I'm assuming that the update will be significant and will introduce several new features. So, once the update is released, will there be a PDF document available to supplement (replace?) the current handbook?

If not, could this be considered?

I, for one, would rather read about changes and new functions than undertake hit and miss experimentation, which I'm, more than likely to miss anyway.

John

Yes, I too was wondering about that.

For any updates release notes are made available on our website; if any additional documentation is required with a product’s update then addendums are created.

Can we have some addendums to add the missing info from the original manual

New thread - missing info from the user manual , all the missing info in one place

We will be looking to address the user manual in the future to include some more details on common issues customers have feedback to us.
Would be interested to know how many people actually read the manual?

I read mine

I was reading mine again last night!

I read mine ..... not a great deal of info in it though

I read mine, but it generally leaves obvious questions unanswered. It's particulary poor at describing how to use file manager, what it can and can't achieve.

One obvious almost vital piece of info missing judging by the nos of times the questions asked - What effect does a factory reset have - Existing Recordings, Personal Preferences, Recording Schedule, and Non Freesat Channels Stored.

I read mine. Still conveniently on the table alongside the telly.

Like most manuals, unfortunately it's more of a walkthrough of the features rather than explaining what the features actually are or how best to use them.

Eg: 4.3 Resolution. Explains that you can step through with the V-Format button but doesn't explain why you might want to do this.

John.

I think a lot of people skip the manual and struggle through simply because its very poorly written to start with. Its exceptionally unclear and difficult to understand and not very comprehensive. I get the feeling the writers were more concerned with keeping the size of the manual to a minimum and saving print costs, than they were in making it easy to read.

I for one would welcome an entire re-write into something that's quick and easy to reference with comprehensive coverage of every feature.

As an online .pdf file, there's very little cost to Humax in doing this (apart from an employees time). People could either then save it to their pc or print a copy off for their bookshelf. Whereas with a new product its best to have a paper manual, I think we can all forgive you here for going electronic.

Come off it White-Knight - it's not even close to being as bad as you suggest.

When I read it I thought it was as good as any manual for other similar product and perfectly understandable.

There's no way Humax deserve the slagging off they're getting - is it any wonder the support people don't post very often!

Compared to the 9200 manual it's not very good in my opinion and there is a load of essential basic info omitted.

I think it's only men who subscribe to the "if all else fails, read the manual" theory. Women always read it first. It's too late when you have blown something with hit & miss!

I completely agree.

The Manual is a good starting point, then pick up the remote and use the machine.

I read the manual.

I agree with the comment about the File Manager: the instructions are insufficiently detailed and miss out basic steps. It doesn’t help that the File Manager section at 11.1.5 misleadingly starts off: “You can delete files or copy files to/from external devices”. What about managing files when an external device is not connected? Why is managing folders not mentioned in this intro?

The Basic Operation chapter could also be improved. For instance: how do you record? Nothing in the Basic Operation chapter. You need to look in four separate sections, ie 6.1, 11.1.2, and 12.3.

How do you delete a programme you have watched? Again, nothing in the Basic Operation chapter. You need to look in section 11.1.5 referred to above.

Hope this is helpful.

Have you ever known me flame Humax? I always try to be objective and helpful. If something is bad I say its bad and if something is good I praise them for it.

To me the manual is poor. It fails to explain many of the features. It has few diagrams beyond the ones showing the button layout and the explanations could be better. It also fails to explain File Manager very well leaving you to fumble though and find yourself confronted with 2 unexplained columns of files. I had to ask other people on here how to move files as I found file manager confusing and the manual of little help and I have a law degree!

File manager is a poor UI design, you are always going to struggle to describe it well in a manual.

I only read the manual when the product fails to explain itself, I dipped in the Humax manual a couple of times and did get the answers I needed.

Compared to other manuals - I'm thinking of Topfield PVR, I'd say it was "good".

So, are you really saying that the manual has to be considered OK because the product is so poor?
The manual has vast gaps in its descriptions as to how to use the features built into the system.
Maybe it should have this forum's URL as the first entry on page 1 and then say don't bother to read this manual, just post here with any questions you may have.
Any manual for anything should be tested on people that are not familiar with the product and assessed as to how successful it is. I know for a fact that certain features on the Humax could not possibly have been tested in this way, otherwise the manual would have been (more?) helpful.

Product is not as a whole poor, but that aspect is poor and cannot be easily documented as a result.


Now you are talking sense ! This is precisely my approach on buying some new kit such as the HDR :
1. Staple the receipt into the manual
2. Secure manual in safe place, do not open
3. Power up the device
4. If issues arise, forums and google are my friend
5. If I reach 5 then I either messed up by buying something that no-one else has got, I have a duff product or I'm being thick - so try the product again.
6. If ALL else fails read manual before returning the product to the retailer.

As someone else point out above women do seem to follow a different pattern.
Last edited by swedish cook : 08-09-2009 at 08:19

Well, I had the Foxsat and it's manual for 4 days before I had the dish so I had little to do other than to read the manual. I think you're overly generalizing about the manual-reading habits of women and men! I come from an engineering background and was taught early on to "never guess" - always read the manual.

As an amateur software developer, I always write the manual at the same time as I write the software and frequently find the software not working as expected. Maybe if Humax adopted this approach the File Manager software could have been made to work in a way that they would have liked to have been able to write in the manual! Other things, such as the Back button only operating as a "Previous Channel" button in non-freesat mode, would also be picked up at an early (fixable) stage.

I was disappointed not to find a better quality colour version of the manual online.

John.

Back button works in freesat mode as well, you have to have the i plate on screen.

I read my manual.

I am sure like most people I read up to "Basic Operation" then after that had the manual handy.

With receipt stapled in back as per Swedish Cook's point 1.

Then looking at it occasionally to see if there is a quicker/easier way to do what I have been doing.

Mikembe

I wasn't aware the product was poor. It's actually very good when you compare it to any of the competition.

If I remember correctly, even the Panasonic at twice the price has been reported to have a few bugs by those on here who bought it.

There are some improvements that could be made though to the HDR and there are some features that are badly needed eg full support for non Freesat mode. However, Humax are aware of these and nothing prevents the usability of the current HDR as a perfectly good box.

It does what it is supposed to very well with only the odd minor glitch.

Can someone tell me about this as obviously I've missed it.

One of the things I've wanted is a "previous channel" button so I can flick between 2 channels whilst waiting for something to start or reach a certain point without having to constantly type in channel numbers. I wasn't aware the Humax had this facility.