Agreed with Boinng on that. I really dont see how a broadcaster could in anyway cause the Humax to loose track of all of the recordings that are obviously still on the machine - but not accessable. Humax need to understand this problem and then fix it.

Boinng I understand there was an update for the Fusions which included a process of saving what I think is some sort of file table to disk so that in the event of the file corrupting, the saved file can be recovered. Not sure if a similar method would be the fix or a workaround Humax can implement if it is unable to trace where the problem lies and what triggers it.

I think I have seen zero length recording issues on the Fusion and Pace PVRs and (I think) had software fixes for them. The Topfield had 0 length recordings and lost recordings and this gives me hope that if they have now resolved this in a software update the Humax should be able to as well. This is the first 0 length recording issue I remember seeing on the Humax threads though - is this problem continuing jfgv40. May be worth startiung a new thread with as much detail as possible.
Last edited by marcdavis : 31-01-2006 at 14:19

It has to be some sort of index file that gets corrupted or deleted that causes the lost of all recordings. Getting Humax to put an option in the software to make a backup copy of this index file would be a great help. Users can then backup this file and restore it when this problem occurs to see if they can see their recordings again.

Yep, this is how the Fusion fix works I think, although the actual process of saving and recovering from the backup index is all done in the background - the user never gets to know about this. The same fix also incorporates some improved "integrity checking" of the HDD. It's not know whether Fusion have ever gotten to the bottom of what caused the library loss problem on their machine, or whether they just built in ways for the damage to be undone once it had happened..

have just spoken to Humax and they say a software patch will be ready in 3 or 4 weeks to fix this bug. He wasn’t sure whether it will recover lost recordings though. I suppose the joy of multi-channel tv is that everything will be repeated sooner or later anyway.

If you follow this thread you'll see that I reported Humax telling me this over a month ago. My dealings with the Helpline has meade me distrist anything they say.

I have no trust at all in their advice. Don't get this wrong, maybe this should be called 'Humax Lies'.

Yup

Humax customer services seem to be singularly unhelpful - I have emailed three times over this matter and still not had a reply.

Does anyone have an email address for an actual person rather than the tech-info@humax-digital.co.uk or uksupport@humax-digital.co.uk addresses?

I am getting increasingly annoyed by the poor levels of customer support.

Sorry - I’d missed this. I think if it happens again I’ll insist on a replacement - if enough of us do this maybe they’ll get it sorted - as I’ve said, I live near to their hq so I’ll go and hassle them in person if this happens again.

This guy replied to me from the helpdesk: robert@humax-digital.co.uk. His name is Robert Brown.

I cant believe it!!

I have read everyone else's problems about lost recordings and was thinking I had better start backing everything up just in case.

Well its too late, everthing has gone, over 60 gigs worth

I recorded the It Crowd and My Name is Earl on Channel 4 last night and also Jon Culshaws commercial Breakdown.

Before that I had deleted all BBC 2's Hyperdrive series.

The machine was left in standby as usual.

I don't know at what point everything was gone as I didn't check the recorded list when I switched on this afternoon.

I was watching Channel Five's Property Dreams and I pressed the Instant Record button and switched the PVR into standby.

When I switched it back on later this afternoon there was only the 2 programmes I recorded last night and C5's Property Dreams.

I am so P****D!, I had all ITV's Surface and Supernatural which I haven't watched yet and loads of other shows and Films.

HD/W Ver: Rev 1.0
SFT/W Ver: PGXTF 1.00.01
Loader: a4.07

Now I'm not sure whether to keep it or wait to see if an update cures the problem. I was really impressed with the machine until now. Just recently my DVD Recorder started playing up thats why I got the PVR, and now thats giving me grief!

I think I might just go back to VCRS and tape

Whatever the problem/bugs that causes the lost of all programmes must be affecting the index file. This simple facility of manually backing up this file and restoring it when the lost occurs would relief much frustration...


I was going to suggest you fire up eLinker to see if you can still transfer the files to the PC but from post #1, it seems you can't. This also confirms the fact that the eLinker does not see the raw filesystem but must also use the index file for its operation.

It would be nice if there was someway of retrieving all the data that is still on the hard drive.

I haven't made my mind up whether to keep it or ask for my money back.

Its got real potential this machine but I'm feeling increasingly apprehensive about its reliability.

If I take it back whats the alternative? - another PVR with similar bugs or another DVD recorder with the pain that is recordable discs?

The hummys twin tuner is what really attracted me to it, so if I keep it should I leave all the data on the drive in the hope that its recoverable or just re-format it?

If the lost recordings problem happens again then whats the benefit of having it?

I've had the 9200T since last October and luckily have not "lost any recordings". I have had non-recordings, i.e. scheduled recordings that have only recorded the time I had added as padding at the end. I have also noticed recently that it is becoming more unreliable, in so much as it is 'locking up' and 'loosing' the hard-drive on coming out of stand-by.

Anyway, coming back to your original point. I suspect that once the file table (index) becomes corrupt the chances of the programme data being recovered are remote unless the TV programmes are recorded contiguously, which I doubt. If there was a way to recover the data then I would have thought that Humax would have written a utility to do so. They have been very quiet about this though.

I still believe it is a good machine and that Humax will eventually iron out the software bugs, they did with the 8000T. Whether we'll get all the enhanced functionality people on this forum have asked for is open to conjecture!

Crazy Eyes, I am really sorry for you. I too have read previous posts on the loss of all recordings and am just keeping my fingers crossed, and almost never put the box in standby.

I dread what to think will happen if we lose all our recordings. I am too busy at work to watch everything like Surface at the moment and I already have a major piece of DIY work to do one weekend to repair a massive dent in a wall following the failure to record one programme. Dented not by me, but by my wife when the 9200 failed to record Desperate Housewives! An apt name methinks. So I don't know what would happen if we lost everything. If the 9200 survived such a loss it would be going straight back to QED and a Toppy would be on order.

AJP

Well I have decide that I will see if I can get a refund from Comet.

I am not prepared to risk it happening again because it spoils the fun of using it.

I will keep an eye on these forums though, to see if the situation improves with future software updates, and if it does then I will probably buy an improved one.

I dont want to hang on to it too long and wait for an update because it lessens my chance of getting a refund.

A shame really because I quite enjoyed it.

Last night set the PVR for ITV1 8pm-9pm, added 2 mins pad at the end so the prog would finish recording at 9:02pm. Later on set the PVR for ITV1 for 9pm-10pm for same night. OK, I could have made a consequtive recording but as I was in a rush to get to the pub I quickly did the second recording.

First program recorded OK, second program just didn't record and it did disappear from the recording schedule but didn't appear on the recorded programmes list. So, only one prog recorded. There was this 2min overlap on the same channel, but with 2 tuners I would have thought it would have been OK to have that overlap by using bothe tuners. Seems not. In future I will do consequtive recordings.
Last edited by Dai Alfa : 06-02-2006 at 11:06

I now believe that this is the PVR problem - using instant record. I think this is how my recordings have been lost previously. I did get a new machine 1 month ago and have avoided the instant record since, and so far, fingers xsd, I've not lost any recordings. Any voulnteers to tell the dumbos on the Humax Helpdesk? Not me, I've had it with them.

Just to add my name to the growing list. Woke up this morning and over 60 recordings have disappeared.

I've had my machine since October and had upgraded to the new software as soon as it was available. I've always been careful not to delete recordings while others were in progress, put my machine in standby every night, but I guess there is no real protection.

Just when I thought the hummy had settled in - all recordings gone. The last thing I did last night was transfer all radio programs to PC and then delete them from the recorded programs list. Today - no recorded programs but the box thinks 30Gb are used. Help line suggested 1) reboot 2) default settings 3) transfer to PC. None of these worked. D**n!

Another example of the useless Helpdesk, still saying the same old trash with no fix in sight.

Turned on yesterday to find all recordings are missing. Tried Re-Boot & reset defaults without success.
Spoke to Pat at the help desk who said they were aware of 'a couple' of other instances of this happening and are investigating. He told me he had absolutely no idea when a fix would be available for OTA update!
I will send an e-mail to customer support to formally register complaint.

Send your email to robert@humax-digital.co.uk. The more we send to this guy then maybe, just maybe, they'll start to listen. But, please don't hold your breath for a reply. They are again being contradictory - telling you fix date not known when they kept telling me end of January. Believe me my friend they are useless.

Do they realise how irritating it is to be told there are "a couple" of instances of this, when even a casual perusal of this forum will show that dozens of us have been affected? I don't know if it is just self-denial or company policy, but they seem intent on pretending that this is not a significant problem. My disk is now 90% full, mostly with programmes I have yet to watch, and I get really nervous every time I turn on my PVR that I might have lost the lot again.

90% full, blimy I think you best start watching those programs.
If its mostly full of programs you havent watch then what about the ones you have watched. Why dont you delete them after youve watched them?

Sent to Robert as suggested and got the following message back:-

"The message reached the recipient's e-mail system, but delivery was refused."

doesn't exactly enspire confidence!

It is quite possible that emails sent to an individual are not accepted unless that person has already emailed you (some form of anti-spam whitelisting). Just try sending to the address suggested in the manual.