me who have very little technical knowledge, so thank-you to you all.
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