As a newcomer to the Humax Foxstat Pvr I am still coming to grips with the basic operating procedures, nevermind the finer points
As I understanding by virtue of it's two tuners it is possible to simultaneously record two channels whilst watching a third.
On the two occasions that I have endeavoured to do this I received an screen error message indicating that there is a conflict arising from attempting to record two chaanels at the same time and providing an option to record just one or the other.
Where have I gone wrong or more to the point what should I do in order to avail myself of the facility to record two channels simultaneously.

Assuming you have 2 cables connected it's likely you have connected the second cable to the wrong connection (The 2 outer ones are the right ones). If wrong put right and do a factory reset (watch for 2 cables recognised message)

Another possibility (assuming as Graham mentions you are using a true two LNB cable input) is dependant on the choice of recodings. The channel you wish to view live might be mutually excluded. Thus you have a choice as to which has a higher priority to you. If you press List whilst recording two channels, the ones which you cannot view live are "greyed" out. The problem is the contrasat of the "greyed" out is not good and it is not immeadiately obvious what is grey and what is black. I hope this is one of the things Humax fix when ever we get an update.

Many thanks for the suggestions concerning remeying this problem. Whatever else I can exclude the matter od cable connections which are es referred to.

Many thanks for the suggestions concerning remedying this problem. Whatever else I can exclude the matter od cable connections which are as referred to.
Cincerning the matter of nutually exclusive channels I will follow this up. Presumably it is a matter of co-incidence that these were involved on the two occasions I have attempted tp make a simultaneous recording

To confirm that you have full two cable functionality, try this :-

Go to 951 BBC 1 CI and start a recording, go to 108 BBC HD and start another recording. Now tune any other channel and press pause. If you can pause a 3rd channel your box is working correctly, if not (and you are confident your cables are in the right positions & are OK) try a factory reset.

Rgds.


Les.

Correctly connected you can record ANY two channels at the same time the only variable is which 3rd channel's you can view while recording 2.

Graham,
Many thanks for your clarification. I had not appreciated before that there is no restriction on which channels are selected for dual recording, merely on which channels can be viewed whilst recording
My two previous endeavours to achieve dual recording did not involve any viewing of a third channel simultaneously so clearly I have been doing something wrong. I would add that I am not so concerned about the ability to view whilst dual recording is taking place but rather solely to achieve the latter.

So, did you do the test I suggested, and/or do the factory reset to get it to recognise your 2 cables?

Rgds.

Les.

Les,
An earlier factory re-set confirmed recognition of 2 cable connection.

Hmmmm...... Then as you say in your earlier post, you are clearly doing something wrong.

Can you explain, step by step, how you are going about setting up 2 recordings?

Rgds.


Les.

I've just had a blinding thought.

Are you in a flat/apartment with a communal dish, and your outputs coming from a wall-plate?

If so, 1 of the outputs may not be a satellite feed, or if it is, it may not be working, cable or wallplate damaged. Actually this latter may apply even if you don't have a communal arrangement.

You would need to take your cables out, and try them one at a time into LNB1 in to ensure you get a signal/picture with each. Make sure you turn the box off before connecting/disconnecting cables.

Rgds.


Les.

I think the 2 cable recognition algorithm is flawed, basically it checks for a single cable install and assumes two cables without actually testing if the second cable is actually working. It's easy to find out if the second tuner is really functioning simply by starting an instant recording in one frequency band and polarity and then trying to view another channel in a different band

Try recording 104- CH 4 (low band horizontal) and while recording try to view 137 Zone Thriller (High Band Vertical)

Les & Graham,

Progress but of a kind! First regarding two cable connection following the suggestion made I sought to instantly record one channel whilst viewing another and this was successful so that seems to resolve that issue.
Secondly perhaps rather belatedly I admit I followed the procedure or multi channel recording detailed in page 68 of the Humax manual and that achieved simultaneous recording of two channels. The reason I had not attempted this before was that this procedure calls for INSTANT recording whereas I have been endeavouring to set up dual recording in advance of the transmission times . Is this asking too much of the system?
In my naivity or ignorance I had using the EPG to set up in advance a programme to be recorded by highlighting the programme in one channel and on selecting OK this resulted in a drop down menu with three options viz to recored a single programme, to record a series or to watch. Opting normally for the first of these this esulted in the programme being successfully recorded. For multi channel recording I had assumed, apparently wrongly, that all one had to do was to repeat the same process but in another channel.
So finally after many attempts multi channel recording has been achieved (by following the manual's instructions no less!) but is there no other way? As a layman this seems to be a serious failing since one cannot always be present when a recording is requuired
In a nutshell cannot what can be achieved for a single recording also be achieved for multi channelrecording?
I would add that I really appreciate the help amd assistance proveded by forum members

You set a second recording from the epg in exactly the same way by going to the entry and pressing OK. If the second programme can't be reserved this way there is something wrong . Normally this is as a result of not having two independent feeds.

MZEE80,

You are still not telling us what we need to know, in your replies. If you don't tell us/confirm the detail, we will make assumptions, which is bad. see below :-

Which channels did you use for this test? As long as it was Graham's suggestion of 104 & 137, then that does prove your 2nd Tuner is functioning. If it was another combination, it may not prove it.
Also, did you try the test in my post #6? This uses instant recording which you seem OK with.


Again, unless you tell us which channels you achieved success on, we don't know whether it proves you have 2 working feeds/tuners. You can record 2 channels with one tuner/cable, depending on the combination.


If setting up recordings in advance from the EPG, in the way you want, was not a function of these PVR's, then I don't think many people would buy them

Go into the EPG, navigate to a programme in the future (not one that is currently on), press OK, make your choice of Single or Series (if available). Navigate to another channel, choose another programme that is on at the same time as the one you just set up, or at least overlaps either its start or end, press OK, and go through the same procedure. This is how you set up recordings.

I'm still suspecting you have problems with one of your feeds if this is not working for you. You could do the above, and be lucky if you choose the right combination of channels, but if not they will not record if you do not have 2 working feeds/tuners.

Can you do the 2 tests we have previously requested, and confirm the results exactly.

Rgds.


Les.

I'm not familiar with the Humax but having two tuners doesn't imply what you suggest..but some boxes allow it

In simple terms:
Two tuners means two receivers therefore the box can on the face of it process two live signals at once. That implies three modes of operation:

1.Record+Watch
2.Record+Record
3.Watch+watch

(3)Is rarely implemented (other than as PiP) but I have seen it. I think my old DTT Inverto allowed that option - useful for multi-room installations I suppose. I think it could output one thing on SCART and the other on RF.

However in addition to this you don't need a tuner to watch a pre-recorded programme. You can therefore do:

Record+Record+Watch recording.

Where 'recording' can refer to pre-existing or one of the programmes being recorded (known as chase-play).

In complex terms:
Actually a single signal isn't just one channel. Digital TV and radio broadcast multiple channels on one signal. That means that when the box tunes in to a signal it actually has access to more than one channel.

It is therefore technically possible to process more than one channel per tuner. In practice most boxes don't support this. It requires more expensive hardware and from a user's point of view it appears to be down to pot luck. It's dependant on which channels you happen to want the box to process.

I'd hate to have to try and explain this in a user manual or on the telephone.

For what it's worth the Humax DTT PVR does allow this functionality so it's possible that they allow it on satellite as well. I think it's less useful though due to the far greater number of 'signals' (actually referred to as 'transponders' on satellite, 'MUX' on DTT). The chances of being able to share signals is a lot higher on DTT.

The HDR can do RECORD + RECORD + WATCH with the choice of WATCH depending on what is recording. If the 2 recording channels are on the same transponder then you can also do RECORD + RECORD + WATCH any channel and time shift as well. The icord from which the hdr is developed can in the right circumstances do RECORD + RECORD + RECORD + RECORD. Both Humax and Topfield freeview pvrs can also view a 3rd channel while recording 2 (any channel in same mux as either recording)

Ah cool. There's been a suggestion recently that the new Sky HD boxes can do it but I have my doubts. It's nice to see Humax continuing to provide that functionality as it can be handy. It'd be even more handy if broadcasters spread themselves across more transponders but that's not likely.

They(*) seem to be finding it difficult to do anything sensible with their choice of transponder at the moment.

(*)Sky mostly. Then again you can hardly blame them. Why would they want to make it easy for channels to switch from FTV to FTA?

Les & Graham,

As ypu say I should endeavour to answer specific queries that have been put to me with equally specific answers. Put this failure down to an octengenarian finding himself in very unfamiliar territory.
However I have now carried the combination trial precisely as suggested by Graham viz recording Channel 4 whilst viewing Channel 137 and this was successful. Presumptively this gives the two cable connections a clean bill of health.
Further I have also setup in advance the simultaneous recording of BBC2 and ITV.,Tthis too was successful since the subsequent playback was OK. Whilst recording I selected List where most channels were "greyed out" (which I believe is to be expected in
these circumstances) but of the few that were not I was also able to view concurrent with the recordings being made.
All this seems to add up to a success story annd I am grateful for all forum members help and assistance to getting to this point. Lets hope from here on it is all
plain sailing !

That's entirely consistant with what should happen. If you post which ITV region you are in, I will post what channels you should be able to view while recording BBC2 and ITV1

Graham

Yes your test of 104 & 137 looks good.

Interestingly, and to show how confusing this can be for you, re your ITV & BBC2 test result :-

When I had an Essex postcode on the box, influencing my regional channel variations (hence transponder frequency & polarities), I could not have recorded ITV & BBC2 together with one cable. However, since I have moved to an Exeter postcode (not physically !!) to get a better quality ITV picture, I could record those two channels simultaneously with only 1 cable working, so the test would not have been valid.

Anyway, it looks like you are OK, and have now got the hang of advance recording from the EPG, so well done.

Rgds.

Les.

Les & Graham,
Not my intention to mislead but a typing error - just another manifestation of age! The reference tp successful simultaneous two channel recording should have read BBC2 and ITV3. Concerning ITV1 our reception area is Meridian

Don't worry, actually that's good, you cannot record BBC2 & ITV3 simultaneously with only one cable, so your test was actually valid

With 2 cables you can record those channels and also watch at the same time :-
102 BBC2
105 Five
106 BBC3
107 BBC4
115 ITV3
116 ITV3+1
600 CBBC
601 CBeebies
731 Talk Sport Radio
950 BBC1 London
957 BBC NI
968 BBC2 England

But, you cannot Timeshift these (Pause Live TV).

Rgds.


Les.