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Foxsat - missed recording after power cut


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Old 25-03-2009, 20:50
gkite
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Hi, sorry if this is covered already, but I can't find it in a search. When I power my box on (using the back panel switch), I subsequently need to turn it on from the remote using the standby button (to go through the BOOT sequence) before any scheduled recordings will start happening. If I like I can put the box back into standby after doing this initial BOOT. If I don't do this, the box just sits there with the red light glowing. Not normally a problem, as I don't usually ever power the box off, I only ever put it into standby.

However, today, a circuit in my house fused. The fuse was reset, and I thought nothing of it, until a recording got missed, and I see my Foxsat sitting there doing nothing with its red light glowing. I had to use standby on the remote to kick it into life. Is this correct behaviour? Thanks.
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Old 25-03-2009, 21:03
gkite
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darn, just posted this and I've seen an old thread on a similar topic pop up to the top just under this one. Apologies! However, I'd still like to know what correct behaviour should be when initially powering on the Foxsat using the back panel switch. Should it boot, or not, etc?
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Old 26-03-2009, 09:18
grahamlthompson
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darn, just posted this and I've seen an old thread on a similar topic pop up to the top just under this one. Apologies! However, I'd still like to know what correct behaviour should be when initially powering on the Foxsat using the back panel switch. Should it boot, or not, etc?
Mine does not boot after switching on the rear switch. You have to press the remote on button or the chrome on/off switch at the top left of the front of the STB. Switching off the rear power button should only be needed if connecting or disconecting the lnb cables (or to recover from a software glitch). The foxsat uses a minuscule power of less than 1 watt in power saving sby.
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Old 26-03-2009, 09:27
Tern
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It really should boot after a cold power on.

Most of us probably don't get a power cut from one year to the next but why should we lose all our recordings if we do?

It would be particularly annoying if you were away for a week, had set up a load of recordings and then suffered a power cut just after you left!

Definitely one that Humax should fix.
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Old 26-03-2009, 09:32
grahamlthompson
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It really should boot after a cold power on.

Most of us probably don't get a power cut from one year to the next but why should we lose all our recordings if we do?

It would be particularly annoying if you were away for a week, had set up a load of recordings and then suffered a power cut just after you left!

Definitely one that Humax should fix.
It should not need to boot, restoring the power should simply return the box to sby. Going to do a test now to see if switching off and on stops a scheduled recording. Will popst what happens.
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Old 26-03-2009, 10:34
grahamlthompson
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It should not need to boot, restoring the power should simply return the box to sby. Going to do a test now to see if switching off and on stops a scheduled recording. Will popst what happens.
Right set a recording for 1000 at 0930 and then turned of the box power for 5 minutes before turning on the stb. 1000 came and went no recording. Booted to check schedule and media list. No recording and no schedules either (the test was the only 1 set though). One for the bugs list methinks . The Humax freeview 9200 recovers seamlessly from a power failure
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Old 26-03-2009, 10:58
marcdavis
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graham I found the problem with the box is it doesnt grab the time when its powered on. So as for recordings, well, its scheduled timer list may as well not exist when the box switches on with the clock at 00:00 .

From my experience PVRs grab the time when they are powered on (for its scheduled recordings list) and then put themselves into standby. It looks to me like this part of the process was overlooked by the engineers in process of getting the box onto the market; and hopefully corrected in the firmware update. I very much hope so anyway as I am affected by occasional power problems. To get around this I normally have to leave my machine 'on' when i am away, as I found the machine also goes back to being in the on state when power is resumed (and clock gets updated) rather than settling into standby.
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Old 26-03-2009, 11:10
White-Knight
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Its good you want to save energy but I really wouldn't turn the box off at the switch unless you need to. As someone else pointed out is uses less than 1 watt if powered down into red mode. Obviously, you can't help a power cut but best advice is routinely leave it on just make sure you power it down so it goes into red mode as from memory its around 75 watts when in active in blue.
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Old 26-03-2009, 11:24
grahamlthompson
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graham I found the problem with the box is it doesnt grab the time when its powered on. So as for recordings, well, its scheduled timer list may as well not exist when the box switches on with the clock at 00:00 .

From my experience PVRs grab the time when they are powered on (for its scheduled recordings list) and then put themselves into standby. It looks to me like this part of the process was overlooked by the engineers in process of getting the box onto the market; and hopefully corrected in the firmware update. I very much hope so anyway as I am affected by occasional power problems. To get around this I normally have to leave my machine 'on' when i am away, as I found the machine also goes back to being in the on state when power is resumed (and clock gets updated) rather than settling into standby.
Brill you are clearly right. Not had a power cut since the box installed but if you are on a rural overhead network then your supply will be vulnerable to all sorts of potential problems. Lightning, Conductor Galloping and Crop Stubble burning induced faults to name but 3. Most will get restored by auto reclosing within about 30 sec, not sure if the Foxsat has enough stored energy in the power supply capacitors to survive a 30 sec interruption (more experimenting required). Auto reclosing is successful in around 90% of overhead line faults.

How much was that ups i saw LOL

Last edited by grahamlthompson : 26-03-2009 at 11:25. Reason: extra info
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Old 26-03-2009, 11:26
Tern
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It should not need to boot, restoring the power should simply return the box to sby.
Yes, but only if it can actually work out when the next recording is due.

It depends how it handles that in standy.

If it sets a countdown timer to initiate awakening then it cannot know where that should be when the power returns.

If it actually set a wake-up time and used a comparator with the clock then it would only work if there was a backup battery to keep the clock going (which I do not believe there is). Otherwise it would need to boot to correctly set the time.

So I think a boot from cold powerup would be necessary.
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Old 26-03-2009, 11:54
grahamlthompson
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Yes, but only if it can actually work out when the next recording is due.

It depends how it handles that in standy.

If it sets a countdown timer to initiate awakening then it cannot know where that should be when the power returns.

If it actually set a wake-up time and used a comparator with the clock then it would only work if there was a backup battery to keep the clock going (which I do not believe there is). Otherwise it would need to boot to correctly set the time.

So I think a boot from cold powerup would be necessary.
I confirmed that was the case at 10:34 today.
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Old 26-03-2009, 12:25
Tern
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I confirmed that was the case at 10:34 today.
Congratulations.

I had the edit window for the post to which you responded open for an extended period when something else came up. (Actually, you only confrmed what we already knew, that it fails to record - you didn't explain why it needs to boot to get over the problem).

Anyway, it might interest some to understand why it behaves like that.
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Old 26-03-2009, 12:36
Caz42
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From my experience PVRs grab the time when they are powered on (for its scheduled recordings list) and then put themselves into standby. It looks to me like this part of the process was overlooked by the engineers in process of getting the box onto the market; and hopefully corrected in the firmware update.


This really is one of the most basic funtions you would expect. I am astounded that it doesn't pick up the time from power on.....what an oversight Humax!
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Old 26-03-2009, 12:55
gkite
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thanks for all your investigations folks. Seems like a true oversight on the part of Humax. In my case I don't ever turn my box off, but in this instance I think my toaster tripped an RCD (which I never knew I had) which seemed to take out my whole downstairs ring circuit Bet I'm the first person to lose a recording because of their toaster
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Old 26-03-2009, 13:02
grahamlthompson
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Congratulations.

I had the edit window for the post to which you responded open for an extended period when something else came up. (Actually, you only confrmed what we already knew, that it fails to record - you didn't explain why it needs to boot to get over the problem).

Anyway, it might interest some to understand why it behaves like that.
I confirmed what you already knew, it could have been an isolated problem with your stb, clearly it's not but that was a clear possibility at the time of your OP
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Old 26-03-2009, 13:32
Tern
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I confirmed what you already knew, it could have been an isolated problem with your stb, clearly it's not but that was a clear possibility at the time of your OP
???

I've never had this problem.

As I explained (even if I didn't post the message until after you'd found the same thing), the actual minutea of designing a box such as this make it a dead certainty that the problem is inherent rather than just a one (or two) off.
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Old 26-03-2009, 13:42
marcdavis
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This really is one of the most basic funtions you would expect. I am astounded that it doesn't pick up the time from power on.....what an oversight Humax!
It could be an oversight, or, there is a problem in the system causing the expected behaviour to fail (maybe a bug). The manufacturer/Bob is in a period where they are probably wanting to know about all the oversights and bugs while it currently has engineering resources allocated to Freesat. So I've reported this one.
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Old 26-03-2009, 14:07
savvy
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........... So I've reported this one.
Well done for isolating it, and thanks for taking the time to report it directly to Humax.

A lot of people seem to forget, even though there is a Bugs thread, a Features Request thread, and Bob_Cat dips in & out, that this isn't an official Humax Support Website.

DS is a great resource & help facility, but Humax are not obligated to monitor it for bug reports.

There have been lots of new members here, having got their HDRs now that the supply chain is easing, and I just thought this point may be a pertinent reminder for them.

Rgds.


Les.
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Old 26-03-2009, 14:17
grahamlthompson
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Well done for isolating it, and thanks for taking the time to report it directly to Humax.

A lot of people seem to forget, even though there is a Bugs thread, a Features Request thread, and Bob_Cat dips in & out, that this isn't an official Humax Support Website.

DS is a great resource & help facility, but Humax are not obligated to monitor it for bug reports.

There have been lots of new members here, having got their HDRs now that the supply chain is easing, and I just thought this point may be a pertinent reminder for them.

Rgds.


Les.
Les see you soon Hummy.org

http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showp...2&postcount=18

Graham
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Old 26-03-2009, 14:41
savvy
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Thanks Graham,

I've PM'd him for the time being to try and explain my point a bit more.

Cheers.

Les.
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Old 26-03-2009, 15:23
GaseousClay
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How much was that ups i saw LOL
UPS in spare room doing nothing... now connected to PVR
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Old 29-03-2009, 20:14
c2r
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Argh, for pity's sake... Just got back from a few days on the road and found that we'd had a power cut just after I left - stupid box didn't record anything after that - this bug could really do with fixing - at least knowing the power supply in the area I live is rubbish I've got a UPS that I'll have to remember to swap from the PC to the STB before going away...

Regards
Chris
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Old 29-03-2009, 22:02
richard_g_uk
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Would altering the power saving in standby feature to off (so the front panel is always on with the time showing) provide a suitable work-a-round until the bug is fixed? Anyone care to test it or already tried it?
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