Here is one, set two recordings going then go to try and get radio. That always causes a freeze on my box.

Hope that helps

Patrick

Did that, worked like a dream. Restricted as to which radio channels I could get as obviously both tuners were in use recording TV. I used BBC1 and BBC HD, if you want to suggest other TV channels I'll give that a go too.

Update:

Just tried two channels that are NOT BBC, and you are correct, in that circumstance the box locks up. Have you reported it to Humax Support? If not I will, as repeatable errors like that they obviously need to know about.

However, that is not the scenario someone like bampsam was getting (or lots of others). As you know he was getting a lock up just having the box on, not doing anything as esoteric as your suggestion (not forgetting the box has only two tuners, and you are trying to use a third - but I agree it should not lock up). He has a replacement box, and as of 08:11 this morning he had not had a lock-up doing what he was doing before.

Hence, my assertion that there are hardware problems out there, but too many people are praying on a magic firmware fix.

Does it matter which way you get to radio? i.e pressing the Tv/Radio button or just keying in for example 701. It would certainly matter if you 2 weren't doing it the same way for comparison

I start the recordings then press the tv/radio button the freeze is instant - I have just done it again....

Humax already know about this type of freeze though.. apparently it is well defined elsewhere on this forum.

If yours is ok then, logic says it is one of 2 things:

Different software or hardware!!!! Although I can't imagine it being hardware - how could it be???


update: Well you have spotted something I didn't about them both not being BBC !!


Patrick

I have found it does matter if neither of the channels you are recording are on transponders that do not carry radio. If one of the channels I record is BBC1, I get 705 and 706 and a 'no entry' symbol if I try another radio channel.

That's not the point I was making. froxfieldrover is using the Tv/Radio button method where you appear to be just keying in the channel number for a radio station

+1

In my experience, it is rare for STB makers/suppliers or software companies give dates when they will release updates. If they do they cannot be relied on as they are invariably delayed.

Bob_Cat does not have to come on a public forum. Please folks don't drive him away.

This is a well known bug that Humax know about. If you switch to radio (using the TV/Radio button) it will attempt to tune to the last radio station. If both tuners are being used to record TV channels on different transponders and the last radio stataion is not on one of these two transponders the unit freezes. This is repeatable on all boxes when the correct conditions are met and is definitely a firmware bug and nothing to do with the hardware.

I must admit I don't know what behaviour occurs though if you key in the channel number directly although from the posts above it looks like under these circumstances it behaves correctly and will only allow you to tune to radio stations that are on the two transponders the tuners are currently using.

Nope, I used the TV/Radio button and it took me to 705. Up and down channel only let me hear 705 & 706. So I tried entering a channel directly (702), that's when the no entry symbol came up. I could press tv/radio again and get back to tv and cancel the recordings.

It's only when I select two tv channels on different transponders and neither of them carry radio that I got the lock up.

Not strictly true.

Each box may be have different:

* Hard disk / Filesystem characteristics
* Ambient Temperature
* Humidity
* Mains Interferance / Voltage issues
* RF Interference from other objects
* Quality of connected LNB
* Quality of signal
* Strength of signal
* End user's method of working
* (probably more, but can't think of any off the top of my head)

You would be correct in saying that these aren't software issues, but you can't certainly can't say they are hardware problems, I'd say they were environmental characteristics.

You can't rule out the possibility that a bug in the software doesn't deal very well with parameters outside the norm.

I reported this lock up scenario several months ago (pressing TV radio button while recording 2 programmes) and quite a few other people have mentioned it on various threads.

Some people have said that it doesn't lock up for them but i think it has to do with which 2 channels are recording at the time (and maybe some other factors), so the problem does seem to be a bug rather than a dodgy box.

If it is indeed a bug then i would have thought that it should be a priority fix (as it causes a complete lock up) but HUMAX don't seem in too much hurry to fix it.

Actually if you use the PVR in the same way as a VCR then you would have no problems. Eg - record a single program at a time using a manual timer!
Did you never have a chewed /broken tape - did you never have bad recording due to dirty heads. Did your VCR get used as much? Could you catchup play on your VCR? Did you have an EPG on your VCR?

Why would anyone want to do that when the box is designed to do much much more.


Actually i hardly had any problems at all with a VCR that lasted me 15 years.

You would be the lucky one then... but if it was used in the same way as I use a PVR (eg recording 30+ items a week) I doubt if it would last a year.

I have had the Foxsat HDR for about 3 months. Would say we have recorded approx 300+ programs, and the only failures have been down to broadcaster seiries link, human error or a strange problem that occurred when a program at 11pm on a Saturday (Law and order) caused the box to restart as soon at the program started. I removed the recording and put it back and its been fine since.

I don't think you can compare a VCR to a modern PVR and I am overall very impressed with the HUMAX box (it locks up a lot less than my sky+ box did), but after 7 months a firmware update is long over due to iron out a few of the niggles.

Yipee, another humax owner who uses his box and does not have the lock-ups/freezes that some report.

I'm not sure why those who have boxes that continually fail to do the basics of a PVR don't either get them exchanged or get your money back.

The PVR is not basically unreliable - that is probably the main reason Humax are being slow to get the upgrade out. They are possibly going to do one major update (maybe two updates to add iPlayer) and then move the product on (like the freeview 9200 -> 9300). With it being stable it looks like they don't see the commercial need to rush fixes, and so it may not be receiving the highest priority (the box is still selling well, and we are not paying them any more money).

This fault with the two TV recordings and then switch to listen to the radio cannot be considered a show stopper by any means (in checking it out it was the first time I used the radio capability, I have too many other tuners to bother with using the TV to listen to the radio), why on earth should Humax have to consider it 'a priority fix' as PaulB67 suggests?

I have had my PVR since mid December, and it has yet to let me down. Yes, I don't like the slow delete and some of the other UI issues, and I shall be very happy if they get fixed, but not having them fixed would not make me take the box back. It would make me think twice about buying another Humax product after the promises that have been made. If the box constantly froze and/or missed recordings that others reported worked OK, it would no longer be in my lounge.

The box works (as dougk and many others attests)! If your's does not, get it changed or get your money back. Don't just live with it and assume some upgrade will fix what I still consider to be a hardware problem.

You can add another to the list, worked with no problems since last November.

Excellent. So everything will be fixed like this problem with the 9200:

http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4924

Oh but wait:

http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4708

"Having just read through the 9300 forums for the first time, I must say that I am suprised how many known 9200 bugs seem to have been carried forward to the 9300."

Jolly good, show, eh?

Because it is a normal operation that the box is designed to do and causes the box to lock up and require a power off/on (therefore losing current recordings). And for all we know it may also cause possible damage to the hard drive. (it certainly cannot do it any good)

I never said it was a show stopper and a must have instant fix but this problem came to light in December, almost 6 months ago and i do think it is a high enough priority to get a fix within 6 months.

As I have already said i am overall impressed with my HUMAX PVR but I do think that the lack of competition for the product is allowing HUMAX to drag their feet over any firmware updates.

I wonder if my issue could be radio related? I leave the box almost permanently on BBC 1. It worked fine for a couple of months - the only scheduled recordings were Corrie.

I then scheduled a number of weekly radio programs to record on RTE and BBC Northern Ireland. Some would have overlapped. My problems started soon after and, to the best of my recollection, all but one of the radio recordings failed.

Anyway, we'll see what the upgrade brings...

As people often ask about the 1.03 revision I thought I'd post what I'd noticed as my new box has this on.

The only change I have noticed is with deletion - you can delete a programme immediately you stop the recording instead of having to wait to wait for a while / overnight as on 1.02.

Can't say I have noticed any delay on 1.02. Just tried a 5 min instant record (108) and I could delete it immediately after stopping recording.

I delete as soon as it has finished recording, if I have been watching it in TS or CP, as long as nothing else is recording, on 1.00.02.

Rgds.


Les.

On my last one there was a delay, weird. Never mind.

Another of life's little mysteries