You're right. I knew that. HUMAX offered to 'try' and retrieve them if I wanted to drop the machine into them. Yeah right. The way I see it now - I'll get a new machine (old software) and wait for a fix until endof Jan -06 the latest. At least by getting a replacement machime SOMEBODY looses out, whether it's the manufacturer OR the retailer. I know, a nasty mean streak, but I HAVE BEEN SOLD A DUFF MACHINE!!!!

Trouble is you may be sold another 'duff' machine because as yet even Humax don't know what's causing it. It may be better to stick with what you've got (assuming you're happy with everything else) and wait for the update. By then you won't be so mad either .

We're very much in the minority here. There's a few dozen posts on here with the problem, Humax told me they are aware of only a few reported cases themselves but they've sold tens of thousands. The odds are pretty much stacked in favour of NOT losing your recordings.

Not that that makes me, you or all the others affected feel any better! So far though I've been impressed with the reponse Humax have made to other problems and I'm quite confident they are working to solve this one. It's a matter of how quickly! In the meantime it's difficult to be confident that any recordings will be safe, so I'm archiving to video just in case (how's that for bet and braces ).

I'd take this with a pinch of salt. When I lost all my recordings in early December, they told me they were aware of only one other case. But, at the time, about a dozen people on this forum had reported losing all their recordings. Don't forget that only a fraction of those tens of thousands of 9200t owners subscribe to this forum, so there are likely to be a lot more than a few dozen affected by the lost-all-recordings bug.

However, I do suggest waiting a few days before making a final decision. The 9200t is in most respects an excellent machine, and the bug-free PVR does not yet exist, so you have to ask yourself what you would replace it with.

Got an e-mail from Humax again. They now tell me that they can't recreate the problem but other complainants seem to be leaving the machine on for long periods without use, ie OFF stand by. I was told not to do this and make sure the machine is o standby when not in use. This doesn't help me because that's what I do - on standby when not in use. So, they do know there's a problem - I finally have the mail to prove it.

By the way - I got a new machine from the retailer and noticed a few different things. The boot up clicking is a lot quieter than my returned one and it's already got the latest software applied. So, this is a later produced batch of machines. I'm still dubious though that each time I go to the Recorded Programmes list that they will still be there.

I think Humax engineers have been aware of this problem and their need to find the cause and a preventative cure, because of the posts on here and those that have reported it to the helpline. Perhaps its not always possible to filter the information coming in on the central call logging system in a way that all events are shared amongst helpdesk agents - hense why any given agent may not have had a call themselves about a given problem before and seem unaware when you call, whereas another may have had one call themselves or aware that a colleague took a call about it a few days earlier.

The problem with this issue is that even though statistically the number of post from people who have had this happen is low, I think the fact that there are numbers means its a significant issue i.e. probability: low/impact: high.

As with lockups, a PVR manufacturer will hope to capture this problem for themselves so they can look at it. As it stands it looks like they've got a one in 200 chance of experiencing this on a machine. Perhaps they will have to look at this coming from a different angle to waiting for this to happen in house.

Not true in my case. I nearly always put the machine into standby, but still lost my recordings. In fact, my suspicion is that the problem only happens when the box is put into or brought out of standby. In my case, I put the box into standby and then almost immediately brought it out again, before the disk had stopped spinning. Of course, I cannot prove that this caused the problem, and I'm not about to risk damaging my PVR's disk by trying to repeat it.

This thread is a frightening one. I have just recently bought a 9200T and I am obviously starting to record programmes. I don't want to lose any or all of the programmes so the question is: how likely that some or all of my recording will be lost?

I wonder if there are some numbers (%) on the number of machines having all their programmes wiped due to this unknown problem? Has anyone who have had a complete wipe (lost of all programmes and after formatting the drive) have experienced the problem again?

Do I need to start thinking about transferring the programmes to a PC soon?

Well I have counted about 30 people who have reported this which is significant. Its an assumption that the majority of people finding their way to forums such as these have are having a problem or to find the answer to an issue they have, and if that assumtion is correct then its probably the minority rather than the majority of owners.

But if you just stick to those people people coming on the Humax forums there are probably in the region of about 500 different posters over the last few months. 30 / 500 x 100 makes it 6% of posters on here that have had the lost recrdings issue. The figure goes down, maybe dramitically if you try to figure out total ownership in this country.

Dai has reported that the lost recrdings issue has happened twice before to him, but if you add one more to that number (in case a poster has not come back here to report it happening again) 2 / 500 x 100 is less than half of a percent chance of having it twice (out of those postings on these forums).

Like I said before I think the number is low (yet significant)and the probability is low but the impact is high (loose all your recordings). We know that Humax have been for a little while and will be over the next few weeks doing work on software, and that it will probably result in more than one software update during the beginning part of this year.
I hope Humax will understand understand what is happening for this issue to occur and take measures to cut it out of the equasion entirely within the next few weeks!

It strikes me that the whole Freeview experience is still relatively unstable; a PVR that loses recordings is about as much use as a VCR that chews tapes - i.e. scrap value. Perhaps the powers that be should stop experimenting with customers and concentrate on providing stable transmissions to properly defined standards that manufacturers such as Humax can then rely on. Whilst we have a position where broadcasters actions can screw up all one's recordings, then I think I'll stick to analogue.

Lost all my recordings tonight but under slightly different circumstances than some of the other occurences reported here. This is the first total loss of recordings since purchase on 2/11/05.

Earler today my wife had pre-set to record this evenings Emmerdale (19.00 to 19.30) and Coronation Street (19.30 to 20.00) both on ITV1. The 9200 was switched to ITV1 so when she came in at about 19.30, she started watching both programmes using the live buffer, i.e. not the recorded programme.

When she had watched both at approx 20.20 (adverts skipped) I intended to delete both recorded fprogrammes from the rom the hard disk. Emmerdale was deleted OK but the last programme recorded (Coronation Street) was identifed as ITV1 (not CS) on BBC3 channel 7, dated 9/1/06 and timed 21.00 -21.59. This time and date did coincide with a programme I had recorded on 9/1/06 (The Ferocious Mr Fixit) but on playing back the recording, it was tonights CoronationStreet. I think The Ferocious Mr Fixit was now missing from the listing i.e. overwritten by CS.

I then attempted to delete this recording but on getting to the "confirm delete" window, the set locked up.

I switched off and back on again but after boot up, all recordings were found to be missing. Approx 60GB of the disk is reported used so the records are still there, albeit inaccessible.

I have listed the circumstances in some detail since I think this is the first report of a recording loss associated with a lock up.

I did experience a number of lockups shortly after purchase but the PVR was returned to Humax for upgrade to Micom (now ver 2.03). Software was also changed to 1.00.01 at the same time. Since return, until today, the PVR has performed satisfactorily

Transmitter is Waltham.

Dave

I lost all my recordings immediately after I'd deleted a program that had failed to record the previous week (see the first post in this thread). I wonder if the problem happens when deleting a recording that has some sort of problem associated with it? It would be interesting to know how many other cases of lost recordings happened immediately after deleting something.

My original post to this thread was along these kind of lines but I haven`t been brave enough to try and repeat it.

I did two things which 'might' have contributed to me losing all my recordings:

i) I had finished watching a recording, but it was still playing when I pressed MENU and when into the option to delete it.

ii) While I was in that menu I deleted some other programs and then came straight out back to TV and put it into standby immediately.

Once I`ve got a USB2 laptop and transfered the data over and I`ll try to repeat these steps.

Seems to have happened to me as well

Been lurking on these forums for a while, but just registered to add my info.

Switched my 9200T back on from standby the other evening (can't remember which channel it came back on or what it was recording at the time - how do you guys remember all that!) and when I looked at the recording list, a bit later, ALL my recordings had disappeared. (had a few freeze-ups on ITV channels too over the past month or two)

The HDD control page indicated that the recordings were still taking up space on the drive but the list was empty.

Tried resetting the box to defaults with no success.

I'm assuming it is a HDD file allocation table problem.

I've emailed Humax about it over the weekend but have had no reply yet. I have mentioned to them that I've found other cases mentioned on the web so they will probably not try to tell me it is an unique case!

Running software version 1.00.00

Anyone had any sensible advice from them?

Thanks in advance.

Jon

Jon, the only advice I got was (after a few calls to them when they said there was no problem) that their development teams in Korea are aware of the problem that's affecting a few users (!!!). A fix will be OTA and download set into the web site when available. Keep checking the website for further info. - all this fills me full of no hope at all.

I did get a replacement machine from the internet retailer, who didn't really believe the problem. This new machine has been OK since I got it (3 weeks ago) but I'm not really using it in anger yet. I have noticed that the latest software was already loaded and the HDD is very much quieter. I think this machine is from a different batch, maybe different manufacturer, than my first one. Unfortuantley I don't have the old serial number so see if it is in the same range the rest of us with the problem.

thanks for the advice - I'll let you know if I have a different response.

It's a shame that this problem occurs as the box has really changed the way I use the TV - if they could get it all fixed (and increase the 20 program limit!) I'd be really pleased!

I have been using the 9200T since it was first available in October and have not had any "lost recordings" which, I believe maybe a corruption of the file indexing system. The only problem I've encountered with recordings is that on 3 separate occassions, although the recorded programme schedule shows the correct start/end time, only the 5 minutes time I've padded at the end gets recorded. This is verified when using e-Linker to look at the length of the file recorded. I have since deleted these recordings and have not had the problems described here, yet! I have reported this problem to Humax.

Hmmm - this seems quite possible

I'm not sure if the two are related, but before I lost all my recordings I did delete a file that had not completed (had the little yellow/green icon in the recording list) - the program didn't record properly as I had an ITV freeze-up (as mentioned in other topics).

I can't be entirely sure that these two things happened on the same day (can't remember exactly when I deleted the corrupted file)

When Humax do eventually get back to me (still no news after 6 days!) I'll pass this info on to them to see if they can replicate the problem.

Jon

Yesterday morning I switched the machine out of standby as normal and guess what, yes an empty playlist.
I don't remember doing anything different prior to going to standby the night before.
I will be taking it back today either for a refund or a replacement, I have lost confidence in this machine.

Old software version
Micom 2.02
Never had any lockups

Yet another 'Me too'.
Long time lurker ,first time poster.

Had all my recordings wiped about 3 weeks after purchase in November.
Formatted after it happened and no probs since until yesterday morning when I found out over 70 separate recordings had been wiped.
Whats even more annoying is that I got a DVD recorder on Tuesday with the intent on archiving tons of stuff and 2 days later the Hummy decides to dump the lot before I get the chance!!

Irate e-mail sent to Humax yesterday - No response as yet.

I have not updated the firmware yet and after reading comments on here (great site BTW) I have avoided deleting things while recording etc.

Currently deciding what to do - I dont think I can not have a PVR now as it has changed my viewing habits completely but I'm not sure I can keep on defending the fact that I spent over £200 on something so temperamental to the wife.

That is bad luck, sorry to hear that it has happened to you. At least you will be saved from making the effort of transferring the recorded programmes... (You can start with the new recordings... or return the Humax and get yourself a Toppy!)

I have been downloading the programmes off the Hummy and saving them that way - and it is not good to say that this process is a lot of hard work too.

Nevermind. I have a DVD recorder and using that was such a pain as I ended up with lots of disks and constant repeated setting of recording times. Also the DVD recorder has broken down on me twice now so even a simpler machine than the Hummy is not guaranteed to be that reliable.

Sad to have to add my story to the list. Watched as usual on Thursday night, deleting what I’d watched at the end of the evening. My daughter switched it on on Friday night and the list was empty apart from Corrie, which had recorded at 7.30.

Checking the disk seems to show that the same amount of memory has been used - about 70%. I tried resetting to default un-plugging it over night, but no change

I do live quite near to Humax’s office so I will contact them tomorrow and see if they can do anything,

I have not had a loss of all recordings yet, but I have had ocurrences where my Recorded list shows up completed recordings, but when I check them there size is 0mb. All the recordings affected were from Mux 2. This has happened 3 times in the last week. Is this an old problem or have I found another bug?

Sorry, but that's a lot of baloney. There's absolutely nothing to suggest that this has ANYTHING to do with anything the broadcasters are doing, and even if it did that could only be caused by a failing on the manufacturer's part. The purpose of this PVR is to record the digital stream it receives to its HDD, for playback later - nothing contained in the stream, no matter how non-standard, should possibly have any effect on pre-existing recordings. That could only happen if the PVR itself malfunctions as its writing that data.

It's high time people stopped looking to the "powers that be" and the broadcasters for solutions to these sorts of problems. Only Humax, the maker of the 9200, are responsible for the behaviour of their product. It doesn't matter in the slightest what it receives from the BBC or anyone else - even if it's complete garbage, it should be able to recognise it as garbage and ignore it, not throw a wobbly and crash, let alone wipe it's hard drive. Petition the right people for a fix, and stop expecting anyone else to do it for you.

Not sure if this has been covered before as I have not had a problem here so not really kept up to speed.

Last night pressed the Library button and nothing happened. Went through the Menu option only to see all the icons on the left hand side, but no library icon. Then wondered if this is what people get when they lose all their recodings.

So power off cycled and machine locked up. Tea now getting cold.

Powered off again and this time Humax came back and Library intact.

All worked fine. Just thought I would add this in case of any interest.

What you describe is different from what I experienced when I lost all recordings.

In my case, the "library" button worked, but brought up an empty list of recordings. In fact, everything behaved exactly as if I had re-formatted the disk, except that the "HDD Control" menu showed that the missing recordings were still occupying disk space.