I have been using the old Humax 8000T in place of the prematurely-made-redundant Thomson DHD4000.

Is there a problem with the way some multiplexes broadcast the standard Freeview 7/8 day EPG?

I have been trying to access it to find Film 4's schedule for later in the week, and it is driving me mad. The data seems only to cover today and tomorrow - a period of approximately 24 hours.

I have done numerous 'reset to defaults' and even tried manually tuning Film 4 as the only station (still the same). I then thought that maybe adding a few BBC channels to the list might be a good idea, as the BBC supposedly transmits a decent amount of EPG data. The BBC channels are fully populated for the next seven days, yet Film 4 is still only two days.

What is going on?

The 8000 seems to have problems with the EPG these days. Mine used to populate its EPG fully a few years ago but now it only populates fully for the multiplex it is tuned to, other multiplexes populate to about three days. Something about the way the EPG is sent must have changed a few years ago I reckon.

Thanks.

It really is annoying that they keep moving the goalposts, making boxes virtually useless. I wonder how long the new HD boxes will last before standards shift again and they too lose functionality?

This is not a new problem for the 8000T. EPG display has always been problematic, with some channels not fully populating. It's been a while since I used mine regularly, but I think the solution is to reset the box (power off) and let it re-load the EPG.

Have you any channel nos in the 800's ?

Nooooo, have you not read my manual search instruction

jw75,
Unfortunately it's not that simple, as I said in my post above the 8000 EPG used to populate fully but for several years now it has only populated fully for the tuned multiplex, other multiplexes populate to three and a bit days.

That sounds similar to the split NIT problems, ie. [data table],[extended data table] where the receiver cannot link to the extended part.

I checked it again today, and Film4 is still the same - barely enough EPG information for one day.

Sooo, facing the facts full in the face, I now have two bloody useless boxes and it is getting to be a rather expensive task replacing technology every five years!

I popped into Tesco today to look at pvrs; they had two, a Technika T835 @ just under £100 (Vestel, I presume), as well as the £200 'Fetch' Technika.

What do we know about Tesco's Technika 'Fetch' pvr?

Do you have channels in the 800 range, I get an expexted EPG for film 4.?

A member on here (can't remember who) explained the EPG transmission method a few months ago and it did fit in with what you get on the 8000. He also said that the transmission method hadn't changed in years but it think it must have because I deffinately used to get a full EPG years ago. As a matter of interest my Humax telly bought at the same time as my 9200 (three years in November) populates its EPG in the same manner as the 8000.

No 800 duplicates: I reset to defaults and manually scanned in the Film4 multiplex, deleting the dross and only allowed Film4 to be saved; i.e. a solitary channel. Result: data for only 24 hours - even when tuned to that channel.

Additionally, I manually added BBC multiplex, deleted CBeebies, CBBC and radio stations; allowed the five main BBC channels to be stored. Result: a week's schedule appeared over a short period of time - when tuned to the BBC multiplex.

Further, I manually scanned the Digital3&4 multiplex, deleted the text channels and the '+1s' and saved the main ITV, Channel 4 and Five channels. Result: a week's schedule appeared inside a short space of time - when tuned to this multiplex.

I think that the multiplex that Film4 is on now, is not transmitting standard EPG information.

A few minutes ago I switched on my 8000 from cold (mains) and put it on Film 4, The EPG for that channel and others on the same multiplex populated to seven days but has now dropped back to three and a bit days, the bit being up to midnight.

EDIT: Back to seven day EPG now.

As you said before it looks like the goalposts keep moving making older models less functional unless the manufacturer updates the software to keep up.

I can only get Film4 populated over a twenty-four hour period; i.e. 8:00pm tonight, until 8:00pm tomorrow.

As a matter of interest, my firmware status reads as follows:
[LIST][*]Hardware Version: NEO REV 1.0[*]Software Version: PGTTF 2.00.01[*]Loader Version: h3.07[*]System ID 15b3.0000[*]Update date 2 APR 2005[/LIST]This is the last date that it ever received any update over the air.

I've got Loader Version h3.08 but all other data is the same as yours.

I've just switched to BBC1 so I'll let you know in a few minutes what the population is for Film 4.

Few minutes.

Film 4 now populated for three days up to 21:00 on Sunday. Of course BBC1, BBC2, etc. are now populated for seven days.

A sudden thought just occurred to me: which transmitter are you on, and are you pre or post DSO?

Pre DSO on Waltham, main East Midlands transmitter.

I'm post DSO on the Angus transmitter.

I wonder if they have fiddled with the way the EPG is transmitted from the Angus transmitter. Remember there was something about the new Humax HDR T2 not handling the changes to the HD epg? Maybe it is related?

Wouldn't surprise me at all, this region switches in March-April next year so I'll look forward to that.

Just to change the subject, when you boot yours from standby and the progress bar goes 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%, does yours pause slightly longer on 80% than it does on all the rest? I ask because mine does (and always has) and for the last few months it sometimes (but not often) fails at 80% and fully re-boots as it does when you switch on at the mains. This has the undesirable effect of losing the clock so no further timer events can take place.

No, I have never experienced that. It boots correctly each time.

You know how I mentioned the Tesco Fetch box a few posts ago? Well, I found a comparison by a forum member, and I've ruled that one out.

I was considering a Humax 9300, but they are a bit long in the tooth now, so it looks as though I need to get a modern machine.

Thanks for that but does yours pause slightly longer at the 80% mark?

No. It progresses in equal chunks.

Interesting, I wonder if it's anything to do with the different loader because mine has paused longer at 80% from new, thanks anyway.

The Film4 schedule information started working properly on Friday afternoon and had a week's data. It is now back to ropey status again, though with data for only two days.

Pretty useless, to say the least.