Loading ...Humax FOXSAT-HDR
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Humax Freesat+ HD PVR Digital Box (FOXSAT-HDR)
Released: 21st November 2008
Best Price: £217.00 (500GB)
Humax FOXSAT-HDR ** Price Comparison (buy online now)
| STORE | PRICE | P+P | DISCOUNT CODE | TOTAL | SHOP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satbuyer | £169.95 | £5.00 | 320GB Version | £174.95 |  |
| Satbuyer | £199.95 | £5.00 | 320GB Version 2 year warranty |
£204.95 | |
| Amazon | £217.00 | FREE | 500GB Version | £217.00 | |
| Dixons | £217.00 | FREE | 500GB Version | £217.00 | |
| Laskys | £217.00 | FREE | 500GB Version | £217.00 | |
| Satbuyer | £214.95 | £5.00 | 500GB Version 2 year warranty |
£219.95 | |
| John Lewis | £249.95 | FREE | 500GB Version 2 year warranty |
£249.95 | |
| Comet | £249.99 | FREE | 500GB Version | £249.99 | |
| Currys | £249.99 | FREE | 500GB Version | £249.99 | |
| Satbuyer | £239.95 | £5.00 | 1000GB Version 2 year warranty |
£244.95 | |
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About the Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ PVR Digital Receiver
The Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ High Definition Receiver is the first Freesat PVR twin tuner 320GB/500GB hard drive receiver from Humax, for use on the Freesat satellite television platform.
The sleek black unit with its tinted perspex front panel (slight blue tint), discretely hiding the navigation buttons will suit most modern television set-ups and conceals within the very latest PVR technology with 320GB hard drive, allowing for approx 160 hours of standard-definition recordings; 80 hours in high-definition (or the 500GB version suitable for 300 hours of SD; 125 hours of HD).
Dual tuners will allow for very similar functionality as Sky+, minus the subscription costs. You will be able to record one channel whilst watching/recording another, or even record two channels whilst playing back a previously recorded programme. Couple this with the Freesat EPG, setting up to record couldn’t be easier.
Note – Don’t forget that you’ll need a twin/quad LNB and two cables from your satellite dish to make full use of the twin tuners; with just a single cable from your satellite dish, you can still use but with limitations on recording, see our article on operating a PVR with one input.
Humax FOXSATHDR Specification
- Freesat HD and SD channel recording
- Simultaneous viewing of one channel and recording another channel
- Receive HDTV signals (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 and MPEG-2)
- Under 1W power consumption in standby
- HDMI – digital interface for perfect transmission of picture and sound
- Simultaneous playing of transmissions over HDMI, composite and Scart
- Easy installation and operation
- Resolution format: 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i
- DVB-S2 and DVB-S compatible
- Ethernet support
- Full colour, high resolution electronic program guide
- Dolby digital audio output (S/PDIF)
- Automatic software upgrade via satellite
- Upscaling of SDTV to HD
- Audio description / One touch subtitle
- Massive 320GB HDD (500GB also available)
- Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth): 380 x 55 x 252 mm
- Weight: 3.1 kg
Humax FOXSAT-HDR hidden menu
Menu > System > Diagnostics > Red > Green > Yellow > Blue > Green > Yellow > Blue >
Includes:
- Set EEPROM Version
- Status
- Password Reset
- HDD Security Reset
- Default Setting / HDD Format (WARNING – selecting this will wipe all recordings without further prompt!)
- Format HDD
- CRID Test
- MHEG Test
Humax FOXSATHDR Reviews
TechRadar (4.5/5)
TrustedReviews (9/10)
Personal Computer World (4/5)
What Hi-fi Sound and Vision (5/5)
RegHardware (80%)
Humax FOXSATHDR official website
http://www.humaxdigital.com/freesat/
Humax FOXSATHDR manuals
User Manual
Hardware & Technical Specification
Humax FOXSAT-HDR images
(humax pvr, freesat pvr, humax dtr, freesat dtr, foxsat-hdr, foxsathdr, humax hdr receiver, humax hdr digital box, humax hdr digital unit, humax hdr digibox, freesat hdr box)
November 24th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Do you own or have owned this product? Then why not give us your opinion to help assist potential customers in deciding which Freesat product is right for them. Please stick to opinions/reviews of the specific product on this page. Also, don’t forget to give this product a rating, using the stars at the top!
adminQuote
November 24th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Mine too arrived today. Quite easy to set up BUT…
1. When trying to upgrade to the latest software version I am getting an Error Message and it won’t upgrade.
2. When recording a programme, there are major, major restrictions on what is available to watch elsewhere.
3. Cannot get ITV Text
I am still familiarising myself with it but am a bit disappointed so far. Probably just hickups.
Watch this space…
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 24th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Hi Andrew, sounds as if you only have a single cable from your satellite dish? Software updates aren’t currently working via a single cable, and you will have limitations on what you can watch as two cables means two signals so you can record a channel whilst watching/recording another.
adminQuote
November 24th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I do have two antenna feeds and everything seems to work ok although still playing and trying to work through the rule book
Box seems well made and fittings are decent ones unlike some .
Not to keen on the bit of blue plastic in front or of the rather indistinct display But not complaining at all as it does all it should do here . Recored two programs whilst I was out tonight and the other half changed channels a few times but all worked just fine.
So in my opinion it was a good job from Bob_Cats gang and Ta Muchly Humax.
I always found the original box worked pretty well after a few teething troubles at first sorted now though . So far this one seems to have been pretty well sorted which is great isn’t it ?
Doug WhittakerQuote
November 24th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Good to hear it works, given up trying to get one this year. Got up early on saturday went to of the alleged shops but none have got any nor can give a firm date when they will. Usual crap story from freesat, good idea delivery of the concept stinks
supermartQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Thanks Admin.This is true. I just have one cable to connect. I inherited this system when I moved into this house. What do you suggest?
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I can get text only on BBC channels, is this the norm?
Humax are going to need a setting to dim the box display. Get rid of that genre in EPG setting, then the EPG jumps straight to the channel you are watching (like the 9200 did). Seems several button pushes are needed to play anything from library.
Glyn SmithQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 8:23 am
I think the genre setting before the guide is a freesat specification – i.e. freesat specify that you need to request a genre first
ianQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Arrived yesterday and fired it up as soon as I got home.
2 antenna feeds in and I was up and running in 10 mins, software updated and channels saved.
Picture quality on my Sony W Series is superior to the Amstrad Sky box I replaced and HD is of course fantastic.
EPG / menus etc seem to be good and load reasonably quickly, a little getting used to I guess and the remote is not laid out in the most obvious way (numbers too far above the jog wheel) and why oh why does the volume control the humax box and not my TV ? it takes several button presses to change the volume. These are of course minor issues and overall cannot complain, fantastic piece of kit and this from a long time Sky man.
Not quite sure what all the info on the right hand side of the navigation bar is mind you ?
Love the feature of being able to copy pictures etc straight off a usb stick onto the box and review all those holiday snaps in 37″ of HD pleasure ! Recording the radio is another interesting nice to have.
Only issue I have to date is the nasty digital display at the front of the box. What / Why ? Surely all this info is on screen and the red light tells me i’m recording. Hope Humax show me a way of getting rid of this, or at least dimming it – its ruins the generally good looks of the box (quite Sony / Blue Ray in appearance to match other kit) and at this brightness it is may just put me off my movies, now in HD.
Sam PQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Ian – you can get rid of the genre page which comes up every time you enter the guide (like Sky epg).
Just get rid of it in settings and you never have to see it again! Straight to the EPG for the current channel. The search facility seems poor though. Saves your last several searches as keywords – OOPS! Not as good as the 9200 in that respect. Button press reactions seem slower too, by comparison.
Glyn SmithQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I plugged my NTFS formatted USB external HDD into the USB port with a view to copy recorded programmes to it. The Humax displayed a message that only EXT2/3 or FAT16/32 file systems are supported. But there is a 4GB maximum file size with FAT32, and High Definition files from BBC HD are approx. 7.5 GB per hour. Are we going to be limited to only copying up to half hour programmes? Surely not. What a disappointment.
David HQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
David H:
I think the maximum file size for ext3 it 2 terrabytes; now maybe the time for that Linux install you’ve always promised yourself.
Alternatively, there maybe some utilities to let you access ext2/3 under windoze; a quick google threw up this: http://fs-driver.org/. Good luck!
Gavin PQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Am a bit confused. Does the unit run on one or two satelite feeds. If it is one only what are the limitations and more importantly is a software update going to fix. Need to know before making the purchase.
RobQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
It uses two satellite feed, one for each tuner, this is to allow each tuner to select Vertical or Horizontal polarization on a per channel basis. Thus allowing you to record two channels simultaneously
DaveCQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
As an interested purchaser, does this device have a pause function (and for how long)?
Mr SnnibsQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I am all ready to buy this new box although there are few HD channels to pick at the moment. I understand that this box upscales SD channels. Has anyone tried this and how good is it. Can you set it to upscale every channel and just switch on to upscaled HD every time?
Keith PQuote
November 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Has anyone tried the output from the Humax PVR? I think it is labelled LNB output?
I have Sky+ which has an RF output and I currently cable this into a splitter which in turn is connected to other TV’s in my home so you can watch whatever programme (live or recorded) that is selected on the Sky+ receiver.
I would like to maintain this system when I switch – assuming I get a box sometime soon!
Thanks
MarkQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Review:
Installation: Straight forward and had I started with 2 x cables would have been flawless. With only a single cable attached, the HDR is unable to update to the latest software and will cause an E-OS error when you try, however upon connection of a second cable this is fully resolved.
First Thoughts: A highly intuitive UI makes the HDR a joy to use. The programme guide was easy to follow and best of all responsive. Live services are also easy to use and once again intuitive. Basic recording and playback functions are simply and effectiveto use.
Remote: Lovely touch including a universal remote that really works. Very easily setup to control our TV and DVD.
PVR: The programmable PVR is the first area that could do with improvements via software updates. It is quite easy to set a programme to record by using the guide and simply pressing record to schedule it. However the ‘one-touch’ series recording promised is not quite as obvious to achieve and could do with improvements. Currently you only have access to this choice when using the schedule and not when choosing to record from the guide. Additionally the only options are ‘once, daily, weekly, weekday’ which doesn’t seem quite right.
Glitches: The biggest problem the PVR has is when it is recording 2 channels at once. Although the manual shows you can record two and watch another, strange things occur when you are doing this. Quite simply while recording some combinations of two channels the choice of watchable channels is limited to: BBC2, Five, BBC3, BBC4 and CBBC. Other combinations increase the viewable channel numbers and some, for example recording CBBC and CBeebies at the same time seem to allow you to watch any additional channel you wish. I would guess this is some form of software problem that can be resolved with a new release.
Final Thoughts: I’m very pleased with the HDR. As with any new hardware it will require software updates to fix or improve some of the issues seen. Compared to Sky+ it is in some ways easier and more intuitive to use, in others, especially regarding series recording is not at the same level (yet). Would I recommend the HDR, definately!
Richard HayesQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Gavin P
Thanks for the URL re Linux style filing system. Using a Ext3 format, I managed to get the HDR to see the USB drive. However, although I can copy SD programmes, HD ones will not copy. The HD files are flagged with ‘Enc’ in the File Manager. Can’t see any reference in the manual to this. I’m beginning to think archiving HD material is not possible.
David HQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 10:33 am
First problem for me – auto recording the footy in HD last night failed. Don’t know why! Stored all those non-freesat channels too. A couple that can now be accessed (and are of worth) Sky News and the Travel Channel.
Glyn SmithQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Glyn Smith
I expected the Man U game to be in HD, and was waiting to be told to press the red button; but it never happened, so I assume the HD broadcast did not materialise.
David HQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Looking to get the BOX asap
Reviews you guys have put only makes me cry that I have not got it yet!
Has anyone tested the network port yet? if so can you connect it up to a home network to transfer files etc?
cheers
Larry SQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Some advice please.
I already have Sky+. Is it just a case of swapping out the Sky + box for the Humax box? Also, can I continue to use a separate sky box in another room for Sky Freeview?
Thanks.
Andy HQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
To Richard Hayes. This is not a fault you can record two channels watch a third depending which programs you are watching same as freeview EG record both on BBC Channels you can watch any other
Alan MQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Andrew Morris, you need to replace the existing LNB on your satellite dish the a dual output LNB. This will enable each tuner in your Humax box to work independently. It’s a DIY job if you can get at the dish and you will need to run a second cable into the house. You can buy a dual output LNB for about twenty quid on line.
Robert BaconQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Andrew Morris. It should say “with a dual output LNB”
Robert BaconQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Alan M,
I’ve gone through lots of various combinations of recording two channels while watching a third and sometimes I can be recording two BBC channels and watch any other, other times it can be a BBC and a non-BBC and still watch any other and of course two non-BBC channels and watch any other.
Yet also for some combinations of the above you have limited third channel access. For example record BBC1 and BBC2 and you have some of the most limited access. There doesn’t appear to be an abvious reason for this and given how streams are transmitted I cant see a logical reason why the third channel choice is sometimes restricted and then variable. However I would love to be given an explanation.
Richard HayesQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
hi guys can any one enlighten on the use of the common interface slot and what cards do what
mickQuote
November 26th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Re: 3rd channel choice – I’m no expert but is it because there are only 2 feeds – so the first 2 selected are polarized as needed – so the 3rd is limited to channels with the same polarization? .. so if both horizontal will preclude any channels that need vertical? Just a guess!
DaveQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 12:35 am
One question about PVRs dealing with subtitles.
Can they record them?If so, can you later switch subtittles on and off when watching the recorded show?
Thanks.
Also I would like to hear about the use for the ethernet port. Like can you connect it up to a home network to transfer files etc?
Juan PabloQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Another question:
I have an IPTV (Panasonic with Freesat tuner).With a single cable can I feed the PVR and also the TV (through the passthrough on the box).
If so why can’t you feed the second tuner on the Humax using the passthrough? What is the technical reason?
Thanks.
Juan PabloQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 10:34 am
@Dave, you are right. If both channels you are recording are the same polarization then third channel must have the same polarization.
@Pable satellite receivers with hard disks don”t record as such, the simply copy the incoming data stream onto the hard disk. This means that all extra material such as subtitles and extra sound tracks are also stored.
cjgallQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I’m confused – the illustration of the rear connections shows only one sattelite feed input, so how do you get 2 feeds in, in order to use the twin tuners and get software updates?
MikeQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 10:40 am
??? It shows two in and one out?
adminQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Has anyone managed to get to the front USB port? The manual says “Open right hand flap on the front panel”, but I can’t figure out where it is or how you open it.
Gavin PQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Gavin, the front panel opens from the top, just gently push the top edge of the blue panel and you will have access to the front slots etc.
Mike, the illustration in the manual clearly shows 2 input and one output.
Juan, now I understand about polarisation of the signal, I’m guessing this is the reason a passthrough only results in limited functionality, and hence you require two input signals for full PVR functionality. Regarding the ethernet port I will connect mine up later if I get time and have a play to find out what happens, although my guess is that it’s primarily there for internet services that are likely to be added to Freesat, for example iPlayer, which I guess will require the internet connection.
Richard HayesQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Richard Hayes,
Freesat aims to hide complexity and make things easy. Unfortunately some things are inherently complex and can become intransparent with that approach. Here is the technical background which makes it easy to explain the problems you have described so far:
The Humax FOXSAT-HDR has got two tuners with which it can receive 2 transponders at a time. Via each transponder several channels are transmitted. On http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2d.html you will find the description of the transponders (tp xx) for ASTRA 2D, which beam is focused on the UK and is most important for Freesat. Links to the other relevant satellites are on the same page.
So if you for example record BBC One London and ITV 1 London the only available additional channels for viewing should be the channels which are transmitted on tp 45 and tp 44. But if you record BBC One London and BBC Two England at the same time you should be able to view any other channel because both recorded channels are transmitted on tp 45. However if you record BBC One South and BBC Two England you will be limited to the channels which are transmitted via tp 48 and tp 45.
When you record an HD channel like BBC HD on tp 50, choice will be even more limited because an HD channel takes the capacity of 4 – 5 SD channels on his transponder.
The explanation above is based on the case that you use two independ feeds from your satellite equipment. If you use only one feed and a loop through cable, choices are further limited as already partially discussed.
To receive a specific transponder the tuner has to select one of four sections through two choices: vertical or horizontal polarization and lower or upper band. If the first tuner chooses for example vertical polarisation and lower band then the second tuner can (in case of loop through) only receive a transponder which is also vertically polarized and in the lower band. Fortunately all transponders of ASTRA 2D are lower band, but some of the other transponders on other satellites of the Astra 2 / Eurobird position which is relevant for UK viewers are on upper band.
KarlaQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
So, what is the signal coming out of the pass through? Is it locked to a transponder depending on what is selected on the PVR? And which of the 2 inputs relates to the pass through? What if the box is switched off?
Not clear yet, sorry. If I have just one feed into the PVR and a cable connecting the output of the box feeding my TV with internal freesat tuner. Can I watch any channel on the TV independent of what is selected on the PVR?
Thanks.
Juan PabloQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input
adminQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Ok, I got it now with this excellent explanation by Nigel Whitfield:
http://www.nigelwhitfield.com/v2/article.php?id=50
admin: You were fast! Have to read that now too. Thanks.
Juan PabloQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Foxsat HDR Review
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/custo…x?pageID=72109
BrianQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I was fortunate enough to get one of the first ones through Argos, i.e. just in time to miss out on the VAT cut, and it arrived Monday afternoon. First impressions were mostly very favourable.
It immediately downloaded the latest software and found all the channels. The only trouble I had setting up was texting in the postcode and not realizing that the 1 button brings up almost invisible punctuation characters before the numeral 1. But with that senior moment out of the way, all was well.
The box is quite a bit smaller than the Humax Freeview PVR. The alphanumeric display is ugly, and much too bright – it needs to be programmable. A paper warning label at the back of the top turned out to be very firmly stuck down, and I had to use white spirit to get rid of the remnants, which fortunately did not damage the box. An afterthought? The unit is gratifyingly quiet.
By default it goes into standby after a period of inactivity, and the boot operation when you switch on again takes long enough to be annoying.
I am surprised at how variable the picture quality is in the different BBC HD demos – which is not down to the Humax of course. Superb on the proms and tennis, garish on the football and popular entertainment, but some dramas seem to be done in soft focus pastels – the high spatial frequencies are there if you look, but at first glance it’s sub-DVD quality (on my modest 50-inch Pioneer Kuro plasma anyway).
I’m not sure I like the style of the recording/playback arrangements. There’s a hint of computerese about “Media List”, which turns out to be the way in, and I’m sure it takes more button depressions to do things than it does on the Freeview PVR. And can someone tell me (the manual doesn’t) why the names of recorded programmes are followed by a (1) and deleted programmes by a (0), and why the latter don’t simply go away once you’ve deleted them? I don’t want the display to be cluttered with history.
I have carefully compared picture quality on non-HD (e.g. BBC1) between my two generations of Humax PVR. There are subtle differences. Some of it may be because my terrestrial PVR is connected via SCART (RGB) and the new Freesat one by HMDI, and some of it may be the processing, but the Freesat version looks a little softer than the terrestrial version though perhaps cleaner and less fakey.
Overall the HD performance is excellent, so much so that it has made non-HD look unwatchably naff. Not quite the effect I wanted, but predictable.
Patrick WQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Thanks to feedback on a previous thread and to downloading the manual we now know that the Humax Foxsat HDR is shown with the required versions of Diseqc for operating multiple LNB’s. There is also wikispaces link to the HD version which is very helpful on setting up non freesat viewing via other satellites.
http://foxsat.wikispaces.com/Non-Freesat+channels
Amazingly the manual does not tell you you have to access the advanced menu which the wikispaces does do, as follows! I assume it will be the same on the HDR version.
To access the Advanced menu (hidden):
- Go to Menu> SETUP
[- Move cursor onto an item]
- Press RED, GREEN, YELLOW, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, BLUE
- 2 options appear: Antenna Setting & Manual Tune
Question:
I am still unclear whether using a multi lnb dish will enable different locations to be received via both of the two LNB inputs on the back of the box? Specifically, I want to install two cables down to the box for the Freesat locations at 28 degrees and add LNBs to receive 13, 19 and 23 degree locations. Has anyone yet been able to work out whether the extra LNBs need to all be added onto one of the main cables via a Diseqc 4 way switch and fed in to LNB1 input or is there another combination that would work better? I would appreciate your advice and whether anyone has news on how much extra installers are charging on top of the twin installation fee for this type of additional work.
BTW, I also agree with the wiki wishes list that the switching method between freesat mode and non-freesat mode seems very cumbersome, if that is indeed the way to do so during viewing use, and would also like to see Humax upgrade the software to an easier method; e.g. one of the coloured remote buttons plus OK, or just the ability to type in the channel number from 5000 up would have seemed logical.
RozQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Addendum to #43:
Not only do the deleted programmes remain in the list of TV recordings, marked (0), they also appear spuriously in the list of Radio recordings.
Patrick WQuote
November 27th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Patrick W : It seems that series linked recordings are automatically stored in their own folder with same name as the recording. The number in brackets is the number of discrete recordings within the folder. When yoiu delete a recording from a folder the count goes to (0). Names without numbers are either non series linked programs recorded directly to the root of the HDD or names of the actual recordings within their relevant folder. There is no explanation in the manual and it took me a while to get the hang of moving in and out of the directory structure. I found it very clumsy for a day or two but now have no problem.
The only criticisms that I have are :
1. the remote is very directional compared to all the others that I use.
2. the EPG is much less responsive than the Foxsat HD.
3. The layout of the EPG is better than $ky’s but not as good as some that I have used. The list format displays only 7 programs with the current timed program at postion 4. The three slots above the current timed program are either empty or display programs that have already ended.
These issues combine in such a way as to make it easy to overshoot a list item because you cannot always be sure if the response is just slow or if you have not pointed directly at the receiver, resulting in an extra press of the button.
Apart from these minor gripes I am very very satisfied. Well done Humax
Nik CarterQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 8:56 am
November 28th, 2008 at 9:14 am
The search function is overly complex. The box lists results from every region (BBC) I got 60 results looking for Survivors. Not much info is shown either in the search result ie.chanel name. it was much simpler on the freeview PVR.
Glyn SmithQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Additional review for ‘One-Touch’ series recording:
Ok, call me stupid, but I figured pressing the record button in the guide or list was the way to program the PVR.
It is, but differently to the one-touch which I will get to below. Using the record button to program gives the options: once, daily, weekly, weekdays.
One-touch however is operated using the ‘ok’ button to select a program due to be aired and this gives you the options to record the entire series. When I posted my initial review I had not yet spotted this operation.
Richard HayesQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I’m trying to put some music on the PVR with not much success. I bunged a few MP3s on a USB stick and put it in the front slot. It ackowledges that the USB is in there but when I go in the file manager the USB stick is listed but appears empty. The instuctions are very vague when it comes to this department. Any ideas. Also I’ve managed to create a folder with my daughter’s name on the HDD but can’t figure out how to put her programmes in it, ‘move’ is greyed out. Is this possible and if so how?
SiQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Si, Once you have accessed the USB device, you need to press the yellow button to select Music. If you get a folder e.g. sda1(n) where n=the number of tracks on the USB device press OK to open the folder. Then press opt+ to get to the file manager. The left window will be the HDD and the right side will be the USB device. Move the cursor to the right side and select a file to be copied. Press green and that file will be copied to the HDD.
What I cannot get to work yet is using the Blue function button to select all files. Has anyone managed to work this one out?
Nik CarterQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Thanks that worked. Like you I can’t figure out how to select all, had to do them one at a time. Thanks again.
SiQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Has anyone looked into / tested the ethernet port yet?
Larry SQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I’ve had a quick look above but can’t see it….
…so does anyone know where ITV Text is on the new box?
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hi Guys, can anyone help me. I have today set up my HDR and I have two issues.
1) I have tried recording ITV and Channel 4 at the same time and that works fine but I am unable to view BBC1 or BBC2 plus some other channels whilst these are recording at the same time? Any ideas please?
Also, I ahve tried programing the remote control for my TV a Panasonic Viera TH37PX60B but cannot get any of the Humax codes to work. Thanks
PullyQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Pully, it only has 2 tuners, you can record 2 things and watch a 3rd. You can record 2 things and watch something previously recorded.
flufQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
ok, I have a question….
Earlier i recorder 1 minute of LUXE HD in non freesat mode
I am currently recording Grand Designs on More 4 in freesat mode
I am trying to delete the 1 min recording of LUXE but I don’t seem to have this option. Can you not delete stuff while recording?
flufQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
cheers Fluff, I was recording two channels, but it would not let me watch bbc1 & bbc2 whilst recording if that makes sense?
PullyQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
@Pully: Go to the link in comment 41
Juan PabloQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Answered my own question. When the recording stopped, I was able to delete other recordings. Bit of a pain that.
flufQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I recieved it on the 24th and had it up and running in no time. The Humax HDR is not as easy to use as Sky+, but some of it’s features such as series recordings going in to their own folders is far better. Contrary to what Pully has experienced I was amazed to find that I was watching BBC2 whilst I was recording BBC4 & Chanel 4. I did read somewhere that this could happen if the chanels were on the same transponder, but would be implemented at a later date. Can anyone expand on this.
ChasQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Oh where oh where has my ITV text gone?…….
Is there no one out there in the ether who knows….?
I know you don’t really exist but…………..just in case you do…. I watch Survivors!
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 29th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Hi I have a sky + box and want to add this new Humax box in another room. I believe I can just run 2 cables from the sky dish I have now and the Humax box will work – does anyone know if this is true? also if it is does the Humax box have the same connectors as the sky+ box? thanks
DavidQuote
November 29th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Got one at last!
The bad bits first, If you have $ky+ at the moment your going to notice the remote control range/angle is rubbish! I can’t belive it’s as bad as it is! I even removed the protective film from the front of the receiver.
Also the Epg navigation is sooo slooooow it’s painful!! you end up pressing the button again and missing the selection you wanted.
Having said that some of the EPG features are great such as asking if you want to record the HD version if you are looking at a SD channel and how it handles series link. The file system is also much neater as series linked channels are put into folders.
The Picture is much better than my $ky+ was even on the kids channels.
It will take a while to get used to the different functions but overall am pleased with it, looking forward to calling $ky to cancel my account !
I did try inserting a CAM capable of NDS with my $ky card in non freesat mode and it worked fine on encypted premium channels. Plenty more to test yet but looking good
Goodbye $ky
NigeldQuote
November 29th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
HELLO… Is there anybody there….?
Is there anybody actually reading what is being posted…?
There is no ITV Text.
Why?
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 12:01 am
perhaps nobody knows!
NigeldQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Andrew, this section is ideally for product reviews, not questions, which is why you may not be getting the response you require. Clearly people are here as there has been 66 posts. You may want to ask this question of Freesat or ITV directly, or alternatively on a forum such as digitalspy or avforums.
adminQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Andrew
See Glyn Smith’s Comments at
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/humax-foxsat-hdr-available-at-comet
No 182
DVineyQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Sorry. Just a bit of fun.
I thought it pertinent to this product though.
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 10:12 am
A number of people in reviews have said this box is “quiet” – can someone clarify please. Is it silent ( ie, no fan at all ) or quiet ( ie has a fan but it runs very quietly) ?
I am aware, obviously, that there will be HDD accessing noise at times.
Mike BQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Mike, I think the best way to explain it is that you would need to put your ear right next to the unit to actually hear anything. It’s very quiet!
adminQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Many thanks, DViney. Much appreciated.
Andrew MorrisQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
@ Admin
Thanks very much. Does the box not have a fan then?
Mike BQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Can someone who already has one of these help me please? I am expecting delivery tomorrow. We have recently bought a house where the previous owners had Sky+ so I am planning to use their dish. There are two cables from the dish. One is routed inside the house and terminates at what I would call a normal tv socket on the wall (ie a standard tv coax plug will connect to it). The other cable is routed round the outside of the house, comes through a hole in the wall and has a different plug on the end of it. The plug has a collar on it which obviously screwed into the connection on the sky box. Presumably the previous owners originally had a single cable/lnb, and the second cable was added when they got Sky+ later. Presumably the original cable goes to the LNB1 input and the second cable goes to the LNB2? Also what connection type are on the box please, std TV type or screw type? I can’t tell from looking at the manual. Thanks in advance for any help.
PeteQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
What you surmise is right. I did this a couple of months ago and it works fine, with no need to adjust the dish. It’s a screw type connector on the box, as with a Sky box, and one of the others goes into your aerial socket.
GrahamQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Hi
can anyone tell me why the box only outputs 1080i and not 1080p ?
Is 1080i better than 760p ?
tom.hQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
@ Admin – again !
I just downloaded the User Manual, (thanks for posting the link above) and it answers my question – yes, there is a fan.
Mike BQuote
November 30th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Thanks Graham. I’ll need to source a bit of cable with a screw connector on one end & a regular tv connector on the other end.
PeteQuote
December 1st, 2008 at 8:00 am
have you seen the price of these units in comet £349 talk about taking the p***
GarybQuote
December 1st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Hi guys,
Here’s a new review of the Foxsat-HDR
http://www.resolvesolutions.co.uk/article/humax_foxsat_hdr_-_review
Hope that people find it helpful.
PeterQuote
December 1st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Yes seen comets price,
also queried guarantee from Laskys customer support who replied ;-Thank you for your email.
All of our appliances come with a 1 year guarantee only.
And charge for extra years at
+ 3 Year Warrantydetails£69.99
+ 5 Year Warrantydetails£94.99
Terry JQuote
December 1st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Have now read all the above comments but am still unable to obtain a humax HDR, when I phone or try to contact suppliers on line, I seem to get nowhere,
however I still live in hope.
Terry JQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
My review of the PVR can be found on my site here:
http://www.petecullen.net/?p=1646
Pete CullenQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Pete – nice review – maybe I DO need to buy one before Christmas after all…!
Al CatrazQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Back in stock at Argos 3.00 2nd December
You have to ring up and order
Paul
Paul BricknellQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Also available for purchase online:
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/link.php?product=argoshumaxhdr
Don’t forget code AFD10 for free delivery!
adminQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
at Argos still in stock as of 17.30 for Oldham/Manchester region. I ordered one earlier with code EFD10 for the free delivery and got a £10 voucher code as well.
BrianQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Argos just accepted online order (even though showing out of stock for home delivery on main page) for delivery on Thursday.
Used free delivery code (thanks for the tip!) and qualified for 10 pound voucher – bonus!
MartinQuote
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
is there any wat a sky plus set up can be re-tuned (or what ever it’s called) to receive free sat ? all regards
jim tavenderQuote
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
12 David H:
Whilst I agree with Gavin P about changing to Linux, I am also aware that it is not an option for many people.
The Windows limit on formatting FAT32 does not have to be a problem though.
Simply download a copy of fat32format.exe from http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/download/fat32format.zip
and you will now be able to format to your hearts delight up to at least 2TB.
I myself have used this several times on 500GB hard disks to put into USB enclosures to use as external disks on laptops – it worked fine for me each time.
Good luck
Peter McCQuote
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I have a Linux machine so formatted a external hard drive to ext2 but the HDR would not recognise it so I used fat32format and it worked fine. More details are here: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm
Barry PQuote
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
90 Peter McC
Thanks for the information, however, I really want to archive High Definition files, most of which are in excess of the 4GB limit imposed on FAT32. It’s all irrelevant anyway, as the HDR is flagging HD content with ‘Enc’ which I assume stands for ‘encrypted’, & prevents these files from being copied. A pity as the 320GB drive will soon fill up.
David HQuote
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
@ Pete Cullen
Thanks for the review.
It’s not very reassuring to find that the screen shots show the usual low level of inaccurate English – “You can record alternative programme by HD or SD” and “Select programme what you want”.
You would think any decent company with a bit of self respect would insist that somewhere in the software engineering process a person who speaks English as a first language and has a reasonable level of education might be involved in correcting this kind of drivel, which is far from funny or winsome and sometimes makes instructions impossible to understand.
Mike BQuote
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
As a tecnologically challenged OAP can anyone please advise if the Humax allows the user to pause live Tv whilst answering the phone etc in the same way that Sky claims? (I am still in the dark ages but contemplating new purchase) many thanks
Pat HargreaveQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 7:57 am
@ Mike B
Yes there are some real clangers in there! Hopefully a firmware update might inject some quality control.
Pete CullenQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 8:52 am
94 Pat
Yes it can pause live TV. Have a look at http://www.pvrjunction.co.uk/a-closer-look-at-humax-foxsat-hdr-and-freesat-features/ for more info.
David HQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hi
Can anyone tell me if the HDMI cable which is supposed to come with the box is dual cable or does that have to be purchased seperately?
Thanks
JenQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I ordered my HDR from Argos last Thursday, and it arrived Monday PM. Argos has beaten two other companies where I’ve put my name down (Superfi reserved early Nov, and a local TV shop).
So far I’m very pleased – the picture and sound quality are excellent, and the recording functions all work as expected. I would agree with other posters about the directional remote, and also a tendency to get double responses, where the cursor jumps on further than intended. I am pleased with the remote facility to control other devices: I’m using it with a Toshiba LCD TV, a Tevion DVD player, and a Yamaha AV amp without any problems.
I do have one small gripe about the remote – the record button is missing its red dot. All the other transport buttons have their white logos, but the record button is blank. Has anyone else found this problem? I’ve emailed Humax Support about this on Tuesday, but so far had no reply…
All in all an excellent product, and highly recommended. I’m not usually a fan or Argos, but in this case they delivered (pun intended).
Roy W.Quote
December 4th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
There’s a red dot on my record button not that I use it much as I have a Harmony one remote. The Humax remote will not control my Teac receiver.
Barry PQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Still get Humax HD PVR from Argos on the telephone Telephone 0845 640 2020.
Price £299.99 free deliverly and get a £5 pound back there payment still not up to date with new VAT 15%.Should get it Monday morning.
Eric P.Quote
December 4th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Ordered a unit from Superfi last night and received this e mail from them today:
Humax Foxsat-HDR update
Stock of the Humax Foxst-HDR is very slowly beginning to arrive in the UK. As and when it arrives it is being allocated out to all channels. We have been advised that Humax had one lorry load stolen last week while the stock was in-transit to the UK. This has caused a major problem with availability.
Customers should understand that Christmas delivery is unlikely at this point, although I cannot rule it out.
Could I please ask that Customers do not call us regarding this model. As soon as we have further information, we will contact you.
However I have just ordered one from Argos using the number from Eric P above and it is being delivered on Tuesday.
Craig BentonQuote
December 4th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Craig, I phoned Argos 2 hours ago and was told its out of stock so how did you manage to get one?
sidneyQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 6:59 am
I am still not clear how to archive recordings from the unit to my USB Stick, does the stick need formatting in a different way. When I set it up currently the copy facility is greyed out.
Roger SmithQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Sidney, I just called the number and told the guy I wanted to place an order. I gave him the item number and that was it. He told me it was £299 and that they would give me free delivery as their system was not set up for the vat reduction. I did not want to push for any further reduction (the free delivery code above) I just wanted to order a unit.
He did not say at any stage that the item was out of stock, in fact he told me that ‘this product is excluded from our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee’. I was surprised that it was in stock. I just hope it is delivered on Tuesday as promised.
Craig BentonQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 8:30 am
@103 Roger Smith
I had this same problem over coping to usb stick. I phoned Humax and they could not help to start with but did come back to me later, but in the mean time I had worked out how to do it.
Providing the HDR sees the usb stick you must FIRST select on the usb stick were you want to copy the file to. Then when you go back the the file to be copied the copy button should now be green.
As far as formatting I have found that it only recognises FAT16/32 I have tried ext2 formatted on a Linux machine but it did not work.
Barry PQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Full review of The Humax DTR in “What Satellite” January issue out 17th December.
Les NicolQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Have set up box through my Sony AV and Bravia TV but system won’t automatically choose correct AV input or switch between different aspect ratio pictures when using the HDMI connection.
Mark FQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 9:56 am
A number of posters have found that sometimes when you ring Argos they have the Humax in stock, and others ringing at the same time are told they do not.
This is all to do with the way the Argos distribution network is organised. Argos have a number of regional distribution centres, and the product must show as in stock at your local distribution centre before you can order it.
When I rang to order last week, I was asked for my post code (to establish which was my local distribution centre) before they asked me what I wanted to order.
Roy W.Quote
December 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Seems to be more easily available on phone orders.Despite being shown as out of stock for delivery & collection on their website (CM postal code). Called Argos 9:30am today on 0845 640 2020 (thanks Eric P). Delivery due on Monday 8th am. Item no. is 532/1832 – £299.99 all in.
GmanQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Thanks Craig, It does seem to be a bit hit and miss. I just hope they get some more stock soon as I was looking forward to watching a bit of hd this christmas!
sidneyQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Over the years I have had countless satellite receivers,the only exception a Sky+ box.
This wonderful piece of kit is so easy to use, the picture quality is exemplary both on SD and HD . The CAM slot makes watching CH4 HD easy too. Well done Humax, the wait was well worth it.
Russ DringQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I was planning to buy the Humax pvr and a Panasonic tv (without freesat). In view of the distribution difficulties of the Humax pvr, if I bought a tv, with built-in freesat, and then bought the Humax pvr later, would this simply be a waste of money, or are there any advantages to having both tv with freesat and Humax pvr?
Kevin CQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Russ what cam are you using i am wanting to use my sky card in my foxsat hdr to use my setanta subscription anyone know how i can do this.
also can you slave a sky box using the lnb out
JAMESQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Kevin, I take it you are looking at the pz81, If you plan to buy the humax box then get a pz80 or pz85 instead and save your money. Both have built in freeview and give a great picture; or pay the extra and get the pz800 which has a few more features over the 80/85.
I can’t see the point in buying a freesat tv if you plan to buy the box as well.
I was in the same position as you and decided to buy the pz800 (great tv btw), I just need the humax box and I will be well happy this christmas!
sidneyQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Can someone PLEASE tell me how to get Sky News with this system?
(Sorry if the question has already been answered, but from their comments, someone above I’m sure has managed it!!
Thanks
Richard AhlQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Hi,
Just ordered one from Argos on 0845 640 2020. Seems like the best bet as it is always showing out of stock online!
RogsQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hi,
I have just done exactly the same and one is being delivered on monday 8th
had to pay a fiver delivery though, but whoo cares!
johnQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Thanks to anyone who was about to tell me how to find Sky News – I have just found it myself!!
Thanks anyway
Richard AhlQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Still can’t get one ordered via Argos as a phone order. Is it down to location in the country? John, where abouts are you in the country. I am ordering from Bath but once I give my postcode they always say out of stock, call back in three days!
PeelarQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Richard Ahl – take a look at this link:
http://foxsat.wikispaces.com/Non-Freesat+channels
should answer your question.
Al CatrazQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hi Peelar,
I guess it must be down to location then, I’m in Essex!
I had no problem and was able to use the code ADF10 to get free delivery. I was told that free delivery would make up for the fact that phone orders do not reflect the new VAT rate yet, ie. it’s still £299.99!!
Keep trying & Good Luck
RogsQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Received my box on Monday.
Wow this box is fantastic,excellent picture,HD is amazing.
Just programmed the control to work my TV and DVD player,finally a control that has every button I nead for all of my controls.
IanQuote
December 5th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Wow! Was I lucky to get one! ‘Let the minnies moan! Let the cynics chant! Thank you guys’ at Humax – you’ve made my day!’
Those technically interested – I’m running a new quad LNB into my old dish! Two cables feeding the Humax Freesat twin PVR. Another cable from the LNB leads to a spltter feeding two Foxsat single tuner units for other tv’s around the house. They are all working superbly off the one dish! At first I tried a single LNB – not a cat in hell’s chance! This baby needs two cable inputs to savour its hidden delights! Yes I know! I still have a spare output on the LNB! I just love gizmos – don’t you? Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2008 to you all!
Al RanceQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Peelar,
i’m in Leicester area and I got it by phone 0845 640 2020, can’t wait, puting my dish up tommorow with quad LNB ready for monday delivery.
John
JohnQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Thanks guys, your right. The website for Argos has been showing Out of Stock every day. Just given them a call and I’ve got free delivery in two working days! Also got the VAT reduction. Let hope this kits as good as it sounds!
Will be interested in adding Sky News when I get the box, I see someone else asked this question but sorted it out before it was answered… Can I ask again as I’d also like to do this.
Thanks,
AndyQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Ordered one this morning of argos as well. 293 and got shipping for Tue 9th dec for free. I live in stansted area.
AlexQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Just one major gripe which is spoiling a great product!
The response from the EPG when setting up recordings
is VERY SLOW and frustrating.
This is especially bad when moving horizontally through the EPG.
It is SO SLOW that it can take several seconds to respond and sometimes
I think nothing is going to happen.
Can’t make my mind up if it is a fault with the box or the remote
control is broken.
I have emailed Humax support but no response as yet
EdwardQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Help, pensioner trying to set upHDR, keep getting message invalid post code, Try to manually tune and have strength 80 to 90 % but quality is 0%
Terry JQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
@edward
I have exactly the same problem with a recently purchased Humax PVR 9300T. Basically a Freeview box with Hard disk recording.
Operation and quality is very good. However when I bring the box out of standby there is only about one or two items on the EPG, so I can’t use it to set recordings. It takes between three to five minutes for the EPG to become fully populated – no good at all. I have other digital receivers (Philips and Sony) which show their full EPG immediately.
Also, I emailed Humax a week ago now – no response. Not good enough for this type of problem.
Looks as though they have a basic problem with this equipment type.
peterhbQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Sorry just been told aerial needs attention, please cancel above request.
Terry JQuote
December 6th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
@Edward & @peterhb
I’m not convinced Humax are monitoring their email!
I sent them an email on Tuesday 02/12 about the Record button on my remote not having the red dot legend, then followed up with a copy of the same email to both their support and sales email address on Friday 05/12.
So far, no response to either emails. Not good enough Humax!
Roy W.Quote
December 7th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Mine arrived friday…first impressions very good..to get the latest software update and to record two channels at the same time you have to have both tuners cabled up/twin lnb.Box response is much better after the latest update .One thing i did notice regarding “signal” is if you go into freesat tune it shows your current signal,mine is 85% strength 70% quality. In the twin tuner diagnostic menu it shows individual signal for both tuners,they are both showing 95% on strength and quality(which one should i believe.?).still noticing minor transmission glitches on phantom menace,the odd blocking now and again,thought it was signal but maybe its itvhd. To get my box i had argos email me when it was in stock in my area for delivery..i responded within minutes to there email and luckily i got one.As i write this comment at approx 16.52 pm Sunday i notice ItvHD has gone off air,right slap bang in the middle of star wars…they really need to sort out these Major glitches, Come on ITV,get your act together.
paul.jQuote
December 7th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Turns out it was the Itv News that cut out the HD feed to Star wars,thought my recording was going to be totally ruined.
paul.jQuote
December 7th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Ordered from Argos online. Delivered two days later. 15 minutes and it is up and running.
itvHD for Star Wars today very glitchy. I see above it might be itv problem, not Freesat.
One Problem. Having recorded programs and then watched them – Deleting seems a mess! Could not find a way, then realised might be that another program recording. Later found that have to use several buttons, losing focus on target, before RED available to delete. This could be improved, guys at Humax!
Martin ANDREWSQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Just got my HDR from Comet the other day (ordered before their weird price hike).
Question: What disk format does the external USB-connected HDD need? There seems to be no utility for formatting the external device (though I can see the device via the Humax – and I can see its Volume Name in File Explorer)
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 8:15 am
@134 Martin
I agree deleting programmes should be much easier. You can’t delete while another programme is being recorded and you can’t delete the programme during playback, it has to be stopped first. The Freeview PVR 9200T was much better. So why does Humax not use the same logic as on previous models.
Barry PQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 8:27 am
135 aybeesea
See my entry at message 12
David HQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Well parcel this morning but to my shock I got the wrong item a sleeping bag of all things hopefully they get right tommorrow.
Eric PQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Got mine on Friday and I am extremely pleased with it.
I would agree that the navigation (or remote response) on EPG is a bit slow and jumpy, but that’s my only gripe so far. It’s a small price to pay for all the benefits. Love the sorted folders of series recordings. And the photo slideshow facility. MP3 playback is a great bonus as well. Bit of a shame you can’t browse and play the MP3′s without turning on the TV, but that’s just being wishful!
Star wars was a bit blocky, and the PQ was extremely poor, hardly seemed HD at all. Compare it with Britannia high that immediately followed and there was no comparison. It’ll be interesting to see what happened in the middle of the recording where the news was inserted. I’m hoping that the recording was paused
comment @ Roy W. Mailing Humax to demand a red dot on a button?? Get a life!
ACQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
David H @ 137 thanks for the Headsup. I am still bemused as to why there is no utility (within the Humax) for formatting external drives to a compatible format.
Is it too early to find a DIY internal disk capacity upgrade procedure (yes, I know about warranty etc…)…??
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Can anyone tell me how, once I’ve created a search, get rid of it!!!!
Read the manual, tried the Opt+ button etc etc…
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
It may be a silly question but when recording can you record subtitles?
AlanQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Anyone tell me if there’s a facility for recording the buffer. Preferably from “Programme Start”…???
Something I happen to have become used to with my Topfield….
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Re 105 BarryP
I plugged in an old 160GB WD external drive and it said something like ‘Not recognised. Can only recognise FAT 16/32 or EXT2/3′
My first thought was ‘Wow, Ext 2 and 3, that’s handy’ Then I thought ‘What on earth did I format this drive as? I must check that…one day’
Then I plugged a USB stick into the external drive’s USB socket and it was recognised, with MP3s and JPEGs opening fine (though not .jpg files).
SimonQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I am beginning to wonder if it is all worth the effort but I have only got to 98 and still reading. Incidentally forget Linux it is just as overrated as Sky.
DavidQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
A format utility on the Humax might help, no?
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
“Incidentally forget Linux it is just as overrated as Sky.”…
Off topic but Linux is free, and can do everything that Windows can … Sky is not free…
JohnQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Thanks for the replies all. Still can’t get one ordered from Argos by phone order in the South West. Cheers.
PeelarQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
You might be able to format a disc using Puppy Linux run from a CD. This is quite a useful system to have handy when Linux files need editing, and it does not affect your PC at all..
RichardQuote
December 8th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
i do find the whole shebang abit more of a faff on than sky+ in regards to menus, epgs, recording, playback etc, but i’ll get it sorted in time.
What i’m totally gutted about is the fact that my hdtv, three years old, no hdmi input in the back cannot playback or display the hd channels when in freesat mode..because i’ver had to connect from hdmi > dvi.
HDCP, apparently, causes the picture to display for twenty seconds then go black, while the sound continues. HOWEVER, when i re-tune in non-freesat mode bbc hd displays no probs, BUT there is no epg and therefore i can’t set timer to record programs, also no red button on itv hd programs in non-freesat mode!!! it’s sooo annoying!
apparently you can get hdmi > hd analogue component converters which strip out the hdcp, but they cost a further £150-200!
any of you boffins know a cheaper way to do it?
cheers
jon coleQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Argos has stock for home delivery. Right now.
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I have had a Argos Home Delivery Dec1 Up and running A1 what a brilliant box of High Tec. Now for the people with a single cable feed, IT IS NO PLOBLEM PURCHASE A CABLE SPLITTER WHICH WILL DEVIDE THE SIGNAL
THE ONE I AM USING IS A LOBGEAR CABLEVISION REF CM 5114 QUITE CHEAP, I LIVE IN A FLAT AND USING THE CABLE SUNK IN THE WALL THE LOW LOSS WHICH AS BEEN IN USE FOR MANY YEARS IT IS WORKING JUST FINE I CAN NOT FIND WORDS TO PRAISE THE HUMAX HDR IT IS A WONDERFUL THING TO HAVE. HOPE THIS WILL HELP A FEW FOLKS IN TIME CHRISTMAS
Bert AllsopQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Recieved my HDR from comet yesterday. what a super piece of kit this is, picture is far better than my sky HD box,( and that is good. ) Just one question how do you access the controls, USB port and module slot, on the front of the unit. thanks .
DaveQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Had mine for over a week now with one problem had set it to record Spooks on Saturday night on BBC Scotland, with record set for “auto start end” it actually stopped recording 3 minutes before end of the recording and I had to watch the ending via my computer as it was being shown on the English BBC regions on Monday night. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
JimQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:07 am
@AC post 139
“comment @ Roy W. Mailing Humax to demand a red dot on a button?? Get a life!”
Thanks for that. It’s easy to be flippant, but without the red dot there is no indication that this is the record button. I know it is, but my wife has already asked where the record button is…
Perhaps you’d like to swap remotes with me…?
Roy W.Quote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:36 am
@Jim 154. Yes, I recorded Heroes on BBC HD and had the start and end times set to AUTO. The recording ended 3 or 4 minutes early! How annoying! Luckily I had recorded it on my separate freeview PVR already.
Looks like I’ll have to add 5 minutes padding as I’m used to, but according to the manual, the auto start and end is best if the programmers change the schedule. So bang goes that advantage.
I’m guessing that the problem was due to the programming signal from the channel dropping too early, as the ‘auto mode’ switches on and off according to that signal. It could be the box, though, but either way, I hope it will be fixed!
@Jon 150. If your TV was badged as HD ready, it should come with all the necessary reatures to work properly with this device. Specifically, it must have a HDMI or DVI connector, and be able to handle HDCP.
AndyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Dave…Just go to either end of the front panel and flick it down. It is quite firmly stuck there but will come down. You’ll get used to the amount of pressure needed.
GrubbyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
@Roy 155
So, are you saying that your record button is just plain grey with no red dot?
If so, then I retract my flippant comment! I didn’t realise that you are actually referring to a fault on the remote, rather than just a personal preference.
As there is no other text explaining what that button is, I can see how a missing dot could be a problem until you get used to it!!
ACQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Little Frustrating!
I have a Hummy 9300T that I use too and this allows you to trim the recorded programs. The HDR does not. Hopefully Humax will come out with a software upgrade to fix this soon!
GrubbyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks for that info Grubby.
DaveQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Hi guys, I wonder if anyone can help me out on this, I have a pre HD, SD plasma and am currently watching BBC HD on a Topfield sat box outputing 576i via component. The HD picture even downconverted at 576i looks stunning. I’m wanting to upgrade to a PVR but it looks like 720p and 1080i are encrypted on freesat. So my question is Freesat HD encrypted 576i/576p on the analogue component outputs?
markbigearsQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
@ Bert 152
Does that mean I can run the PVR from a sinle lnb by using a cable splitter and get all the functions?
AlanQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Well got my Humax HDR this morning along with all the other posters I got to argee this is a great piece of kit very please with it.The remote response is quick and the EPG is much quicker then sky’s.The picture is top quality both in HD and SD.Setup was very easy only took 15mins.The remote is a bit fiddly but not to bad.There more channels line up on freesat then freeview which was a good surpise.
9.5 out of 10 if it was not for the remote be 10 out of 10 for me.
Eric PQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hi . I have had my Humax pvr now for four weeks. Can anyone please help me with a big problem, I have tried for hours trying to read the manual on how to sourt out how to get the Tv guide to show more than two hours of programs. thanks.
KenQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hi
Could any one please tell me if I should be able to record a single programe and watch any other channel, I have two feeds in from my LNB.
If I am recording a channel lets say bbc then I seem to be very restricted as to what other channels I can watch. If this is not the case any ides as to the problem.
Both the feeds are working ok to the LNB
John
johnQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
@AC 158
Cheers AC, misunderstanding sorted!
I’m not losing sleep over the missing red dot, but I do find it a bit disturbing that Humax appear not to be replying to any emails. Either that, or they are so busy it’s taking them a very long time. I’ll give them another day or two, then try ringing them.
Roy W.Quote
December 9th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Nice to know people are actually getting them. When I placed my order the supplier suggested stock was due 26th Nov 08 yet I haven’t heard anything from them yet. By the sounds of it, I wish I’d taken the Argos route…
Mike WQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
John @ 164
Go to the ‘How To’ here is something there that will help you out
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/how-to
GrubbyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
@ John 164
You certainly should be able to record one programme and view any other channel, or record two programmes and be able to view a restricted selection (from the same transponder).
It sounds to me like your Humax thinks it’s only got one LNB feed. I suggest you run through the setup wizard again, and make sure you select the option for a twin LNB feed, and see if this makes any difference.
Roy W.Quote
December 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Does anyone else find the remote control range is completely hopeless? And also when navigating the EPG it is sluggish and non responsive? This combined with the remote controls lack of range makes for a frustrating and painful experience. Not what I was expecting to be honest for the price.
Another example is when you go to delete a file, a pop up appears asking if you are sure you want to delete and the icon defaults to NO. When I press the left key once it bounces across to the Yes Icon and then back to the No Icon. Arrrggghhh!!!!!!
Apart form this the picture is great but so was my freeview.
I was told by ARGOS that this product was excluded from the 30 day money back deal so where do I stand in getting a refund as it’s hardly fit for purpose with the above faults.
DomQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Dom@170
Not to be condescending. Have you removed both film protectors from the box? There is the obvious 1 on the front and another 1 when you flip the flap down inside there!!
GrubbyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Failing that…….Stick it on ebay!
GrubbyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Thanks Roy W,
I have done a factory reset, then a freesat tune and it picked up two cables all working ok.
PS, is Setanta available through the CAM slot, if not does anyone know if it will be. or what can be used in the CAM slot?
How can anyone even think of putting this macine on Ebay or sending it back so early, wel done grubby just removed film off the inside and the remote does work better.
John
johnQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Yep pealed it of both the flap and the actual LCD. Still rubbish. After speaking to a colleague about this we think it could be the box CPU that is busy doing something else and not giving the IR enough priority.
This could also explain the general CLUNKY feel to the EPG etc.
He reckons the EPG becomes smoother if you leave it on the screen for a while and wait for the picture to re appear in the background. No idea why when viewing the EPG the current channel stops then eventually appears again. Just weird and maybe suggest the CPU is not man enough.
DomQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
@Mark 161:
As far as I’m aware, only HDMI can carry any encryption information. Outputting via component should provide a decrypted signal, compatible with any equipment capable of the connection. Someone may correct me if I’m wrong. Do a google search for component and encryption or something.
Andy
AndyQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Hi Andy, seen a few posts saying 720p and 1080i are encrypted (ie: you can’t see a HD picture) via component so you can’t record analogue output. Just not sure if it’s the same on 576i? Did a google but can’t find the answer, cheers
markbigearsQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
can you reset the configuration to receive Gold Sat signals (400++ channels). If so how
stuartQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I abandoned my old TV and VCR 6 months ago. Bought a SONY Bravia 32” with built in Freeview which gave good results despite my ageing aerial. Since then I have been waiting impatiently for the HUMAX “Freesat +” which arrived from ARGOS a few days ago. It cost me £415 including delivery and fitting but I am happy with the value as there is no monthly subscription and I think the HUMAX will serve my needs for same time to come. I would recommend it to anyone.
As more technically able people have already given feed back I will simply say that it does everything it says on the tin – and very well too. I read concerns about noise from the fan – there is none that I can detect. The display on the front of the box is bright, but not enough to distract me, at least, from enjoying the new (to me) functionality of the HUMAX, combined with an excellent picture on my SONY. Diagnostics show Signal Strength 100% and Quality 90% on both Tuners
I have yet to discover any disappointment except difficulty with the “universal” remote control. I am still juggling 2 remotes despite following carefully the info in the User Manuals and websites. I think the problem lies with the SONY not recognising that the HUMAX is attached to the HDMI cable. If anybody can offer any advice on this irritation I should be very grateful.
WayneQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
@Wayne
I have similar experience with HDMI not being recognised. MY Humav is hooked up to a philips 32″ HD which doesn’t recognise the connection. I have to go into the TV input options and manually select the appropriate HDMI input socket.
Is this a problem with the Humax box or is to do with the HDMI protocol ?
peterhbQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
HDMI inputs do not support auto switching like SCART
Barry PQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Does anyone know if the Foxsat HD PVR supports Unicable LNBs (sometimes called Single Cable Routing (SCR) LNBs? For example, the Inverto SCR LNB should allow simultaneous viewing/recording of 4 channels on any transponder/either polarisation. This would support 1 dual tuner PVR plus 2 other satellite STBs all on one cable.
Peter BQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
JL says “stock due soon” but when I popped in to oxford st branch in London the assistant got it up on their system and there are 2000 outstanding orders to be filled so you cannot even place an order…………..this amount of outstanding orders will probably see off any stock till a while after xmas won’t it?
KdburQuote
December 9th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
@DOM 174
DOM your friend is perfectly correct re the EPG and REMOTE CONTROL.
If you let the picture come back behind the EPG then the Remote Control
works perfectly.
You have to wait a while but it is worth it for ease of use.
Conclusion – A GREAT BIT of KIT!
EdwardQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Reply to JAMES a “Dragon” sorry for the delay!
Russ DringQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Hi Can anyone tell me how i can get one full days programs on the tv guide i have tried for a month thanks.
KenQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Has anyone had problems booting the unit up? I have about a 20% success rate in getting the unit to come out of standby. More often than not the LCD backlight will come on and the HD will spin up but the word ‘BOOT’ does not appear, and the unit doesn’t properly come on. I’ve tried switching off at the back and back on, and the same thing happens. I’ve used the front button and the remote button. Eventually. after trying all 3 a few times, it eventually boots.
It might be worth mentioning that I haven’t received the first OTA update yet, I received an error, I think it’s because I only have a single LNB at the moment.
Ordinarily I’d not hesitate to request a replacement, but with the stock situation, I’d rather look for a fix!
Ken 185, I’m pretty sure you can’t get more than 2 different views on the EPG. Press Guide to toggle between the 2 views available.
Andy
AndyQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Re @144
Checked the formatting of my external HD and it’s NTFS and therefore not recognised, as the box rightly says. EXT2 will do nicely for it now as I think there may be limits on file size with FAT.
So, thanks for the advice, Dave (@145) but, overrated or not, Linux will continue to do nicely for me at home as it has for the last nine years or so.
Don’t know much about Sky, but freesatfromsky has served me well for a few years. Anyone want an old Pace box going cheap?
Simon FraserQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 10:08 am
@183
Noticing a lot of people have slow EPG response I wondered why mine was fast and responsive. Then I realised I only have about 20 channels in my EPG as I have deleted all the channels I don’t use from the channel listing, Could the number of channels in the EPG be proportional to the response time.
Barry PQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Can the single feed into your house be split into 2 using a spliter
martQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Got mine yesterday and spent evening playing with it!!! 10 Mins to setup, downloaded new software and installed it within 3 mins. Its brilliant don’t have to pay stupid $ky £10 per month to record just freeview channels anymore.
oh yeah – i got my box from Argos £299.41 inc del +£10 voucher.
One question:
How do you quickly flick through your favorite channels? i.e. the sky blue button feature.
thanks
Del
Del BoyQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Have got my Humax FOXSAT-HDR and am loving it. But have some questions which may have been answers already but is proving differcult to get answers using this forum. My question:
I have just the one feed from my Satelite which goes to Humax FOXSAT-HDR. I am able to record a channel and watch a sub set of channels. Using just the one feed am I not able to get latest software upgrade? Is there a way of getting software upgrade and full feature set when recording? i.e. single feed to behaviour like dual feed? I hear connecting out to in does not do the job from help line?
geoQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
geo – The software updates are not available via one cable at the moment, Humax are said to be working on this.
With just a single feed you are limited, the only way around this is two cables in, or the limited accessibility as discussed here, http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input.
adminQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
@183 + 188
Hope for a fix for the EPG, or it will end up in the argos returns bin! We think the box is downloading synopsis info and thats whats causing the IR and EPG problems. Don’t think the SKY + system did this until the info was requested. I don’t really want to delete a load of channels but will check if this helps. A PC based settings editor would be nice like on my HDCI2000 the option to add Chan4 HD without switching box mode would be nice. Still impressed with picture quality though better than $ky
NigelDQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Thanks for answers admin. I guess it would be good to have the software update feature via the one cable, will look out for when feature is in. I can live with the limited sub set when recording.
P.S. Am loving the Humax FOXSAT-HDR. BBC HD is fab! Champion league looking great on ITV HD.
geoQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hi
Thinking of buying But can you TIME RECORD ITV as unlike the BBC they use a Red Button to access ITV HD
Chris
ChrisQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Sorry to be a dur brain with all this 2 feed stuff but I have 2 satellite cables which used to go into my ordinary sky box is this the 2 cables needed for the pvr?………(which I cannot seem to buy at present!!!) At the moment I only have one of the sat cables in my freesat hd box.
KdburQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Yes ! LNB in1 and LNB in 2 it’ll be obvious how it works when you see the quick set up instructions when you do finally get your hands on the new box.
Steve.BQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Dom, If you bought it online or buy phone you have 7 days to reject it under the distance selling regulations.
flufQuote
December 10th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Yes Alan the signal Splitter will work fine, look on the Humax web site they are selling a few twin turners PVRS on the Freeveiw platform which operate from the arials FTA which have been in use for many years, these had only one cable feed why all the fuss about twin cable Yes the Humax HDR is a gem well worth the money, BBC & ITV have been busy doing some work regarding the ITV HD introduction to the Freesat platform, but working well now, the cable Splitter made by LOBGEAR CABLEVISION devides the signal and gives two feeds from a single DISH CABLE the splitter box ref number is CM5114 two short cables are required about 8″ long between DVR and the SPLITTER BOX
Bert AllsopQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Thanks to the earlier post about removing the protective film from the flap and over the sensor and internal display / buttons. I did not realise about the film over the sensor and even when I looked again I did not think it was fitted. I have now removed the second protective film and the remote does work much better. It is still very directional but a lot better.
David MilneQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am
@199
Sorry, but you can’t simply use a signal splitter with satellite to give you the full functions of two LNB feeds. When you do this with Freeview, the aerial signal is passive – the signal is coming in one direction down the cable to the receiver.
With satellite reception, the receiver needs to control two settings on the LNB in order to tune the correct channel, these being the band and the polarisation. Different channels use different settings for band and polarisation, and these are changed by the receiver by sending a signal up the cable to the LNB.
The only way you can use a single cable and get full features is if you change your LNB for a unicable type, which are very expensive. You then also need the technical know-how to set this up on the receiver.
All in all, it is much easier to get two feeds from your dish. In my view, unless you are going to set up the PVR with twin feeds from the LNB, then it’s really not worth buying the twin-tuner PVR.
Roy W.Quote
December 11th, 2008 at 11:11 am
@201
The Inverto Unicable LNB is UKP39.00 from Intellect Systems – see http://www.intellectsystems.co.uk/. For many people it may be easier to change the LNB than running a second cable. In addition to feeding a twin tuner PVR the same single cable can be split/looped through to feed up to 2 other single tuner STBs. All 4 tuners would have full independent access to any transponder on the satellite with either polarisation.
However, as per my last post #181, I am trying to find out if the Foxsat PVR fully supports the Unicable Standard.
Peter BQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
@180
re HDMI Switching.
Very strange. HDMI outputs directly connected to my TV plus those connected to my TV through my Denon AV amp all auto switch flawlessly from “TV” (which might be Freeseat, DVB or analogue) to “AV”.
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Has anybody had trouble with the EPG?. Ive had my pvr for a month, and i can only get two programs on the tv guide i want to get one days programs so i can record from them . Greatfull for somebodys help.
KenQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Got the new Humax HD-R on monday. First experience of sat TV. Very pleased with the box with the exception of 2 things. 1. Why cant I get the time to show on the boxes display during normal use? 2. The general volume level through the box is a lot lower than previously experienced, I have connected to a seperate amplifyer for surround sound via optical cable and the volume is almost set at twice the previous level.
martynQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Looking on the Humax site, the rear of the panel is lacking component inputs, looks like a version 2 box?
markbigearsQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Switching channel interference?
Got one at last – v pleased with it but do have one query.
When switching channels I am getting a brief ‘buzz,crackle’ sound (hard to describe) through the TV speakers. This happens what ever route /technique is used to change channel.
Is anyone else getting this or have any ideas on how to eliminate?
Not major but would be nice to get rid of it.
Thanks.
Mark LQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
14 months after hearing about Freesat and a possible PVR, I have one . Delayed another week because of the gits that stole that lorry load. Had it over a day now and no problems at all. My EPG works fine .Picture is better through the HDMI. HD is amazing .
Pity you can’t record from the live buffer and you have to have the TV on to see what mp3 you are selecting . (got to use that 20 Plus Gb’s for something )
But the best thing is the remote will not work from where my girlfriends sits. Not that she will ever understand how to use it.
MattQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
@ 208 Matt
The first comment to make me laugh.
Thanks
Roger
RogerQuote
December 11th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Am I the only one who thinks it looks a bit like Kitt from Night Rider, when its in standby mode ? Pity you can’t get the red LED to move from side to side.
MattQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am
@178 – wayne
I too have experianced promlems getting the Humax remote to work on my Panasonic Viera TH37PX60B. I spoke to Humax support over two weeks ago and they gave me a ticket number saying they would look into it. When I phoned back I was told that there was nothing they could do regarding this issue. Its a shame because I absolutely love this piece of kit. Worth every penny!
PullyQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Reading the above I’m extremely jealous of those who managed to get their Humax delivered. I thought I’d got my hands on one when I placed my order with Argos on 3rd Dec, telling me it would arrive on Friday 5th. Well the time came and went, no communication from Argos other than taking £293 out my bank account(!), so I emailed their customer support, at which point I realised what a shambles Argos online is! Check out the reply I received:
Argos: “I am very sorry you have not received your order. Unfortunately this can sometimes happen when an item has recently sold out and our online ordering system has not updated. This can be due to large volumes of people visiting our website at one time. However I do understand the frustration and inconvenience this may cause.
I am pleased to confirm we will keep your order on hold for you until you advise further. However we do require you to check stock and once this is showing in stock to contact us and we will then re-arrange another suitable delivery date.
Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused here.”
So, no online order tracking, no idea when they’ll get it in and they won’t let me know when it comes in anyway, instead I have to check the site for availability myself! In the meantime, they keep my money. I won’t be using them again!
Anyone else had a similar experience?
NickQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Thanks Roger@208 just trying to turn a negative in to a positive, silver linings and all that.
Two Odd things I’ve noticed about my HDR, when your recording, the EPG comes up with the sound & TV picture straight away. No Receiving Programme Information in the top right of the screen, it still works fine if not better ?
Also I only get Thumb Nail Pictures on recordings if the Box has been turned off for a while. ?
MattQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am
ALAN@162 Take my word for the Homax DTR working with a cable splitter, I have quite a lot of series loaded which are working ok for me, don’t forget is has only two turners, it is possible to view a recorded program, while recording two other programmes, it is a wonderful box of tec; it will not let one do any operations which are not possible. If only more of these Humax PVRS were available, I know many are waiting for supplies at the shops, I will say again a wonderful bit of kit, worth waiting for. I am still figureing out how to get the remote to work the TV got a good excuse I am 83 years old and still learning to do things.
Bert AllsopQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Nick, use the Argos option for having an email alert sent to you when new stock is available….you have to be quick to respond though ! You can find it when you click onto “check local stores” Its what I did and I had mine delivered last week.
If its of use to anyone ? Currys told me that they are not expecting any units in stock until after Christmas.
Steve.BQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
You’re quite right Steve.B. I’d already “signed up” with Argos to get the e-mail notification and one popped in to my in-box at 11.30am today telling me that they had more in stock. By the time I phoned them at 11.39am they’d sold out!
I’m desperate to get one of these Humax HDR’s as my $ky+ box is playing up big time and as I’d already planned to dump $ky there’s no way I’m paying them 65 quid to come out and probably give me some second hand refurbished rubbish (they did that once before and I’ve had nothing but trouble since…)
If you’re one of those people who have already received their new Humax recorder, count yourself very lucky – there’s plenty of us who would happily cut limbs off to have one of our own (preferably off other people, though).
Andy ClaytonQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Andy @ 216
There are some on ebay at a premium though! Couple of buy it nows for £355-£360 inc postage.
If you’re that desperate???
GrubbyQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Forgot to say.
1 of them is Turbosat.
GrubbyQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
well had mine fitted yesterday and i must say that i am glad i did it is well made and the picture is great i got mine from local retail shop he was very good and i am pleased with what he did for me thanks humax and to dss ltd for a great job
andrew wrightQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
no way to update software if you only have one LNB great idea humax NOT
Dave KQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Why so bitter Dave K ? Sky+HD uses twin LNB feed. So it shouldn’t come as a suprise that this new Humax HDR with twin tuners likewise needs two ?
Steve.BQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I also got the email from Argos, but no stock left by the time I called up. Humax really have dropped the ball on this in my opinion. Is there any word on when the next shipment is being delivered to the UK? I’m wondering whether or not to give up and just get a regular HD Freesat tuner; the chance of getting one before christmas seems to be getting lower and lower…
LaurenceQuote
December 12th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Grubby@217/8
Thanks for the info. No, I don’t think I’m quite that desperate, but thanks for the thought! I just hope my $ky+ survives over Christmas as I think Laurence@222 isn’t far wrong about the chances of any of us getting one before. I tried several retailers today and none were even taking back orders.
It’ll be worth the wait!
Andy ClaytonQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I am disillusioned almost totally. Despite knowing I have a good signal, at least up to 10 am this morning with my old set up with Sky Freesat, I just cannot set the wretched Freesat box up. It couldn’t find the satellite, and then took me to postcode.No postcode I know to be valid in BH** is accepted with out without spaces. Then another OK takes me to scanning for channels. Even that is fraught: when I give the OK with the remote there is zilch response no matter how close the remote is to the box. Net result is I’m stuck and angry. I have never had such a rotten experience, so far, as with the Foxsat HDR.
I am wondering how to start the installation from scratch, but puzzled how to do that if the remote refuses to communicate with the box for whatever reason.
Unless I succeed by Monday the wretched thing is going back to JL, where I bought it.
GordonQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Admin
I have read the blog with interest. While I think it time that a knowledge centre, where people can checkout issues concerning freesat and the various boxes, is developed and it would be good if you could help facilitate this.
RogerQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 10:16 am
To all those out three still trying to get a HDR this e-mail might be of interest.
I asked why it seemed that so many were going to Argos & not the Independent Retailers. ( I hate Argos ) Dec 5th
All channels are receiving the same % allocation against their back orders as each other. Sadly due to the theft this week that has been smaller than anticipated. We are attempting to pick up the slack on this product in the next two weeks, but anticipate stock being painfully short until mid January .
Customer Services.
So I take it if an Independent ordered 1000 & Argos ordered 50,000 . Argos would receive 50 boxes for every one that the Independent got . FAIR ???
MattQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Gordon to start again do a factory reset, have you took the plastic film of the front and from the inside of the pull down flap which covers the display this will help the remote .
Not 100% on sattelite instalation but are you picking up Astra 2, when I installed mine I was only a few degrees out and I picked up the wrong sattelite I used a sattleite finder and found Astra 2 and hey presto.
I made the mistake of not going completly through the installation process so it did not enable me to watch and record all channels, I did a factory reset and started the instalation process again, made sure it fully went through the process until it said finish and away it went.
Hope this helps
John
johnQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Has anyone else had recordings stop prematurely? A couple of my BBC HD recordings have stopped early, by which I don’t mean a minute or two. For example The Merchant of Venice a few days ago stopped after 33 minutes.
Patrick WallaceQuote
December 13th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Mine keeps losing the signal, but I have 100% on each. Still a great box!
RonnieQuote
December 14th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Patrick Wallace @ 228
Unfortunately, The Merchant of Venice was mistakenly only set for 33 minutes in the EPG for BBCHD, When I realised this, I modified the scheduled entry for the full length of the programme. Other than that, I have had a couple of programmes stop slightly early. I presume this is because the BBC have sent the ‘end of programme’ trigger early. Hopefully, this will improve as the broadcasters realise the importance of getting it right.
David HQuote
December 14th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I’m thinking of buying the HUMAX PVR but I only have one feed into my living room the other feeds are already in other rooms can i add anymore feeds to my satellite without actually changing it? also I was thinking of buying the panasonic freesat tv i take it there is no point when buying this PVR?
CarlQuote
December 14th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I’ve had mine for a couple of days now. First impression is that it works well, but operation is far more complicated than it needs to be, even allowing for it having more facilities than Freeview equivalents. Sky are definitely superior in this respect. I am never going to be able to operate this Humax remote handset in the dark.
The remote control is useless unless the front flap is left down (yes, I have removed both protective films), and the volume control would be better if it worked the TV in PVR mode.
RichardQuote
December 14th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Hi , Quite pleased with the HDR unit, but seem to have a glitch.
While recording X-factor last night on ITV, i could not access BBC1
or BBC-HD . When i stopped recording it was ok. I have twin feeds.
Anybody with the the same problem or advice to fix –thanks–Ian.
IanQuote
December 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Ian,
Do a complete factory reset and then run the set up wizard to the end.
see no 169
John
JohnQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Argos delivered as promised and this is an impressive and powerful device that delivers a great picture in SD and mind-bogglingly good in HD (can’t wait for more channels).
Occasionally there are conflicts when recording/viewing – I’m hoping it’s just the way I set it up that has caused this. As some others have posted along these lines I guess someone else must be in the same position as me. I’m fairly clueless about all things electrical, but with help from places such as this, am learning all the time.
I previously had Sky+ that was upgraded from standard Sky. I have 2 cables coming through the wall from the dish and connected as described to LN1 in & LN2 in. Both cables appear to go all the way up to the dish but I can’t see exactly how they connect (If that is relevant).
On the set up I recall the display showing “one cable”. Now at the time I assumed that it knew what I had and continued – is there an option to change this to “2 cables” and would it make a difference? (I don’t know how to find this out wihout re-installing).
I ran the set up wizard to the end as far as I’m aware ie I didn’t stop it from completing and pressed the appropriate selection at the end.
So my only problem is that when recording one channel, I am limited in choice as to what I can view live. I assumed it would record/view in the same way as Sky+ regardless of channel, but am thinking that’s not quite the case. Or do I need a bit of tinkering to be done with the cables before it is?
And if I did have to re-install, would it wipe any recorded material?
Any advice gratefully received. Thanks!
GmanQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Gman you need to make sure it is set up knowing it has 2 cables going to it. This probable means a factory reset re-install and you might lose recordings .
Mine is working fine apart from getting the Thumb Nails up straight away .It likes to work on that while I’m sleeping.
MattQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
IN STOCK @ DIXONS
Just had an email to say Dixons have stock
http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/808073?camp_id=wk33_08_freesatHumax
Pic is wrong but description is correct, 5% discount code FSPLUS5
Barry PQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
with reference to 237 use code 10digi to get 10% off then 5xmas to 5% more off got one for under £263 yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
garybQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Ok, got mine from Argos. Requested an email when stock in. Ordered straight away and then they went out of stock almost immediately. Act quickly.
Pretty straight forward to set up and watching HD for free is a dream. Goodnight Sky +. Below are some of my initial gripes and solutions.
Slow Remote Response
I too had the slow remote problems but resolved this by reading this forum. That other blue strip on the inside of the machine is a killer. Remote response is much much quicker now.
Problems Recording / Watching Multiple Channels
Sometimes I could watch one and then not another when recording, or there were some channels ‘greyed’ out. Since carrying out a Factory Reset and ensuring it showed the 2nd Cable active this seems to be working almost fine (I did get some bad signal errors but a click backward and forward seems to get it working). Also I only lost my settings / schedules but not my recordings.
Recording Limits Options
I don’t seem to be able to Manage Files or some other options whilst a recording is in progress. Be nice to get this sorted in an update.
Favourite Channels
To flick through, you need to go into your Lists and select Green then keep pressing until your Favourites list is displayed. You then need to press OK a couple of times until you return to TV i.e. no menus. You then Press the i (info) button and then you can browse your favourites without the channel changing.
EPG
Often cuts the transmission for around 45 seconds so you browse in silence until the signal catches up.
Workings
I have to say, some of the features are really good but not so good for my wife. Generally you have to click 2 or 3 times more to get the same result as you would on Sky with 1 click. Look at the favourites which is probably 6 / 7 clicks before you start. (There might be a shorter route but I haven’t found it yet)
Overall this is an expensive bit of kit which at the moment only gives you a few hours of extra benefit (HD material) a day. With this in mind I’m not sure I would feel that left out if I didn’t own one yet.
Glad I have one and looking forward to when the HD service is more supported.
The HD picture is fantastic and subscription free is a notable reward.
Paul HDRQuote
December 15th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hello, Can you record on freesat and switch to and watch a freeview channel at the same time?………………great forum by the way!!
sandyQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Got mine from John Lewis yesterday – on a pre-order. Although I don’t have an HD TV I wanted it to replace the Grundig SD unit so I could record (and replace an aging VCR). First impressions are very good – easy to set up and use (as long as you don’t make basic mistakes). Picture quality on SD is, in my opinion, better than the Grundig on my Phillips 23″ CRT.
I have considerd getting an HD TV byut now I am unsure and somewhat confused. Looking at the displays in John Lewis, none of the LCD HD units had a picture on SD that was anything like the quality of my current set up. Given that there is very little HD at the moment, it would seem a bad move to buy a new set.
Someone has, however, advised that I should get a picture through the Foxsat on an LCD at SD as good as I am getting with the CRT and to ignore the shop displays. Others have agreed but advised to go for no bigger than a 26″ LCD (our viewing distances are between 1.5 and 2 metres) as we will see defects in SD. Yet others have advised that I need at least a 32″ to get the benefit of HD at our viewing distances.
I am confused. Any tech wizards out there who can advise please.
Rod LQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Thanks Matt, held my nose, jumped in and did a factory reset and it picked up two cables automatically this time – did a software upgrade at some point without me noticing too. As Paul HDR says @ 239, the recorded material isn’t deleted but all series links are – and I agree completely with your summary. I guess we’re all testing this to some extent.
Btw Matt re your post @208, unfortunately, I have the opposite situation with regard to the remote and where my wife sits and have found that a strategically placed object to one side of the unit enables me to bounce the signal off it fairly successfully – a bit like snooker, but more fun.
GmanQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Paul HDR @239 Big thank you for explaining how to flick through your favourite channels. Any thing else you find out please post.
Paul as I said @ 213 why does the EPG come up with the sound & picture straight away when its busy recording & work fine ?
To anyone managing to get one this week, let the box warm up a bit before you plug it in and use it,as condensation forming on the HDD can cause damage.
MattQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 11:23 am
11:15 a.m. Just successfully placed an order with Comet, delivery 29th December at the earliest. Get in there quick.
NickQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Managed to order one from Dixons this morning for £256.49… what a price!
Just called them (early afternoon) and they confirm the order is good so hoping to receive this before Christmas.
Need to find a way to tell the wife now… a few bottles of wine should do it !!!
ClydeDQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
If I set the Humax resolution to “original” so that the TV does any required rescaling, and then turn off, when the box reboots the resolution is set not to “original” but to “1080i”. This is annoying, and I would like to know if the problem can be got round.
BTW TV is 32LXD85 HD Ready 1366×768
GordonQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Thanks John@ 234, factory reset seems to have done the trick.
H D plcture is superb, remote menue’s a bit over complicated.
Couple of times have put on standby, and in the morning has switched
itself back on. But it’s mine & i love it.
IanQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I need some really good technically advice here. I know what I am asking for is Highly Illegal and I know that if I am caught I will be cast into the deepest dungeons, probably have my entrails ripped out and roast over hot coals – BUT I AM PREPARED TO TAKE THAT RISK. I spend a lot of time in a Sunny southern European country where it is difficult to get British TV. I can get one of the locals to erect a dish capable of receiving FreeSat (They’ll do anything for money out here). My question is – Will this Humax PVR work there. I have read all the postings here and what stands out is the need to input a Post Code on setup. Has this been included to thwart the likes of myself and countless other expats out here in the Sun, or does this simple act as a guide as to what regional channels are received. It really doesn’t matter whether I get Southern or Northern ITV or whatever – just as long it’s in English and gets Corry etc. I don’t mind.
There is no need to reply telling me that FreeSat is only for use in UK – I KNOW THAT. Just tell me – please – pretty please then – if it’s “theoretically” and TECHNICALLY possible to use this box abroad. You may assume that Yes I can get the correct signal.
JimTedQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Jim Ted if you can get a good enough signal from Astra 2D.( Very big dish ) then you can use it on the Moon for all the box cares . Any post code you want …
MattQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Just a suggestion to those that wish to turn off the front display;
I do not yet own one so cannot try for myself – but can a dark sticker not just be placed on the inside of the flap to drown out the light escaping, then replace the flap?
I have a techie question if anyone is able to answer;
I wish to connect this box to a motorised system so I can watch channels on Hispasat, the Astras and Hotbird. Sandy @240 poses an interesting question regarding the concurrent use of Freesat and non-Freesat modes. Having a motor will complicate this yet further – does anybody know of a good source of information so I can configure my setup correctly?
A good example is what happens when a scheduled recording tries to operate and the dish has been left at 30W.
westieQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
So I have used the PVR for about a week now, love the PVR but a few negatives here:
1) Remote range < v.poor (need a remote extender) my pvr is about 3 meters away
2) Remote response sometimes registers as two presses specially the ‘i’ button
3) When switching channels the picture appear instantly but sound lags behind by about a second – beginning to find it annoying when channel hopping.
come on Humax guys, need another software update!!!
Del BoyQuote
December 16th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
December 17th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I’ve got an Arcam DVD player, does anyone know the correct code to get it working with the Humax remote control?
Other than that the unit works well, although the auto-pad mode does cut programs off at the moment (I’ve changed to using hard-coded padding).
FreeSatQuote
December 17th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Why do executed schedule items not get deleted automatically, but only sometimes?
Martin ANDREWSQuote
December 17th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Managed to get mine from Dixons online ordered Tuesday 16th dec received today – nice and easy to set up – managed to get it for £261.44 (found a few codes to tap in) A friend wanted 1 but have checked there site tonight and out of stock
only had it on for a few hours but would definatly recommend this
only gripe – it would be nice if you could get freesat and non-freesat to tune together without having to swap over each time
Jon ElsworthQuote
December 17th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
forgot to tag these – try them they worked for me – mind you i forgot to add the free delivery – could have saved an extra £5
Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ Box. Its available for £299.99 with £4.95 delivery, but if you use discount code FSPLUS5 youll receive a 5% discount.
Once added the discount code, follow up with discount code 10DIGI for a further 10% offand then use discount code FREEDEL49 for free delivery too!!!
Jon ElsworthQuote
December 17th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
So as instructed by us 2 days ago
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/humax-pvr-now-available-at-dixons
adminQuote
December 17th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Can the screensaver on pause be turned off, please?
grahamdeepwellQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Had my unit for 2 weeks now-Comet website pre-order. Having been a $ky man since their launch and having one of the first sky+ boxes I finally got sick of the subscription and the ripoff price to upgrade to HD. So far so good in the freesat world-my experience to date:
-Installation really simple. Unplug sky+ cables, plug into freesat unit and connect the included HDMI. Then turn on the unit and the on screen instructions were fine. Others have said how within 15 minutes its all done-I can vouch for that.
-Picture quality is excellent in SD and HD.
-Menu’s not as simple or intuitive as $ky+, but certainly not bad. Also some parts better like offering series link whenever available as part of the record selection process.
-Frustrated by the lack of range on the remote. I have removed the 2 films on the Humax unit, installed new batteries but I still have to get close to use it. It works from a long distance to control TV (and DVD-another advantage over the sky rc) so I hope that a future firmware should be able to resolve this.
-Thought unit was faulty when I couldnt delete recorded programs-thanks to this forum for clarifying that you cant delete while recording. Now I know its not a problem.
-Fantastic new feature to skip forward a number of minutes-set mine to 2 and a couple of clicks gets us through the adverts-$ky missed a trick with that one.
Cancelled with $ky yesterday, I think they are getting worried about Freesat+ as when I told them this was the reason I was offered a great deal to stay-told I could still return the Humax and stay with them-even offered a 3 month deal for sky+HD. I am happy enough with my choice though and went through with the cancellation.
ThephilcornishQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Just received my unit from Dixons. All seems to be working although the fan does not run when you turn the unit on. Is the fan temperature controlled or is it supposed to run all teh time?
RobertQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Hi. I’m not sure if this has been answered but I *have* looked.
Can someone please tell me an easy way to view Freesat and NON-Freesat (manually tuned) channels? I have come up with a workaround but its not very consistent.
TIA
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
ref 261
Don’t know any workarounds just the menu settings etc method. Humax should be aware by now people are unhappy there is no more direct way of switching between freesat and nonfreesat modes! They haven’t bothered answering my email request. What’s your workaround?
RozQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
ref 248
I believe any UK postcode would work. The box has no connection for it to send data to broadcasters / operators. Well it has the ethernet but that’s not enabled yet. Didn’t think it was still considered illegal to receive UK broadcasts abroad and thought the copyright nonsense had been lifted when the various public channels became fee to air even before freesat came along.
RozQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
ref updating my own question in post 44
I was and am still unclear whether using a multi lnb dish will enable different locations to be received via both of the two LNB inputs on the back of the box? Has anyone tried anything more complex than the following?
I have now bought and installed the box with two cables down to the box for the Freesat locations at 28 degrees and added LNBs to receive 13, 19 and 23 degree locations. I decided LNBs needed to all be added onto one of the main cables via a Diseqc 4 way switch and fed in to LNB1 input.
Programming the extra LNBs in non-freesat mode took some hit and miss, the link in my post 44 helped as did downloading the Humax i-cord manual where the process is explained at least in part. I avoided doing general scans of each satellite to keep the number of channels down and worked my way through the transponders that contained channels I wanted. I referred to lyngsat (kingofsat also good) for the detailed listings.
Now that I can receive the channel range I wanted I have to wait for HUMAX to upgrade the software when they realise people want to switch between freesat and non-freesat modes more easily and to programme recordings in non-freesat mode! Please HUMAX, please are you getting on with this??? Let us know somehow!
RozQuote
December 18th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
got mine today from Dixons 10 minute set up so far so good,picture quality good,very pleased,message to admin ,could you compile the hints and tips into one area only this share and enjoy section is great but getting a bit long to scan for info
GarybQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 9:01 am
ClydeD@245. I’ve got a similar matrimonial problem. Not with the purchase of the Freesat+ box (mine arrived yesterday evening and I’m very very pleased with it. Have cancelled $ky already). My issue is convincing the trouble-and-strife that now that we’ve got an HD decoder we should buy an HD telly to plug it into!
For those who haven’t got one of these Humax babies yet: go get one – you won’t be disappointed! See the separate topic about Humax at Dixons for some useful tips on where to buy…
Andy ClaytonQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Now I’m P’d off! My faulty unit was collected by Argos but they haven’t delivered a replacement because they are out of stock until after Xmas!!
And of course, nobody else has any! So all of that lovely HD programming over Xmas I’m going to miss! 
Boo hoo!
Andy
AndyQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Andy Clayton:
See my post at 241 above. We seem to be in a similar position. She Who Must Be Obeyed would be very resistant to anything above 26″ (the TV that is!) and the advice seems to be that 26″ is too small to appreciate HD. Yet I am also told that 32″ will show defects on SD. What to do?
Rod LQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I think this site is terrific, thanks guys for all the helpful info.
query?
I’m waiting delivery for the freesat pvr, I have a hd/ready kuro plasma, is the hdmi cable supplied with the freesat good enough? or should I upgrade ?
dave edwardsQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Dave, don’t waste your time upgrading, a digital signal is a digital signal, the one supplied is fine.
adminQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Having a problem with Foxsat-HD when trying to view subtitles on BBC HD. System crashes after a few seconds. OK when subtitles switched off but very frustrating as me and spouse both hard of hearing and rely a great deal on subtitles. Is this a common problem??
AlanQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Back in stock at Argos RIGHT NOW!
andyQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I have just set my unit up and all is well, but I have no ITV HD only BBC HD. Is this a setup, dish alignment issue? or are they not transmitting today?
RobertQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Ref hdmi query earlier, thanks for the advice admin that’s fifty quid saved.
One more query, is this site adictive? i keep visiting everyday, perhaps when the pvr is delivered after Christmas I won’t need my fix so often.
dave edwardsQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Just ordered from Argos with
AFD10 (Free delivery)
& XMASDISCOUNT (£10 off)
Will be delivered on Monday.
KeithQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
got unit set up fine but have found on a few channels i get “no or bad signal” channels affected are the pop chanels and true movies ,any ideas
thanks
Gary
GarybQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
sorry forgot to mention above thati have got 90% strength but zero quality when i look in the diagnostics
GarybQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Andy Clayton @266 – Good luck… I refurbed the living room in May/June this year so got the HD telly then, 42″ Panasonic, and I’ve been waiting for this box ever since.
Its arrived today so will be setting it up in the morning… although the big cheese wants to go and deliver Christmas presents… yeah right !!!
Will comment further when setup and running.
Oh yes… just to add my ‘thumbs up’ to the forum… some great comments.
ClydeDQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
@GaryB
Looks like you may be pointing at the wrong satellite.
digitalQuote
December 19th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
ref to digital @279 how can i check which satellite i am on?
thanks
Gary
GarybQuote
December 20th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Robert @ 273
ITV HD is a red button service. Tune to channel 103 & if the programme is available in HD, you will be invited to press the red button to receive it. You can also set up to record an ITV HD programme via the guide without the ‘red button’ nonsense.
David HQuote
December 20th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Sat 20th 4:20pm: Just placed order with Argos for delivery before Christmas, stock still available in Midlands region. Looking at the schedules there’s a lot on BBC HD on Christmas & Boxing day and not a lot after that, so I’m pretty keen to get it set up before then. I’m keeping my fingers crossed Argos will deliver this time, you never can tell…
NixQuote
December 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
solved missing channel problem ,dish alignment perfect but lnb skew not right.markins on the side of lnb allowing twist was set on 4 twisted to 3 then 2 then 1 got more channels on each move ,have all now ,may be off use to anyone with the same problem
GarybQuote
December 20th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Had mine for about a week now from Maplin…Fitted my own dish and luckily got a good signal after a little tweeking…Great picture in both normal and HD…How do you pre-program to record a future prog.?
I can see that pressing the record button will record what you are watching,been into menu,but not very clear or it could be an age thing!!
Many thanks…great forum
HughQuote
December 20th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Hugh
Go to Guide, select your program and press OK. You will get the options to record.
grahamdeepwellQuote
December 21st, 2008 at 9:23 am
Thanks Graham…will try that next time….Recorded “Strickly”last night,at least I thought I had,it was showing :record:on the front panel but did not appear on the list of recorded progs.Strange!Also second half was not HD which did record ok……
HughQuote
December 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
just quick question is it ok to connect my network to ethernet connection at the back of the machine thanks
andrew wrightQuote
December 21st, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Hi. Benn to Comet today who had a Humax Foxsat HDR in stock. However I am a current subscriber to Sky+ with an LNB with 8 outputs. Looking to run two extra cables from the existing LNB to the Humax PVR but before I bought the helpful chap at Comet said that there may be a conflict if I take the Sky+ and Freesat feeds from the same LNB. Is this trueand thus will I need a separate LNB for the new Freesat box? Help please …………………
Ian WardQuote
December 21st, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Set my box up today, picture much better than my grundig freesat hd box but dissapointed to find the second cable presumably coming from my dish ( way up high on top of chimney) was an ariel lead which plugged into my old sky box in the arial socket so I am running on 1 LNB…..the cable looks identical to the LNB one ( except for the bit on the end) and I already have an ariel lead going into my TV so it is just doing nothing. Can I convert it by fitting a different end on it so it can fit into LNB2?…apologies if I am being a dum dum by thinking I could do this.
kdburQuote
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
Ian Ward – there won’t be any conflicts, run those cables.
kdbur – you could try fitting an F-type male plug, but if it doesn’t work someone will have to go on the roof.
grahamdeepwellQuote
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
Ian @288
As is often the case, the helpful assistant in Comet was talking rubbish!
Your new Foxsat will need two feeds from the LNB. If you have Sky+. this will be using two feeds itself. So, if you’ve got either a quad or an octo LNB, you’ll have the required two spare feeds.
It’s impossible for the two to interfere at the LNB. A quad or octo LNB actually has 4 or 8 totally seperate LNBs built into the one casing. With an octo you could run 4 Foxsats or Sky+ receivers, or any combination totalling 4.
Roy W.Quote
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Ian @288
As Roy W says @291, Comet are talking a load of rubbish. I have an octo LNB with 6 feeds active from the 1 dish and all working. It does help to have the best shielded cable though so don’t buy the cheap stuff.
My first weekend with the Humax beauty and to say I’m impressed is an understatement. Up and running in 10 mins with 100% signal and 100% quality on both feeds. Still working my way through all the features but only gripe so far is the reaction speed of the epg but this may improve with the next update.
Anyone know when and how the network port is going to be utilized?
ClydeDQuote
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pm
The Remote needs a re-design. It says something that I find a £4.99 Universal Remote from Lidl easier to use.
grahamdeepwellQuote
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Further to my earlier comment on Dec 19 that my Freesat pvr was assured to be delivered after Christmas, it arrived today. But guess what? I had told dish installer not to come till after Christmas, so I have to sit here and admire a bloody cardboard box.
dave edwardsQuote
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Sorry to be a pain and thanks to grahamdeepwell for suggesting the male F type plug to try to connect the second LNB from an arial lead coming off my dish….I have done that but just wanted to know if I have to re-do the set up from ‘factory settings’ to find out if the diy job I did works or does the fact I still can’t view other channels whilst recording mean it hasn’t worked?…………many thanks
kdburQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:02 am
Does anyone know if there is a way to delete the empty folders in media view?
Alan KQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 am
My question to you all is, I have sky in my lounge which through RF2, I am able to send the signal to all the other TV’s in the house via the splitter box in the loft I am also able to control sky from any room using the magic eye, I know some of you have had this for a short while now so can this happen with the humax ? or can I at least be able to get the picture to the rest of the house ?
BryanQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:02 am
Attention all you single dish cable feeds, my Humax HDR is working just fine one my single cable with splitter fitted. No faults noticed, I like the way this DVR offers other channels when there is conflict when recording two channels,this is a wonderful box of high tec, I would reccomend it, I give it full marks,
Bert AllsopQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
@296 Alan K
You can delete empty folders by selecting OPT+ and then file manager delete is then an option on the red button
Barry PQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Does anybody know any information about setting up uni cable for this box?
marcQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
@kdbur 295. Yes, you have to run the wizard again by doing factory reset, in order for it to check your connections. If your DIY job is OK, it should recognise 2 separate inputs and give you more functionality.
@graham 293. What’s wrong with the remote? I find it quite logical and easy to use.
andyQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
andy@301, the buttons I use most, the Play/Pause section, are hard to find in a darkened room.
grahamdeepwellQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
kdbur I’m new to all this but is it posible that the second cable is just a normal arial lead and not sat. Certainly the sky boxes have normal arial conections and it seems very strange that the end conector would be different if it was sat feed.
marcQuote
December 23rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Managed to get my box from Currys at Lakeside and have spent some time playing with the features. All in all its very impressive and the SD picture definitely improved when using the ‘Original’ setting via V+ button. This may be because my Sony TV is also trying to do upscaling and its better to leave just one box doing that.
One issue I have is that when I play any MP3 files that I have copied to the HDD, the first second or two of each track is missing. The files all play fine from the USB key that I copied from and I can’t work out whats going on. Anyone else found this ? (for info I route the Humax HDMI to an AV receiver then HDMI on to the TV).
cjlQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 12:04 am
@299 Barry
Many thanks – some would say I should have RTFM but the the manual is somewhat enigmatic and probably needs the da Vinci code to unravel it
Alan KQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Marc…..yes it was just an arial feed and obviously it didn’t work unfortunatley so I will be looking for someone to get up on my roof to fit a dual feed on my dish on the chimney. I had a lot of problems getting the dish fitted as the sky blokes wouldn’t go up there…..too high so I hope I can find a company who will do it. I am London so if anybody knows a good contractor in the area I would be grateful for the info…….thanks to all who contributed to this forum as I ended up with the cheapest box (Dixons) and lots of good info..merry xmas!!
kdburQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 11:04 am
thank you all for the invaluable information that has been posted over the last few months. I have the HDR and am v happy with it but now am looking for a bigger LCD tv, 37 to 42 inch, what a minefield! anybody have any advice as to which direction I should go regarding spec, brand etc. Happy Christmas.
SterQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 11:36 am
here’s a question for any body that can help. All my units
are HDMI and connected to a samsung 6 series tv with HDMI leads. I.E. Foxsat hdr, Sony media center and a PS3 for blueray. If I connect the tv to my sound system using an optical lead will it output sound in the same format as the inputs to save me having to have differant optical leads for each bit . having to change the source on the sound system every time I change the unit I’m using. I guess what I asking is do the HDMI leads carry the 5.1 dolby signal and will that output via the tv optical lead.
Happy Xmas
marcQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Ster: Have a look at the Samsung 40 inch 6 series. Can’t get better for the money and on the hd it is brilliant.
marcQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 11:52 am
@307 Ster
Also have a look at Sony 40 inch KDL40W4000U around £680 now and best buy on the Gadget Show
Barry PQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Thanks Barry & Marc will check them out
SterQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I walked away from JL Bluewater with their one and only HDR in stock yesterday afternoon. Couldn’t believe my luck – I’d just popped in on the off-chance whilst doing some last minute shopping but didn’t expect them to have any, & had resigned myself to waiting until the New Year. Up and running in no time, & in time to record some decent HD content over the next few days! Big grin!
Ben HQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I currently have a sky box (non +) with a standard sky satellite dish. there is only one cable coming from the dish into the sky box. Does anyone know if this satellite will be sufficient for the humax?
Alex HQuote
December 24th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
@313 Yes 1 cable is fine, only thing you can not do is watch and record a different program at the same time (although you can still watch some) and software updates is not available for now. I have only 1 cable and came from Sky myself, its a straight swap over from the Sky box to the Humax. I was unable to update the software, but my Humax is running fine without it. Hope this helps.
Kimmy
KimmyQuote
December 25th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Looked for this problem on the site but can’t find it:
When simply watching a program, I know the time from the last channel change is buffered for up to two hours or until the program ends, whichever comes first.
So if I’m watching a bit time slipped, and the Humax box jumps to “Live TV”,
I understand that the live program has ended.
My problem is that I can’t now find the program I was watching in time slipped mode. Also, if I haven’t pressed the record button at the beginning, I can’t save the whole program now,even though at the moment the whole thing is being buffered in memory.
Have I got this right, or are there settings I need to adjust.
BTW, Merry Christmas everyone!
Dave
Dave PiercyQuote
December 27th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I have a Humax HDR freesat and I have problems booting once booted its OK until the next morning then the unit is in standby and wont boot up , I have to try
a few turns to turn off and on or even leave unpluged,
Is they any reported problems like this
MaQuote
December 29th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
The pvr works ok, but have a few gripes!
1. Will skip tp live when watching in pause, seems to be when programme has finished in real time.
2. Several times programme recording has ended early!
Can we use Setanta on Freesat?
Thanks
Paul BQuote
December 29th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I hope somebody can help me I have been trying for some time to put the travel channels on which i think is on frequancy 12560 v 27500 2/3 I,ve been trying by going to manual tune and entering this frequancy in but by doing this it mixes all freesat channel up including my local channels what am i doing wrong, I then have to do a factory reset i then loose the extra channels,thankyou for the exellent and interesting coments, ,
embo 1Quote
December 30th, 2008 at 8:42 am
The bits that work, work.
a) As has been well documented you can’t delete from the HDD while a recording is active Errr why? My current PVR has no problem in this area.
b) The bigger the file (recording size) the longer a file takes to delete. Why? Surely all that needs to be done is change the file’s red tape/header info.
c) Clunky way of locating recordings. It’s a good job the disk is no bigger than 320GB!
d) ……and the biggest bugbear….. why on earth can’t you record the buffer contents or the current programme if it’s within the contents of the buffer… basic facilities that work on my current PVR
Shoddy software with little understanding of users’ needs.
As I said what works works well. But a few areas for improvement.
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 30th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Hi,
It sounds like your a intelligent person Aybeesea so if your so dissapointed by your purchase then instead of moaning about it on a site that has been designed to help people get to know their PVR and to overcome any difficulties, why on earth don’t you put it on Ebay and revert back to your current PVR.
Most off us know what this machine can’t do, so please tell us something it can do! and lets try to be a little positive about it because after all it’s a great machine and deserves a little respect because whats the alternative. Since my purchase I no longer have to climb on my roof to repair stupid digital aeirials that blow down in the wind, I can add other freesat box’s to other rooms in my house with very little effort, I can watch free HD tv and get the most out of my HD tv that cost me an arm and a leg, I can get amazing sound from my Bosse surround sound system and best of all my wife can operate the record facility with ease to record Emerdale and corrie. And this machine looks so good with it’s little blue light on the front panel, and for the first time ever I have managed to get all my electrical appliance’s (barring the washer ha ha) working from one remote control.
HAPPY DAYS
JOHNQuote
December 30th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Could sombody please tell me were i can get a humax foxsat hdr 360gb box from thanks.
derek cQuote
December 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
321 Derek.
Ebay best bet at present time.
GrubbyQuote
December 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
John,
Re your post 320 and mine 315. Have I got it right that if I’m watching a programme in time slip mode I must expect to not ever see the end of the programme once the transmission ends? If that’s so, it looks like time slip mode shouldn’t be used – but isn’t that the biggest selling feature – “pause live TV”? I’m very confused!
Dave
Dave PiercyQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
@320 “JOHN”
a) Most of “us” *DON’T* know what the HDR *CAN’T* do, as evidenced by the contributions above.
b) By making these few shortcomings visible on such a “high profile” site as this, perhaps Humax, by monitoring comments, can play catchup with “real world” user needs rather than those imposed by Humax itself
c) Sorry about the way your aerial was initially installed
d) Unfortunately my current PVR doesn’t have the little blue light but my cat can programme it (sorry to be cattist)
e) Glad you can now at last fully exploit your Bosse (sic) sound system
f) Welcome to the world of PVRs and universal remote controls
g) Thank you for you comment regarding my intellingence. It was neither called for, nor warranted.
Kind Regards,
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 11:06 am
Very pleased with the PVR indeed. The only small gripe, being so used to Sky, is when viewing a channel you can use the info button and navigate forward/backwards on the same channel that you are currently viewing, but you can’t view a different channel using this method when on this screen, or jump to the new channel – you have to be on the actual channel that you want to navigate through? unless I have missed something? which is perfectly possible given I’ve only used it for 2 days. I know you can by using the guide function but this isn’t the best method.
scoobyQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 3:31 pm
oops, this actually works ok ! if you select the info x2 to see info re: programme, then you can’t scroll to different channels, if you simply use info x1 then you can scroll/jump to alternate channel. Same as Sky. My fault…….
scoobyQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Hi guys. Anyone tell me whether or not I can play DVD’s on the PVR ? May sound like a silly question but I am new to all this technical stuff. I currently have a Sony digital recorder which is super but now wish to upgrade to Freesat
by way of the HD PVR. Any guidance anywhere please ?
Great 2009 to everyone.
Ed BroughtonQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
@321 (@322) ring a John Lewis store and get you name added to their list. They will want your credit card details etc, but then will ring or write to you when in stock and hold the box in your name for 14 days. I put my name down on 24th Dec, received letter today dated 29th Dec, rang, confirmed & paid for order today, delivery promised in 5 working days. All for £292. There you go.
RichardQuote
December 31st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
My long-awaited Humax HDR arrived from Comet the other day, so I set to, got the ladder out and changed the single LNB on the dish for a quad one (£8.50 from eBay) without too much trouble, although it was minus 0.5C, and fitted two more cables (drum of satellite cable £31 from Wickes + packet of 10 F-type connectors about £1 from eBay). (Left the original cable for the Sky box, put in another room).
A few tips: 1. When entering the postcode, leave the cursor on the last letter, otherwise you will get, ‘postcode not found, take it all to pieces and start again’.
2. Like other people in previous messages, I was a bit put out not to be able to find the ITV HD channel. I have just found that there isn’t one. From the ITV website:
“ITV HD is a red-button service available exclusively to freesat customers, and select sporting events, movies and dramas are available in HD.
So whenever you’re watching ITV1 and an ITV HD logo pops up at the top of your screen, just press the red button on your remote control to watch it in glorious High Definition.” I see that there is only about one ITV programme a day in HD.
Advice in a message much earlier on to put in a London postcode, e.g. WC1A 1AA, to ‘fool it’ into get the ITV HD channel in range is incorrect. All that does is put ITV London as 103 instead of your local one. In any case you can move channels later if you want to.
John SQuote
January 1st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
in non freesat mode i’ve scanned and found the channels on astra at 28.2E but i’m sure there is other free channels on astra at 28.5E does anybody have any idea’s how to change which satellite your scanning.
sootyQuote
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:36 am
@329
re: ITV HD
When you select a programme to record; if it is being sent out in HD, you will be given the choice to record either SD or HD. Unfortunately the Humax Programme Guide does not indicate HD programmes. You have to scan the paper guides for that.
Alan KQuote
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
If you press the ‘list’ button and then the ‘yellow’ button, it will show what HD is on.
Am very impressed with the PVR which I’ve had for about 2 weeks now. I agree with previous comments re lack of HD content, but these are early days I’m sure that one day nearly all mainstream prog’s will be in HD. My main gripe at the moment is with the remote. Despite trying new batteries, one has to point it directly at the box from almost in front. Also, there is a time delay from pressing a button to the required command taking effect, about 1 to 2 seconds, very annoying!
Am looking forward to seeing footy on ITV HD tomorrow.
Terry CQuote
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
anyone know if i can get Bravo in non freesat mode or is it scrambled
thanks gary
GarybQuote
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Having received my box on 28th December (ordered on 24th Nov) and having set the system up I am not sure that I am able to get HD. I also have a Sky+ box and the picture in SD on Sky is far better than the BBC HD channel using the Humax (based on a comparison of BBC 2 being shown on Sky and also on the Humax BBC HD channel). I have checked the signal and quality on the diagnostics and all four are at 100%. I have scrolled through the different resolutions using the V-format button and cannot see any difference. I’m hoping that its a problem on my part with the setup. Can someone please advise.
Roy DQuote
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:50 am
Roy, I think you have the output set up incorrectly since the HD vs SD on Sky should be worlds apart. Are you connecting through an HDMI and do you have 1080i or more available through the TV set ?
———
PS. – STILL not happy with the remote response. You have to press a few more buttons than on Sky to get the same features and it’s just too slow. I wouldn’t mind the increase in steps if it was quick. I also imagine that this is unlikely to be fixed in an update as I would expect this is a hardware issue ;-( It feels a bit like trying to swim through treacle.
Paul HDRQuote
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
Paul,
Ref 334/335. Thanks for response. My knowledge in this field is very limited so forgive me if I am doing something stupid. My TV is a new Sony W series(1080p capable) and is providing excellent pictures using Sony Blu-ray connected with HDMI to my Sony AV Rec. which in turn is connected to the TV with HDMI. My Humax is connected directly to the TV using HDMI, with a digital optical connecting to the AV Rec. I tried to set up with the Humax connected to the AV Rec. using HDMI but had no success. It would only access the set up Wizard when connected directly to the TV. The Sky+ box is connected using scart and digital optical.
Roy DQuote
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Ed @327
You wont be able to play DVDs on this PVR.You might want to wait till the spring when panasonic are suposed to be releasing a freesat HD PVR with a built in blue ray recorder
IanQuote
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
derek ecnam
i have standard sky dish and lmb. i wish to errect a new dish for freesat question. if i buy a bigger dish and better lmb will i get a better picture quality if so any sugestions
derick manceQuote
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
…but be aware that Panasonic have not confirmed they are making said receiver, nor that it will be available in the Spring…we can hope though!
adminQuote
January 4th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Derek. 338. On eBay there are Zone2 60cm Dish, Quad (4 Output) LNB & Complete Twin Cable Installation Kits for £39.99 + postage. A map on the advert shows that 60cm dishes are suitable for all of UK and most of Europe.
John SQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I too now have one. HD upscaling is fantastic with my Samsung 6 series.
Getting used to where everything is in comparrison to Sky+ but so far so good except for…the remote!
It is shockingly bad. Approx. 9 feet range and it has to be pointed well at the box.
Does anyone know if this is the remote of is it the box?
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Firstly let me say that this is a wonderful product.
I was sky box on the dish since I cancelled my subscription, but this has made such a difference to the picture quality even on non HD channels, I presume the HDMI connection is a superior even to gold scart leads.
My problem however is my inability to connect a hard drive to the usb port without the “Can’t recognise” notice that others have mentioned. The drive is a 60GB set in a IDE exterior case and was originally formatted in NTFS which I understand this system does not recognise and so I have re-formatted it to FAT 32 and I still get the same message.
Can anyone help please?
Keith StevensonQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I had a Topfield Freeview PVR Box. Very good, but no HD. So when I upgraded my TV, DVD. Surround sound to the latest Sony Model, I was a little surprised to see that FreeSat has some channels that Freeview doesn’t and vise versa. So I took the best of both worlds. I tuned the Freeview on my Television giving me the same channels as my Topfield Box, connected to the Terrestrial Aerial and the HUMAX Foxsat HDR to my Sky Dish, which has two leads as it was originally a Sky+ installation. Great solution, love the HD, HUMAX UI is great and simple to use, 25 minutes and I was up and running. Got the HUMAX from Horizon Aerial & Satelite Services for £288. I prefer to use a conventional supplier, for the aftersales service.
Robert AQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Very good box. Software does need to be tweaked. Not as easy as Sky+ to use. But has much better features. A good buy!
RonnieQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Anyone know how you can tell what you’ve watched?
Say my wife has recorded 2 or 3 episodes of eastenders and watched 1 or 2 but couldn’t delete them (because it was recording something else….very annoying!). There is no obivous way that I can see to tell you what you’ve watched and what you haven’t. With Sky + it said ‘Recorded’ for unwatched and ‘Viewed’ for watched.
Am I missing something?
Thanks
WoodyQuote
January 5th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I’ll rephrase my question slightly. I have noticed that when you switch to ‘Normal’ mode in media view you get a little blue ‘new’ next to new recordings but no such indication when in ‘Simple’ mode. I prefer the little thumbnails of normal mode.
I assume there is no indication i’m missing for new or view programs when in normal mode?
WoodyQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Watched Above Suspicion, ITV-HD tonight, had to revert to SD as could’nt
stand the annoying over-bright logo. Who at ITV thought that was a good
idea, it’s far too bright, PLEASE turn it down.With a dark background it is
very distracting. the BBC logo is less annoying. To be honest the SD picture
not that bad. Had recorded 3 men in yet another boat, in HD, stunning picture.
IanQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Help – I set this box up the other day and everything was fine. I have now lost BBC2/ BBC3/ BBC4 and C5, all the other channels are okay, with the signal quality around 60%. I have retuned the box several times, it picks up the the channels but displays ‘bad signal’ when you select the channel? I could understand it if it were the ‘lesser’ channels, as my freeview box struggled with those, but the BBC channels have never been a problem.
Also, is it possible to add the channels which appear under the ‘non freesat’ tune mode to freesat list?
Paul SQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 10:27 am
#341 Duke of Hunslet – I believe it’s the box due to the fact that when the remote is used in other modes – e.g. for TV or Audio I have no problem.
Totally FreesatQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Paul S. 348. Maybe you need to have your dish checked for signal and direction? You seem to have covered everything else.
Robert AQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Sorry to ask the general question on this HUMAX specific Blog, but is there any news of other providers broadcasting on FreeSat HD? I heard Channel 5 were thinking of it, and one other.
Robert AQuote
January 6th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Box delivered from JL 22Dec, dish finally installed 5thJan. Reception reads 100% all round and picture fab. The BBC HD demo is fantastic so waiting for more stuff to view. Can’t stop playing with the damn thing, so much so that the remote froze on me and had to go to standby and start again, otherwise well pleased and looking forward to happy viewing.
Ps, dish engineer told me Four HD is coming over soon, is this info accurate?
dave edwardsQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Anybody experienced the phantom voiceovers telling you what is going on in the films in between the actors dialogue on Freesat?
Or is this a facility for the blind that can be switched off.? Its driving us nuts
MikeQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Mike @ 353
You have ‘Audio Described’ switched on. Check the audio section of the manual to see how to regain your sanity.
David HQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
David H At 354
Many thanks for that, you just saved us a visit to a psychiatrist
MikeQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Sorry if this has been answered before…Watching a recorded prog.how do you exit and get back to current programmes without having to re-boot.I tried most buttons but not the correct ones?? Thanks
HughQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Russ, you said you got CH4 HD working using the cam slot? What cam and which card do I need? Help!
Thanks in advance..
Andy
Russ Dring Says:
December 5th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Over the years I have had countless satellite receivers,the only exception a Sky+ box.
This wonderful piece of kit is so easy to use, the picture quality is exemplary both on SD and HD . The CAM slot makes watching CH4 HD easy too. Well done Humax, the wait was well worth it.
AndyQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Hugh @ 356
Have you tried the ‘stop’ button… I think its just left of the record button.
ClydeDQuote
January 7th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Thanks ClydeD will try that.I’am slowly getting my head round all these different combination of buttons to press.
HughQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Anybody agree with me that the highlighted programme in the EPG should be in the centre so you can see the programmes above and below instead of scrolling up to see the “hidden” channels.
Also what’s the point of displaying programs to the left on the EPG that have been & gone. They cannot be recorded or viewed so should disappear automatically as in Freeview.
This may have been mentioned already but I discovered something yesterday. You can disable the “Genre” menu in settings so when you press the Guide button it goes straight to the EPG, then if you press OPT+ the “Genre” menu pops up. Less button pushing.
MikeQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Has anyone found the Humax FOXSAT-HDR in stock recently?
Ive been trying to find one with no luck at all.
Thanks
MariaQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Again this may have been mentioned before.
After a factory reset I lost the STB Mode in Settings.
The answer is rescan Manual Tune and hey presto STB Mode reappears
MikeQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Currys in Milton Keynes had lots in stock, about 10, when I purchased mine over xmas/new year. Very good service too, they had a full working set up with hands on demo etc. 5 or 6 boxes on the shelf with more out back apparently.
SimbaQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Maria@361
I phoned up John Lewis in Cheadle at the beginning of December to pre order, they then gave me a confirmation number and then phoned me on Christmas Eve saying it was in stock. Their web site says out of stock but if you order you get priority. £292 inc 2 year free guarantee
MikeQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I have read many comments about the range of the remote. Mine works fine from the far side of the through dining room, 13 metres or so, is it possible people are not removing both protective films as advised by previous tips which helped me, proving what a good friendly site this is.
dave edwardsQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Keith Stevenson
If you have formatted a 60GB drive under Fat32, I assume that you had to partition it? (A limitation of Windows). I had a 40GB done the same way (for connecting to other devices like my Sony portable DVD). I connected it to the Humax and couldn’t get anything (I’d already used an old 5GB laptop drive with success). I deleted the two partitions and created just a single partition (sacrificing 8GB). I then formatted the partition and the drive now works (transferring lots of mp3s to the Humax).
I’d hoped that a program called fat32format (downloaded from the web) might format the whole 40GB but it didn’t seem to.
I know that you probably don’t want to scarifice half of your drive but maybe you could do it temporarily?
GeoffQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Help anyone please?
Which card and cam are required for Ch4 HD as per 111 post
“This wonderful piece of kit is so easy to use, the picture quality is exemplary both on SD and HD . The CAM slot makes watching CH4 HD easy too”
Thank you
JeffQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Accessing Sky’s encryption for C4 HD via a CAM might not be strictly legal, so whilst we are happy for someone to suggest a CAM that might work, we won’t allow anyone to discuss in detail or provide instructions on how to operate.
adminQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I agree it’s a wonderful piece of kit. Started off with just one cable from the dish, but now have two. Presumably I have to go through set-up again? (Losing all the recordings in ‘Media’?).
I do have a problem with the remote – I’m on my third set of batteries in one week! Put in a new set today- after eight hours the voltage from each had dropped to 1.411 volts after starting off at 1.607 volts. The remote has not been used. Any ideas anyone?
LeighQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I had hoped to backup films I had recorded on the BBC HD channel, however it appears they are encrypted so cannot be moved to an external device. Such a shame. If anyone knows if I am perhaps just missing something please let me know, but at this stage it certainly seems to simply be impossible. Films recorded on other channels are able to be backed up to an external HDD without any trouble (formatted in EXT2).
Richard HayesQuote
January 8th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Hi to Richard Hayes!
I have backed up my HD recordings (and SD) to DVD by connecting the Humax to my LG HDD/DVD recorder by a SCART cable. I used to do this with my (now defunct) Sky box. I play the recording and record onto the HDD first (a ‘belt and braces’ man!), then transfer to DVD. The quality is very good. I could also do this ‘live’ but wouldn’t benefit from the guide.
PS. I only have one cable into the Humax just now – looking forward to when I can get the second cable in for more flexibility of recording. I hope that the setup doesn’t wipe the media – I’ve already transferred a lot of mp3s to the Humax!
GeoffQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 1:31 am
Hi Geoff
The only problem with that is it won’t be in hi def, as there are no recorders at present with an hdmi input.
@ Dave Piercy (323) – I’m completely bemused aswell, it’s a huge oversite if true, what’s the point if it cuts the end off the programme??!
I’m waiting to buy mine (well forced to anyway), is anyone hoping the price may fall? Wishful thinking as they are scarcer than a wii fit at the mo!
Prob wait til March when Sky are putting prices up!
Tom
TomQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 8:36 am
@Dave Piercy (323) – I’ll test this as well, but I’m guessing this should be considered a glitch that will be fixed in a future software update. I seem to remember one of the Topfield Freeview PVR’s did a similar thing that was fixed a couple of months after launch with a new update. With any new hardware there are almost always some annoying little things at first, always one of the issues with early adoption, however at least these days software patches will normally solve every problem in the end.
Richard HayesQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Re my 323 and replies 372 and 373 above.
Unfortunately cutting off the end of the programme in time-slipped live TV is confirmed – at least by me. Anyone??
There is a workaround, press the record button and you are now putting the programme into the permanent buffer, so you can see it later. Don’t know yet whether end padding is necessary. Unfortunately, if you do this, you now can’t rewind live tv to before the point at which you pressed the record button, so I guess the better option is always to go to instant record whenever you’re watching TV. Doen’t make much sense though!
Dave
Dave PiercyQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Dave I gave up on the Buffer a long time ago. I now record all the programs I want to watch, as mine cuts to live TV when ever a recording stops or starts, even if its on the same channel . If nothing is set to record it works OK. But this works fine for me.
A few weeks back I recorded BBC HD and BBC 2 I think while watching and buffering through Miami on CH 5 . just had to make sure I was live before the others ended . So not complaining to much, hopefully they will fix it.
MattQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Hi Tom,
Yes, it won’t be in HD (of course), I didn’t expect it to be but it was a way of archiving to DVD. Believe me, the quality is VERY good but what do people want, Blu-Ray recording facility? ( To come of course).
GeoffQuote
January 9th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Re 375 Thanks Matt
Dave
Dave PiercyQuote
January 10th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Hi, just a quick bit of info that I thought might be of interest.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/satellite/a141215/freesat-sales-top-200000.html
Great forum by the way. We got our lovely Humax Foxsat just before Christmas. Since then we have got a new surround amp, and then new speakers!! Time to stop and enjoy we thinks! (getting expensive!!). Thanks to everyone for the great heads up and info/tricks/work arounds.
Dan & JimQuote
January 10th, 2009 at 11:35 am
or here where we actually mentioned the news on the day of release, not a day later
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/freesat-sales-double
adminQuote
January 11th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I have just installed a new dish and set up the Humax HDR. Like many people on this site, I’m very impressed with it and being in a non-Freeview area receiving just 4 terrestial channels, to get so many channels via Freesat is quite a novelty. One problem: I’ve notice several references here to software update when setting up. Mine didn’t appear to do this during setup. I have two feeds from the LNB. If I go into Setup and click on Software update Auto, it comes up with “No new software found” (or similar words), but the system info gives an Application Version of 1.00.01 and Loader Version of U7.51 and 28 October Update. The Humax website shows latest versions as 1.00.02 and U7.52. and gives the facility to down load the latest to a USB stick and then transfer this to the PVR. Is that what I need to do, and if so why doesn’t it update via the satellite feed? Any help much appreciated.
Kevin CQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Kevin try doing a factory reset ( see 235 & 242 ) it might update the software after it. If not try the manual update . Do you have both Tuners showing on the Diagnostics ? . I have 10002 & U 7.51 .
MattQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Hi everybody – anybody got any current info on which retailers might have the little beauty in stock at the moment? I live near Skipton in N. Yorks
JOHN SELLERSQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Hi John, no online retailers seem to have stock at the moment, but try visiting a Currys store, they’ve been selling in-store the last few weeks, but often not advertising nor putting the PVR’s out on the shelf! Alternatively, keep an eye on this site as we’ll be sure to let everyone know when one of the major online retailers has stock available again…possibly later this week if Humax’ distribution schedule is on track.
adminQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Freesat on my Humax PVR just gets better all the time, I am very impressed with the Guiide list, which makes it so easy to find what you would like to tune too The News & Sport is very good, press the Red button and it opens up the Muti Screen and WOO even the world weather, also the pictures can be seen full screen full marks BBC the future is going to be great for TV. Now the things not quite right the volume balance from the Four Channels on the FTA feed is ok, but the volume sound from the SAT is very low, needs much higher settings on the TV & PVR remotes. Unable to use one Remote for all yet Tevion have failed to supply correct code
Bert AllsopQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Did anyone else try to record ‘The World Is Not Enough’, ITV Saturday evening? This film was split across the news, something the Humax HDR, I thought, was programmed to handle. But, my machine only recorded the first part.
When I set up the recording, both parts of the film in the guide had the record icon attached.
David HQuote
January 12th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Re. 380 I think I may have solved my own problem! Found a Humax Freesat Forum where a similar problem was covered. According to someone with inside knowledge the software update is not currently being transmitted, but should be back on 16 January. I’m hoping that when I check on 16/17th I will have the latest software. The same forum noted that downloading the software from humax website onto a USB stick does not work. After downloading to USB stick the download stops after 50%. Several people reported the same problem.
The forum is:
http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=74
Kevin CQuote
January 15th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I’ve only got one gripe with this unit. The mains lead should be detachable so I can thread it through the cable management system on my stand.
Yes I know I could cut the plug off thread the cable through and fit a new plug, but this would probably invalidate the warranty.
All my other units have detachable mains cables
MikeQuote
January 16th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Hi all – finally got my box, droppped into Currys in Keighley on the offchance, they didn’t have, but very helpful manager phoned round, they had some at Bradford, result! I’d got a reservation in at a specific JL as well, seems that would have worked as well – no money upfront, you get an order number and then wait for them to get the box in. They were very helpful when I phoned to cancel, appreciated the delivery problems.
So… well impressed with the kit, easy to get a stunning HD BBC picture (but why oh why do the BBC spoil the window-like image clarity with an irritating logo?). Manual not very good, didn’t include stuff that would have been really useful.
What I want to do is transfer/ archive HD programs from the Humax, sfter recording, to a large external HDD.
What seems to be the case after some research is 1) The external HDD needs to be formatted in Linux EXT 3 – available from where? will this work with XP?
2) You can’t do this with BBC content and retain HD – is this true? Do we need to wait for cheaper BluRay recorders and use those?
Anybody got any ideas, my brain hurts….
JOHN SELLERSQuote
January 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
@388
First you cannot transfer any HD file. You can format your external drive to FAT32 and both HDR and XP will read it but you need a program to format any drive over 32gb I use EASEUS Partition it’s free and a very useful program available from http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm
Barry PQuote
January 17th, 2009 at 8:52 am
JOHN SELLERS @ 388
The Humax forum for the Foxsat HDR has a lot of useful information about your problems. See URL in message 386.
David HQuote
January 17th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
The universal remote does work for recent Panasonic TVs (re Pully posts 55/211) – try code 0650 and ignore step 4 of the instructions.
Go down the Humax forums (see post 386) to page 9 to find a brief post.
The problem is really with the user manual, because step 4 of the set-up for the remote control says:
“4. If a valid 4-digit code is entered, the product will power off”.
However most recent Panasonic TVs (and maybe other makes) require the standby button on their own remote to be held down for over a second for the TV to respond, and I think ‘step 4’ doesn’t trigger a long enough ‘power-off’ instruction.
So when doing the set up of the remote, just ignore step 4 and go to step 5 (ie press OK) and then see if you are happy.
Step 6 would be better if it said: “try operating the volume control and if the TV volume doesn’t change, repeat steps 2, 3, 5.
I’ve found code 0650 works all the main Panasonic TV functions except for the ‘guide’ button. Use the ‘source’ button for switching the TV’s AV mode, and always remember to press ‘pvr’ at top when you want to go back and operate the Humax PVR….
Admin – do you have a way of passing this info to Pully?
Chris BrennanQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Any idea anyone when these will be on shelves again?
ngbQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Hi can anyone help. When I am watching TV using the free view tuner built into the Panasonic TV and the Humax comes out of standby to record something I have programmed it interrupts what I am watching till it is booted up. This can be a real pain if it is at an important part of the program. I do not get the same problem when using my Panasonic freeview recorder. Any ideas to stop this happening.
Colin CQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
January 19th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Humax foxsat hdr @ Co-op online say they have them if your interested in getting one now £284.99 & free delivery , im still waiting for mine from maplins (2 weeks now)
ellQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Thanks for the heads up Ell, just ordered mine.
Should be coming on Wednesday (fingers crossed)
TomQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Hi just wondering does the box have a card slot? and if so where is it located? cant seem to see it on the pictures
Thanks
Andy JQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Another big thanks to ell. Just logged on and spotted the post about the Co-op and placed an order. Not sure whether to believe it or not but the confirmation says delivery Wednesday. Fingers, toes and legs crossed.
Philip JonesQuote
January 19th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
When maplins do get stock sign up for Maplins Newsletter email and you’ll get £25 off woucher if you spend £300. You’ll need to spend 11p on a capacitor to take the £299.99 over £300.
KeithQuote
January 20th, 2009 at 12:05 am
To Colin C.
Do you have your Humax connected to the TV by SCART? This would make it switch the TV. HDMI doesn’t seem to have this facility?
If this is the case, tryt swapping SCART leads round or get one that doesn’t have the ‘auto switch’ pin (van’t remember which pin – anyone help?)..
GeoffQuote
January 20th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Oops, “can’t”, not “vant” !! (and “try” not “tryt”)
GeoffQuote
January 20th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Thanks for the idea Geoff but I am using the HDMI lead to connect to the TV. Have you any other thoughts.
Colin CQuote
January 20th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Whats the website for the co-op i can’t seem to find any mention of the hdr anywhere
sorethumbsQuote
January 20th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
It’s out of stock! I phoned them but not expecting stock for a couple of weeks. Also tried Comet which have stock but have raised their price from £292 to £299! John Lewis still out of stock. Argos have stock for home delivery but again more expensive than John Lewis’s listed £292.
Frustrated!Quote
January 20th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Sorry, Colin, no other suggestion. A mate of mine has a Humax HD Freesat box (not HDR) and he gets quite annoyed that it doesn’t switch automatically! Always have to go through the TV’s AV menu (just like me). Not sure what happens at boot though – must ask him. Mine switches the TV at boot but I put it down to the SCART connection (I have that in via an LG recorder so that I can record the HD content – not in HD, of course, but very good quality).
Another friend has just got the Humax HDR – I must ask him – his TV is a Samsung, mine is a Toshiba.
GeoffQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 9:12 am
Hi. Anyone know how to switch to Freeview on the HDR box,as I’am unable to get my local channel on freesat? Always picks up the local channel further along the coast from here,which of course is not for my area. Thanks….
HughQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 9:27 am
I got my box a little over two weeks ago and thought that some feedback may be helpful if anyone wants to receive multiple satellites:
Configuration is 4 x quatro LNBs pointing at 13e, 19.2e, 23.5e and 28.5e. I used a 90cm dish to enable all 4 sats to be accessed. I am using a Diseqc 17 x 6 multiswitch with both Sky HD and Humax HDR attached.
Using hidden menu under Menu, Setup, highlight manual and press red, green, yellow, blue, green, yellow. blue shows Antenna and Satellite. By selecting Antenna you can then access three options: Antenna (I selected Fixed), Cables (2 same) and Satellites.
Under Satellites I selected the Satellite first – they are all there – great job Humax – set LNB to Universal and Diseqc to required input – e.g. A, B, C and D. I read that Sky HD box (28.2) should be on A because if power to the Diseqc is lost it will still work with the Sky HD box.
I have set A = 28.2 – B= 23.5 – C= 19.2 and D= 13.
For each satellite you will have to go through the same procedure. After selecting Satellite and Diseqc settings press save. This takes you back to the previous screen with Antenna etc. In the footer select search and the Humax will start to search for all channels (Make sure that the satellite you want is being searched by selecting the correct one) – note that you can select individual channels through the Vertical/Horizontal settings but I selected all and will remove the 10,000 that I do not need.
Once programmed, to select each satellite for programmes you will need to ensure that you are in Non-freesat mode otherwise the “List” button shows the wrong selections.
Selecting “List” and the yellow button (satellite) then gives you a default satellite. By pressing the Yellow button multiple times it will move through each satellite for easy selection.
Just on one point about the hand control – I also found that it was not as responsive as my sky one – but it did improve a little when I removed the film on the front of the box
.
I have an excellent Logitech Harmony 1000 universal remote and the guys in Logitech have already put the Humax HDR codes into their selections. Makes switching between the sky HD and Humax a doddle as Amp, TV, and PVRs are all controlled with the push of a button.
I hope that this helps other multi-sat people out there.
Bob350zQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 9:32 am
Hi Hugh.
If I understand the question correctly you are in non-freesat mode so will have to go to menu, settings and set the STB mode to Freesat.
If you are already in Freesat mode then I would suggest that you tweak your postcode to get the right area recognised.
Bob350zQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
Hugh, the HDR doesn’t have Freeview, so presumably you have a seperate box or television with Freeview built in? If that’s the case, then you just need to change channel on your television to the appropriate input.
adminQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 10:41 am
Hi.
i’m impressed by the reviews here about the HDR. Just about to order one, but i’ve got a couple of questions that i don’t think have been answered in the above 400+ posts (perhaps someone with time on their hands could do a neat summary of the questions/answers).
Can you you do a series link type of recording? (even if it is awkward to setup)
Is their a secondary output for tvs in other rooms? (doesn’t matter if its HD or SD)
RossQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 10:53 am
Ross, I think it’s gone beyond the point of being able to tidy up
Regarding your questions, series link is possible and very easy, just select a programme of choice, and if it’s a series, it will ask whether you want to record once, or record the entire series. Easy as that.
There is no ability to link to another television, you’ll need another receiver and cable from your satellite dish LNB for this. That’s one down side of the Freesat receivers to date, no ability to link up, even via RF (ignoring the LNB out option on the Alba boxes!)
adminQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hi Ross, you do not say if you have aerial leads already in the other rooms. There are a few work arounds for you that I can think of:
1. If you do have multiple aerial sockets and no longer need an aerial on the roof take the one from your main room, and make that the input to the distribution box (it would have been an output in the first instance) Now you could attach a video player or similar to the scart of the HDR and use it’s aerial out to your internal distribution network.
2. If you do not have a aerial distribution network you could just run an aerial cable from one room to another but use the output of the video box in the same way
3. There are now adaptors to convert HDMI to ethernet (I have not used one yet) so you could run ethernet through the house and use HDMI to Ethernet adaptors at each end. This is meant to overcome some of the distance shortfalls of HDMI
In all cases you would be watching the same channel in both (all) rooms but if you want say lounge and bedroom the only other device you need is a remote multiroom extender to change channels from another room.
I am sure that ther are many other work-arounds but might help?
Bob350zQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Hi Bob350z, using 2 from #411 do you think i could utilise my $ky+ box to do the same job as the video?
RossQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Thanks Bob350z and Admin….Yes I have free view built in,so I will have to re-connect the aerial and just use that for the local news,etc.Then switch back to the dish for most other progs..Many thanks..Hugh
HughQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Hi,
Great forum.
I will try to be brief. To purchase a Panasonic 37 TV. With or without freesat. £100 difference.
Options
1 – Foxsat connected with 2x LNB in with a loop out to the Freesat TV, Humax connected HDMI..
2 – Foxsat connected with the 2x LNB with HDMI output to Normal TV.
Key queries.
If I get the TV without the Freesat. can I still watch HD via HDMI and also record a different HD on the Humax? Thus saving the £100.
Or do I need the separate HD tuner on the TV to watch while I record HD on the Humax.
Also I assume that the loop out passes the full signal to the Freesat TV?
Many thanks in advance, might be able to save £100, I hope others are asking the same.
Adrian RowleyQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Hi Adrian, to be honest, if you are just looking to purchase a unit whereby you can watch or record a second channel whilst another is being recorded, you just need a Humax PVR with two cable feeds from your satellite dish, you won’t need the IDTV also. You can indeed watch one HD channel whilst recording another HD channel. Using the piggy-back facility of the LNB out is not recommended by the manufacturers, if you want a seperate receiver, or in-built receiver (IDTV) then it would be a good idea to run a third cable from your satellite dish LNB.
adminQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Admin.
Thanks for the very prompt reply.
So I only need to get a standard TV but must make sure that I run two aerial cables so the Humax can record one HD to the hardrive whilst I watch another HD via the HDMI on the TV.
Great, Sound and Vision are doing the Panny 37 LDZ80 1080p with free 3 years warranty with 10 month interest free. (Hope the deal is ok mods ) for £618.
Adrian RowleyQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 4:12 pm
That’s right, the HDR is connected via HDMI and you can watch a channel whilst recording another…providing you have the two satellite cables connected of course.
adminQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hi Ross, I just tried it as I had some spare equipment here. Unfortunately whilst the Sky plus box will pass through an Aerial signal from a VCR and add it’s own (RF in and RF out) it will not add a VCR or TV scart connected Humax to the aerial signal. So the answer is no.
I like your thinking however would have been great if it had worked
Bob350zQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Hi Admin, you did not post my multi-sat info from this morning – was it inappropriate? I thought that it would be a good update for #43 and #263.
Bob350zQuote
January 21st, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Sorry Bob, we had a number of comments in the spam folder for some reason. Should now be available.
adminQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
Given that you cannot export HD recordings to an external device (presumably a copyright issue – which makes no sense since the recordings are of the feed and not the program) does anyone know if it is possible to upgrade the Hard Disc within the box itself? This was always a popular trick with $ky+ boxes.
I know its 320gb and that’s big but if you’ve got a collection of HD material it isn’t going to last long. Single cased discs of 1.5 TB are appearing already and that would solve an archiving problem if they could swap over…
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Argos just emailed me to confirm they have stock – not sure how much, or how long it will last though….
Rob EllidQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Topfield HD Digital Satellite Twin Tuner 320GB PVR (Available at Maplin)
Has anybody got a review of the Topfield?
I would have posted it elsewhere, but it doesn’t seem to have its own post.
RossQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Ross, the Topfield is not an official Freesat digital box, which is why there is no page for it. It’s a generic receiver able to pick up the same channels (with the exception of ITV HD), but only offers now/next programme data, as it doesn’t have the official Freesat EPG (tv guide)
adminQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
@421
I have changed my hard drive to a Western Digital Caviar GP WD10EACS 1TB. Easy to change as the hard drive is located in a separate caddie. On switch on the HDR formats the drive and off you go. Note the recording schedule is stored on the hard disk so that will need repeating.
Barry PQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Re Chris @ 390. Thank you for explaining how to get my panasonic TV to work with the universal PVR remote control, I can now get rid of the TV remote control. I like this PVR even more now! many thanks.
pullyQuote
January 23rd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
To Colin 392
Sorry for delay only just read your query, I have simular setup but with Pioneer Kuro, no problems like yours at all. When I watch freeview via television the Freesat switches on a good 5 minutes before any preset recording and when it starts to actually record a small icon and message shows briefly in top left corner but with no interruptions to freeview.
I have connected Freesat to tele with HDMI and a normal arial lead into tele for freeview and nothing else. But you must tell the tele to use the input you have dedicated for Hdmi Freesat(mine is input 1) and it should be okay then.
Hope this helps.
dave edwardsQuote
January 24th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
hi, just purchased my humax hdr from argos, delivery mon 26 jan, i had an e mail from argos stating new stock in,it said to go to the link below to order, wast 0f time as this takes you to their website, with nil in stock,
but if you phone their customer service number, you can purchase direct from them, total cost £299 this includes £5 odd for postage.
phone no—08456402020 cat no 532/1832 if you wan’t one get phoning
roll on monday, waited long enough GOODBYE SKY
dave evansQuote
January 25th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
How are empty Folders removed? I have tried the red delete button on File Manager but this just deletes the files but not the Folder itself.
I also do not understand the double screen on File Manager with both sides stating HDD/Video and manual does not discuss it.
Generally impressed with box (4/5) but user manual leaves a lot to be desired and needs a good technical knowledge to understand
Willaim SymingtonQuote
January 25th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Empty folders have been known to stay on the HDR, must be a bug. If you have more than one folder, try highlighting them all and pressing red to delete, might have more luck than individually.
adminQuote
January 25th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
To Bob350z
Thanks for updating your experience of setting up multisat setups. Very similar to my experience except I only had one quad lnb on 28.2 and singles on 23 19 and 13.
I am still waiting and hoping Humax will create the abilities for timer recording on non-freesat mode. I had heard a firmware update had been due 16/1 but this does not appear to have happened and no news as to what it would have contained.
RozQuote
January 26th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
BTW, I noticed that the JL reference for the HDR is now missing. JL seem to have changed the link, but it’s still there:
http://www.johnlewis.com/230556784/Product.aspx
Regards,
Toonie.
ToonieQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Anyone know how to delete empty folders?
kdburQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Yes to kdbur 433. Whilst in ‘Media’ list press ‘OPT+’ select ‘File Manager’ from the menu and press OK. Two lists will appear side by side – the left side being the active one. This shows all the files/ programs recorded. Select the file you wish to delete. Press the red button and you are given the option of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. (default). Press ‘Yes’ and its gone!
LeighQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Thanks Leigh. I was having the same problems as #433 ~ now sorted.
ScoobyQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I’m using a 720P LG PG6010 with the Humax. Whilst HD is simply sublime via Humax, the SD is rather dissapointing. In fact, the LG freeview SD picture is producing a much better picture quality than the Humax SD? I’ve tweaked all the picture settings etc etc but to no avail. I’m using the standard HDMI cable supplied with the Humax between the Humax and LG. Should I be upgrading the HDMI cable? does this make a difference for SD picture quality if using a 720P TV and SD?
ScoobyQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
they have one available at Horsham (sussex)argos available to reserve,if anyone desperate
garybQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
iam interested been looking and waiting for stock to come in live in reigate
marksQuote
January 27th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
@Scooby
An HDMI cable is an HDMI cable. It passes a digital cable so it either works or it doesn’t. Upgrade by all means: the retailer will be grateful but you’ll see no difference!
Press V-format and set to ‘Original’. You may get a better picture at significantly less cost!
digitalQuote
January 28th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Should have said ‘It passes a digital signal’.
digitalQuote
January 28th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
At first, the only way I could delete empty folders was to record a short segment of a program and move that into the empty folder using the file manager. The folder would then delete within the file manager. Strangely, empty folders now seem to be deleteable without any such messing about. I have made it a standard practice to always delete the folder if there is only one watched recorded item left inside, to be on the safe side.
MartinQuote
January 28th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Thx Digital – that seems to be the answer ~ V-Format change #439.
ScoobyQuote
January 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Just received the HDR and installed the dish myself – and it works (with the help of http://www.dishpointer.com). My only feedback is that with my existing Topfield PVR (scart) the SD picture look a bit sharper when comparing channels with the Humax (hdmi) on my Panasonic Viera, but maybe it’s early days. I’m not sure if the v-format button makes all that much difference to SD picture quality but have set it to 576i as in the info bar.
But how do I upgrade the unit? It is currently on version HPRSFCI 1.00.02 – are there any software upgrades for the unit and if so, can I download them or does it happen automatically?
PNHEQuote
January 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Mine arrived from Comet on Tuesday. Everything great although restricted to single LNB for the moment. HD on my Sony 32V2000 is great. A bit too startling at first until I realised the TV was set to “vivid” colour.
Tried most things including photo slide-show from a USB stick.
One minor problem: recording an episode of Morse from ITV2 (I think) finished before the end – the recording was the right length from the schedule but it must have started late and overran. Have added 5 minutes padding to the end of recordings now.
Box came already loaded with latest release of software according to Humax web-site.
Shame not enough HD being broadcast!
TonyQuote
January 29th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
PNHE You have the latest software, don’t try down loading any from the Humax website as this has caused a few people problems. It is done automatically via sat.
MattQuote
January 30th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
January 31st, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Can anyone tell me how to view photos on my USB stick on Humax FOXSAT-HDR. Connecting it I get a message telling me to format stick to FAT32, which I did, but it still does not work.
Thanks
BarbaraQuote
January 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
@447
I think the problem here is that not all usb devices, caddies or flash drives work with the HDR and you get a message to format. I have a number of usb flash drives that do this. I don’t know what the problem is as the ones that are not recognised by the HDR work fine on either a Windows or Linux pc.
Barry PQuote
January 31st, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I have had my Foxsat HDR now for 2 weeks and just love it! My friend has Sky + and the Foxsat box just absolutely kills the Sky one for looks. I’ve seen a couple of comments about picture quality in SD. I had a Bush HD receiver before and think the Humax is better all round, without question. Go for it!
Jonny boyQuote
January 31st, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Thanks Barry P for ypur answer.
Am I reading your reply correctly that you have some flash drives that do work and some that no not?
If so what make is/are it/they? Mine is a Busbi 2GB.
BarbaraQuote
February 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
@450
That,s correct it does appear to be hit and miss as to which ones work.
The ones that tend not to work are usually unbranded and I also have an IJT that does not work. The ones that I have found do work are Freecom and Integral 16GB both from Amazon.
Barry PQuote
February 1st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Thanks again Barry P. Very helpfull. I will have to try one of those. I think my daughter has an Integral so I will try hers first.
Barbara
BarbaraQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:38 am
I received my Humax HDR on Saturday morning form Comet and installed it without any trouble at all. I find the menus intuitive and very easy to navigate and can’t understand some of the comments about the menus but, unlike some others, I haven’t had any type of PVR before to compare.
Linked up to a Panasonic TH-42PX81B Freesat Plasma I can confirm that the SD quality via HDMI is terrible (soft and lacking definition) when compared with the SD quality provided by the TV’s Freesat decoder. Some experimentation showed that RGB SCART is the answer with “Original” v-format. I don’t need the HD feed from the PVR but I have left the HDMI connected as a separate input just in case.
I have transfered some recording to a USB external HDD (EXT3 format) and processed the files onto DVDs with great success. The quality of the recorded files is far better than the displayed pictures.
My only gripe: The failure of the PVR to “unmount” my external drive which means I have to connect it to a Linux machine before I can use it on my PC. Come on Humax, ADD A BUTTON TO UNMOUNT THE EXTERNAL DRIVE!
PhilMQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I have had my Foxsat HDR for a couple of weeks and I am now out of space on the hard disk after recording just over 30 hours of HD TV. All the sales bumf says I should be getting 80hours of recorded HD, have I got a problem or is a case of sales waffle and small print.
AndyQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Barry P
I tried my daughters Integral memory stick and It WORKED!
Thanks you again for your help. I did email Humax support to start with before trying this web site but have had no reply as yet so well done you.
BarbaraQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Barbara
Glad to be of help, that’s what these sites are useful for. I’ve not had any luck with Humax customer support when I have emailed them never get a reply.
Barry PQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Can anyone please help me. I have the foxsat HDR and I’m very pleased with it but I can’t get it to recognise my Sony DVD recorder (RDR HXD970). It recognises a USB stick but not the DVD recorder or an old VHS recorder I tried. Is there a setting I need to change or does something need to be adjusted on the DVD recorder??
Hmax helpline worse than useless and with my disc now full I’m desperate.
Thanks
adamQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Adam, your HDR shouldn’t have to find the DVD, the DVD should find the PVR. How are you connecting up? You should really use the VIDEO OUT SCART socket then simply find the appropriate channel on your DVD for that input source.
adminQuote
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Rocking horse **** – trying to find a Humax FOXSAT-HDR 320GB is harder than tracking the aforementioned. Now I’ve decided to go down the Freesat+ route after being patient with my 4 analog channels the frustration is a nightmare.
Any ideas or should I wait a few more months. I will receive Freeview in July when I will benefit at last for my full TV licence
Desperate of TruroQuote
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Can anyone recommend a DVD player/recorder compatible with the Humax? I would like to be able to archive some series as well as convert from old VHS tapes.
BobQuote
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Hi Admin,
I’ve connected it with a scart (QED, same as originally used from DVD to TV) from video out on Humax to the video/decoder in on the DVD recorder. With DVD set to input 1 (ie from decoder) and with TV set to the DVD input (Humax input to TV disconnected) it is clear that a signal is being received from the humax through the DVD recorder.
However, the green button on the Humax file manager stays unavailable. I can record the Humax output signal in real time but that means I can’t watch TV at the same time. Since the Sony is a HDD/DVD recorder I had hoped I would be able to do a high speed dub from Humax to Sony. But at the very least I’d like to be able to record from the humax HD while I’m watching the TV.
Is this going to be possible?
adamQuote
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
The Humax won’t detect the HDD/DVD via the scart, all you’ll be able to do via that method is record the channel your Humax is displaying. If what you mean is recording directly to your HDD like you would a USB device etc, then I’m not sure that’s even possible on your recorder. Maybe someone else reading this with a little more technical knowledge of cross device setup may be able to help.
adminQuote
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I think adam is expecting the DVD recorder to be seen as an external device as an external USB stick or HDD would be by the File Manager. As admin says, the DVD recorder will be able to record the current channel via the SCART but only at SD quality and only via composite if a HD channel.
I’ve only had my Humax a few days but I have spent hours experimenting with external devices and file transfer to external devices. It requires an external Hard Drive or USB stick formated to FAT32 (4GB file limit) or EXT2 for files greater than 4GB.
If the Humax is doing a scheduled recording from Standby, no output will appear on SCART RGB or HDMI. I haven’t checked composite as it’s not worth using. In fact, if adam’s DVD recorder only has composite input (which I believe is common) he will be extremely dissapointed with the results. Use an external HDD and a PC with VideoRedo TVSuite to make “perfect” DVDs.
PhilMQuote
February 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Anybody watch Liverpool v Everton last night?
I thought the picture was rubbish and the sound even worse. It was only when I put my ear to the rear speakers I could just hear a faint murmur of the crowd,
The HD quality of the adverts was good though. I think ITV have got a lot of catching up to do to get on par with the BBC.
Anybody agree?
MikeQuote
February 5th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I watched the match last night,HD was very good as was the sound.I have the bigger size dish,perhaps that makes a difference….
HughQuote
February 5th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Re: Andy’s post 185
I’m encountering an increasing boot-up problem very similar to the one you describe. I emailed Humax a couple of days ago but have had no reply as yet.
Has your problem gone away or have you found a solution of any kind? I would take it back for replacement, but that seems pretty hopeless given current stock levels.
I hardly dare put it into standby at the moment, which is annoying because the <1 watt standby is a good feature and also because you can’t dim the display!
It’s still a great machine, though…
SimonQuote
February 5th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Re: Posts 466 and 185 – Boot-up problems
I have had my Humax HDR about 2 months now. Initially I had no problems (and have 2 cables feeding in), but increasingly only the lcd panel lights up on switch-on, and it does not boot. Also then the red or blue led light does not come on. Only after a number of switch on/off cycles does it boot, and then all is fine. I have not contacted Humax as I will be away for a month. Will check on my return if a solution has been found, and if not will try to exchange it if stock more available. Must be more people out there with the same problem. Otherwise I am very pleases with it.
EddieQuote
February 8th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
February 9th, 2009 at 10:39 am
had mine since before Christmas. Got it at the special Dixons price of about £260 thanks to you. works a treat and records 2 programmes at once while watching freeview as well, so its 10 out of 10. Now if only I could record freeview in the TV to my DVD hard drive Id be happier still. Seems it would be better to have seperate stb than in tv. But I digress.The Fossat pvr is excellent.
ToneQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I’ve had the HDR since before Christmas, and still feel that it needs a radical redesign. Other PVR’s have a much more intuitive and user-friendly menu system. Not being able to scan through the banners and see what is on other channels without disturbing the channel you are watching is a ridiculous, and probably unique, limitation. The remote control layout is just irrational. I still can’t work out how to get frame by frame playback, and the volume control should control the TV in any mode, surely?
This product could easily be excellent, if only Humax will take the user interface back to the drawing board.
RichardQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
We live near Lagos in Portugal we replaced our pace box with the new box very easy to set up with very clear instructions and the loop feed for the dish is a great idea, works well if used with the polarity list, but cant wait to get the second feed down from the dish.
Excellent up grade of the std picture on our LG LCD TV and HD stunning should be great in the future when we get more HD channels.
Mike FurseQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Richard, I can agree with some of the things you say, but your main issue with scanning whats on with the banner is possible. You have to be live first, then press i then scan away. Other channels what on later, set recordings & cancel them . Even get the information up for programs other than the one you are watching, which I cold never do with Sky,
The post at 238 says how to scan your favourite channels this is not quite so easy, but still possible .
MattQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I have looked through the manual 2-3 times but I cannot find any reference to the the logo [G] which appears against some recorded items in the media list. Can anyone explain what this [G] stands for?
Alan KQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
re 473 Alan,
I means “Guidance” as in “parental” AFAIK.
Martin ANDREWSQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Can’t understand why everyone seems to want their humax to be a copy of sky’s plus box, come on guy’s look at is as a new adventure,only thing i need sorted is how to set up some kind of remote sensor as i have my box in a kid proof cupboard. Been told i need a TVM, can anyone tell me if the Humax operates between 30 to 40 hz ?
RayQuote
February 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I have just reserved the last one at my local Argos – can anyone tell me what length the guarantee is from Argos
sorethumbsQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
To Matt 472,
Thanks for the information about scanning. This still seems the wrong priority to me, as it would be more useful to be able to scan through the banners and then press OK to switch channels.
To Ray 475,
I don’t want a copy of Sky+. I expect something better. I want Humax to take the best bits of Sky+ and add to them. As it is, the Humax has superior functions, but inferior ease of use. I still have to consult the manual frequently, which I never did with my old analogue PVR, even though it had editing facilities too. Humax need to rethink the menu system.
RichardQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I am pretty sure that everyone gets one year guarantee, except for good old John Lewis, who gives 2 years. This is where I bought mine last week.
DabberQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Some independent retailers also get 2 years warranty too, it’s not just confined to John Lewis.
adminQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Hi Richard . You can change channel with the Banner. If you just go up and down keeping to NOW, then you press OK to switch to that channel. If you then press the Back button you will go back to the channel you were watching. This works even after you have exited just press i again followed by Back to swap channels. If you go Right on the banner then you can set recordings for whats on that or other channels later.
Got mine from Satbuyer with a two year Warranty at no extra .
The Warranty Certificate says Valid for a MINIMUM period of ONE year ? AT a glance you could think it is just a year.
MattQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Matt, the included certificate is just a generic one, the 2 year warranty will be offered from the retailer directly, same with any offering this deal. The 2 year warranty was offered to all distributors, but only some accepting as obviously there is an additional premium.
adminQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Thanks admin that does seem to make sense, it seems to me that if they don’t say it has a two year Warranty, ie shout it out in bold RED type like Satbuyer then it probably only has a year. ( maybe )
MattQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Yeah, definitely assume one year unless it’s clearly stated.
adminQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Hi I have a problem with my humax HDR ,During recording mode and the unit is on standby when I switch the unit on I get no sound or picture even when I select HDMI on the TV. I HAVE To wait until recording has completed before I get a picture.This is does not happen all the time some times it is ‘A’ okay I have e-mailed Humax but received no reply.
Bryan SQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Matt,
Sorry, I did not make it clear that I meant that scanning and changing channels should be available using the “compass” control directly, not as a secondary function. I still have not discovered how to get frame by frame playback. It must be there somewhere, surely?
RichardQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I have had the Humax HDR two months now and I can say its a great bit of kit. One warning though, dont muck about inside that hidden menu, I did and lost all my Christmas recordings.
ChrisQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Richard, yes that would be better, it is on some of the wish lists for upgrades I’ve seen. Sorry no idea about the frame by frame, 1/8 th speed seems to be it. Then if you press pause it jumps ahead a bit, so that’s no good. But i must agree with Chris a great bit of Kit still……
MattQuote
February 10th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
459 – Desperate of Truro
Managed to get a Freesat+ from Currys Digital in Pydar Street last Saturday (7/2/09). AND there was one still on display! Argos say there are none this side of the Tamar, Commet say they are awaiting delivery, and Dixons haven’t had any!
HedgehogQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I have seen a number of people ask this question however it seems to never get answered. I have a wonderful new Humax HDR from puresat dot co do uk (apparently they have loads in stock but at inflated prices if anyone is interested) and I have this hooked up via HDMI to my sony AV amp which then goes to my TV. I have also connected the optical cable as I wanted to get 5.1 but I wanted to know if this was really needed ? Does the HDMI cable carry the 5.1 or does it have to be done via the optical ?
SparkyQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Sparky – HDMI doesn’t carry 5.1 Dolby on your setup, so the optical output is also needed.
adminQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Bryan S.
I noticed the same problem and found the way to get around it is to switch to another input (e.g. HDMI2) on my TV, then back to HDMI1 (to which the HDR is connected). You must do this when the HDR is fully awake (i.e. if it’s in pre-record mode, where it’s scanning to see if the program is about to start, boot it up). I assume that when you boot up the PVR from standy it doesn’t send a signal to the TV to say “here I am, switch to my input” – not very satisfactory.
KevinQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
thanks for the rapid reply admin
SparkyQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Hi Kevin
Thanks for your reply and ifo. Will give it a try and let you know How I get on.
Bryan
Bryan SQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I would reccomend this receiver 100%. I had it up and running within 30mins.
I have now included the channels from the maual set up which now gives me a further load of channels to watch. Well done HUMAX.
William DuncanQuote
February 11th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Got mine from Argos Tues night
Only 1 input feed as waiting on a dual feed cable but working fine so far.
Am able to record and watch various channels but as only 1 feed coming in options for channels are limited
If anyone is wondering about what you can and can’t do with a single or double feed into the HDR I advise you to look at this post
http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5594
if you have excel download the file from the link in that first post and it gives an excellent guide to channels available – very handy for those not knowing the limitations of what you can and can’t watch while recording.
If anyone has a NAS drive that has a usb port on their network at home you might have an easy way of archiving off SD recordings. I’ve found my Buffalo LinkStation Live can format USB sticks to Ext3 which are then accepted by the Humax HDR and allow recordings to be copied/moved off, the Ext3 formatted USB drive doesn’t seem to be accepted by windows (I’ve seen mention of Ext2Fsd package from http://www.ext2fsd.com as a solution) but the Buffalo NAS drive obviously accepts an Ext3 formatted stick (as it formatted the stick to Ext3 in the first place) and you can view SD recordings on your pc, archive to your computer or convert for playback on other media at home
Liking the HDR so far though think I’ll need to test a few recordings to see how accurate the schedule is regards chopping start/endings to programmes
SorethumbsQuote
February 12th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
@474
Hi Martin, many thanks! Obvious when you know!
Alan KQuote
February 12th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Overall, the product is fantantic. The only complaint’s I have are:-
- You cannot transfer HD or any recording of 4GB from the box to a USB.
- ITV HD adverts are broadcast in SD. Therefore if you pause live tv on this channel, when the adverts come on, you lose your paused time, and the channel cuts direct to the adverts. Losing your paused viewing time.
- The fast forward works x2 and x4 which are too slow, and then x16 and x32 which are too fast. The introduction on a x6 or x8 would be useful.
Apart from these and a few other hiccups – the box is great.
Wins SQuote
February 13th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I formatted my PNY 2gb USB memory Stick fat 32 & loaded some JPG’s on it plugged it in to the Humax. Now I can see the file but cannot open it or see the pictures.
If I put the same stick directly into my TV, no problem.
Where am I going wrong?
MikeQuote
February 13th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
3 in Currys in Penzance today. 1 in “Superstore”, 2 in High Street if anyone is interested. Maybe a reason to take a weekend break. Cornwall is clearly overrun with them.
Now to set it up. I need to keep Sky working for a while to watch all the archived stuff while recording new stuff on the Humax. I am hoping I can use the loop through to do that. Any problem with that?
MattQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am
OK 2 Months in and I have to say that I’m sick of this box.
Apart from my own frustration at navigating around and having to double check that every button press is registered, I am absolutely being driven mad by my Wife about the same. Series link works whenever it feels like it. Watching paused TV and then flicking back to Live without warning is a joke. The sheer volume of required clicks is making this beyond useable given the likelihood of them being noticed or the machine lagging and then registering multiple clicks a few moments later.
In short, unless a new update fixes these things and I can find something to make the remote better then mine will be up for sale and I’ll have to go cap in hand to Sky.
Great idea but currently useless to live with. I don’t think this box is worth more than £180 RRP in its current state and I can see a new version being released which would leave us all left on the shelf with a duff.
Last chance HUMAX.
Paul HDRQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Sorry, I also meant to say that I don’t believe this machine is “fit for purpose” given its price, and may chase a refund from the manufacturer should nothing be resolved shortly.
Paul HDRQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Had mine 2 + months now and never had a problem with anything other than operator error. I think a lot of the problems that user have with the PVR can be put down to mis-aligned dishes that make it hard for the PVR to carry out its work + ITV HD messing around with the EPG that confusses me never mined the PVR.
The only things I find annoying (and not all Humaxes fault) is the very bright display on the front panel and the fact you cannot archive HD recording to an external HDD, and last but not least, the fact that I have to have my old $ky+ HD box under the telly (thats 4 boxes in all) just for CH4 HD.
ChrisQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Hi Chris, If your problem with archiving HD to an ex HDD is due to it being Encrypted by the HDR then record it in Non- Freesat mode and it should have no encryption.
Matt GQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Hi,
I already have a dish fixed on Atlantic bird 5w for French tv & wondered if I could another dish & 2lnbs or even a motor, and intergate somehow with this hdpvr??
I guess I may have to do a seperate install and have two boxes but thought I’d ask!
Thanks
MikeQuote
February 15th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
My Humax HDR arrived last Friday so I am still trying out all of the functions. So far I cannot fault it.The picture quality is excellent, especially in HD. Set up was easy, I was up and running in no time. The record and playback functions couldn’t be simpler and so far I have had absolutely no problems. The remote control is a bit too directional but this is just a minor irritation. I have programmed the remote to operate my Panasonic TV and Philips DVD player, which is a very useful feature. The display is fine where I have the box and doesn’t appear too bright for me. So far I am very pleased, it was well worth the wait ! Goodbye to Sky !
GarethQuote
February 16th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Hi , Can anyone tell me if you can move video files eg mpeg from an external hard drive on to the humax for play back ? or will it play files off an external hard drive ?
SimonQuote
February 17th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I’ve now had my PVR for a week (from Richer Sounds – great service). On the whole I am very pleased. All my comments are benchmarked against a Sky HD
box which I’m giving up as I watched mainly the FTA channels)
Plus points
Altogether it’s a much more flexible device.
Ability to record radio programmes from the EPG (this was what sold it to me)
Display of channels on front panel means you can use the radio through an amp without ever having to switch the TV on.
Ability to load jpg’s to show pictures to visitors without having to crowd round a PC (ability to load music not so useful if you have an ipod although you can load some to act as soundtrack for picture shows).
BBC HD picture as good as Sky HD.
Much more recording time.
Smaller, quieter, better looking and lower energy consumption (my Sky HD box used about 38 watts on standby and about 58 watts when switched on – which is about 1.1 kwh per day if you use it about 6hrs a day – about £40pa).
Ability to see EPG etc whilst still listening to broadcast.
Ability to skip forward by predetermined amount to avoid adverts.
Good prompts in setting up recordings – eg suggesting HD alternative and help in resolving conflicts.
I get the impression that Humax are more attuned to users needs than Sky and that comments will be listened to.
Flexible remote – the only one I’ve found that will control an old Audiolab amp.
Neutral points
User interface takes some getting used to – a function of the device’s flexibilty
SD picture is a bit “softer” on most channels – this may be a feature of Freesat bit rates. Sometimes this is a benefit on poor quality broadcasts as it disguises the quality.
The usefulness of the Favourite channels feature is limited – it needs to have top level access to be really useful (or ideally the blue button scroll through as per Sky)
Comprehensive user manual – it tells you about the features but not how to get the best out of them (eg the favourites)
Cons
Slower to boot up – but I guess you can’t have instant boot and very low standby energy consumption.
One or two bugs – if you pause a live programme then restarrt you often get the subtitles come up. There is a workaround – menu_subtitles_enable then disable. The box did lock up last night – was recording two channels (one in HD) and fiddling around with various functions – it then stopped responding to all input (remote or buttons on front). Power-cycled it after recording finished and all was well – it had kept the recordings. I guess the lesson is not to fiddle!
Remote is very directional, less so if you leave the front flap open.
All in all I strongly recommend it. But Sky converts will find it quite different to use.
SteveQuote
February 17th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Thank you for the great review Steve
adminQuote
February 17th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I have had mine for only a few days (thanks to Amazon) and i’m still not completely setup.
I am going to run it alongside Sky+ (my wife can’t do without Living Channel)
I have an Quad LNB so i have enough cables etc, however i did notice that there is an LNB outout on the Humax. Has anybody connected up the two boxes utilising this? If this is possible i can use the fourth LNB to connect to our bedroom for a standard freesat box without having to change to an Octo LNB
RossQuote
February 18th, 2009 at 7:35 am
I have tried the LNB output on the back of the HDR box with a cable to the Bedroom to drive a Humax Foxsat HD BOX. Not all channels available and varied dependant on the activity on the HDR box in the Lounge. Changed the cable feed to come from the third LNB output on the dish and full service available.
Replaced the SKY+ box on Day 1 of the HDR release and never looked back for one moment. Series recording is a joy to use (and find the result!). Picture and sound quality on both HD and HDR box is superb.
Only one niggle is the pause facility that has a mind of its own when adverts popup on commercial channels and it terminates the process.
75% of all our viewing is done on pre-recorded stuff and the one press, fast forward button to skip adverts is a fantastic facility.
Overall, both boxes are a joy to use – never looked back (sorry SKY!!).
TonyQuote
February 18th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Can anyone help?
On my Humax PVR, when I finish watching a recorded programme I try to delete it, but the screen only offers me, ‘play from last watched; ‘play from start’; ‘rename’, but not ‘delete file’. This is similar if you want to delete a programme you have not watched. It seems the system needs 24 hours to recalibrate when I am offered the delete option, although this is variable.
Mike KellyQuote
February 19th, 2009 at 8:48 am
You will probably find that you are still recording another programme and then you cannot delete until that programme is finished.
DavidQuote
February 19th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Mike at 504
I was thinking of doing the same myself. This link may help!!
http://foxsat.wikispaces.com/Setting+up+DiSEqC
MikeQuote
February 19th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Too bright display? I have solved the problem by flipping down the front panel and carefully inserting coloured cellophane onto the back of the transparent panel so that when closed it is trapped in front of the display. You might need to experiment with different sweets to get the right colour/density of wrapper….!
Don’t cover the sensor for the remote, just the display
JOHN SELLERSQuote
February 19th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Thank for that John S. I will try that and even if it dont work, I will have a good time with all those sweets..LOL
ChrisQuote
February 20th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Have had my HDR for 2 weeks now, and think it’s amazing…no complaints.
One thing I cannot work out is this……..in the media list I want to put several of my recordings into a new folder. I have managed to create the folder & successfuly name it, but cannot figure out how to move files into it. I’m sure there must be a way. Help? Anybody? Thanks in advance….great forum.
DabberQuote
February 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
@ 516 Dabber. Hi. To move files into your new folder firstly select the Media button. then press the Opt+ button. this brings up a list of options. select the top option ‘file manager’.
this will bring up a split screen – with both sides the same to start off with.
Select the new folder you created (in iether the left or the right panel) by highlighting it and pressing OK.
Now go to the other panel (left or right hand side) and highlight the file you would like to move. press OK and you will be, again, given a list of options.
select the second option down – Move. This will move the select programme into the previously slected folder.
Then press exit a couple of times and you back to watching TV.
Cheers, hope this helps.
DanQuote
February 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Thanks Dan @517 for showing me the procedure, so easy when you know how! This really is a great bit of kit! Cheers,
DabberQuote
February 21st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
This is a great forum. Just installed the PVR – I think it’s pretty good, but I have the same problem as Marc L @ 206
When I change channel or play a recorded program there is a buzz. Does everyone have this? It’s a bit annoying.
What’s more annoying is that the automatic aspect ratio adjustment doesn’t work properly. The display format is set to auto on the pvr. Any ideas would be great.
TIA
MGAQuote
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Hi guys
I’ve had the HDR since before Xmas and it’s a great piece of kit, notwithstanding it’s known issues, but I have been having problems with ITV-HD as in when it prompts on-screen to watch in HD and I press the red button I do not get the HD reception and have to retrun to normal viewing. BBC-HD works fine by the way, thankfully, at least I can watch the SIx Nations !
Anyone got any ideas, is this is new problem or just a bug
Cheers – any ideas gratefully received
JakeQuote
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 pm
I just seen that Humaxdirect now have the Foxsat-HDR now in stock and selling direct from their website for £292.64, this is direct from the manufacturer. Hopefully now we will see some recoditioned units trickling into the managers specials section of the website for a nicely reduced sum!
https://humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10073&cat=stb
DermQuote
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 am
Hi MGA I don’t have a Buzz at any time.
I do have the same problem with the aspect ratio. I find leaving it on 4:3 pillar box works the same as auto should ?
Matt GQuote
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 pm
LNB out only seems to work when box is in Standby (not ON). Anyone else confirm this? Otherwise the Foxstat HDR work pretty good. Only one glitch so far and rebooting cured.
Ian LoweQuote
February 24th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
LNB out passes through the currently selected/tuned LNB and frequency/polarisation.
A simplified way of looking at it is LNB Out will pass through ONLY that set of channels which are currently tuned in by the Humax.
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
February 24th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Well got my Foxsat hdr two days ago, i am very pleased much better than Sky HD box,easy to setup, use far less power, access to recorded programmes is quicker,record on time works, two part recording works, picture quality is better for SD up scaling is v good ,a lot less trouble with programme clashes as you can record two and watch a third (limited choice) not with Sky.
Negatives you cannot switch to NON FREESAT while recording, if you alter the channel order in non freesat you will loose the recording schedule in freesat mode, no Five US.
BUT best of all I never have to give another penny to RUPERT MURDOCH .
g0bgb
g0bgbQuote
February 24th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I also have the same problem as described by Jake above (post 520) – that is, unable to view ITV HD after pressing the red button. I just get a black screen. BBC HD, however, is fine.
Anyone know what needs to be done to resolve this?
digitaldudeQuote
February 24th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Hi Digitaldude
The problem seems to be a regional one i.e. it depends on the postcode you use. I did read somewhere that there had been some changes to how the ITV-HD was transmitted which resulted in some of the regional ITV channels losing the HD function. I have now tuned to a postcode in the South West (I live in the Central region) and the HD is now working OK.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Jake
JakeQuote
February 25th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hi Digitaldude
ITV HD is not avalible in some areas due to contract issues (STV and ITV are still in talks regarding HD broadcasts in the Scottish region). As above the work around is to tune to another ITV region and use that if you want to Watch / Record in HD.
SolitaireQuote
February 25th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
They added ITV London CH 977 for that reason as stated on the ITV HD page . So if you can not get ITV HD on 977 it must be another Fault. Dish etc…..
Matt GQuote
February 25th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
@Admin @490. My setup is the same though I use a Denon AV AMP and I receive DD 5.1 via my HDMI from BBC HD, when transmitted, no problem…
HDMI (even at its base level spec) is specified to carry Dolby Digital 5.1.
The Humax certainly supplies DD 5.1 from the HDMI output.
ABC
aybeeseaQuote
February 26th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I’ve just had my first box replaced after struggling to get it to work properly for 8 weeks – faulty hard drive apparently.
Not impressed!
bignairyQuote
February 26th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I’ve had my box a few days now and I love it! But I have a question hopefully someone can answer. I’ve managed to figure out how to transfer recordings onto an external hard drive through the USB port so that they are viewable on my PC but I have a few AVI files on my PC that I’d like to be able to watch through my Humax. I’ve tried using Total Video Converter to convert the avi files to .ts format and I also tried mpeg-II as I read somewhere that was supposed to work but the files aren’t showing up when I go to the file manager. Does anyone know of an easy way of converting that actually works? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
ClaireQuote
February 26th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Concerning the red button ITV HD. I had the same problem – just a black screen after pressing the button. After talking to Humax who advised me to check with Freesat that there actually were HD transmissions (which seems pretty daft, if there were no transmissions why would the “Press Red” message appear?). Freesat suggested the box was faulty. Eventually after many phone calls managed to get Comet to swop the unit, and hey presto no problem any more!
ColinQuote
February 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Re: my question @532 – I’ve just read the reply to someone asking the same question on a help forum and apparently it’s not possible. Oh well, hopefully in the not-too-distant future someone will figure out how to do it.
ClaireQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I think a lot of the problems with ITV HD are ITV. They quite often advertise programmes as being in HD (films are the norm) then cancel at the last minute and if you set the Humax to record a programme in HD that later is cancelled it fails.
While on the subject of ITV HD, they have been messing around with the series link software and quite often it ends series recording even when there are still episodes in the series to record. This has happened a few times with Wild at Heart.
Claire 534: I think Humax have a bug fixing update for the HDR coming soon but I don’t think that is a priority for them because they don’t count it as a bug but I agree it would be nice to be able to do that.
ChrisQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Satbuyer just emailed me saying they have stock. also included a 2% off voucher code, 2OFFHDR. think this is the cheapest deal at the moment
JonnyBQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
doh, forgot the link
http://www.satbuyer.co.uk/humax-foxsat-hdr-freesat+-hd-pvr-digital-box-p24.html
JonnyBQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Play.com have it for £249 with free delivery. Available 31.3.09
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/9159265/Humax-FoxSat-HDR-Freesat-320GB-HDD-DTR-HD-Recorder/Product.html
Tony HalesQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Hi All,
Which is the store with the best guarantee service on the PVR? IN other words, who simply swops it out if there is a problem?
StewartQuote
February 27th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Suspect most retailers will just swap out for you, just depends how much hassle is involved. Have you tried any of the independent retailers as their agreement with the distributor (depending which they use) is for immediate new swap-out incase of fault.
adminQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 9:13 am
I see there’s talk of slow boot up times..seems 30 seconds is normal.
Mine takes 5 minutes + to boot from Standby! but then it seems fine….
Is this a connection issue or just a duff bit of kit?
Anybody else find it takes this long?
Paul ReedQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 9:18 am
just got my humax from Argos. Problem ! how do i view my recorded program it seems to record but i cannot find them Pleeeese help
JohnQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 10:48 am
542 John: Press the “media” button on the remote.
ChrisKQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 10:50 am
A quick press of the media button should do the trick
KDHQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Thank you to ChrisK and KDH why didn’t i see that , it just proves how new i am to freesat. hope i will be able to understand the rest.thank you again
JohnQuote
March 1st, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Very keen to get a humax foxsat PVR, but my HD ready TV is an Evesham with DVI and component connections, no HDMI. If i buy an HDMI to DVI adaptor, will I enjoy true HD? Got confused by earlier posts about encryption, 760 and 1080, i’s and p’s.
Richard SmithQuote
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Paul @ 541 Mine takes closer to 40 seconds to boot. Try a factory reset and if it still takes 5 minutes I’d say you’ve got a Duff one.
Richard @546 You should be fine with an Adaptor & left/right audio RCA cables . The highest output is 1080i which is fine for DVI. Saying that some people have been getting green screens using HDMI as the TV & Humax have not hand shaked properly .
Matt GQuote
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Richard@546. Here is a link to the FOXSAT HDR manual. Look at Chapter 2: Connections, page GB18, pdf page 19.
Looking at it your set up should be O.K.
http://www.humaxdigital.com/global/support/downloadcenter_model_manual.aspx?category_seq=65
ChrisKQuote
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 pm
538 – Tony Hales – Not any more I’m afraid. Play now quote £289·99 and due for release on 27/04/2009.
Tatra ManQuote
March 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Dixons presently cheapest at £284.18. See price comparison at top.
adminQuote
March 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
For many years I had a Tivo PVR which is a wonderful piece of kit but it does not handle HD and needs a £10/month subscription. I had looked forward to the Humax Foxsat HDR being a suitable upgrade.
I have had my Foxsat HDR for a few weeks now and I must say that I am a bit disappointed. Here are my comments:
Pros
====
It looks nice.
Has the right features.
Produced great pictures.
Excellent upscaling of SD.
Cons
====
Unfortunately, two items seriously let it down: the remote and the user interface.
Remote
———–
* Does not work if you are off to the side of the unit.
* Poor buttons: they should vary more in shape and size so they can be identified by touch in the dark.
* Poor button layout: things that you use a lot, like Time Shift stuff, should be more prominent and easily identified by touch.
* No backlight.
* It should be easier to tell which end to point at the PVR in the dark (by touch).
User Interface
——————–
Recoding is generally fine but:
* You should be able to either select from a Favourites list of channels or be able to sort the list.
* You should be able to record from the start of a programme that you are watching if it is in the Time Shift buffer.
Playback control is very poor:
* The Time Shift buffer control is very annoying: it should not jump to the end when a background recording ends (nor when adverts occur on ITV HD).
* When finished watching an item, you should be prompted to delete it.
* You should be able to delete a recording even if it is recording something else.
* You should not have to go into File Manager to delete items.
* Deleting should by MUCH faster. If necessary, it should just mark items as deleted and delete them in the background at a later date.
* Skip back 7 secs or forward 120 secs should be possible even in pause mode.
* It should use colour to indicate that an item has already been watched to (nearly) the end.
* File Manager should not require you to click ok on ‘..’ to go back. It means nothing to non-computer people. The back button on the joystick should take you back instead.
* The two adjacent lists of files should only be displayed when necessary. Most people will not be copying files between devices most of the time.
Programme information should include the date the programme was first made and indicate whether it is a repeat or not. Perhaps this is a FreeSat limitation.
In summary, this could be a ground breaking box but it fails at the last hurdle. Other people have made similar comments and expect the interface to be improved via an update at a later date. However, I suspect this is unlikely because many of the criticisms apply to their previous PVR and no significant updates were forthcoming. A pity.
My advice to Humax is either to fix it or release the source code so that others can do it for them.
My advice to potential buyers is to put off buying such a device at the moment. There is very little HD programming transmitted anyway and other manufacturers will be producing similar boxes with better interfaces soon.
If you do plan to get this unit then factor in the cost of a decent remote such as the Harmony One (Amazon are selling it for £70 at the moment if you specify HARMONY2 as the Promotional Gift code).
If only Tivo had not decided to stop selling in the UK.
CheesewrightQuote
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
551.
I think the Foxsat HDR was intended for people who don’t want to pay loads of money for HDTV. I time shift on average about 6 hour of HDTV every week and watch live HDTV about 4 hours not including films on CH4 HD which is not available on the HDR. These times don’t take into account seasonal extras such as Wimbledon, Glastonbury, 6 Nations and so on. There is of course more but like most TV nowadays I don’t find it worth watching be it in HD or SD, but others may differ.
Given that the HDR is a first generation machine there is bound to be areas for improvement. Over all (and I would admit it has its niggles) it’s a great machine and yes, one day there will be others (Panasonic I hear for one) but as always, there’s always something better just around the corner if you wait… and wait… and wait and after that, yeh you got it, something better… if you wait.
If your not happy with FreeSat I would suggest you go to $ky TV where they are doing a good deal on the box(only £49) and have a great deal more HD content, but of course you will be paying hundreds of pounds forever and a day for the rest of your viewing life + £10 a month just for recording on the box you own if you decide not to subscribe after your contract is up.
ChrisKQuote
March 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Such a shame that Topfield haven’t entered the market (yet?). Their FreeView PVR was generally reckoned to be superior to the Humax equivalent.
Tatra ManQuote
March 5th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Come to think of it, the TF7710HDPVR is only lacking the FreeSat EPG, isn’t it?
Tatra ManQuote
March 5th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Satbuyer.co.uk has Humax PVR for £286.50 including delivery.
AlexQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Initially when I bought my HDR, I connected it to a regular TV through a SCART connection. In the Initial Set-up I specified 576i as the resolution which enabled me to view the BBC HD channel but in regular resolution. Since then I have moved to a Full HD LCD TV and need to change the resolution – does anyone know how to do that without doing a factory reset? You see, I don’t want to reconfigure all my additional channels again.
RichiRichQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Sky have just phoned me ! Would I like to reconsider my decision to cancel my contract with them ?
Er, the young man now wishes that he hadn’t bothered to waste his time !
Steve BQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 11:10 am
adminQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
RichiRich Sorry could not find anything in the secret menu, but I didn’t delve to deep in fear of mucking things up.
I set mine to 1080i at first but then changed it to 720p with the V- FORMAT button on the remote. It has stuck to 720 ever since .
Matt GQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Tatra Man @554 a nice man at Dig Spy has answered your question can a FTA PVR be used as a Freesat+ STB
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=999104
Matt GQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Wow.
Spoke with Humax Tech Support who giggled down the phone when telling me that I had to stand directly in front of the machine with the front panel down. He said the “laser” would not work properly at an angle or with the panel up. When I said that this was a rediculous design floor, he giggle a little more and said “yes”. I said in that case I want my money back and he said go back to the retailer. I have spoken with Argos who are giving me a full refund and I have had to get Sky HD back in.
Worth a punt but Ciao Humax.
Paul HDRQuote
March 6th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Hi
I can’t seem to copy anything from the HDR box to my 2Gb Kingston memory stick. When you go into Media then choose OPT+ then File Manager I can see the option to Copy but it is greyed out.
Anyone else got this problem, seen this before, got any ideas?
ScottQuote
March 7th, 2009 at 3:00 am
On the music media menu, I can only get the Humax Freesat PVR to play one mp3 song at a time. I cannot get it to automatically step on to play the next song in a folder or in a playlist that I have created. I have tried all combinations of ‘Repeat’ and ‘Shuffle’ settings, using the ‘OK’ button and the ‘Play’ button etc.
I also note that the play position on the green play bar along the top of the screen does not update as the song is playing. However the play position can manually be moved by using the back/forward buttons on the handset.
Selecting a photo in a folder, on the other hand, automatically cycles through all the photos in a folder.
I believe the older Humax Freeview PVR could automatically play all the songs in a folder without having to manually select each track in turn.
Am I missing something obvious or is the software still in development to allow the PVR to be used as like a CD player or juke box?
AndyQuote
March 8th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
OK, figured out how to copy a file to a memory stick. You need to highlight the USB device first before then highlighting the file on the left hand side, it then copys.
Might help others out there…
ScottQuote
March 9th, 2009 at 8:27 am
We have had the Foxsat HDR for about 2 months and are getting fed up with the it cutting off the ends of recordings. We have tried setting the recording time to Auto and setting it manually to add an extra 3 minutes but either way we regularly lose the ends of programmes.
Is anyone else having this problem?
Martin PageQuote
March 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Thanks Matt G (559), I used the V-FORMAT which seems to have done the trick. I now need to find how to add the second LNB port as I’ve just connected another cable from my LNB switch – any ideas?
RichiRichQuote
March 9th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
RichiRich easy (secret menu) go to set up in to the menu 3rd pic down,press OK, , now with Freesat tune highlighted , press Red, green, Yellow, Blue, Green, Yellow, Blue. Antenna settings should appear select it and change type to two. Good luck never done it so hope it works .
Also works in System with Diagnostics highlighted ( secret menu 2 )
Matt GQuote
March 10th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Hello RichiRich. I know this sounds daft, but I assume you are using the HDMI cable to connect to your panel. The setting for 1080i should be automatic.
When you have scarts connect as well as HDMI cable I have found you have to make sure the TV is set HDMI input first (on 1st generation Panasonic panels ) or else the TV defaults to scart and you do not get HDTV only upscaled SD.
ChrisKQuote
March 11th, 2009 at 9:39 am
ChrisK (568), I do have it connected via HDMI and noted that when I pushed the V-FORMAT button it was already on 1080i – I just presumed that because I set it to 576i, it would stay at that.
MattG (567), I’ll give it a try and let you know the outcome…
RichiRichQuote
March 12th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi Matt G
I have Tried your idea for locating Antenna settings press red,green, yellow etc. and it worked a treat thank you.
Bryan SQuote
March 13th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I have had this box for two weeks now. Had to travel out of town to get hold of one though. Probably the best purchase I have made.
Want to get rid of SKY now but having to keep the sky subscription because I like Virgin 1. (free on freeview but not freesat).
Using one sat feed (with loop through) and seems to work well. Was simple to set up as well.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Robbie RuQuote
March 16th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Alan March 12 Humax HD Page ? Quote
. The only slight grumble I have, which again has been commented on previous reviews is that the going to and selecting via the EPG is long winded. Unless your recording something the minute you go to the “guide” you lose the picture and then go through the Genre front page to get to the EPG. The picture does come back after about 30 seconds.
Alan… Firstly you can disable the Genre page in the Menu. Secondly if you access the EPG via the Schedule button then press RED it will not update, so you will not lose the sound/picture. Also this stops the Buffer from being reset and makes the remote commands more responsive.
Matt GQuote
March 18th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Got mine last week from Richer Sounds web site. Excellent service and they return phone calls. Unit guaranteed for 5 years for £29.00 and this is refunded if not used-peace of mind.
Set the whole thing up and running in 10 minutes and am well pleased with the system-the sound via 5 speaker set up is brilliant.
Would have no hesitation in recommending this PVR.
TerryQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Hi,
Can anyone help with this query?
The Humax box is adverstised as being 1080i, the TV I want to hook it up to is 1080p. Am I therefore losing out? Is there a 1080p Freesat box with PVR?
Cheers,
G
George AntonQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
George, 1080p broadcasts don’t exist on UK satellite, the maximum is 1080i.
adminQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 9:39 am
That’s news to me! Does that mean buying a 1080p TV is pointless or does it make a difference to xbox & dvd?
Thanks
George AntonQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I’m not sure there are many televisions that don’t support both 1080i and 1080p anyway, so it’s unlikely you’ve paid more for 1080p. No television broadcaster offers this definition, but consoles and Blu-Ray etc do. The difference is marginally to be honest.
adminQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 11:58 am
@admin
Thanks that’s very helpful
George AntonQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Just received my humax hdpvr – has anyone tried aligning the dish using the pvr/meter – are therer any special precautions – can I set up with one lnb, or should I use 2 for the updates?
zoesdadQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Is it worth adding Richer Sounds to the list of where to buy? They are selling at £290 at the moment which seems middle of the road but for 10% extra you can get a 5 year warranty so the total cost is £319 with 5 years warranty. You also get the £29 cost of the warranty refunded if you don’t end up using it.
BradyQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Just noticed sat buyer are now selling for £ 269
> http://www.satbuyer.co.uk/humax-foxsat-hdr-freesat+-hd-pvr-digital-box-p24.html
JonnyBQuote
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
577 admin – if I may expand a little… HD Ready TVs support 720p and 1080i, but the 1080i is downscaled to fit. Full HD (or HD Ready 1080p TVs as they are now called) support 1080p and 1080i in their native resolution.
RichiRichQuote
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
I sometimes wonder if I have the same box that others have, as every one else seems to be gushing about it but mine has serious flaws.
The box itself is really good, its very quiet, looks good, is a lot smaller than a sky hd box and is very easy to set up.
It takes quite a while to turn on from standby but I am led to believe that this is due to it running at a low wattage while in standby.
The control is its worst feature, its nearly a foot long and probably the worst I have ever come across. The buttons are littered all over place e.g. the pvr buttons are grouped together yet the slow motion function is at least 10cm from them. Some of the functions are duplicated like the list button and the channel-changing button, which means the remote control is extremely crowded. Changing channels using the numbered buttons takes great skill and long thumbs and ends up being pointless due to the stupid placing of the numbered buttons and the short time that you are given to enter the desired number.
I have quite a small living room yet the control will not change channel from one of the sofas which is only about 3 metres away and unless you point the control directly at the box nothing will happen.
The only good thing I can say about the remote is that it can work your tv, dvd and stereo as well as the pvr.
The functionality of the box is over complicated and not being able to record the buffer on a program is a bit of a let down.
If you pause live tv and a recording ends the program you were watching jumps back to live again meaning you have to rewind back to where you had originally paused it.
The epg (tv guide) is very slow unless for some very strange reason you use a convoluted way of pressing schedule then the red button rather than tv guide.
If they changed the ridiculous remote and made the workings of the box a bit more user friendly this product would certainly deserve 8 stars but I am afraid as it is I would be tempted to wait on the Panasonic pvr blu ray combo, which is coming soon.
Mike HockQuote
March 24th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I don’t know if anyone has noticed a problem with the box failing to record the last episode of a series?
I have now missed the last episode of 4 different series. I just thought it was a ‘failure’ that occurs, same as my old sky+ box. But now I am beginning to see a trend. This week it should try to record the last episode of IT Crowd…so we will see.
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
March 24th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I think it’s fair to say this box has flaws, but for those of us who see its potential, is there somewhere we can air our comments to Humax (and/or Freesat) and make a difference (i.e. get a new firmware to fix them), rather than just airing them here?
RichiRichQuote
March 25th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I decided to write to Humax (uksupport@humax-digital.co.uk) yesterday about the EPG problems and got this back “At the moment there is nothing being done about the EPG of the Foxsat HDR, there may be a software update in the future but at the moment nothing has been decided about the EPG.
Kind regards,
Humax Customer Support
0870 247 8800″
RichiRichQuote
March 25th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
The Duke@584
The HDR does have a bug in that when new channels are added like CNN was yesterday then any series links that are scheduled for ITV HD gets wiped out. I had to re-schedule Lewis in the HDR yesterday to continue the series next Sunday. I have not had any problems with BBC series link except when doing a non-FreeSat channel search which wipes out all schedule recordings.
I don’t know who you blame for that, is it ITV for their red button nonsense or Humax?
One you can blame on the BBC is the Green Green Grass series which the BBC failed to transmit the last episode in HD. Other than these little quirks I have had no problems with series linking, but I do check the schedule list every other day to be sure.
ChrisKQuote
March 26th, 2009 at 4:21 am
Can anyone advise if it works in Cyprus? and if I get HOTBIRD and NILE SAT?
EliasQuote
March 26th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I wrote to Humax on Tuesday and got this back: “At the moment there is nothing being done about the EPG of the Foxsat HDR, there may be a software update in the future but at the moment nothing has been decided about the EPG.
Kind regards,
Humax Customer Support (uksupport@humax-digital.co.uk) 0870 247 8800″
Elias 587: Looking at the Astra website, the coverage doesn’t reach Cyprus with a 1.2m dish – I’m not sure if a larger dish would work or not.
RichiRichQuote
March 28th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Had this box for 4 months now and although it has some fantastic features it also has it’s fair share of flaws.
I have put up with it taking anything up to 5 mins to boot, the controller being a bit naf, the EPG, and the fact that it only seems to record programs if it can be bothered.
Now the hard drive seems to have died! When I turn it on there is a message saying hard drive not formatted/ format now? when I click on yes the program guide comes up! have tried rebooting, turning off at the wall and reseting from scratch to no avail so it is going back today to be fixed.
I wish that I had waited for another manufacturer to start production then I would not be stuck with this pile of JUNK.
If it worked well this would be a great piece of kit with some very good features. Unfortunately it doesn’t, and some of the features are very complicated to use.
Al
SterQuote
March 28th, 2009 at 10:21 am
The box has let me down again! F1 qualifying was definately set to record, but did not. This non recording seems to be getting worse, especially since the last update. Have other users experienced the same problems?
Chloe’s GrandadQuote
March 28th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Same problem with the qualifiying for me although it did record the re-run at 1PM. I’m hoping the race records in the morning!
Philip JonesQuote
March 28th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Having exactly the same problem with schedules not recording, does seem worse since the last channel editions, have now re-scheduled all recordings to see if that helps but I suspect it is a transmission problem.
Barry PQuote
March 29th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Just got up & it seems to be recording F1 OK . I’ve got mine set to Auto on, with 5 minutes added at the end and its had no problems with recording lately including the Qualifying. Have added an extra half hour to the race just in case.
But I have had one lock up and two reboots at the start/end of recordings in the last month.
Come on Jenson ………..
Matt GQuote
March 31st, 2009 at 7:39 am
I think there was right fun and games at the weekend.
It did not record Lewis or Moving Wallpaper and half of my scheduled recordings just vanished.
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
March 31st, 2009 at 10:10 am
Duke Of Hunslet . After a Channel Update (for some unknown reason) you lose all your ITV HD Schedules.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=991852
Maybe Admin could do a reminder next time…..
Matt GQuote
March 31st, 2009 at 5:15 pm
This is probably a bit of a stupid question, but how do you program the humax remote to control a TV? I’ve heard of people talking about codes but havent found any myself.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Alex HQuote
April 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am
I have had the foxsat for about 2weeks now just about getting used to it.
After previously had Sky + it’s not as intuitive as Sky + but some features quite good, like the Skip function, effectively gets rid of adverts when using playback of a recording if set to 240 seconds. Don’t like the handset too many function keys. Noticed that the BBC red button interactive has things missing compared to Sky + for example multiple news screens not available. Contacted Freesat apparently the certification for the interactive red button features have not been signed / completed with the broadcasters. another problem I get is when inputting digits to select a channel say 200 for BBC News if your not quick enough the digits reset to 0000 almost instantly compared to the Sky+.
I am currently recording HD programmes until I get a good HD TV soon probably the Sony KDL 40Z4500 (fortunately you can see the BBC HD channel on a CRT TV unlike Sky using Scart leads).
Appears to have been designed by computer engineers who have not field trialled it with consumers, but still impressed so far, would like to combine access to both Freesat with non Freesat channels.
Stephen BamforthQuote
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 am
Firstly, to “Alex H” post 597 and many others, RTFM!
I seem to remember that the non-Freesat channels were not part of the original spec for Freesat and that it was Humax who went against the spec and added a non-Freesat mode in the first place. Freesat is, after all, simply an EPG so why do people want the Hummy to do things it was never intended to do like combine Freesat and non-Freesat channels under a single EPG?
I personally find the Hummy very easy to use and don’t try to compare it with other non-Freesat equipment. It is a product in it’s own right and may have flaws but, until someone comes up with a superior product in the future, learn to live with it.
Sue MorrisQuote
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’m with you Sue ! Ive had my Humax pvr since before Christmas and its caused me no problems. I have looked at the user manual and I know what its designed to do. I’m delighted with its performance.
Call me a bit of a cynic but one or two of the posts on this thread look as if they could be planted by sky affiliated personel !!!
Steve BQuote
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
i have had my humax pvr .since mid december 2008 thanks to comet.had no problems at all good pitures records ok .why make a fuss over pressing a few buttons.well done humax.
roy of essexQuote
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:59 am
I agree Alex H..been wondering that same problem….also agree with Steve B and roy,a good bit of kit!…………..
HughQuote
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
Alex @597
The codes are on the last few pages of the manual.
ChrisKQuote
April 4th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Steve 600. Not sure about the planted posts, however I own a Web company and am probably a little more tech savvy than most when it comes to understanding how things work and therefore your suggestion of ignorance and misunderstanding playing a part in its perceived failure might not fit my profile. I absolutely couldn’t wait for the Humax to come out and desperately wanted it to be great. It wasn’t.
With regret I have to say that it’s a breath of fresh air to be back on SKY. I hate paying SKY as much as I hate BT Broadband however having tried alternatives on both I found that sometimes you simply have to go with the most reliable option and hope you never have to speak to Customer Services. I got a full refund from Argos after nearly 3 months use which in my book is a result since I believe that being a guinea pig for Humax is going to be costly. They simply have to bring out a better product than this because unless you’re a computer programmer that lives by themselves and eats out of a pizza box in a game chair 2ft in front of the TV then it’s just not practical. (Forgive the Stereo type but it seems apt’).
For those happy with it, I do wonder if you have the same box and problems as I did since I just found it frustrating to say the least. There’s no nobility in being different for the sake of it and you have to wonder why Linux is loved so much by so few. I’m looking forward to a real alternative to SKY and I’ll take it when I see proven results because this time I won’t be rushing in desperation. BTW I note that SKY HD appear to have “borrowed” some of the ideas from Humax in their new EPG. It’s just a pity I now have to pay monthly for them.
Paul HDRQuote
April 5th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
You’d rather pay sky then use a Humax pvr ?
You prompt me to consider that there are serious quality control issues at the humax assembly plant…..too many faulty units getting through perhaps ?
Steve BQuote
April 6th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Got a Humax Foxsat PVR about a month ago. Lovely in (almost) all respects. Does what it says on the tin with great features. Except…..
If it is already recording (and is in “standby” mode), then if I want to watch something previously recorded, I press “on” and it does appear to turn on, the HDMI link means the TV swaps to the PVR, but the screen stays blank! No sound or picture get sent to the Tv from the Foxsat.
Yet…
If I am already watching something previously recorded, and the pre-programming says it needs to record a new program, then works without a htch, and I continue to watch my previously recorded program without a single hiccup.
Why the difference? Why can I not turn on a START to watch a previously recorded program when it is already recording? But if I were to start watching a previously recorded program BEFORE the timer says to start a new recording, that works fine.
Is there a setting I am missing?
Cheers.
GraySQuote
April 6th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Great bit of Kit apart from it takes ages to boot up from stand by, and when you press the TV guide you lose all sound from the current channel for about 30 seconds ? The remote is quite crap you have to be square on for it to work.
I have a freeview Hitachi hdr which excells in all these areas for a third of the price ? The + thing is I don’t pay rip off sky anymore so I got my money back in 6 months ! Ray Isle of Man
ray collisterQuote
April 7th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Thanks Humax for producing a fab piece of kit! I recently went over to Freesat after I had 4 faulty Sky+ HD boxes (one after the other and all within my first week of upgrading to Sky+ HD!!). Take note Sky – this is how it should be done…
I found the Humax Foxsat-HDR very easy to install – particularly since I already have a satellite dish. All I did was connect it to the existing satellite cables, and the channel search/tunning thing went without a hitch.
After being so familiar with Sky digiboxes, I found the Foxsat-HDR very different to use, but I actually prefer it. I particularly like the way it stores your recordings in folders, making it easier to manage recordings.
This box also does a great job of upscaling SD programs on my Sharp Aquos HD telly, and the BBC HD channel looks awesome!!
And although I live in Scotland, I can even get access to ITVs HD content by switching to ITV London – sorted!
Really looking forward to seeing more HD channels on Freesat. Hopefully ITV will give us a proper dedicated HD channel, and it would be great to see Channel 4 and Film 4 HD in the future too – here’s hoping!
All in all, I’m very happy to have kicked Sky into touch. Who wants to put up with their cheapo faulty hardware and sky-high (pun intended) fees?
I certainly don’t. So, here’s to a Freesat future – and I say bring it on!
gill KQuote
April 8th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Ok not a review but just a note about buying from Maplin if you aren’t in the UK. I live in ROI and thought I’d buy online, enter the discount code and get it shipped here. Their shipping to ROI is a great price, however instead of charging 15% VAT on checkout they charge the ROI VAT rate of 21.5%. Means the price isn’t so great as it first appears…..
DanQuote
April 8th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
New look ‘Radio Times’: Oh dear- BBC HD relegated from the Freesat/Freeview page to an ignominious position with barely any information on the actual programmes. Hope this does not reflect the Corporations position on this service?
LeighQuote
April 14th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Has anyone else realised that some of the big companies are conning people with their “sale” prices on the Humax. Argos are selling it for £293-59 which is the full price including 15% VAT. Maplins (without their discount) are charging £299-99 which includes VAT at the old rate of 17.5%, whilst Comet, Currys & John Lewis reckon that you’re saving £7-99 by paying them £292, again using 17.5% VAT as a starting point. In actual fact you’re only saving the grand sum of £1-59!!!
Rob DQuote
April 15th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Has anyone found a way to page down rather than down one line at a time on the EPG ?
Thanks
Stephen BamforthQuote
April 15th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Sorry sods law found it use the “P” key to page up and down the EPG, that’s the problem being weaned off of SKY you tend to look for info on the lower banner of the screen,
see above query. thanks.
Stephen BamforthQuote
April 15th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
We’ve had the HDR a couple of months now and really pleased with it.
Our only problem is the lack of series link, it used to work, but does not seem to ask us any more. Any ideas anyone, i’ve scoured the manual and the menu system but i can’t find anything to help.
thanks in advance
Ross
RossQuote
April 16th, 2009 at 10:57 am
FOXSAT PVR works fine (so I found) yeah the remote is completely different to sky’s & for that reason I can understand people taking a while to get used to it. thing is if you have used sky for years & then try using this remote, instinct will want you to swap back. simple as that. the remote could be designed better, the play, record buttons are too small & would really benefit from taking a more centralised bigger location on the remote. (simular to sky’s).
GOT to be honest some of the posts on this site regarding this product seem non genuine as if SKY themeselves was writing them?? The product works fine, but you have to accept some boxes will have issues like most things.
the remote range could be questioned also – but that is really being picky.
This product will seem a good investment compared to paying for Sky & will pay for it self within 6 months. The new panasonic models are looking to be twice as much as this product & I’m sure most people will just want a basic PVR with HD which is as cheap as possible. For the time being (maybe till the end of the year) this looks your best bet if not your only bet. 8/10.
jimboQuote
April 16th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Had my PVR since November last year. It has behaved wonderfully since installation, despite all the remote and menu gripes already published. As the display was so bright, I have attached a small piece of dark acetate to the front which has subdued the ‘blue’ quite well.
What I do like about the remote, is that I can operate virtually all my gear (TV, DVD, even surround sound (Audio)) all of which are Sony. (Rarely need the other four controls now!)
But why, oh why, in this modern era does the TV not respond to the PVR switching on via the HDMI cable? Even my very old VCR can command the TV via its humble SCART. One small observation is an increase in red colour on the TV when watching HD. Any ideas?
Colin FQuote
April 18th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Freesat can only get better, can`t wait for the switch over, it will get rid of the little faults, some improvements required for the remote -Humax mine suffers from Tunnel Vision a few degrees off then things will not work.
Some installers are making a killing, this should looked into.
I recommend the Humax-hdr and give 100% for value welldone
Bert AllsopQuote
April 18th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Overall I’m fairly happy with the box. I previously had the Virgin Media V+ box, unlike most people here who seem to have had Sky. I would have to say its inferior to the Virgin box. The issues with the remote control have been mentioned many times already. Also, though I’m sure you can somehow, still haven’t figured out how to start recording a programme you’re already halfway through watching. With the Virgin box it was just a matter of pressing the record button. The EPG is poor…..why does it let you go back into the past?? Very annoying if you’re trying to scroll back to the current time.
Is anyone else getting GREEN SCREEN issues on start-up?? Haven’t seen it mentioned, but its a known problem with the Foxsat and some TV models, mine included.
KevindelQuote
April 18th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
What file types does the Humax PVR play from an external hard drive plugged into the USB port or will it only play what it recordes and if so what format is that.
AndrewQuote
April 20th, 2009 at 7:03 am
i bought this product 2 weeks ago , i think it very good apart from 2 niggly things
1. the remote has to be pointed exactly , annoying when you keep hitting buttons and get nothing
2.you can not erase any files when the unit is recording.(yes i have two cables conected)
Apart from that im really pleased with the picture , and ease of use and having sky i can say the picture is better , the unit is smaller and less troublesome.
i can see many many people getting these as freesat rolls and grows over next two years
andy fosterQuote
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:43 am
Reliability Problems.
So I am on my third Freesat Box.
The first, bought last November work great for a while until a few problems started. Firstly when switching on it would get stuck in BOOT mode, powering on and off a few times would clear this. Then each night it would switch itself back on from standby mode, the red light would go blue and the display backlight would illuminate, but it bid no more. To get out of this mode we would have to power on and off. And if it was stuck in that mode it would not record any scheduled recordings.
Humax agreed this unit was faulty and arranged for a replacement swap out. However the unit they supplied did not even power up properly, it would not even Boot.
Humax again provided a swap out, installed last night, all seemed good. However this morning as the first unit it had switched itself from standby to a mode where the blue light is on and the display backlight is lit, but nothing else. As before the remote will not turn the unit on or off from this mode, it’s a power off and on.
Before I lose the plot completely with Humax does anyone have any advice?
Cheers
Phil
Phil BewQuote
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 am
“However this morning as the first unit it had switched itself from standby to a mode where the blue light is on and the display backlight is lit, but nothing else.”
Phil (621),
I have seen this on my box too, but I can’t say I’ve needed to turn it on at that point to try. I think it’s either when it’s just about to record or just finishing recording from a standby mode – I could be wrong though. Is there such a thing as an “auto update” or “EPG update” causing it?
I’ve had my box since just after the New Year and whilst I can deal with most niggles, I really wish they would fix the EPG problems. We use the PVR a lot and half the time the EPG data doesn’t update until I force it to by going into the Guide.
RichiRichQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
I see members of Richer Sounds VIP club (free) the Humax pvr is available for 5p short of £250. Not half bad for those thinking of purchasing one.
Since my remote control was changed by John Lewis for one that didn’t consume batteries like they were going out of fashion, the new one is fine, and appears not to be very directional and it will work from from 4m. no problem.The unit also responds quickly to commands. So there appears to be quite some variability in them.
LeighQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:45 am
Just bare in mind that the Richer Sounds deal is in-store only. We generally advertise online sales for ease of comparison.
adminQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:10 am
Further to comments about cut short recordings -see http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/nhk-world-tv-joins-freesat…. if you set +5 mins at the end of your recordings and you try to record the programme immediately after, the recording will fail. It seems you can only record back to back programmes on the same channel with Auto set.
Similarly if you record a programme which is to finish at 18:00 with +5, then you can’t start recording two other programmes at 18:00 – the 2nd or 3rd will fail as the first is still going.
And how do you set the timer to record on extra hour of football on ITV HD to allow for extra time & penalties? I would appreciate an answer before the cup final please!
I haven’t had any series links fail recently. I think the last was Yellowstone on BBC HD.
The unit hasn’t hung recently either.
JonathanQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
The cheapest Foxsat PVR is now at Richer Sounds. http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=HUMA-FOXSAT-HDR-BOX
They are only available in-store however if you have joined their “VIP Club” and get the latest email flyer the price is reduced by a further £10 to £249.95. Join on-line before you go to the shop and ask for the VIP price.
Richer Rounds are also offering their optional “Supercare” cover. This is a 5 year extened warranty for 10% of the price (ie £25) which is refundable if you have not had the item repaired in the 5 year period.
Richer Sounds sometimes sell “factory refurbished” units but there is no indication that these Humax boxes are anything but brand new stock.
Peter WellsQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Had my FOXSAT now for a month and all is well but I have downloaded approx 600 MP3 tracks via a USB into the music media facility. It is very slow to load . Each track takes almost a minute and the play button is not very responsive. It takes roughly 20 seconds to respond. I cannot understand this as the HDD is only 12% full. I have not created any folders and I have selected shuffle play.
Lord CozQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Hi all, I am on the point of buying one of these Foxsat HDR units.But I’m a bit confused! I have read loads of advise from these pages, and I’m still not sure if I can use a splitter box that will turn my one satellite feed into two to supply the two tuners. I have no access to the sat. dish as we live in a block of flats. I’m already using a Foxsat HD digital box (one tuner) and it’s fantastic, I’d like the HDR with two tuners, but will I get it to work with a splitter box?
thanks for your time,
Dave
Dave HQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Sadly not, you need two individual feeds from the satellite dish LNB to fully utilise the HDR.
adminQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Ok, thanks for the reply, just a further inquiry if I may; Can it still be used to record, and will it still accept software updates? (I read in an earlier post that it won’t with only one feed).
Because I would need the software to use the ethernet facility as soon as it is enabled.
cheers
Dave HQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:50 pm
You may need to clarify the point of software updates with Humax, or see if anyone on here has got around it. Software updates are suppose to be available for installation locally too, but as no updates have been available from Humax in months, testing at present is difficult.
You can of course still record with a single feed, but only the channel you are on. You can also change channel whilst recording, providing you change to another channel from within the same polarise. See http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/faqs/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input
adminQuote
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Thanks again, great link by the way, very informative, but I think this needs more thought……
Dave
Dave HQuote
April 25th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Hi
I’m thinking about getting one of these to replace my media center but i would like to know what file types does the Humax PVR play from an external hard drive plugged into the USB port or will it only play what it recordes and if so what format is that.
Thanks for any help in advance.
regards
Andrew
AndrewQuote
April 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I find this unit very hard to use
SeanQuote
April 27th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
If it is already recording (and is in “standby” mode), then if I want to watch something I had previously recorded, if I press “on” then it does appear to turn on, the HDMI link means the TV swaps to the PVR, but the TV screen stays blank! No sound or picture get sent to the Tv from the Foxsat.
But…
If I am already watching something previously recorded, and the pre-programming says it needs to record a new program, then works without a htch, and I can continue to watch my previously recorded program without a single hiccup. And start to watch other previously recorded stuff.
Why the difference? Why can I not turn on and START to watch a previously recorded program when it is already recording? But if I were to start watching a previously recorded program BEFORE the timer says to start a new recording, that works fine.
Is there a setting I am missing?
Otherwise I love this box. And no need to pay Rupert Murdoch a penny!
GraySQuote
April 27th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Anybody know why the time illuminates around midday when its on standby?
Updating maybe but it happens every day
MikeQuote
April 28th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I found the HDR to be very good value for money. It looks nice is easy to use, I have all the channels and the EPG is great. The only downside it is takes 30 to 45 seconds to boot from standby every time you turn it, a minor irritation.
AndyQuote
April 29th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Whats 30 seconds ? My desktop computer takes nearly 5 minutes to boot up, hardly an international crisis is it ?? lol.
Steve BQuote
April 29th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I’ve just bought this HDR to replace a Thomson PVR (what a load of C***), and think this unit is great. Easy to install, great menu layout and look, suberb picture quality and at £260-00 great value for money. Yes, the remote is not the best i’ve seen, i would have liked it to be styled on the sky remote which is good, but this is a very minor niggle. For anyone thinking of taking the plunge into hd – go for it – rather than pay for sky hd – and the more people using freesat the more broadcasters will want their hd channel on it
Chris BQuote
April 29th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I currently have a Sky subscription, when it ends, im thinking of getting a Freesat box.
But some of the channels i regularly watch on the Sky box, are free-to-air, but are not currently part of the Freesat channel list.
Are you able to add additional free-to-air channels to your channel list with this Humax box ?
ShoiabQuote
April 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I want to record BBC 2 Scotland on the Humax, but I live in Oxford. I can select the programme on the EPG OK, but it doesn’t record. Any ideas please?
LeighQuote
May 1st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Recently purchased the Humax Freesat + (after prices for Panasonic pvr’s published!).
Pleasantly surprised front panel has no blue tint like pics above or in mags so digital display displays as white through the grey tinted drop down front panel.
Remote works over wide angles. (Diameter of cut out in front panel for remote beam pass through is 13mm). Style matches my Sony Blu-ray nicely.
Pleasantly surprised at quality of upscaled SD channels (especially the main channels) with box set to output 1080i and matches the excellent Freeview upscaling on my Sony KDL-40W5500 TV. (Much improved upscaling on latest Sony’s using BE3). Comments relate to viewing distance of 3 meters.
Pleased with EPG – thanks to tips from above of pressing schedule then red buttons. Like the info at top of page for highlighted channel but miss favourites genre offered by tv for Freeview EPG.
The alternative EPG format – confusingly called “list”- accessed via green button was overlooked until I realised that all the programs listed on page referred to only the highlighted channel and produce therefore a very wide time window together with very easy date selection.
My TV accepts Dolby 5.1 in from HDMI input and delays the sound to produce reasonable lipsync on TV speakers or on optical tv output.(Humax set to zero lipsync).
If a program causes a lipsync error of overdelayed sound then Humax lipsync adjust cannot correct and the only solution is to feed Humax optical output directly to surround speakers (or Humax HDMI into AV receiver) when Humax lipsync adjust feature will work to good effect.
Selecting programs for recording seems delightfully simple.
Noticed that if you start instant recording of a channel on a program that had not started before channel was selected then you must tell box when to stop recording by pressing record button a second time and adjusting stop time.
Graphical info displays look very professional and provide very useful info.
Have made a list of all the quirky problems noticed by contrbuters above and bearing these in mind together with the fact that Freesat is less than a year old I am very pleased with the Humax unit.
HD is of course just fabulous and often so sharp the tv pics look 3 dimensional.
Thanks to Freesat,Humax,BBC and ITV.
DuncanQuote
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:23 am
I have had mine for 3 months now and think this is a great bit of kit.
But is anyone else having problems with ITV sub-title sync ? these titles seem to be about 5 or 6 seconds ahead of the sound which is very disconcerting.
davedQuote
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
It’s great being able to record/playback programmes without having to search through dozens of video cassette tapes.
But I’m also finding, like daved, that on a lot of recordings the subtitles are five seconds ahead. This is confusing because the subtitles are often shown for the next scene while you are watching the present scene. I’m not sure if this a fault on the Humax or if it can be adjusted.
raycerQuote
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
I bought a couple of Humax Foxsat-HDR Freesat+ boxes a few days ago to replace two Sky+ boxes and I am very impressed.
The BBC HD picture is superb with excellent Dolby Digital sound. When ITV can be bothered, threir HD is great too. I’ve also tuned in all the other FTA channels & found Luxe HD which shows posh stuff like palaces, stately homes, jewellery, etc. Not my cup of tea but it’s there if you want it.
The only real disappointment is the lack of Dave. I emailed UKTV & they have no current plans to add it to Freesat even though it’s on Freeview. Strange. Not a fault of the box, though.
Another great thing about this box is that you can add photos & also MP3s via the USB port so as to make it your home music system. Connect the phonos or optical digital output to your hifi & you’re away. Great!
As I live in VAT free Guernsey they only cost me £210 each from the local Homemaker/Co-op, which reduces to £202 with my co-op divi!
With these 2 boxes I’m saving nearly £500 a year over the Sky boxes and they weren’t even HD. They’ll pay for themselves within 10 months.
All in all a terrific piece of kit which I will give full marks. Thanks very much Foxsat & the Freeview team.
DipperQuote
May 4th, 2009 at 6:44 am
Admin: now the list is getting so long ,how about reversing it so that the latest postings are shown first?
davedQuote
May 4th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Will look in to this daved; there is a simple code solution but will affect all pages…need to find one where we can adjust this page only.
adminQuote
May 5th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I have 1920x1080p tv (and not 1080i), will this box be suitable for up scaling and HD? or will having the 1080p cause problems?
Brendan MurphyQuote
May 5th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Your television is 1080i compatible, you won’t have any problems.
adminQuote
May 6th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Just got the box from Dixons. Really like the upscaling on the SD content. Not much HD content at the moment but really hope this gets bigger soon. The remote does seem a bit hit and miss but I can live with it. I’m giving it a hopeful 8/10.
Phil HollandQuote
May 7th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Re problems with the remote control. Believe it or not I found mine worked a lot better when I replaced the supplied batteries with Duracell branded ones. Whilst I am here can anyone tell me what software I need to watch programmes I have copied to the memory stick on my computer?
DavidQuote
May 7th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Hi
The best deal I can see on the humax pvr is at Richer Sounds £285.90 including a 5 year guarantee or £259.95 with 1 year guarentee isnt bad either ! Why are these deals not at the top of the page ?
My wife is loving the humax foxsat pvr for ease of use & I love the picture quality of bbc hd from the humax.
Mark Aberfan Aerials
Mark Aberfan AerialsQuote
May 8th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Mark, the Richer Sounds deals are in-store only; we have tried to focus on online purchase deals here.
adminQuote
May 9th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Hi Admin,
Thanks for the reply, I see your point, but to be honest none of my wholesalers could equal this deal at trade prices, so I’m willing to travel for a deal like that with a 5 year g’tee.
The humax just gets better & in my opinion has a far better picture than any sky+hd box I’ve ever installed (& I’ve installed all of the different brands) I actually make time to watch things like yellowstone in hd, something I’ve never done before !
Mark Aberfan Aerials
Mark Aberfan AerialsQuote
May 9th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hi Mark, out of interest then, did you buy this from Richer Sound to resell on because your wholesaler couldn’t compete? That’s interesting as the wholesale price will still come in less exc VAT. Maybe drop me an email through the contact us page to discuss, see what can be done.
adminQuote
May 10th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Hi Admin,
No it was for our own home use, the price was around the same as your listed retailers from trade suppliers but none offered the 5 year g’tee, let alone a 5 year g’tee which gets refunded if you dont claim on it like richer sounds do ! I should point out the 5 year g’tee is for domestic use only , if used in a commercial situation it comes down to 3years which I still consider to be a cracking deal.
The reason i think a 5 year g’tee is so iimportant is that this is a hard drive based high def product which works very hard to do its job, when you look around for a similar product (Sky+hd) you will see mass recalls of product massive failure rates just past 12 g’tee period, so much so you will see that satcure make kits & remanufacture pcb’s to help technical capable customers
try to repair their faulty sky+hd boxes.
I believe the Humax is a far superior product, but its better to be safe then sorry !
Mark Aberfan Aerials
Mark Aberfan AerialsQuote
May 11th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I am looking into getting this box and have a couple of questions. Am I right in thinking that if I only have the 1 cable installed that I wont be able to view one channel and record another. If the answer is ‘Yes’ – does anyone have any ideas what would be the easiest and cheapest say to get the second cable installed?
Peter ConwayQuote
May 11th, 2009 at 11:18 am
@ Peter Conway – You can use with a single cable, but with limitations. See our how to guide for more information, http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/faqs/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input.
Installing a second cable is fairly easy, you will need a quad LNB if you don’t already have a spare port on your existing LNB (the block on the end of the dish arm). quad LNB’s are typically cheaper than twin LNB’s, and are available from around £10 retail, or cheaper on ebay. All you need to do is swap out your current LNB for the new one, ensuring your dish remains aligned perfectly and the new LNB has also aligned similar to the previous.
adminQuote
May 11th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I now know this is the wrong way to record a tv prog.I’ve been going into Guide finding prog. to record,press record button,which marked prog. with a red sign.It shows prog. being recorded on box panel,but when I try to find it in Media no sign of it.I wonder if it’s stored else where? Since found correct way to record progs…..
HughQuote
May 11th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Dave 651 To play usb stick recording on computer download free VLC media player. Google will easily find for you.
DuncanQuote
May 17th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hi all , thinking of ditching the £ky+ box in favor of this new one from Freesat and Humax , question , how can i send the picture from it to my other tv’s in the house , the £ky box has an aerial in and out , and this box does not seem to have it , any help out there ??
Thanks Joe
J.w.kaneQuote
May 17th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Hi Joe 661, Yes your are correct Humax does not have an RF output to send pic to aerial input of another tv.
One solution would be to use a wireless video sender/receiver system.
I assume this plugs into the scart connector on back of humax.
Some units offer remote control of the Humax in the other tv room.
Try inputing video sender in Argos search box and many options come up.
Reading the Argos customer reviews may give you more info on the various units features and reliability.
Looks a bit of a minefield – good luck!
DuncanQuote
May 17th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Hi again Joe 661.
Found a better solution for you maybe.
To add the equivalent (Sky) RF output to the Humax PVR use an adapter box from Maplin code: VH89W (£29.99) which you plug into scart connector of Humax and connect RF output to same lead that presently goes into Sky+ box RF out.
Personally prefer this to all that potentially dodgy wireless stuff!
Hope that helps.
DuncanQuote
May 19th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Having bought mine about a month ago i’m finding it an excellent alternative to $ky+ especially the HD content from the bbc,am finding the remote a little cluttered but am getting used…I have a question though regarding the boot sequence when first turning on,just why is it so slow ?
BroadbandrocksQuote
May 20th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Does anyone know whether the failure to record a programme, as a single recording or series, is a fault with the Humax PVR or the Freesat epg? I have had so many failures with the Humax that I now double up by recording on my PC using Media Centre. I note that a number of other users above have had the same problem – any advice would be welcome.
Ian LQuote
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I have the same trouble Ian,the last two recorded programmes ended in failure,one recorded the last minute only,the other nothing.Although they are both listed as recorded. One had(0) min the other shows(60)min.run time.Very strange! Also if you decide to record the programme you are watching and switch to a different prog. you get a blank screen,I did manage too after pushing different buttons,don’t ask which ones!! The best way is to leave that prog. goto Media and record from there….then go to the other prog. you want to watch…Hugh
HughQuote
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Reply to Broadbandrocks. The slow boot is due to the fact that the Humax goes into a very low-power standby which consumes less than 1 Watt. It therefore, much like a pc, takes a while to boot up again. It’s all to do with saving the planet!
I think though, that there is some way of putting it into a higher standby state which starts more quickly but I can wait 30 seconds so I haven’t bothered with it.
DipperQuote
May 26th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Can anyone tell me what the latest software version for the Recordable HD Humax should be? I think from memory mine is V7.52. It’s been like this for ages (8 months or so) even when I try to manually, or auto upgrade? Is this the current version? Are Humax likely to fix or enhance any of the features as commented in earlier posts? PS – I am happy with the Humax but I was hoping for a few more HD channels to come on board, it seems a bit laboured on this point?
scoobyQuote
May 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Hi Scooby
Mine is the same 7.52. I think it dates back to Oct 08 and has never updated.
Can anybody tell me why the two HD channels cannot maintain volume levels the same as the SD channels.
After watching HD and switching to another channel we jump out of our skin with the increased volume
MikeQuote
May 27th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Reply to Mike about the volume.
I phoned a nice bloke at Foxsat support who told me to set the Humax box volume to maximum and just use the volume control on the TV or any attached amplifier, whether digital or analogue, to adjust as you like. No problems for me since.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Dipper.
DipperQuote
May 28th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Hi Admin – can you comment on 668/669 if poss?
scoobyQuote
May 28th, 2009 at 11:56 am
scooby – 7.52 from October is the correct/latest version. Humax aren’t giving a good indication of when the next update will be, but it is expected to be around the time of iPlayers launch, so maybe 2-3 months time.
The change in volumes is common between SD and HD; I can’t remember the specific reason for the difference but it isn’t specific to this brand, it is common on all HD platforms, including Sky.
adminQuote
May 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Mine arrived yesterday and have been really suprised how good the picture is compared to my topfield freeview pvr plus hard drive noise is next to nil.
Bought from Dixons for £250 inc delivery using an online voucher, they delivered quickly by DHL.
Still working my way around it but impressed so far.
One niggle, hope humax may fix this at sometime.
I use an external hard drive to play my saved (avi) family movies via my Samsung home cinema system but would have liked to be able to play these back via the usb port on the front/back of the humax, when I try i can see the folders in media but no files. If you view here humax please fix and this would make the perfect box.
There are some channels not on freesat but time will sort that out.
All in all – highly recommended.
lesQuote
May 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hi Dipper
Many thank for the info on the volume. I am going to try it now
Best regards
Mike
MikeQuote
May 29th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Hi Dipper
Tried that, still no difference maybe because dolby sound comes in at a lower volume!!!
Mike,
MikeQuote
June 1st, 2009 at 10:28 am
I have the humax pvr with two inputs I time recorded two programmes one on bbc2 one on itv1 while I was watching another tv programme a flash of a message came up saying did I wish to cancel one of the recordings before I could reply the programme I was wataching went off and one of the recording programmes came on it was quite a while before I could get back to the programme I was watching What cuased this to happen?and can i stop it happening again. Apart from this every thing has worked well.
ERNIEQuote
June 1st, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Hi Ernie 675,
The Humax pvr can only tune to a max of 2 programmes at any given time so if your itv and bbc2 programmes overlapped in time or start time of one matched end time of the other there will be a long or short overlap respectively. During the period it is recording both channels together you cannot watch a third programme. I assume you can watch either of the programs being recorded. If you record 2 consecutive programmes on say bbc2 then it is clever enough to know that conflict is not possible and you will not get the problem you experienced.When you record time consecutive programs from 2 different channels then machine likes to overshoot end of first prog and start early on the other channel to be sure of capturing both of desired progs in entirety. I experienced the same flash up message as yourself under these circumstances and appreciated the cleverness of this box..
DuncanQuote
June 1st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I purchased my Humax Foxsat HDR Twin Channel box in March to replace the SKY+ Box. The picture quality is great but having had SKY for 4 years I could’nt believe that a company could produce something that is so over-complicated to use and operate. My wife struggles with it even now.
Has anyone had a problem with recording programmes on ITV or Channel 4. The recording ends before the programme ends which is rather annoying. BBC channels seem to record OK.
Also why is it that I seem to have to delete series programmes from 2 windows or am I not doing it correctly.
Graham LQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 am
Ducan. Thank you for your reply I now understand what happens and why.
ERNIEQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:10 am
Graham L . The HDR is complicated but it can do a bit more than Sky +. Have a play with it in file manager. Firstly you only need to delete from the left side. The right side is for moving things etc. Press Blue function select new folder ( name it ) then select it and press OK to open it on the right side. Then select a program on the left side in or out of a folder and press green to move it . That way your wife can have all the stuff she want’s to keep in one place. I have a Delete Folder, SD Films Folder, HD Films Folders etc .
Just upgraded the HDD with a WD 10EVVS 1Tb very easy, now I can store 120 hrs of HD or almost 500 of SD. If any one is interested ill post the how to links, that I used.
ERNIE Try recording 108 and 951 then watch 105 you should be able to pause it to. ( 108 & 951 are on the same transponder, so only one tuner is needed leaving the other tuner for which ever channel you want.
RachelQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Ernie thanks to info from Rachel 680 I may have not been strictly correct with info supplied. It appears box can handle max of 2 transponders tuned in (with 2 dish cables input) rather than max of 2 channels as I suggested.
Google may find transponder listings for the channels and they are also printed in What Satellite magazine.
Graham 678 – yes I get early cut off sometimes when recording non BBC channels. Presumably editing the end times in recording schedule will fix but have not personally tried it.
DuncanQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Can any onehelp with my HDR not being seen by my Sony Bravia automatically. I can’t seemto see anything to toggle on or off on the Foxsat menu to enable the TV to see it. I can use the TV’s port selector to click on the HDMI port to let me see it but it would be nice to switch the TV on and the Foxsat to view without having to scrol around. Any ideas?
Ian TQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
HI Both of my lines are on the same transponder? 28.2e h25700 2/3 is this ok or should they each be on different transponders?
ERNIEQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Both my cables are on the same transponder 28.2eh275500.2/3 is this correct
or should each cable have its own transponder. I hope this makes sense.
ERNIEQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Can anyone tell me if it is correct that both the cables to my Humax Freesat box should be on the same transponder ie 28.2e h275002/3
ERNIEQuote
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Ernie, your frequency for both cables is fine, that transponder if for the Freesat EPG. The comments made most likely refer to what channels you can and can’t wait whilst recording, depending on the band they are associated with.
There is an explanation here, and although it refers to what additional channel you can watch when recording with just one input; it also applies to what additional channel you can watch when recording from two inputs.
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/faqs/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input
adminQuote
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Ian T 682
I have same with my Bravia not switching to Humax automatically.
Using Bravia AV presets menu via settings/set up you can arrange for the Humax HDMI input to be the first input at the top of the list (Just below tv itself input) – using skip and or auto features – when you press input button on tv remote .
This allows you to switch to Humax by pressing tv remote input button twice.
To switch back to tv freeview simply key desired channel number on tv remote or whatever you prefer.
Do not mind lack of auto switch over as this could be inconvenient while watching freeview and humax switched itself on to make a recording and tv auto switched over to viewing humax channel on tv when not required.
DuncanQuote
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Rachel @ 680. Would love to see the how to links re upgrading the hard drive. The original drive is far too small and fills up really quickly with HD content. Tried using external drives but you can’t copy HD stuff. Thanks.
PhilipQuote
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Interesting site! It’s 22.10 Wednesday 3rd June and we have a blank EPG, blank since turning on Humax PVR at 21.00. This has happened several times before. EPG always gets populated again seems like next day. Any thoughts anyone, can’t find any posts about this. Fault in box, satellite epg not transmitting etc?
Cheers.
dave JQuote
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 pm
There are a number of different ways of accessing the programme schedules, make sure you use the ‘guide’ option if you want it to load the latest each time; the other method doesn’t update which makes it quicker but obviously data can be missing. Try a factory reset if that doesn’t help, but remember to re-setup your scheduled recordings.
adminQuote
June 4th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Philip @ 688. I found these two of help,also unpluging the fan while fitting the new HDD made things easier as well.
http://foxsatdisk.wikispaces.com/Simple+HDD+swap
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=940956
The 1Tb Western Digital drive I put in, uses less power while sleeping, and about the same or even less in other modes than the one it replaced. So it is fine for the power supply, and has never got hot. Also It was nice to get rid of that 25Gb music/photo partition, as I use an ipod for that. Happy to help & good luck.
I would like to know why web sites think the HDR can record 80hrs of high-def, half that would be about right. Admin could state this at the top of the page and possibly be the first to tell the truth.
RachelQuote
June 4th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
£10 code off the HDR at Laskys – HUMAX10 – reduces price to £245.82
Expires 12/6/09
KDHQuote
June 4th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
admin @ 690
thanks for reply, yes use the guide option all the time, can I enqure what is the other method you refer to, is it the schedule button? Really just wanted to know whether anyone else has had this problem – john lewis said if it keeps happening bring in box to test.
Generally I would like to say the quailty of it is really good, we are really happy with going down this route. And the site is full of good tips, for example like the one about reconfigurating sony bravia TV’s for two key presses. Cheers!
dave JQuote
June 5th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Does anyone know how to get rid of the music/photo partition? Can I remove the HDD and format on a computer? Will the HDR then re-add this again.
Thanks
JeffQuote
June 5th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Jeff Go to the bottom link at my post 691 (digital Spy) This will work the same for your HDD. But like me you would like to use all the space for Video. The minimum is 1 Gb for Photo/ Music . Start from Select: Menu/System/HDD Control and format the drive.
RachelQuote
June 9th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Just ordered one of these and hope to do a self install this weekend subject to the weather – LOL! I already have an old skydish installed and have ordered a new sky quad LNB and some WF100 twin cable so I am hoping it goes as smooth as silk – no chance, eh?
Can anyone point me in the right direction of an idiots guide how to do the installation? Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.
GaryQuote
June 9th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I’m getting the ‘Green Screen of Death’ on my PVR.
It used to be there for around 70 seconds and would then resolve OK but from this evening, its a permanent fixture. Sound is fine but I guess no HDCP handshake.
– and its not just on one TV so this is a problem HUMAX have GOT to fix!
I’m not paying good money for an HD PVR whilst having to resort to SCART leads to see any picture!
BruceQuote
June 10th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Gary,
Try Google quad lnb fitting instructions and you will find very useful info on top half of the first page.
DuncanQuote
June 11th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Just got Humax Foxsat PVR after moving to house that only had a satellite dish. I had a Humax 9200T which we loved so it was obvious for us to go with this model.
Set up out of the box was really easy with the only thing needed from me was my postcode. The guy before me had SkyPlus so the two aerial thing was already sorted.
The machine has been impressive so far, the only things that I have been slightly perturbed about were:
1) The noise from the machine everytime you change channel. Its a bit of a loud purr (probably from the HD drive)
2) The menu systems are more complex and a little harder to get your head round even if they look prettier than the 9200T’s
So far, so good… so here goes!
Cheers
DominicQuote
June 11th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I have at last splashed out on a Humax PVR having almost been put off by all the “faults” & “complaints” I’ve read on this site. I don’t know if the box has been updated since it first came out, but all I can say is I don’t know what you’ve all been whingeing about. The display on the front is clear enough to give you the relevant information without being distracting. I can’t hear anything from the box apart from a click when I switch it on or off. The remote layout is fine & it works as easily as any other remote I’ve ever used. It was easy to set it up to receive & play the non Freesat channels.
The other night I thought I’d give it a good workout. I programmed it to record one HD & one SD programme, I programmed a third programme to record on to my DVD recorder & I watched a fourth programme through my TV – ALL AT THE SAME TIME – & it worked perfectly. The HD programme started & finished late, but was recorded to the second without me having to extend the finish time (just leaving it on “auto”).
I’m certainly not a technophobe, but it’s all seemed straight forward if you follow the instructions. Fingers crossed now that its reliability & durability are as good, but with Richersounds extended 5 year guarantee, I’ve hopefully got that covered. 9.5 out of 10.
Rob DQuote
June 11th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Thanks Duncan – I will give it a go this weekend weather permitting!
Cheers
GaryQuote
June 12th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
I am having problems with the box freezing every couple of days or so. The only way out seems to be to switch off and switch on again. Is anybody else having the same problem or have I got a faulty machine that needs replacing.
JimTedQuote
June 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
#702
I’ve had the same problem, Ted, since bought it the first day they came out. Can’t be bothered sending it back but it is irritating and would love it if someone came up with a cure.
KrisBQuote
June 16th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Have finally given up with the HUMAX.
Bought my first one last November from Comet, work fantastic until March when the lock ups started. It would not turn on and would miss recordings. Stuck with it for a few weeks and then asked HUMAX to replace.
They did although it seems as though they only replace with reconditioned units, not new. The second unit last only a couple of days and then the same lock ups. Another exchange from HUMAX and onto the third, a complete lose this one didn’t even power up once.
The forth unit was a little better, it at least did turn on, however still the lock ups. Tried a few ideas to solve from the many similar issues reported on other forums put none proved reliable. So today back to Comets and a full refund.
Its a shame relay the HUMAX PVR offers exactly what I want, but with such reliability problems its just not worth it.
Phil BewQuote
June 17th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Hi Guys 702,703 and 704,
Out of curiosity it would be useful to know if you have tuned in any non freesat channels at any stage.
If you have I would suggest restarting setting up box as you would after initial purchase and not tuning in any non freesat channels and see if this fixes the problems or not and let us know.
My box is a few months old and without serious problems maybe because I decided to stay away from the non freesat stuff after listing all the problems experienced by this forum contibutors when using non freesat channels.
Non freesat usage on a Bush SD box likewise screwed things up.
Hope you can let us know of any findings,
Thanks.
DuncanQuote
June 18th, 2009 at 8:29 am
@705 (Duncan)
I have had my box for a lot of months now and have tuned non-freesat channels off another LNB pointing at Astra 19.2 (I’m using a multiplexer box with 3 LNBs connected) – no issues with the set-up at all.
In the beginning I used to have a lot of problems with the EPG not being updated, but now it doesn’t seem to happen, which is great. I still have the odd recording that doesn’t take place – even if it has been scheduled, but on the whole, it’s working pretty well!!
RichiRichQuote
June 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
@704
Four or five pvr’s with similar problems…..Same television set !
Mmmmm, wonder if that means anything ?
Steve BQuote
June 18th, 2009 at 11:49 am
@705 I’ve had non-freesat tuned in one lock up in the last 6 months. might only use non-freesat once every two months.
@707 yes could it be just bad luck, or 4 HDR’s same Dish & LNB, same power supply aswell.
RachelQuote
June 18th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
@707 @708
Hi all,
Only ever used on Freesat.
Would be surprised if the TV was the common point the TV (a Sony Bravia), HDMI as a connection. Most of the lock ups occur when the HUMAX does its 3AM house keeping power up, it fails to BOOT correctly and then locks up. At that point the TV is in standy mode.
The dish is an ex Sky with a changed LNB for dual wiring.
Both interesting points though, 4 faulty boxes does seem more than bad luck.
Monitored the power supply over 24hrs (during which time the box did lock up) for voltage and frequency with nothing out of line.
Would be great to be able to find a reason other than the HUMAX for all the problems I have had, would then feel more comfortable about trying again.
Out of interest I did try leaving the box with the dish disconnected over night a few times to see what happened, with a similar pattern of lock ups and non lock ups. Did the same with HDMI replaced with SCART, similar results.
Guess with nothing else on the market I might well try starting over with a brand new box, as mentioned before by exchanging direct with HUMAX I was only ever getting “reconditioned” units that others had returned faulty.
Will also get a local satellite engineer round to check out the dish and installation.
Any other suggestions gratefully received.
Phil BewQuote
June 18th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Out of interest, why did you go to Humax for a replacement, why didn’t you just go back to your retailer for a brand new replacement?
adminQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 7:22 am
@710
Yes should have done that.
When the first unit went faulty I phoned the Humax technical support line to see if they could help. They suggested the replacement direct with them, didn’t appreciate at that time that I would not be getting a new replacement.
At least with the refund from Comet now I am free to start over with a new box and another 12 months of warranty.
Of to Dixons today to buy the new unit. Fingers crossed.
Phil BewQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Thank you for the full explanation Phil.
I now find myself really puzzled by your experience.
If your problems persist with even a brand new Humax box id be really interested to see the folk on this site with obviously greater technical expertise than I apply their minds to the reasons why its happening and to a possible cure ???
Steve BQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I found a fault with the Humax PVR !!!
Every time the Humax PVR does an automatic search for new channels it
removes all ITV HD scheduled recordings, I have missed so many programs.
I have just received this email from Humax, which confirms the fault that removes all ITV HD scheduled recordings when the Humax PVR auto scans for new channels.
Dear Sir,
I do apologise for the inconvenience, this will be corrected in a software update soon available,
Many Thanks,
Humax Customer Support
OyodiQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Oyodi see posts @587 @589 @595 @596
how soon is soon?
RachelQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Hi Phil Bew and Oyodi,
I am wondering if my box has later software than yours because I am not aware of Humax switching itself on at 3.0 am for housekeeping purposes or auto searching for new channels.
My box occasionally presents me with a freesat complete retune notice immediately after switch on with option to stop this if I press ok. If I do stop it my epg becomes empty until I allow retune at next switch on!
My software is 1.00.03
Loader is U7.52
Update date 06 Feb 09.
(This info found under menu – System-Diagnostics)
Wonder if they have done an update at factory for new models but not yet put out over the air?
DuncanQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Duncan New HDR’s do come with 1.00.03 installed at the factory mine is still .02 it should come on at 3.0am and do the thumbnails and check the EPG etc
.But declining a channel update/scan should have no effect on your EPG.
RachelQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Hi Phil Bew @704 & 709 Good luck with the new Box, just found this might be of interest
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=33153608#post33153608
Post 7 Signal Drop Out !
RachelQuote
June 19th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Thanks Rachel for the useful info.
Just wondering if version 3 software might fix some of these lock up problems?
On my version 3 box the volume is fixed output for HD channel and at first thought this maybe a fault. However find this very useful as you can preset the volume on SD channel to match the volume of HD channel using Humax remote volume button. I have no idea if this is also a ” feature ” on your version 2 box or not but mention it for peoples interest. Radio is still at higher volume but of course the differential is now cut right back compared to HD.
DuncanQuote
June 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
…it survived the first night, even managed to record something…ssshh though don’t want to jinx anything
Phil BewQuote
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Re:programming the remote.
In the manual it says to hold down the TV button until it lights up then put in the 4 digit code.
Is this the password? 0000 by default? or some other code?
Thanks in anticipation
Peter
Peter MQuote
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Peter M The TV codes are on page 83 of user manual.
Matt GQuote
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Thanks Matt G……..I love you
Peter MQuote
June 24th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Does anyone know if Series Record is valid for radio?
No radio series that I have tried so far has the option. It would be nice to have for the like of “Sorry, I haven’t . . ”
Martin A
Martin ANDREWSQuote
June 26th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Martin .It doesn’t look like they are doing Series Link on Radio yet. No reason why they can’t. But if the shows you would like to record are on around the same time Daily or Weekly, then you can set up your own recording in the Schedule. Set a show to record, find it in the schedule, press yellow ( edit ) then go down to repeat & set it to Daily Weekly etc .
Matt G
Matt GQuote
June 26th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Just bought one of these this week from Comet.
Everything seems ok apart from text, which worked initially but now doesn’t work on ANY channel. Just switched off and on and that has fixed it, although presumably this will happen again.
The strange this is that the teletext icon does not show on BBC channels but it DOES show on ITV channels.
I’m on 1.00.03, U 7.52
Dave.
Davey TQuote
June 26th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
May G @ 724
Thanks, I will try that!
Martin
Martin ANDREWSQuote
June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I Have A Humax Foxsat HDR With Dual Inputs And In The Manual When You Select A Recording It Shows Thumbnails Evey 3 Minutes But When I Select A Recording It Has None Just A Video Like Thumbnail!!! Its The 1.03 Firmware. Also Whats Up With The Remote It Only Works If You Point It Directly At The Machine Any Deviation And It Does Not Compute!!
KarlQuote
June 27th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Karl It should come on at 3:00 am to check the EPG, check for updates etc & do the thumbnails. So hopefully this is your first day of ownership & tomorrow you will have them.
The remote can be a bit naff, try taking both plastic films off the front panel (inside & out) this might help.
Matt GQuote
June 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Admin,
I am having major problems with this forum. It has taken 13 minutes to scroll down to the reply box.
JimTedQuote
June 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Admin,
I am having major problems with this forum. It has taken 13 minutes to scroll down to the reply box.
JimTedQuote
June 28th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Over a 100 finger swipes & about 35 seconds to get down here on a iPod touch. I don’t mind if all these are reversed. What difference would it make?
JimTed get a iPod and save your self 12 & a half minutes.
Robert LangdonQuote
June 29th, 2009 at 12:13 am
13 minutes, blimey, couldn’t you just press the ‘end’ key? There is a lot of comments, but this isn’t a forum.
adminQuote
June 29th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
OK so the End works quicker but now it’s taking forever to scroll up and read the latest postings.
It’s a fantastic site. Call it what you will. Can’t you do something to make it easier to read.
JimTedQuote
June 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Why not just click on & drag the scroll bar to the area you want to read. It only takes a second or two.
Rob DQuote
June 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Ive had it for well over a week and still no thumbnails……is it a naff box? also when i record stuff on itv and channel 4 and alike i sometimes seem to miss the start and endings of programs but when recording stuff on the bbc channels it works flawlessly is there some sort of special thing on the bbc channels that the foxsat picks up on that tells it to record and stop that the other channels lack?
KarlQuote
June 29th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
damn no edit button :O lol also it states that teletext is nowavailable on freesat but when i press text or the red button on itv and channel 4 i get nothing but sometimes on itv i get a big blue box come up with a load of strange writing on it!!!
KarlQuote
June 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I have a Humax pvr The only thing is when ever I view tv there is always a little sign in the top l/h HDII2 can I get rid of this sign if so how? Thank you.
Ernest SabeyQuote
July 1st, 2009 at 5:41 am
Humax works ok but have a sony hxd 970 which will not download guideplus listings so can not record properly.
DavidQuote
July 1st, 2009 at 9:18 am
Karl. No thumb nails after a week, do factory reset, if it’s still the same take it back & get a NEW one.
Special thing on the bbc channels that the foxsat picks up on that tells it to record and stop that the other channels lack? BBC ITV & 4 have it . The Beeb is the best at doing this.
Teletext is a Channel on it’s own above BBC1.
Ernest no idear what that is are you sure it’s not your TV putting it on the screen
Robert LangdonQuote
July 1st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Ernest.
The TV remote is the place to sort that out or even the TV user manual ?
My 40inch Samsung used to display HDMI in the top left of the screen untill I looked at the book.
Steve BQuote
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am
Karl.
Just a stupid question. You are leaving the box on standby overnight I hope.
Otherwise you will not get your thumbnails.(Recorded chapters)
Took me ages to learn about all this stuff as it is a big omission in the otherwise excellent manual. It would be nice if they also included in manual what other stuff it gets up to when it switches on at 3.0am to do its housework or for Humax to inform us on support website.
Not quite clear on mechanism for updating/adding channels but pleased to see my box is now showing temporary BET HD channel on EPG for special show this site kindly informed us about fo July 4..
DuncanQuote
July 4th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Tesco Watford are now selling the Freesat Humax HD and Humax hd pvr
mickQuote
July 7th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I am having problems with recordings set on a Sunday evening via the EPG for some reason they don’t always record even though they are set, mainly HD recordings, only seems to happen on a Sunday evening, Anyone have an answer to this, or having similar problems
RogerQuote
July 7th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
BBC HD Roger ? Could it be because of Wimbledon running late ?
Robert LangdonQuote
July 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
i have no trouble with the remote . try it with the front panel open.and you can aim it at the wall sit any place in the room .and it works. with the panel closed it only works if you are in front of the pvr.
roy of essexQuote
July 7th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Yes, I’ve posted a similar problem and request for advice but there was no response. It would be useful to know wheter it’s a Humax fault, Freesat or epg issue.
Ian LQuote
July 7th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Thanks Robert, but this has been going on for many weeks, also it’s happening on ITV HD nothing to do with Wimbledon. BBC recordings are OK
RogerQuote
July 8th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Robert can you access ITV HD when its live. Last month in the last Natures Fury on ITV HD there was a Broadcast glitch. I had recorded it and 45 min in it just stopped, then the sound went. But if I played it from the 47th min I could watch the end.
Some people who watched this live lost the ability to access ITV HD until they had done a factory reset. ( might be worth ago, you will keep your recordings )
Robert LangdonQuote
July 8th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Sorry for calling you Robert, ROGER………….
Robert LangdonQuote
July 10th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Roger and Ian – re missed recordings.
Sunday evenings could be a clue as lack of fully trained technical staff on duty could be the reason the broadcaster is not transmitter the start/finish of program on time signals.
See page 44 of manual and see note near top stating if “On Time” (My box displays “Auto”) selected for start and or finish times then broadcasters signal is utilised.
Therefore you could try setting a start and end padding time of 1 minute which presumably ignores the broadcast signals and applies them to the epg times.
If the program starts late and broadcaster does not update epg (as is often the case!) then we could be in trouble but this seems best compromise at present time.
If most of your recordings are from BBC channels then suggest leaving start/finish set to “On Time” or “Auto” and using the edit facility via the schedule list to edit particular suspect channels start time to 1 minute earlier than displayed and one minute later for end time displayed – presumably this tells box to ignore broadcasters start/finish signals.
This is purely an intellegent guess so it would be of mutual benefit to hear if this trick is of any use or not. (I have not experienced the problem as most recordings from BBC or just plain lucky!)
DuncanQuote
July 10th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Duncan ; Switching my box back to Auto from having it on 5 min at end padding, now allows me to record the end of Kingdom in HD. Also you can’t edit the time of an ITV HD program, it just seems to do another recording but in SD.
Robert LangdonQuote
July 11th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Robert 751,
Thanks for useful info which adds power to those voting for ITVHD to be a separate channel.
What you are saying is box must be set to Auto (or On Time – page 44 of manual) to succesfully record an ITV HD program – which is a very useful and important point – thanks.
DuncanQuote
July 19th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Having had a humax hd pvr for 6 months having sent my sky + hd back because of various issues (lip synk) being the worse, can anyone tell me on the bbc hd channel how do you know which programs are being shown in hd and which are being upscaled as sky used to indicate this at the bottom of the page.
FrankQuote
July 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Frank @ 753. I think I’m right in saying that pretty much all of BBC HD is HD. They have a minimum proportion of each programme which must be shot in HD otherwise it can’t be shown on the HD channel. Have a look on the Beeb’s site, I think it’s about 80%, quite a high threshold.
PhilipQuote
July 20th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Philip,
FrankQuote
July 21st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Odd “problem”? In “Media” screen listing recorded programs and folders of series, user “Opt” buton to access folder manager. The “MOVE” option is always unavailable. I recorded the first ep of a series individually (not on series repeat), but cannot move it to the series folder. Anybody got any suggestions?
GraySQuote
July 21st, 2009 at 8:35 pm
GrayS Open the folder you want to move it in to, on the right side. ( ie:highlight it and press OK ) Then highlight the program you want to move on the left side, the move option should then be available.
Robert LangdonQuote
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 am
With the recent Panasonic PVR launch, are there any plans for an upgraded model of the Humax in the near future. I am thinking of buying but am aware this has been around for a few months now and didn’t want to see an upgrade 2 weeks after I buy. Thanks.
stagediveQuote
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Hi
I’m trying to transfer some recorded tv progs onto a USB stick.
I was able to transfer one file over but now all the files i want to transfer fail, but the files I dont want to transfer succeed !! Can anyone help?
Do some progs put something on that doesnt allow copying over?
Peter M
Peter MonkQuote
July 27th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Hello.
I purchased one of these in March 2009. It is stuck in ‘boot’ mode.
Can anyone help?
Regards,
D.
DARRENQuote
July 29th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Thank you RobertL.
That worked perfectly.
Cheers.
GraySQuote
July 30th, 2009 at 8:46 am
stagedive,
There are no plans to release any replacements for the Foxsat-HDR or HD this year, we are working on software upgrades for the current models but we will broadcast the update so that everyone can get it overnight.
I can’t yet confirm when the updates will be sent because of other dependencies beyond my control.
Bob
Bob HQuote
July 31st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Hi had my Humax Foxsat-HDR for about one month now and the remote as stopped working properly, when you press any button sometimes nothing happens??? and then it will just start working it’s intermittent, do you think it’s Duff
Robert HQuote
July 31st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Make sure the PVR input is selected at the top. Also, the remote has to be fairly directional at the receiver, but removing both the film coatings from the front panel and inside display will help.
adminQuote
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
I believe that Dixons are still selling this product (HUMAX PVR) at £244 and it is out of stock. Therefore, I am highly disappointed with your mention of the £234 price. Please forgive me if I am wrong in this statement, but you can visit the Dixons website to check for yourself!
Pranny GQuote
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 am
@Pranny G
Sorry but the price was £234 yesterday (as per our individual post) but has since been revised by them!
adminQuote
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Bob H (762)
I see you are not planning any replacements this year but is it possible that you might bring out an additional product, say with a larger (1Tb) HDD?
I see this product is already available via one of your authorised partners “HD Interconnects”, any chance this might become more of a mainstream product with a more competitive price point? See URL.
http://www.hdinterconnects.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72&products_id=328
Robin FQuote
August 4th, 2009 at 11:49 am
No longer available at £246.49 + free delivery at Amazon as stated above. Amazon unable to say if there will be any further stock.
MalcolmQuote
August 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Can someone please help. I got my Humax PVR as soon as it became available and I’m absolutely delighted with it, it’s brill. I do have one concern though and have left it all this time as I thought it might have been a teathing problem put right by an update. The concern is I can’t record certain channels via the link (every day) For instance BBC News 24 – Ch 200 wont record each night at 10.00pm as I ask it to and BBC Parliment wont record at mid-day every Wednesday for Prime Ministers questions. Am I the only one with this problem?
Peter JamesQuote
August 5th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Hi Robin F @ 768 for upgrade to 1 terra hard drive please see link below. It may void your warranty but its simple and for approx £60 and 5 minutes work it is worth doing.
http://foxsatdisk.wikispaces.com/Simple+HDD+swap
David MilneQuote
August 9th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
My Humax pvr on dga shows signal 90 quality 80 is this usual?
ERNESTSABEYQuote
August 11th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I currently have an excellent quality JVC SD CRT TV and I am running it until it dies. Interested in a Freesat PVR and the Humax looks good, but it is HD. I noted that it has SCART/Composite outputs, but can I output to my SD TV using these? Not expecting to get HD content, unless it “downscales” these to SD?
MeanioniQuote
August 12th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Meanioni @ 773,
Scart output will work fine and should give you HD channel ok .
I had a tv like yours but am now wowed by the audio visual experience of BBC programs such as the proms complete with the finest 5:1 surround sound using an HD telly.
Football in true HD also makes a big difference.
Good luck.
DuncanQuote
August 16th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I have dropped Sky and now got 2 HDRs – and I am impressed. But how do I delete the empty folders when I have watched and deleted the recorded TV programs?
John TQuote
August 16th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Well, many thanks to all the people who have contributed to this (rather long) page.
I was a little worried after reading that some people had problems with the Foxsat HDR and being rather cautious I bought mine at Richer Sounds with the five-year guarantee about three weeks ago. Just prior to this, I bought a 60 cm dish, and a quad lnb.
It has exceeded all my expectations. I don’t find the remote too large; in fact the one for my Panasonic TV is the same size. The picture quality on BBC HD really impresses me, and I find the programming of the record function, and the subsequent playback quite easy. ( I’ve never had “Sky” so I don’t have anything to compare it with.)
Top marks to Freesat, BBC HD, Humax, and this site. Can’t say much about ITV because they don’t seem serious about HD. I don’t consider four HD programmes a week a proper service, and there hasn’t been a single HD programme on ITV in the last three weeks that I have wanted to watch.
Thanks again to everyone who has made this site so useful.
MarkQuote
August 17th, 2009 at 9:43 am
John T @ 775,
The first time you enter file manager highlight the empty folder and at top left of display box it offers the red button function to press for delete.
Note it is still displayed on the adjacent (repeated list) column after deletion but if you exit back to normal viewing when you re-enter media list it will have disappeared.
My software version is .03. If this does not work on yours with earlier software then it should be ok when you get an over the air promised software upgrade – he says hopefully!
DuncanQuote
August 17th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I have been using the foxsat pvr from January and it has been working perfectly. I turned it off before going on holday 3 weeks ago but when I turned it on again after getting back it will not boot up. The screen on the receiver lights up but there is no signal going to the tv. Is there anything I can try to get it going, otherwise I will send it back to the supplier? Thanks.
MauriceQuote
August 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Hi Maurice @778 I had similar problem. Give this a try. Switch off at the mains both your TV and the Foxsat. Unplug your HDMI cable. Then either use another HDMI cable or reverse it so the plug that went into the TV now goes into the Foxsat & vice versa. Then power up your foxsat into standby and your TV. Power on your Foxsat to boot and switch your TV to the HDMI input. This worked for me but it might have just of been a bit of luck. I think the problem may be a bad connection. Best of Luck!
David MilneQuote
August 18th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
778/789 Thanks for helping David, perhaps I should have mentioned that the tv I have at the moment is sd and connected by scart. If you or anybody else has any suggestions I would really appreciate it.
MauriceQuote
August 19th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Maurice 780,
Sounds like software bug and sending back to supplier is the best move.
Before sending back suggest just checking the following:
Remove Foxsat mains plug from its socket for half a minute and try again.
Check when you press say a number key on remote that the left hand translucent button labelled pvr lights up to confirm it is controlling pvr rather than say a tv. If it does not light up then press pvr button once for a short time to fix.
I assume when you say lcd lights up there are no characters displayed and it is simply refusing to boot up.
DuncanQuote
August 21st, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Well, I had been considering the Panasonic XS350 but it is still far too expensive, and is given less than glowing reviews on many sites.
So I checked back to this thread and it seems the Humax has endless problems for far too many people for it just to be their incompetence, or coincidence. Humax has addressed very few of the software issues, given the lack of regular software updates mentioned in this thread. And the reliability of the machines is called seriously into question by the sheer number of machines some people have had which have basic technical faults.
I also read the pdf of the manual and see that there are no instructions whatsoever about using the USB ports to archive recordings – giving rise to the many requests on here for help with what turns out to be a very complicated issue.
I just wonder which manufacturer might come into the market soon and provide a decent machine which works reliably and has full instructions. Oh, and listens to its customers ( I lost count of the number of people in this thread who have contacted Humax and had no useful response).
MikeBQuote
August 21st, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Additionally, I just discovered from this review
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/06/review_hd_panasonic_dmr_xs350eb_dvr/
that the Panasonic has the problem that if you are recording two programmes, you are unable to watch any other channels except the ones being recorded. As Nigel Whitfield points out – even the Humax can better that.
MikeBQuote
August 21st, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Mike @ 782,
Since Humax started producing PVR’s with .03 software some months ago they now seem to be very reliable.
The only fault I can find with mine after many months of use is when you occassionally switch on and it suggests allowing a retune (to capture any new channels etc) if you say no thanks (and you have to be quick!) you lose epg info until you switch on another time and allow retune to take place. The user guide also warns than any recording schedules will be deleted during a retune.
Please note I do not use box for non Freesat programs and cannot comment on whether or not version .03 software removed problems associated with them.
I felt rather like yourself when purchasing the unit but am totally impressed by the very professional look and performance of the unit.
Although new boxes have .03 software this has not yet been broadcast over the air to solve the problems users have with earlier boxes – very strange!
The user guide is excellent but agree there are some unhelpful omissions.
Regarding transferring recordings to external usb devices this is sort of covered by the file manager info which is easy once you know how but agree that Humax have not been helpful in this area as surely it would be easy to provide extra info on their website.
Hope this helps
DuncanQuote
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:14 am
Hi RE-Although new boxes have .03 software .
do you mean: HPRFSC1 1.00.03
And is yours Loader V U 7.52
Thats what mine says?????
RobertQuote
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Dose anybody have this problem, some times when I Switch channels I then get a small amount of the bottom of the picture on the top of the picture if you get my drift, and I have to turn off the Humax to put it wright
RobertQuote
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Duncan @784
Thank you for your comments. Your remark about the lack of an OTA update for existing owners, when the boxes are now being sold with a better firmware version, is a clear example of the way that Humax seem not to care about customers.
You seem to be lucky with your box’s reliability. Plenty others on here have not been.
MikeBQuote
August 24th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Are we going to get a new upgrade to the firmware upgrade i was one of the one’s that bought this as soon as they were available. now we cannot get the new firware come one humax where is the firmware?????
tony morrisQuote
August 24th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
SVP are now stocking the Foxsat-HDR at 258.98 with free P&P
http://www.svp.co.uk/electrical/av-home-cinema/freesat-receivers/hardware-pvr-320gb-humax-foxsat-hdr-freesat-humax005_digital-recorder.html#descriptionTab_515
AlexRQuote
August 24th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Bob H
Will Humax be introducing the ability to timer record in non-freesat mode when the firmware update finally arrrives?
I have seen for myself that the Panasonics can do this. Unfortunately they did not think of including diseqc so their machines cannot drive / operate a multi satellite dish which your machine can.
As a satellite receiver/recorder the Humax is therefore a better product but still hampered by a number of items of which the timer recording in non-freesat (even without a full epg) is the most important point I am waiting for in order to buy one again (having given up and returned the one I originally bought at launch).
RoZoQuote
August 25th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Humax are now transmitting the 1.00.03 update over-the-air (OTA). My box which had 1.00.02 yesterday was upgraded to 1.00.03 successfully today. I just did a manual search for updates, and there it was.
From what I’ve read this is not the major update we are all hoping for, but at least proves the update mechanism works. Fingers crossed the major update will arrive soon (or ever)….
adQuote
August 25th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Just to let you know Humax have arranged for OTA software upgrade to version 1.00.03. from today.
Info provided by Alex at post 96 on join freesat latest news post regarding CH4 HD delays.
He provides a link to the website of the people who handle OTA software transmissions.
Very good news for those with the older boxes!
Thanks to Alex.
DuncanQuote
August 28th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Is it me but with this box i get a lot of freezing on the epg and if the box is left on for a couple of days the whole thing freezes up.
Please help, me as i am starting to go mad
dave cQuote
August 29th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Sorry to here your having Trouble with your Humax, but touch-wood mine is trouble free for now no freezing etc, I’m just waiting for the upgrade???
RobertQuote
August 29th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Ditto post 794. Ive had mine since mid December last year. Still very pleased with it.
Steve BQuote
August 30th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Foot note to my post 794 I wish it had a DVD Drive like my Panasonic DMR-EX768, still cant have every thing. I like it very much though.
RobertQuote
August 30th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Had my box for some time now. It’s annoying that you can’t delete when something is being recorded but that’s my only standing gripe. Other users told me about the protective plastic film both externally and internally. Once they were removed the box has been more responsive to the remote.
Found out the other day that the remote can also be programmed to operate the TV. It took a while working through a long list to find the appropriate code but around the 10th one worked. Still cannot get a suitable code from Sky to work with both my TV and Sky HD box.
Great box.
As Sky insist on charging you one way or another to use the record function my Humax box keeps on getting cheaper by £10 each month. I paid £300 for it and £300 for my Sky HD box. Without a subscription my Sky HD box is like a racehorse with a limp, looks great but cannot run.
JoeQuote
August 31st, 2009 at 9:16 am
Lord Coz (see 627) has exactly the same issue as me. I have transferred about 200 MP3s, my HD is only 25% full and the music partition is not full, yet the MP3s take minutes to load – you press ‘play’ and have to trust that the unit has accepted the command or have to wait another minute to press again. Since there was no response to Lord Coz, does no-one else experience this ?
cjlQuote
September 1st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Im thinking of taking the plunge to buy the HUmax PVR, especially now some of the problems seem to be sorted out
. Just a couple of questions- Can you record radio programs? If so would i be able to transfer them to my mac and then on to my ipod? What software would I need if I can do this?
Also Ive read the whole thread here and lots of people are comparing it to sky but does anyone know how it compares to virgin? I ask because for £50 one off payment and £5 a month I could get a V+ box so obviously this is a consideration.
jaminQuote
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I don’t know if anyone else has this problem. I have noticed that if I am recording a program for other members of my family to watch later and I am watching the same program whilst it is recording, there is a problem when using the pause facility. For instance, if I pause the program for five minutes then continue to watch, the buffer clears itself and reverts back to live TV at the same time as the recording stops. If then want to watch the rest of the program I have to play the recorded program and fast forward to the end to see the last section of the program. I hope I have explained this properly. Does anybody know if this is a fault or is it normal.
MalcolmQuote
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Malcolm. I have exactly the same problem. Unfortunately I assume this is normal.
JulesQuote
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
cjl…..I would think most people have got the HDR for recording & storing TV/Radio mostly. I did put a few tracks (10 albums) on at first and had no problems, apart from only being able to excess them via the TV screen. Maybe when you upload hundreds it just can’t cope.
Luckily for me there is the 32Gb ipod touch & the i2i stream, instant & CD quality music at your finger tips.
jamin……You can record radio, you might need to set up your own weekly record for a series. Its easy to get SD video on to an ipod using free software so I would think audio alone would not be a problem, but I have not tried it. Of course some radio programs are available as Podcasts.
Robert LangdonQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
The above listed price of £284 at John Lewis needs updating, as the actual price on the John Lewis website is currently £249 (with free two year warranty).
Chris GuestQuote
September 4th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Can confirm the John Lewis price – just bought one and collected this morning for £249
AlexRQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Jules@801
Have contacted Humax and they say this problem is not normal. They are coming back to me with a solution (hopefully). If not they have said they will swap with a new box. Suggest you contact them.
MalcolmQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Robert @ 802
Many thanks for the feedback. I too bought the Humax mainly for recording TV and HD TV but it seems a shame that having gone to the trouble of including the audio feature it doesn’t work in a satisfactory manner. The storage and playback of photographs is also a bit of an add-on that most people probably won’t use, but this seems to work just fine and even plays one of the recorded audio tracks in the background while the slideshow is playing. The functionality associated with both audio and photographs is very basic. There is no chance of sorting or filtering the tracks by tags for example and maybe this is just a step too far for what you correctly imply is in essence a TV recorder. I just think they missed a trick and could have created more of an entertainment centre.
cjlQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Updates.
My Humax recently upgraded itself to 01.00.03 over the air but I can’t detect any changes. Can anyone tell me where to access the release history so I can keep track ?
cjlQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Malcolm,
Its NORMAL that’s what the HDR does at the moment, if your recording and want to time slip, watch it from MEDIA. If you have other recordings set, then to be safe press the Red Dot record button or you might end up losing the program in the buffer all together. Humax support do say some odd things.
But we are all in the same boat.
cji,
“Missed a trick” I agree, the panny should be alot better for music. Still no good for me if you need the TV on
.04. Go to the HDR section of hummy.org for extra info.
Your right no change in .03 update just getting everyone ready for the big
Robert LangdonQuote
September 7th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I don’t own a Foxsat HDR but I’ve noticed that the user rating for it at the top of this page seems to have deteriorated significantly over the last few months. I believe it was 8+ out of 10 for a while but now it is less than 6.5.
I was considering a purchase but this rating indicates that the latest scores must be very low to pull the overall average down this much which is quite concerning. Does anyone have any thoughts on why the unit is being marked so poorly now compared to a few months ago?
BradyQuote
September 7th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Brady
That is strange and can only guess it is down to early software bugs which presumably fixed in later units sold from Spring onwards.(And that software only recently broadcast for earlier box updating).
Argos have nearly 5 stars but last user reviews stop in April for some reason.
Reevo 8.7 out of 10
Amazon around 4.5 out of 5 stars with quite detailed user reviews – click on latest first to get September user reviews which look very good.
Mine seems very professionally designed product and very happy with it since Spring purchase.(So is a very fussy neighbour who has had box for 2 months).
DuncanQuote
September 7th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Hi Dunan,
Yes I agree it seems strange and I noticed that the reseller sites have better reviews although I don’t always trust them as much and I often wonder if the poor reviews are filtered. I’ve submitted unfavourable reviews on reseller sites before but they often don’t get published on the web.
I don’t understand your first point about the bugs being ironed out though because surely if that was the case the rating out of 10 would be creeping up now and not getting worse and worse.
Glad to hear you are happy with it though and it does seem that the general vibe is that most are very happy which makes the ratings all the more puzzling.
BradyQuote
September 8th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Hi,
Ive had the HDR since November 2008 and no problems at all. Excellent bit of kit! Humax could maybe do a few software updates for enhanced features, but at the same time, why change a running system. I would give it at least 9 out of 10 everytime.
JeffQuote
September 8th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Re-post 812
I TOTALY agree
Robert HudsonQuote
September 8th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Jeff@812
This is a very subjective subject and it is a matter of opinion how you rate it. You may have had no problems with the HDR but I have had mine for a month and it is unfinished product as far as I am concerned. I have also owned a Humax HD box for about 8 months There are a number of software issues that need addressing and Humax have had 10 months to update the software and iron out the bugs and still haven’t done so. I am in discussion with Humax over a problem (see 800) that I have been told by people on this forum is normal and they say that it is a fault and are offering to swap for a new replacement. I am fairly confident that it is a general software fault. So does that mean Humax support do not know what they are talking about? I am no supporter of Sky and I am now committed to Freesat, but my old Sky+ was a dream to use compared to the Humax HDR. I have no doubt that the HDR could be a superb product but at the moment I would say a 6.5 rating was more than fair. It has potential but needs work!
MalcolmQuote
September 9th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Hi re-post 800,
having read your problem i thought i would give it try, so i set up a recording and watched it at the same time 20 minutes in to it i paused the program waited for about 5 or 6 Min’s then resumed the recording, but no buffer clearance, i know you did not have the following but, i also checked the recording to make sure it did not pause the recording and no there was no pause in the program.
Robert HudsonQuote
September 9th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Malcom @814
Join hummy.org or digital spy and ask about the recording stop/start buffer problem, most of these people know a lot more than “Humax Support” about the HDR.
Robert @815
Set up a recording, then time shift using another channel or the same one while your recording is set to stop. It should cut back to live TV and clear the buffer. Also watch live TV for an hour, press Guide & your hour in the Buffer will be gone, do the same while time slipping & the guide will not update and you keep whats in the buffer.
Robert LangdonQuote
September 10th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Robert@815
If you have paused the program you are watching when a recording starts or stops on the same channel it clears the buffer and returns to live TV
MalcolmQuote
September 10th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Is there any way that a recording on a humax pvr can be transfered to a c/d
sabeyQuote
September 12th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
@818
no but i wish i did, what would happen if i plugged my external CD/DVD Recorder in to the SUB Port???
Robert HudsonQuote
September 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Help ! Installed my Foxsat-HDR, got wonderful pictures, then switched off. When I next switched on the word BOOT appeared on the Foxsat machine over a blue light, the Humax icon picture came on to the TV screen then ‘BOOT’ disappeared leaving a red light (Standby?) TV screen goes blank and nothing I do with the remote control gets me any further. I know I am a geriatric tech. idiot, but is there something obvious I am not doing?
Frank ToppingQuote
September 13th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
page gb62 of the foxsat hdr manual says connect the device to the recorder the detected device will appear. I connected my panasonic hdd dvd recorder followed the instructions but nothing appeared where did I go wrong?
sabeyQuote
September 13th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
I put my CD/DVD recorder in to the sub port and it ignored it,
And by the way my last post on this subject disappeared???, i wonder why!.
Robert HudsonQuote
September 15th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Forget my previous question, rang Humax support and was told this was an internal fault,return freesat box to retailer. Did so, replacement box is now working perfectly. Nice to know I am not completely ga-ga – - yet.
Frank ToppingQuote
September 15th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Can anyone tell me is there is a way to save your future programme recording setups prior to doing a scan? I bought the box recently and set up all my series links. I then changed my post code and rescanned, losing the links. Lost them again following a test of the manual scan.
The reason i’m wondering is because I had notification of a channel update today, but I was afraid to scan in case I had to set up all my recordings again.
Thanks
Hugo McConnellQuote
September 15th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
824. The channel updates should be automatic and rescanning shouldn’t be necessary.
For anyone interested in non-freesat timer recording I checked today on the forthcoming goodmans/grundig pvr models and their helpline response was; “diseqc not supported; non-freesat timer recording not available”
That’s good for humax because diseqc is available onthe hdr but it’s a further wait for more info to see if the hopefully now soon to come humax firmware update will allow timer recordings to be set in non-freesat mode.
RoZoQuote
September 15th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Thanks RoZo. Is it possible to save recording settings when switching between freesat and non freesat modes?
Hugo McConnellQuote
September 16th, 2009 at 8:09 am
In regard to BBC and drop in bite rate etc I watched last chance to see with Steven Fry in HD, If that was in 1080i HD as advertised or 720p, I’ll stand the drop of york.
Robert HudsonQuote
September 16th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
826 In principle yes but it’s a complex subject as to whether the hdr will or won’t switch back to freesat mode automatically. Have you looked at digitalspy forums on satellites / freesat+ as there were threads on that subject a while ago.
I should have said that when channel updates arrive automatically there have also been reports of ITVHD scheduled recordings having to be reset manually; again the forum above or hummy.org have more details
RozQuote
September 16th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Re: 800
I have now received a response from Humax (see below) regarding the problem I am having with the buffer clearing when a recording stops or starts on the same channel after a pause. So it would appear that it’s another part of the software programming that they didn’t get right!
‘Response from Humax’
“If you are viewing a programme on TSR (so you have paused and are behind the live playback) and there is a programme set to record on the same channel then the buffer will be cleared.
This is due to the HDR not being able to record the programme and keep the buffer (not possible to use both tuners on the same channel)
If the issue is when a recording stops on the same channel then we recommend that the customers use Chase Play instead of TSR (this is when you start to playback the recorded programme from the Media list while it is still recording (in this case you will not lose the point you are on and the recording will continue).
Kind regards,
Humax Customer Support”
0844 669 8800
MalcolmQuote
September 18th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Argos’ price has now went up again to £279.99. Just a heads up.
EternalWondererQuote
September 24th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Have you seen the news on BBC RED button under entertainment, Pay for BBC iPlayer? we should be charged a micro fee, read it if it’s true were does that leave us Freesat?????????????
Robert HudsonQuote
September 30th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Humax Shop now sells for £229. Go to: http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10076&cat=stb for details.
Phil ChaneyQuote
September 30th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Baring in mind it is graded stock, not new!
adminQuote
October 1st, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Re my previous comments regarding slow loading of music mp3 files and cjl’s comments as well. I resolved the problem by splitting up my 1500 or so mp3 fliles into genres, each genre into a folder. I now have about 6 folders each with around 250 to 400 mp3 files. This has speeded things up where as before each time I loaded a file the system was going through all other 1500 mp3s to sort and file. Needless to say this was a slow process
Lord CozQuote
October 5th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Hi,
- I got Humax Foxsat pvr at weekend and love it
- I replaced my existing single LNB with twin and connected second cable
Problem:
- I’m recording channel Five and watching at same time.
- In commercial break I tried to view BBC1 but it wouldn’t display.
- I could see BBC2 and other channels, but not BBC1
- Not sure if other channels were also unavailable
Any help appreciated!
Thanks
Bob
Bob FQuote
October 5th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
@Bob F
Sounds like your running off a single sat cable, not two as recommended. BBC2 shares the same band as Five, which is why it was available; this page will give more info
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/faqs/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input
adminQuote
October 5th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
folks, this is a great site that i was directed to by an AV Forum member as I am looking at a sky+ replacement system (so I dont have to keep paying them £40 a month). this Humax business seems like the way to go to me. thanks! I am sure I’ll be back…
stillfirmQuote
October 8th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
any one had this happen i press pause live TV for about 20 seconds, then set it back of, then after about 10 seconds later it jumps back to live TV surly this is wrong, it’s the same if i just press back button it jumps back, but the shortly afterwards it jumps back to live TV, so you miss things. is this wrong???
RobertQuote
October 8th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
oops sorry for the incorrect spelling
RobertQuote
October 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Can anyone answer the following two questions for please.
1. Why does my foxsat box switch itself on at 4.00 am every night for just 1 minute & then switch off ?
1. How do you delete a previously added word from the guide>find>keyword list?
Excellent product, user manual leaves a lot out.
Thanks
Brian CollingeQuote
October 10th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Robert
Mine can do the same if I am running very close to live TV time, I have mine set to 15 sec jump back & that normally works fine. If I get to close to the live broadcast it can jump to live.
Brian
At night it does its “house keeping” checking for software updates
and putting the thumbnails in on recordings etc.
As for search words mine get deleted over night.
Robert LangdonQuote
October 11th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
@Admin
when are we getting a up grade any ideas????
RobertQuote
October 12th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Thanks Robert Langdon.
another question,
Re. Humax-HDR
Can you please answer a question about this excellent product?
Is it possible to copy a recording from this machine to a computer or to another DVD recorder?
My computer does not have an HDMI socket.
Thanks.
Brian
Brian CollingeQuote
October 12th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Brian @ 843
The Humax HDR has a USB port behind the front panel. You should be able to copy a recording (max size 4GB) from the Humax HDR to a USB memory stick (it can be a bit fiddly using “list” & “file manager” via the instruction booklet) which you can then transfer over to a PC.
The file will be “.TS” (transport script) which you can open with certain media players on your PC. I presume a DVD recorder could handle this file format too.
ChazzerQuote
October 13th, 2009 at 10:05 am
To add to Chazzer’s answer, SD is fine to copy HD you will have problems with playback even if you record it in non-freesat mode without the encryption.
You can use an ex hdd or memory stick but the easiest way maybe just to connect your DVD recorder to the Humax via scart and then press play & record. You will lose a bit of quality though.
If your computer did have HDMI it would no doubt only be a HDMI out.
Robert LangdonQuote
October 13th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Although the John Lewis price increased by around £40 a few weeks ago, it has consistently remained at the much lower price of £245 for the last two weeks (and with a two year guarantee).
Chris GuestQuote
October 14th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
This is a great box, but really don’t look at good as the picture. I’m not sure what angle you have to stand at to get that blue reflective look. Its black and you obviously see the square that the display is in.
Re the playing .TS files from the box on the computer, VLC player handles them brilliantly, and there are ways on converting them into iTunes.
NickQuote
October 16th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Humax FOXSAT-HDR £249:00 @ John Lewis
Regards Mark
Mark GosdenQuote
October 18th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Still love my humax, nearly it,s first birthday .
Several recordings i’ve made lately keep missing off the last few minutes.
Does the the box know when the programme ends or do i have to adding
extra time. Thanks for any help.——Ian.
IanQuote
October 19th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Hi Ian,
I love my box too, the main channels send out a signal at the start end of a program to aid recording. (hopefully) But I only ever use this for recording ITV HD, most of the time mine is set to +5 minutes padding at the end. You just have to be careful with clashes, or when live programs overrun.
But then I had it on auto on Saturday and it failed to record Strictly because F1 overran. You can just edit single programs start/end time in schedule if you want.
Robert LangdonQuote
October 20th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Hi Robert, thanks for the reply, yes i lost the end of strictly, had to scrabble
around with i player on my ps 3 to catch up. also lost the end of Jools Holland.
Haven’t tried the padding, so i’ll give it a go. Thanks again—Ian
IanQuote
October 21st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
hi, I have a Humax Freesat + Foxstat HDR and on the front of the box is an opening for a CI unit and smart card, is this a usable item or has it not been put into service, I thought you could pay for extra channels, is this correct or have I been misled. thankyou Roland
Roland HinksQuote
October 24th, 2009 at 8:27 am
The spec above says that he Humax Foxsat box has the functionality of Sky HD.
When ordering one from a local retailer I was told that it is not possible to feed another TV set from this box as it will only operate one. Is this so?
For us this is a blow as we have just moved into a house thta is wired within the house structure to a number of points/rooms from the main TV point in the living room.(I think the previous owner who had the house bult subscribed to Sky). If the above is correct it seems that we need a separate box in each room (very expensive) or reluctantly go to Sky.
P KilnQuote
October 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
P Kiln,
An old video recorder can be used or one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=33050 Also see this http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5067
Robert LangdonQuote
October 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I am very satisfied with my humaz Freesat HDR
One thing that annoys me is sometimes when recording I get the sign language
version. While of vital assistance to those who need it, I find it very annoying, unwatchable in fact. How can I turn the SL off?
P kennedyQuote
October 25th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
P Kennedy,
Check the EPG if the info has SL on it don’t record it as you can not turn it off.
Simple, just stop recording programs late at night.
MattQuote
October 25th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Roland Hinks @852
As far as I am aware the CI unit card slot thing is of no use for British Sat TV, the old Sky cards worked in a Dragon Cam in it but the new ones will not. May of been of use for CH 4 HD.
MattQuote
October 27th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Is £244 the bottom price for this product?
TomQuote
October 27th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
joinfreesat you haven’t put your clocks back
TomQuote
October 27th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
@Tom
Yes, for a brand new HDR, although we believe that Argos’s deal of £249.99 comes with a £10 voucher so effectively makes it £239.99. The best 2 year warranty price appears to be £245.
adminQuote
October 28th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Sorry I should re phrase that – Have we hit the lowest price it will ever be?
TomQuote
October 28th, 2009 at 8:30 am
@Tom
Possibly for now, as Humax rarely reduce their trade prices and haven’t done so since launch.
adminQuote
October 28th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Cool thanks for the quick reply, great site by the way!
TomQuote
October 29th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I have just bought the Foxsat HR from Richer Sounds at £269.40 which includes a 5 year warranty. OK, it’s Richer Sounds own warranty but they’ve been around for many years and I don’t expect them to go bust!!
DavidQuote
October 29th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Sorry, I meant the Foxsat HDR in my last post.
DavidQuote
November 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
My Humax Foxsat- HDR will not respond to the Remote controle at all. Fitted new Batteries still no joy. I can only Boot Up manually on the Set, but then
it still will not respond to the Remote.
Stan BQuote
November 1st, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Hi, has anyone had any success connecting the L N B out socket on the
rear panel to another box.
Bought another Humax HD box for the bedroom , new cable from back of HDR
Went through set up, and no satellite signal detected.
Connected cable to Sky feed down cable,and humax works ok.
Does the LNB out on the HDR have to be enabled or should the signal work
straight-away.Any suggestions welcomed, thanks—Ian
IanQuote
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:39 am
866 Stan . Check when you press a button the remote translucent pvr button lights up red. If another button lights red give pvr button quick press. If no buttons light up red probably cream crackered.
867 Ian. Think Humax HDR needs to be in standby mode without power saving selected (clock is displayed) to get loop through signal. Worth a try anyway.
Good luck.
DuncanQuote
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
866 Stan. Just remembered that I had an apparent remote failure fixed by letting box go to full standby – then switched box off with rear switch- then removed plug from mains for half a minute- repowered box and it then responded to remote ok. My box always left on standby overnight and my problem happened after many months use.
DuncanQuote
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
867 Ian. Out of curiosity tried my old now unused sky box using LNB1 OUT.
Unlike user reports back in late 2008 I was unable to control channel selection in any of the standby modes (power saving or not) or obtain a signal so assume if there ever was a feature it has been removed on later boxes like mine.
However if you tune Humax hdr to say bbc1 and then select channel 101 on sky box for bbc1 you will get a signal on sky box ok. Likewise for other channels except for me I had a problem with channel 5 on sky box probably because my SKY “FREESAT” card is out of date. Tuning to bbc alba “got” 5 but with message saying contact sky to receive the channel. Every channel you select on Humax will enable a group of channels to function on sky box. With pen and paper and sky box next to Humax box you can laboriously make lists but best solution seems to run an additional cable from dish lnb for the sky box. Meanwhile I’ll put my sky box back in its cardboard box!
DuncanQuote
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Hi Duncan,thanks for your suggestions.Will give them a try. I only used the Sky
lead from dish, to check my new cable was ok, running to new HD box.
Would have thought i could have the Humax HDR & the Humax HD boxes
both powered up, viewing different channels. When they do i’ll dump the Sky.
IanQuote
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Hi Ian, You will need separate dish cable for new box for independent selection of channels. A box sends a command to dish lnb to tune it into a particular transponder (or specified group of channels) by sending different voltage levels etc.TO the lnb. Impossible to have 2 boxes controlling 1 lnb dish output at the same time.(You can buy a device that can switch dish cable from HDR to HD box and vice versa for independant none simultaneous usage of boxes) .
Hope this helps.
DuncanQuote
November 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I have had the Humax Foxsat HDR (purchased from John Lewis online for £249) for 3 weeks now. Technically, no problems so far. I think, however, that the User Manual needs a revision because many of the instructions are difficult to follow and I had to discover how to access many features by trial and error.
All the Freesat channels have been successfully installed. However, I should like to access free-to-view European channels (I speak Dutch French and German). What channels are available on Astra and can they be installed on the Humax box??
PeterbattleQuote
November 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
The menus take a lot of getting used to, functionality isn’t great, however the promised upgrade will no doubt cure a lot of this, Main gripe is the remote.
…IT IS BLOODY AWFUL…
small buttons ……unresponsive and just to fiddly, if sky learned anything it was how to make a functional and well laid out remote.
Looking forward to Iplayer etc……but still disappointed that I cant record to either an external media drive or memory stick……..
terryQuote
November 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
terry, flip the front flap down and the remote works a lot better.
DavidQuote
November 5th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Message to Duncan : You were right, put HDR in stand-by mode, and now
all channels on HD ok. Then turned on HDR,and lost a few channels on HD box.
BBC1 & BBC HD gone, most of others ok. Assume something to do with
polarity, but not too bad. Will probably re-connect seperate feed. Thanks again.
More hassle trying to cancel Sky subscription, they don’t make it easy !!
IanQuote
November 5th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I added 2nd LNB months after the 1st one and can’t record and watch or record certain programmes. Does 2nd LNB have to be tuned in somehow? Mal.
Malcolm RobsonQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Malcolm Robson,
You need to do a Factory Reset to get the new input cable recognised. You will not lose any of your recordings.
MattQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 10:28 am
……..but you’ll lose your list of scheduled recordings which will need to be rest
KDHQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thanks 878 & 879 Mal.
MalQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Ian and any others interested in using LNB1 OUT to feed another box:
Have tested further and come to the conclusion that when on standby and power saving ON (opposite to book info -page 46) the box connected to lnb1 out is allowed to control dish lnb but the big snag is the signal out of lnb1-out is a very low level such that it is touch and go as to how many channels are received – if any at all. Identical results are achieved if you switch hdr mains off at box rear switch – bidirectional loopthrough still works !
When HDR is fully powered ON the signal sent to another box out of lnb1 out is a very good level – only a bit down from connecting auxillary box directly to dish but you have limited channel selction dependant on channel being watched -or recorded- on main hdr box.
Hope this may be of interest.
DuncanQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
HELLO
what display language have HUMAX Foxsat-HDR (FREESAT)
ist just English or have more language like have Polish ?
ist possible someone what have this digital box check for me
how many language have this box ??
thank you
adamQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Recorded Star Wars on ITV HD last week, but the recording was in SD not HD. Is this because I wasn’t around to press the red button when recording started? Is it possible to record ITV HD programmes in HD and if so how? BBC HD records ok.
MarkQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Mark,
When you highlight a ITV program a red HD should come up in the top right if it is in HD. Then when you press OK it should give you the option of recording in SD or HD. The problem is that ITV do not always manage to get the EPG info right. If you set Star Wars to record early last week there was no HD for it, later in the week this was fixed.
In the past I have had to press the Red Button followed by record.
MattQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Adam @882 Languages are English, Welsh & Gaelic. Sorry.
MattQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Thanks Matt (884) I need to try leaving it later before trying to record. What a strange system!
MarkQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
@ Matt 878
Thanks Matt!
I just had my LNB upgraded to a quad, 1 feed for the Panasonic Freesat TV and 2 into the Humax HDR and didn’t realise that I had to do a factory reset – I’ve done it now and the puzzling recording conflicts don’t appear anymore.
I’d even checked in DIAGNOSTICS and it show both tuners working but I guess it was still only using one for recording.
Thanks again for the advice.
NatQuote
November 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
When playing a programme whilst it is recording, playback stops when the recording stops, interrupting the viewing. This is incredibly annoying as you then have to find your place again. Anyone found a solution to this?
Alex HQuote
November 10th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
my box records some stuff and doesn’t record some stuff…bbchd and itv programmes fail to record whenever the box feels like it……..any ideas what is going wrong?……..thanks
kdburQuote
November 11th, 2009 at 9:21 am
This Foxsat HDR is a formidable piece of equipment, but
Its tying me in knots following the guide and the jargon
doesn’t help. Is there a Dummies version of the guide
for ageing non technical types like me?
Thanks to anyone able to help.
Geoff EdmondsQuote
November 11th, 2009 at 10:10 am
@Geoff Edmonds
Not that I know of
RobertQuote
November 11th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Alex @888 Watch programs from media in the first place. I wonder if they did a fix for this in the update ?
MattQuote
November 12th, 2009 at 10:39 am
kdbur@889.
To cut a long story short the best procedure for successful recording for most of the time is to ensure under the Settings menu – highlight Recording and click on it – Now make sure recording start and end times are both set to Auto.
Do not under any circumstances edit any recording schedule – essential with the new software and a good practice with old software.
The broadcasters transmitted signal will now control your start and end times and cut down on amount of failures.(On rare occasions they do cock up the time signals sent out but this is improving all the time).
This also ensures itv hd records ok.
DuncanQuote
November 13th, 2009 at 10:34 am
My comments re best recording at 893 these applyt to tv only.
For Radio which does not appear to transmit start/end time signals then recommend you create custom recording schedule by clicking on a blank line on schedule list and following your nose. I usually set end time to 10 minutes later than broadcasters published time incase broadcast starts late.
Just to remind everybody the new software does not allow you to edit schedules created by clicking on epg and if you want customised recordings you must now use method above desribed for custom radio channels.
If you do edit epg created schedules everything looks ok until you leave schedule list and next time you view list the start/end times both show 3.14 or something like that. This is explained if you click on join freesat link at the very top of this page for Manual hdr software download – at end of new functions list.
DuncanQuote
November 17th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Could someone please tell me the correct way to delete a recorded program.
The way I do is it is:
press media
opt+
file manager
red button to delete program (sometimes the program wont delete but it goes from the list)
Eventually all the programs have been removed
But next time I go into
media
they have all reappeared
Am I doing it correctly
Thanks in advance
P McclureQuote
November 17th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
P Mcclure.
Click on it in the media list as though you were about to play it.
As well as the various play options it offers you a delete option amongst them.
DuncanQuote
November 17th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I am trying to delete some recordings I protected. I have released them but when I try to delete the message comes up that they are protected even though the protect icon has disappeared. Can anyone help please?
DavidQuote
November 18th, 2009 at 9:44 am
David That is a puzzle.
They are not part of a folder which has been protected by any chance?
DuncanQuote
November 18th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Duncan. Thanks…I did not read the instructions properly. You are quite right the folder was protected and problem solved. Thanks again.
DavidQuote
November 18th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Duncan 896 reply
Have just tried that. All of the listed programs were deleted but when I rebooted they reappeared. Maybe I am having the same problem as David (897) how can I check if they are protected and if they are how do I unprotect them.
On a slightly different matter a software update is available, I try to auto update but its not updating.
P McclureQuote
November 18th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
P Mcclure @ 900,
Press Media button – Highlight one of your listed recordings – click on it and tell us what you see on screen.
If it has not been deleted you will see a Play option box with options to play and delete.
If it is a ghost listing – by some chance – of a deleted file it should inform you that file has been removed and offer to delete the greyed out listing.(A feature with new software for Auto Deleted files ).
To update your software – if not already achieved – leave box on standby overnight.
To see your software version press Menu – select System and press ok –
select diagnostics and your software will show as 1.00.11 if it is the latest type.
DuncanQuote
November 19th, 2009 at 2:25 am
P Mcclure,
Further info for you:
If first time at attempting delete a possible problem is misinterpreting the box asking you to confirm delete by choosing Yes or No.
No is highlighted in orange and you must first move the highlight left over the “Yes” by clicking on left arrow button and then click ok. You might wrongly assume you press the blue button for yes and orange button for no!
For further info on protecting against deleting go to join freesat home page and select Humax Update Available from today article.
You will see 2 links regarding Software update.
Click on the “Humax Foxsat – HDR manual software update link.
Under additional functions the 3rd item is” Auto Delete function included ”
Click on the adjacent more info offered and print out to add to your manual.
Note if deleting is functioning you should see a logo (Stuff into a dustbin on latest software) while deleting is taking time to function.
Apologies if some of suggestions seem a bit silly but just trying to cover all bases.
DuncanQuote
November 19th, 2009 at 9:35 am
P Mcclure,
One final thought – With the old software you were prohibited from deleting while
recording or playback and presumably if approaching a recording start time.
The new software fixes that.
DuncanQuote
November 20th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Duncan @902
Media
shows 4 programs
click on ok
arrow down to “delete a file”
Highlight yes (in orange)
ok
All 4 programs disappear
If I reboot all 4 programs reappear
Weird
P McclureQuote
November 20th, 2009 at 11:58 am
P Mcclure 904
I agree weird. Try a factory reset – page 54 of manual.
If still there suggest getting a brand new replacement from retailer.
You could phone Humax support to see if they have a solution.
Will be interested to hear how you solved this one.
DuncanQuote
November 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Duncan@905
Am doing a factory reset now. It has found new software but wont install it
old software 1.00.03
new 1.00.11
It just reboots but still shows the old software
P McclureQuote
November 20th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Can I do an update via the internet?
P McclureQuote
November 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
P Mcclure 907.
Yes and sounds like your box needs it,
Go to the link I specify in 902 above.
On that page near top it offers “Download instruction” – click on and print.
You will require a usb stick which has been formatted in fat 32 – most 2gb and particularly 4gb ones are. To check a usb stick look at it on your computer via my computer or whatever to get page dislpaying your computer drives – highlight your usb stick (removable disk) and right click then click on properties which will display format info.
To download software go back to original link page and click on the software just below the point where it offers the dowload instruction. Dont worry about downloading the Loader software – this not needed. (and not part of the ota upgrades).
DuncanQuote
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Some of the time, when I call up the EPG via the Guide button to record a program, when I press OK on the selected program it just changes channel to that channel. At other times it works fine and gives recording options. Any ideas if I have a faulty unit or I am doing something wrong? Thanks.
DavidQuote
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
just spotted this on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Terrabyte-Ultimate-version-HDinterconnects-GoFreesat/dp/B002E3ISJQ
Same box but with a pre-installed 1 terrabyte hard drive!
Al CatrazQuote
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:28 am
David@909.
Noticed a bug with new software when you click on prog on epg that has just started it sometimes offers to record or reserve to watch which is incorrect.
If you select record or watch you will get rubbish if you check the schedule.
This is annoying if you just want to watch the prog but find if you click on the prog that preceded the one you desire it will jump to that channel for watching.
Dont know if you problem concerns progs that have just started or are for progs that are a considerable time in the future.
DuncanQuote
November 26th, 2009 at 9:37 am
2 new problems noticed since last software upgrade.
Recodings on ITV3 are ‘failing’ and take about 2 hours to advise me of this – they don’t appear as a failed recording in the Media list for about 2 hours. Curiously the programs it doesn’t like also don’t have a ‘description’ in the ‘Info’ secition – i.e “There is no description for the program” is displayed. Wonder if that’s significant.
MOVE function has vanished altogether – I noticed this because the first episode of Top Gear was not part of a Series Link – as a result the recording was a one-off and now I would like to move it but can’t.
TheDukeOfHunsletQuote
November 26th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I’m looking to buy a freesat box as there are now plans to have access to BBC iPlayer soon. I currently have both Sky+ & Virgin V+ which is very costly but I never have a chance to watch live tv, so need the ability to record multiple channels.
Anyway, to the question I would like to pose. The family consensus is they prefer Sky+ to the V+, so I’m wanting to keep Sky+ and replace the V+ with a freesat box utilising the other 2 ports on my quad LNB sky dish. Would this work and how easy is it to install ? I assume the dish does not need to be pointed any differently for freesat ?
PaulQuote
November 26th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
The humax foxsat hdr remote control range is weak.The TV guide doesnt work properly when it is in nonfreesat mode.Cannot find a cam module for sky.
KennyQuote
November 26th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Paul@913,
No problem – just plug your old Virgin dish cables into Humax HDR and away you go.
It is an ideal set up as you get sky channels complete with EPG which you cannot get with Freesat boxes alone. A friend has this set up and is very pleased with it.
DuncanQuote
November 26th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Paul @ 915,
If your Virgin box was connected to cable (not dish) – you just need to run the 2 extra cables to your 2 spare LNB slots on the dish if not already fitted. A place well known for selling screws sells satellite cable and the F connectors required. Amalgamating tape is good stuff to weather proof connectors on LNB. Check Google for how to fit F connectors . You can run cables straight to box or to fitting on your wall and get link cables from same place mentioned above. Dish already aligned so no problems. Good luck – I have helped a friend install the cables and only fiddly bit is learning how to fit the F connectors – good luck.
DuncanQuote
November 27th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi, I have noticed that with the latest software (11), if you set the lip sync then fast foward or reverse whilst watching a recorded program, it forgets the lip sync setting and you have to go back through the menus (really annoying if you just wanted to skip the adverts etc). I have to use the lip sync whilst using an AV amp. Is there a fix for this please ?
TimQuote
November 28th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Tim@917
If you are sure that the 03 software did not have this bug you can roll back to that software by telephoning Humax support and asking them to email you the 03 software and follow their website instructions for installing manual software update using usb stick (fat 32 format required on stick). You must ensure box not left on standby overnight otherwise it will update the software again.
Presumably pressing stop before pressing play after fast forward or trying the alternative of jump forward button still produces same problem?
Many of the latest Sony TV’S allow you to connect HDMI from Humax box and pass out to amp both stereo and 5.1 Dolby using the TV’s optical output. The TV sorts out the lip sync and is pretty accurate – a smidgen overdelayed audio but not enough that most people would notice – I use this system which makes life easy! Hope this may be of interest.
DuncanQuote
November 28th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Getting Humax Foxsat HDR/PVR on Tuesday.
I have trawled through here, but can anyone confirm the ethernet port does not work? I want to archive a few programmes from hard disk to DVD. Not bothered about them being HD. What is the best way to do this? I had thought get them onto external HDD and convert to a format which can be burned to and played on a normal DVD. If I got a DVD recorder, would this be possible? Thanks.
PenBQuote
December 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Just a heads up on the latest price info ….
There is currently a thread on hotukdeals.com saying that the Foxsat HDR is £191.50 via Currys’ price match. Supposedly John Lewis Liverpool have it at £199 and Currys will price match that and take 10% off.
AddyLaddyQuote
December 1st, 2009 at 8:07 pm
just like to say a big thank-you to AddyLaddy i phoned JL in Liverpool on 01517-097070 and the foxsat HDR for £199.00 delivered in in 5 to 7 days, all prices around Cambs. still around the £240 mark, Thanks Again:
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 1st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
No Comment Thanks Again B.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 1st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
This price is well below the actual trade value, so get them whilst you can, I suspect Humax will be kindly asking them to revise the price to ensure a set value across all retailers.
adminQuote
December 1st, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Sorry about that, I should have said Hi! everyone on this thread and thank you all for all the valuable info on this forum concerning Humax Foxsat, I guess i was excited at buying mine at such a bargain, I,m not too excited though, as i see Amazon are selling a 1000gb Foxsat at £399 so maybe that being the newer model they intend knocking the 320gb out cheaper especially after Christmas, even so i think i have still bought a bargain:
Cheer’s Everybody,Bryan B.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 1st, 2009 at 9:27 pm
@Bryan
Humax don’t manufacture a 1000gb version; they are being upgraded by a company and presumably using their own warranty as the Humax one will be void.
adminQuote
December 1st, 2009 at 10:04 pm
You Could Be Right Admin BUT i have just left the Amazon Website and they are selling a 1TB Humax Foxsat for £399 have a look see:
Bryan B.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 1st, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Amazon aren’t selling one, a company in the Marketplace are and they are simply removing the old drives and installing bigger ones.
adminQuote
December 1st, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Had mine for 2 months and very pleased with it,my only gripe being is the time it takes to transfer files to an external hd,15 mins for one episode of dr who.Reading the above about the amazon 1TB version,i don’t see the point of a hd that size when you can plug in an external drive anyway,waste of money in my opinion.
steve jQuote
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:26 am
Agree with you entirely Steve, that is why i,m happy with my deal, 320 gig is plenty big enough for most folk unless you plan to store plenty of High Def stuff, I was going to wait until after Christmas, with the hope of getting one for under £200, Looks like my Christmas, as come early, hope everyone that wants one is as lucky as me on the price:
Regards B.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:58 am
@steve j
you are limited in the size of external HDD you use
TomQuote
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Having had trouble with ITV hd on the red button prompt, and emailed ITV for there comments, i found that my foxsat HDR was in need of a factory reset, i now have the update 1.00.12 instead of 1.00.11 and it seems to be fine now.
Try it if you have had problems since 25 oct when humax changed things.
good luck MPC
MP ClintonQuote
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Hi All, just to keep you up to date i ordered my foxsat Tuesday, evening at 5-45 and was told 5 to 7 days delivery from Liverpool, i assumed it would come to me via JL Peterborough, but it came direct by carrier to me and i received it today Thursday, at 1pm very much to my surprise and delight, at no cost to me for transport just the bargain price of £199 which included the JL 2 year guarantee, It is now installed and working ok although saying that i,m still feeling my way around the instruction manual but what else is there to do on a miserable rainy day for an old fart like me: Cheers B.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Hi…Thinking of getting Freesat for Xmas.
The Humax FOXSAT-HDR looks good.
Amazon are selling the same Humax but with a 1TB Hard Drive.
Anyone tried one? Is Humax warranty ok?
Any info appreciated.
Marty
Marty WildQuote
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
If you look just a few comments up, you’ll have your answers
adminQuote
December 4th, 2009 at 1:26 am
Autoswitching to HDMI
Could someone please claify the position on autoswitching to HDMI. I have a Panasonic LCD TV (TX-37LZD70) and would like to know whether you have to manually switch to HDMI using the TV remote every time you switch the TV on, or whether it autoswitches. If it has to be done manually then I think it would put me off buying the Humax.
Peter RHQuote
December 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Looks like the incredible John Lewis Liverpool offer has ended
just phoned few hours too late oh well…
TomQuote
December 4th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Just to update – bought over the counter at Richer Sounds for £244.95 – lots of stock available.
PAT TestingQuote
December 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Sorry to hear you missed out Tom, with the JW deal:
Here,s my latest update on the Foxsat 320gb which i have now owned since last Thursday, lunchtime and was watching tv through it from the same night, well it’s ok i guess it appears to do everything it said on the can, the picture quality is probably as good as it gets it might just have the edge over the Humax PVR920T
but i,m undecided yet, by that i don’t know as it’s worth all the extra money over the PVR920T which only cost £50 on e-bey, i know one is aerial and the other is Sat. but i honestly can’t see much difference, unless i have not got it adjusted properly, as i said there,s not a hell of a lot of difference in my mind i suppose all the extras in the foxsat are worth the money like 320gb and better tv guide and organising, but £200 is plenty, remember you still need a dish, cable, LNB, quad, and installation as extras, Yes I,m Undecided!
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 6th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Peter RH (935)
Not sure about your model panny, but most have an option in the settings menu somewhere to choose whether you want tv or an external source (hdmi) when the tv is switched on.
Al CatrazQuote
December 7th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Just ordered one from John Lewis on the web for £243 with 2 year guarantee delivery included. However, I have my aerial man coming to fit a quad lnb with an extra (dual) feed to my main TV plus a feed to the kitchen and one to my bedroom, cost £160. Total cost £403. I hope its worth it!
KevinQuote
December 8th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Kevin, how are you getting the HDR’s signal to the cables that are going to the kitchen & bedroom, what have you got to then change channel etc. ?
MattQuote
December 10th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
does anyone know if all the video outputs are active simultaneously? i want to feed a slingbox not use the passthrough on it, instead i want to use the HDMI directly to my TV.
Adam PQuote
December 10th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Hi Adam P
Yes I think they are
Tom
TomQuote
December 10th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
awesome, thanks Tom.
Adam PQuote
December 12th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
i bought a humax foxsat a few weeks ago. it worked brilliantly for a few weeks, recoding whole series.I have deleted everything but it will no longer record. it brings up a message like NO RECORDING FOR UNKNOWN REASON
Any ideas how to cure this?
John BrownQuote
December 13th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hi John, i think you have owned your Foxsat longer than me but if i was you i would go to Menu then go down to the Sat dish sign and then click on Factory Reset, that should do the trick, Good Luck,
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 13th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
thanks bryan – will try that – can i just ask you – will factory reset require a whole lot of setting up of things or do u expect it to be a staightforward affair? sorry to be so cautious!
John BrownQuote
December 13th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
What i understand John, is a factory reset is taking you back to when you first installed it but you don’t lose anything that you have on your hard drive like recorded films, which i think you said you had deleted in any-case, so all your doing is going back as though its a new machine, naturally you will have to reenter your post code and general info but you should be ok,
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 15th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
If I Retune for all channels T/V and radio the EPG listing is very limited, only the next few programs not for 7 days. If I retune using post code setting I do get the local stations and the EPG seems to be for 7 days. Any thoughts
Tony H SurreyQuote
December 15th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Fantastic bit of kit, takes some getting used to, had a Grundig HD box but took it back and picked this up for £150 yes you read correctly it was a returned item 3days of use I nearly died of shock and snapped it up. Only question is how long before we get the BBC iPlayer option!
I give it 7/10 still working my way round it. On latest firmware which it did as soon as I plugged it in wished i’d waited till I read this forum.
Mike BannisterQuote
December 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Has anyone noticed that you can now record two different programmes on non freesat? But not via the timer.
MalQuote
December 18th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
December 20th, 2009 at 12:35 am
I have a Bush S632 TV from Argos and have tried all the 49 codes given in the Humax manual for Bush TVs to try and make the Humax remote operate the TV but no luck at all. Can anyone advise please?
MaureenQuote
December 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Maureen, Hi, I,ll try to help first your bush remote works the tv, your humax remote works the foxstat, if your using an HDMI cable between your tv and foxsat use your bush remote by finding your av then clicking on HDMI channel, then after your foxsat as auto tuned in you can then use your foxsat remote to choose channels, otherwise read your foxsat user manual: hope this helps, your bush remote does not come into the equation apart from turning your tv on or off and choosing the av channel your using to set up your foxsat.
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 20th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire
Maureen would like to program her Humax remote to operate her TV, then if you press the white TV button at the top of the HDR’s remote it will then operate the TV not the Humax.
Maureen have you got it to work on anything else DVD or Amp etc ? (just in case it is faulty) I’ve been lucky and it will operate all of mine.
MattQuote
December 20th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Right Matt, I stand corrected!!
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 20th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Expandable Hard disc?
Does anyone know if you can expand the capacity of the hard drive on this or any other model, am thinking of getting one of these but as anyone with a pc knows the hard disc size is always too small. Im thinking if you could add an external 1tb or even 2tb drive you could actually keep ALL your movies on here or at least more of the HD ones.
any clever bods know if its possible ?
Martyn S. BedfordQuote
December 21st, 2009 at 9:50 am
Martyn S. Bedford
Its very easy to put a 1 TB hard drive in I would get a WD Drive suitable for PVR’s here are some links
http://foxsatdisk.wikispaces.com/Simple+HDD+swap
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=940956
Its very easy to do & now the HDR is so much better.
MattQuote
December 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Just a point about all retailers that use ” 2 year warrenty” as selling points.
Under European law all items have a minimum 2 year warrenty. Directive 1999/44/EC, May 1999 from the European Parliament stipulates that by 1st January 2002 all member states must have altered their legislation to comply with new consumer laws. These new laws will ensure that all new consumer goods, including cars, carry at least a two-year warranty and used consumer goods have a minimum of a one-year warranty.
cinocat4Quote
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
thanks bryan – have now done a factory reset – there is an improvement – when i try a factory reset i dont always get a satellite signal strong enough – like last night – tried again this morning and it is now up and running – is it possible that it is the weak signal that is causing some programmes not to record?
also i was asked if i wished to upgrade from 1.00.03 to 1.00.10 – i did not since my priority was to get the box working – if i leave it on standby will it automaticallty upgrade? or can i upgrade using the menu?
also will iplayer be added on as an automatic upgrade or do i actually have to do something?
sorry to have so many questions at once
John BrownQuote
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Hi
Can anyone please tell me where I can purchase a CI-Module suitable to support a Sky Freesat card with the Foxsat-HDR product?
You can reply to me Gregory_Caminow@lavabit.com
GregQuote
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Hi John, glad to hear you have had some success, of course it goes without saying most things work better with a strong signal, what do you think is the cause of your signal problem? is your dish in line with the satellite,? are all your connections fitted ok? is there anything in the way blocking the signal to your dish? in any case when your setting up your channels it will tell you the strength of your signal,
Regarding the upgrade if you set your Foxsat to automatic upgrade the machine will do the rest,
And with regard to BBC i player, if you go to the top of this forum and on the left you will find several forums to click on which explain iPlayer better than i could ever do, the first and the last i found very interesting, the first even has a video showing you what to do to install it BUT receiving it seems to be another question!
Good Luck and Merry Christmas, and of course happy viewing:
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Hi Greg I will give you the link I used, he was very helpful and delivered a working cam that I just had to slip card in and make the relavant settings on humax in ci settings. http://www.waferworld.co.uk.
BUT before you go ordering you might want to take note of this.
I have received my new WHITE sky card and that has rendered the SKY channels scrambled.
DOes anyone know if there is a software upate for the T-REX cam to enable the new sky card to work. you can contactme on fearforcer@msn.com
CoolHandPukeQuote
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Matt
Thanks for that Matt, do you know ( or anyone )if you can use an external hd on the unit and thus not render the warranty invalid and also not have to make the modifications in the link you sent.
Martyn S. BedfordQuote
December 24th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Great unit BUT what is the point of max 4GB file copy to external USB???
Even a 30min HD prohram is more than this.
This means that I will have an HDD full of HD programming that I cannot remove from the unit.
Considering that this is sold as an HD unit I think this is a really big mistake from Humax in terems of usability.
Other than that GREAT PRODUCT
Brian AllarsQuote
December 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am
No software update in 3 weeks (still on HPRSFCI 1.00.02 / 10Nov08)??
————————————-
I installed by Foxsat HDR 3 weeks ago and have had no OTA software update (still on 1.00.02). Tried ‘automatic update’ (and default manual update) menu option – but ‘no new software found’. Could I have a problem? I understand new software has been released recently.
note : HDR is always left on standby overnight.
note : HDR is fed from quattro lnb + 2 cables from distribution unit.
note : diagnosis shows only 90% strength but 100% quality
Many thanks.
marcel_ukQuote
December 28th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Hi.
Everything worked OK only I have an irritating electronic hum that changes in volume. Its there as you watch even with the sound turned low; its also on recordings. I’ve moved all the wires about but that makes no difference. What’s wrong?
Douglas CQuote
December 28th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Recording problem
I have had my Humax FoxSat HDR box for a week now. It was great at first. Now I have a recording problem. i.e. when recording on BBC 2 I can’t watch some other channels at the same time, for instance BBC1 is not accessible, any ideas?
I have 2 LNB going in the back of the box.
JRQuote
December 29th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Hi JR _ 968. Refer back to 945, 946, 947 and 948, this should fix it for you.
Mal.
MalQuote
December 29th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I have a basic SKY tuner, when this was installed I asked the SKY engineer
to run a twin cable feed so that I could upgrade to SKY plus at a later date.
My SKY installation has two seperate aerial feeds running in from an LNB.
with seperate connectors inside the house, I have tried each connector
in the SKY reciever both work perfectly.
My question is will a FOXSAT work (record & view seperate channels) withnmy existing SKY aerial set up ??
Please publish this comment I believe the answer will be important
KenQuote
December 29th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
@Ken
The answer is yet, you could use both cables for a FOXSAT-HDR, or even one cable for Freesat and one for Sky.
adminQuote
December 30th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Ive managed to fix my noise problem following advice from Humax phone line – ive got a gold plated multiscreened scart – hum gone
Douglas CQuote
December 30th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I am considering buying the FOXSAT after reading the reviews. Thank you all.
I do have one question – does the FOXSAT ‘series record/series linked’? Thank you.
BookwormQuote
December 30th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
@Bookworm
Yes, if the programme has a series link setup by the broadcaster, you will have the option of record once, record series etc.
adminQuote
December 30th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I have already commented on recording problems. It looks like i can record as long as the box is not on standby – it is when i leave it on standby that problems occur.Does anyone agree?
John BrownQuote
December 31st, 2009 at 12:55 am
I want to get ready for the imminent BBC iplayer launch on the Humax HDR so I need to provide the Internet connection. I have a powerline adapter close to the Humax that’s already providing the Ethernet connection to a BT Vision box. Do I need an Ethernet switch if I want to connect the powerline adpater to two devices? Amazon have 5 port Ethernet switches for under £20 so would one of these do the job?
Peter RHQuote
January 4th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
My stepson (who is blind) bought a Foxsat HDR before Christmas. In his area there will be no terrestrial digital whatever before 2012, and so no Audio Description either (even now he has to pick channel 950 or 977 to get London region BBC1 or ITV1 to receive AD!).
The purchase was after a very extensive hands-on demo at a very obliging store in which he established that he could both program (using the schedule function) and watch (media). Having a prodigious memory, he has no problem selecting channels, but the graphic nature of some menus mean that he must avoid much of the available functionality.
Whilst we were with him over Christmas, he coped very well, recording, watching then deleting several programmes without error, nor our assistance.
Since then, he has managed to make the box unresponsive to commands. I guess that he has entered a menu that expects a particular response.
So, my questions:
1- Why have Humax abandoned the feature of the PVR9200 Freeview box, where within a menu, hitting a numeral key will navigate to the like-numbered menu item, ie 1 for top item, 2 for next etc…?
2- Is there a key sequence that is ABSOLUTELY SURE to exit from *any* menu?
I thought Exit-Exit-Exit should do it, but I rather fear not.
3- If stuck in a menu you can’t see, will standby – standby (on the front panel) exit the menu, or does it go back into some menus on reboot?
4- If standby-standby does not do the trick, what about a complete power cycle?
5- Is there any prospect of a future box (or evolution of this one) providing even limited speech support (maybe with a plug-in box)? (even bleeps would help)?
Dave BQuote
January 6th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
HOT Deal on http://www.hotukdeals.com/ Humax 320GB PVR £121.00 at Amazon 1 hour 40 minutes ago
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
January 6th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Sorry £112.95
Bryan B. Cambridgeshire.Quote
January 8th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
How do you transfer photos from your computer to the PVR using a USB stick or an SD card and reader. When I try, the PVR indicates there are no photo’s to view or tansfer but they are on the stick. If I put the SD card in a card reader the photos taken on my camera can be transfered but not the ones transfered from the computer.
Peter LQuote
January 9th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
I found this easy to setup – just plugged in my existing sky connectors – I am very impressed by picture quality and the range of channels available
BertieQuote
January 9th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
As a long time supporter of freesat I was mighty disappointed, when I finally decided to break away from sky and buy my humax hdr, only to receive a green screen over hdmi. No help from humax. Looks like I wasted my money.
IanQuote
January 10th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Bit of advise for anyone in the same situation,
My epg has just started freezing and the box has been locking with no responce at all from the remote or any buttons on the control panel until I switch it off and on again. Funny this has all happened since I have connected it to the internet for BBC I Player.
Anyway I have done a factory reset which does not loose any recordings (that pleased the wife) and all is now ok and working fine.
This is the first factory reset I hve done in over a year since I bought the box and yes I still love it, in fact I have another 3 tv’s in the house all on Freesat (2x Grundig HD 1x lg37″ tv with intergrted freesat and my Humax HDR) and I have removed the old aerial from the roof.
LOVE IT
johnQuote
January 10th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I purchased one of these for christmas with a new LED TV. I am very impressed with the product. But I am still mystified with one particular problem. The product is connected to the Sat dish by 2 LNB’s, what I find difficult to understand is when I am recording a program I am heavily restrcted to what I can watch. I can record two programs at the same time which suggests to me that both lNB feeds are working. I thought that if you were recording one program Icould watch any other program via the second tuner. Am I mistaken in this or have I not set up properly? I would be nice if someone could tell me where I might be going wrong.
Mike BradburnQuote
January 11th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Mike
you are correct you should be able to watch any channel and record another.
Have look in the menu at system diagnostics and you will see if both tuners are working corectly, if not i suggest you do a full restore and start new install.
johnQuote
January 13th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Had a 320Gb Foxsat HD delivered yesterday, installation went fine, or so I thought – until I realised there was no sound on the HDMI input. Tested a spare HDMI cable, same problem. Sound OK through SCART/AV2 etc. Sound OK on Television and inbuilt Freeview. Checked all obvious settings include mute, sound levels on TV and PVR.
Received replacement box today… SAME PROBLEM! Humax helpline say try TV manufacturer, TV manufacturer says try Humax. Both saying that as picture being sent between the two, and sound is ok, the problem must be with each other’s hardware. Don’t want to get a third box as I doubt this is the problem. Has anyone else experienced sound problems when connecting by HDMI?
I have an Orion 37″ LCD TV if that makes a difference…
Jonathan BQuote
January 14th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Ooops! Turns out it was the settings on my TV. There were menu options on the input section, ie HDMI to DVI, HDMI to HDMI, that I hadn’t seen due to not spotting the scroll-down option. Now I feel bad for the various folks I hassled on the their respective helplines. Sorry. Lesson to be learned here – check and double check all eventualities and options, as you’ll feel like a right plonker when you realise it’s your fault and not the pesky machines!
Jonathan BQuote
January 14th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Only had the Foxsat-HDR in use for a week now but have been most impressed with the performance and ease of use, my wife likes it too (a bonus)! I have been trying to set the correct code to get the remote control to operate my TV (a Panasonic TH-37PX60B) but none of the codes given in the user’s manual will register. Now awaiting a reply to my email to the support boy’s to see if they can shred any light on it. Anybody else had this problem and if so how did you overcome it? Nevertheless, a great product that is giving good results.
Clive RixQuote
January 19th, 2010 at 8:58 am
I have had this box for a few months now and it is okay. I went from SKY HD as they annoyed for me various reasons. The Sky box is much easier to use and the remote is much better but I suppose that is what you can do with all that money every month! This box is Fast and the picture quality is good. It also has some features that sky could learn a thing or two from. My main niggles are remote control and volume control. I have mine running through a Marantz receiver which is great untill I go to a HD Channel and then I need to use the volume on the receiver rather than the Humax to control the volume. If anyone knows how to sort this please let me know. Also the angle the remote works at is pretty poor and bright sunlight also reduces it’s effectiveness (I have removed both plastic films inside and out) If I could get these two things sorted I would be much happier!
Kevin McNallyQuote
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:01 am
I’ve had my Foxsat HDR for about 3 weeks are am generally very happy with it. However there are a couple of niggles:
1) The boot up process seems to be a bit messy as it first switches the TV to HDMI and displays the Humax logo on TV screen, then switches TV back to SCART for a few seconds, then switches TV back to HDMI. This all takes about 25 seconds which seems to be quite long (and its a second or two more for sound to appear)
2) If I’m watching freeview on TV, when the HDR switches on to record a scheduled TV program it activates the HDMI output for a couple of seconds which briefly interupts the TV programme.
It would seem that the HDR is activating (or deactivating) the HDMI output when it should’nt be doing so and I’m wondering if this is a known problem and might be addressed by a future software update. My TV is a Panasonic TX-37LZD70.
Peter RHQuote
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
Peter RH,
1) If your time is that precious you can go in to the Menu and take it out of Power Save Mode. Personally I think a Boot time of 28 Seconds is fine when the unit only uses one watt in standby.
I’ve upgraded my HDD to a 1TB and it Boots up in about 26.2 Seconds now
2) This is a known problem, but I have never had my TV do this as it does not Auto Switch.
MattQuote
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I have just bought a LG 50 inch plasma HD TV and now I have to use the TV Volume on the HD Channel as the Humax volume will not work, but it will with any other sd channel.
Funny because I never had to do the above with my 42 inch HD TV, strange.
Robert HudsonQuote
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Matt
Thanks for reply. Actually the 25 seconds is with power save off, its about 28 seconds with power save on. I was comparing it with my BT Vision HDR which boots up in about 6 seconds, but uses a relatively high 12 watts in standby.
Peter RHQuote
January 24th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
It’s some while since I been on here,very satisfied with the box,but one little prob.(may have been answered way back) How do you get off the “record” a series of programmes in advance,I seem to be recording bbc news every day,so I have to spend a lot of time deleting these as they build up.
Probably a simple solution!! Thanks
HughQuote
January 24th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Does anybody else find the ITV HD logo annoying. The picture quality on the
Humax is good, but i have to switch back to SD as the logo is so distracting.
BBC HD logo is about right.
IanQuote
January 24th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
@Ian
Entirely agree. I find the ‘new’ ITVHD logo very distracting.
BBC is now much better as you say. They have the decency to remove it altogether during drama action. ITV could improve their service by following this example.
peterhbQuote
January 25th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Does anyone know what causes a green screen? Just a green screen, no picture.
MalQuote
January 27th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
At Hugh (994)
Press yellow on the main guide, (schedual) from there you can see all the series link recording options and delete your BBC News one.
JamesQuote
January 27th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Thanks James……will try that…..
HughQuote
January 28th, 2010 at 4:13 am
Bought my Humax PVR from John Lewis just over couple of months ago. Very pleased with the machine. Couple of days ago, whilst watching a recording, the machine suddenly shuts down and re-boot and works for 10 minutes. After a few unplanned shutdowns and self re-boots, it is now completely unusable as it fails to reboot altogether. Any idea of what’s gone wrong??
KwahQuote
January 29th, 2010 at 7:23 am
@Admin or any one
ever since Update Scan – 26/01/10 my Humax Foxsat-HDR has done a Update Scan EVERY morning and as yet added nothing, looking like a factory reset is looking imminent
Robert HudsonQuote
January 29th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Again @Admin or anyone
ever since the last Update Scan – 26/01/10, my Humax Foxsat-HDR has done a Update scan very morning, any body got this problem or is it time for a Factory reset???
Robert HudsonQuote
January 29th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Thats EVERY Morning (not very)
Robert HudsonQuote
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
If I want to record two Freesat channels whilst watching another live is this possible using an adaptor of some kind?
Wayne DysonQuote
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Wayne, this link should help http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?s=3e0dac62dbe8308a5ea3f9bdbe950298&t=5594 you will need to go to the end for the latest version. You can record two and watch another but only with certain channel combinations ie if two are on the same transponder.
MattQuote
February 4th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Marcel @ 966
Bit old i expect he’s sorted it now (not updating from version 1.00.02)
I too tried to update but the box said no new software found each time i did it from within the hdr settings menu. Kept wondering how people were saying they had new software versions and yet mine was still stuck on 1.00.02 Nov 08.
Reason for this i believe is that 1.00.02 does allow the box to update itself automatically ‘over the air’ you need to install the new software from here http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/support/downloadcenter.aspx using a usb stick, mine now is updated to the current version of 1.00.12 and this newer version allows the box to update itself over the air so you shouldn’t need to go through the usb stick process again.
Maybe some people who bought newer boxes had a newer software version and haven’t encountered this particular problem. I only found out about it when i connected up the hdr via ethernet to my broadband to try out iplayer and the box had problems connecting to internet.
If you want to use iplayer and can’t get your ethernet connecting properly and can’t understand whats wrong check your software version, iplayer won’t work unless software is up to date (no expert but thats what i’ve discovered)
sorethumbsQuote
February 8th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
hi,tell me i want to record a vcr vidio on to the hard disk,is this possible,i just dont see it in the manual.i brought a second scart and connected 1 scart from tv to freesat box 1 and the second from freesat box to vcr.i can see the vcr on tv but it record tv channel,what am doing wrong.please help.bill
bill daviesQuote
February 8th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
@bill davies
The Humax like most receivers have a VCR Scart output, but it isn’t an input, so you cannot record programmes from your VCR to the hard drive of the Humax receiver.
adminQuote
February 8th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
oh dear Drat,something that simple i thought it would have been possible.so what does the vcr scart for???? anyone, im confused as i thought thats what it was for.regards bill
bill daviesQuote
February 9th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Bill I have a panny DVD recorder HDD which I used to record from two digi boxes before the Humax came out. One of my scart outputs is connected to this so I can transfer recordings from the Humax to it if I want to. Maybe you need to get something similar. The other scart is connected to the tv, not that it is ever used.
MattQuote
February 12th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
@1006 : sorethumbs
Many thanks.
My old software version (1.00.02) wouldn’t autoupdate. As advised downloaded newer software version from web site (and installed on to HDR using USB stick). Auto updates now work correctly for me.
MarcelQuote
February 13th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Having recently purchased a cinema surround sysyem which greatly enhances the sound quality, I notice that if live TV is paused then restarted I can hear a clicking sound like static, especially on louder sections of a programme……Watching normal TV or Recorded TV no problem, only on restarted paused TV…..Anyone else have this problem?
CliveQuote
February 20th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Hi
I was wondering if it’s possible to have timer recording. I would like to record aprogramme that lasts for 9 hours. I then want to transfer it onto an external disk. Is it right that there is a limit to the size of file that can be copied and transferred? If so how do I set the machine to record the programme in manageable chunks?
PS I would not be present to start and stop the recording, it would have to be programmeable.
thanks
Peter
PeterQuote
February 20th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
A couple of evenings ago I discovered that somehow by error my Humax HDR was recording the ‘Freesat Information’ listing from the on screen guide.
I first realised that something was wrong when the ‘conflict’ window appeared when a programe that was intentionally set to record started.
I was able to stop the erroneous recording at that point and continue watching the live broadcast and record the intended programe on another channel.
However, I just can’t find the record of the erroneous recording so that I can delete it from the hard drive. It does not appear in any of the lists that are accessed by the ‘media’ button.
Is there a hidden/alternative menu where such things can be found and deleted?
JohnQuote
February 26th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Cheapest just now seems to be humaxdirect @ £215, also good value if you want it with a 5 year warranty – Richersounds @ £264 !!!
SAndyQuote
February 26th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Humax direct at £215 is second hand / refurb though! Not new!
adminQuote
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Nice to see that Humax Direct now sell a 500Gb version of the FoxSat HDR for £299.
Chris GuestQuote
March 4th, 2010 at 1:17 am
Yeomans of Norwich are doing the 500Gb Foxsat recorder for £269.99 including a 2 year G’tee and next day delivery for only £6.99.Just bought one……great service.
ChrisQuote
March 6th, 2010 at 8:41 am
In answer to peters question i believe the max file transfer is 4gb via usb. and its an unusual file type i believe.
also is it possible to reply to a post directly or do you have to scroll down to the bottom of all posts then reply to a post five or six posts back ? or is it just me
Colin
ColinQuote
March 10th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Hi Guys,
I hate to say it but I’m going back to Sky HD. I’m sick of waiting for more HD content. I know this isn’t freesats fault. If they asked for £10 per month and could assure more content I’m most people would happily pay to get better content.
Foxsat HDR for sale. 4 months old, still have box!
KevinQuote
March 12th, 2010 at 6:47 am
I remember just before xmas someone on this site (admin) saying that there was some exiting News coming in the beginning of the new year well that’s what i understood it to say, so where is it?????????
Robert HudsonQuote
March 14th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Hello, ref my entry at 970
I have bought one, it works well. I have a question,
I recieve London ITV which set up automatically from my postcode.
I would also like to recieve ANGLIA ITV for news bulletins etc, does anyone know how I can manually search for this channel & the setting sequence ?
or is there some way of fooling the unit with another postcde ?
I thank you all
KenQuote
March 14th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Hi Ken, press menu-go to set up, then go to Manual Tune, then do a manual tune, then besides getting Anglia ITV you will get loads more channels by tuning into “non freesat” mode. Mal
MalQuote
March 15th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Hi is it me, when i switch off my FOXSAT-HDR of late it goes off as usual IE just shows the time and a red light.
but now when i power back up it no longer boots up it just turns strait back on NO BOOTING????
IS THIS ONLY ME
Robert HudsonQuote
March 15th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Very pleased with my FOXSAT-HDR in freesat mode records two channels with no problems HD pictures look lovely. However if I tell the box I have a motorised system it turns one of the inputs off, I can then only record one channel and have very limited selection of other channels I can watch. Have I done something wrong in the setup? or is there a way of keeping it motorised and having both inputs available?
Quad LNB, 90cm dish, STAB motor.
Can anyone help
Paul
PaulQuote
March 15th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Ref 1022/23
above thank you Mal I will try that, do you happen to know if
I can also get Virgin One by the same method ?
krn
KenQuote
March 16th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Hi Ken, 1026. Virgin One can not be picked up on non freesat. As you probably know it can be picked up on Freeview. Mal.
MalQuote
March 18th, 2010 at 6:47 am
when i turn my foxsat hdr back on it dose not reboot any more, it just turns back on???
Robert HudsonQuote
March 30th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
hi, my box keeps saying boot, trying to bootup from standby, then goes back to stanndby continously. it works fine otherwise, records and can watch. tried powering off, no different, software is up to date. anyone seen this?
HarvQuote
March 30th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
we are on our 2nd box as a fault with the first one has turned out to be a design issue – WE CAN NOT GET THE REMOTE TO WORK UNLESS WE ARE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE BOX AND LESS THAN 2M AWAY!!! We have even been as sad as to measure the angles that work as well as the distance. I could understand this to some extent if we had a huge lounge, however we live in a 2 bed semi and are never further than 3.5m from the box. Has anyone else had the same issue or found a solution???
thx
Other than this issue the box is fab, but could do with more HD channels; particularly with the launch of Freeview HD which we don’t get in our area
caroleQuote
March 30th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
@carole
Make sure you remove both film coatings from the two perspex front panels.
adminQuote
April 1st, 2010 at 3:03 pm
From receiving the box to watching iPlayer beta took 15 minutes maximum. Couldn’t be more straight forward.
Mark SoutheeQuote
April 1st, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I’ve tried to use the file manager facility to copy video recordings down to a Verbatim 250gb Ext HDD drive via the USB port. But whilst it recognises my HDD, the green copy button (on tehmedia list) is greyed out for every one of my recordings. I’ve checked the protection, lock/unlock settings and its not that and I’m not trying to copy encrypted programmes – any ideas what I can try next ?
Bob TQuote
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Hi Admin – have done so already…..any other ideas? thx
caroleQuote
April 7th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Have been using problem free for about 8 months. Have today connected to the Beeb’s iplayer – easy and a great benefit to an already great box. Look forward to getting the other channels repeat services.
Gary SmithQuote
April 8th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Hi,
I don’t see the iPlayer option after pressing the red button whilst watching BBC1, do I have to take any additional steps to enable this feature? Not sure if the beta trial has been closed and we’re now waiting for formal release. I tried entering 5483 into the page number but got “page not found”. I’m wondering if my system needs a firmware upgrade. So here’s another question, how can I check my current firmware version?
Looking forward to your replies!
GJ.
Gordon JagoQuote
April 9th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Hi,
Humax 320gb PVr is great except mine sometimes when booting up gives message that ‘Hard Drive Needs to Format’ . There is no escape other than to confirm yes and lose all recordings.
Humax suggested Factory reset which has not fixed the problem. There does not seem to be any particular circumstances which trigger the problem.
Anybody with similar experience?
DB
David BQuote
April 9th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Hi, i also need to check firmware version please, same prob as Gordon Jago 2 posts above. many thanks in advance.
Also is there any way to change TV Guide colours..
Thanks Foxes31
Foxes31Quote
April 11th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Hi all if you have a netgear router with restrictions, such as keyword blocking, firewall schedule blocking, you may find you have a feature to always allow a specific ip address access. I suddently kept getting “sorry due to technical fault we are unable to process your request at this time – press yellow to go back” after I changed some configuration settings on my netgear router.
Went to the settings again and allowed the HDR IP address unrestricted access and voila the bbc iplayer worked again faultlessly! Not exactly sure what the in depth fix is but is certainly works. Might help other people as well I hope
Rob HQuote
April 12th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Hi all.
Can anyone tell me if it’s possible to record direct to an external hard drive or a USB flash drive. I have seen Freesat recievers called Technomate for about £50 and an external drive or USB flash drive can be connected to them. One of these in the bedroom would enable my wife to watch her recorded soaps without one of us(me) having to run up and down the stairs to change channels.
Thanks for any info or even better if anyone knows of an alternative to the “magic eye” that works with Sky boxes.
RonWQuote
April 19th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Hi ,is it possible to edit recorded programmes.I have a load recordings ie: Jules Holland, that i would love to edit to put together all MY best bits. Checked the
manual but no mention of it. Thanks—–Ian
IanQuote
April 26th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I’m considering buying the Humax PVR but the only problem is I live in a rented apartment with only one lNB connection with no possibility of altering the dish.
Is it worth my while paying out £235 for this system? Could someone outline what I won’t be albe to do with only one feed?
Thanks a million in advance!
ShellQuote
May 1st, 2010 at 7:12 pm
If I were to buy a new television with freesat built in would I be able to record 2 programmes at the same time on the Humax and simultaneously watch any other 3rd programme? If this is so, what type of dish would I require to fit?
Ron LeckieQuote
May 2nd, 2010 at 9:15 pm
for gordon & foxes. To check your firmware push menu then down to system then diagnostics. Your firmware will be shown (will be called ‘software version’). See my previous post further up this page (number 1006). You may have the early firmware that doesn’t update automatically so go to the humax website link and follow the instructions. Bbc iplayer needs the latest firmware it seems. And of course you will need your humax hdr connected to the internet to be able to use iplayer. Hope you get it sorted
SorethumbsQuote
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Ron i suggest you will need 3 cables into your room to maximise all of your setup – 2 feeds into the Humax box and 1 into your tv.
You will require a satellite dish with a quad lnb attached – are you looking to buy a dish or do you have one (old sky dish perhaps) – the LNB is the attachment to the dish that sticks out, like i said you need a ‘quad’ one, it has 4 sockets for attaching cables. This would leave you with 1 socket free if you wished to run a cable to another tv/freesat box in another room.
If you look at this post http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5596 and if you have microsoft excel you can download the file and it will show you what you watch and record at any one time with your Humax HDR – Having a freesat tv with its own cable would let you watch something completely different to whatever your recording on the Humax
sorethumbsQuote
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:07 pm
For Ron & Shell
I’ll try posting this again nothing showing up from last try.
Regarding what you can watch go here http://www.hummy.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5594
and if you have excel follow the link and download the document, it shows you what you can watch/record at same time if you have only 1 feed or dual feed.
Ron do you have a satellite dish already (left over from having sky perhaps) or are you looking to install one? For your set up you would need 3 cables from the dish, 1 for TV and 2 for the HDR, a ‘quad’ LNB would be needed (its the bit that sticks out from the dish, the quad has 4 sockets for 4 cables meaning you could run a 4th cable to elsewhere in the house if needed).
As the freesat tv would have its own cable you would be able to watch what you want on it and have the HDR doing its own thing recording whatever via its own 2 cables. Have a look at that link and see what the box can do, maybe save spending out on a freesat tv and just use the Humax box
sorethumbsQuote
May 8th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
This Box is a joy,not only does it record and record series ect the HD is perfect. I also have a colection of my fav music stored and can play it as easy as playing a recorded programe. I also record MOTD and can easily transfer it to my memory stick and tek it upstairs to watch on my pc wen the mrs and the kids are watching other stuff.Only gripe is no sky sports news or Dave but this is a service thing nowt to do with the BOX which in my opinion is flawless.
PS. there is a big gaping hole in the front looing like it is for a card.
Question: is there any plans to add top up tv or some subscription channels to the FREESAT service??
Lee GQuote
May 9th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I’ve had freesat for over a year now and am generally pretty happy with the way it works. The thing that annoys me the most is the scheduler and the fact that doesn’t seem to cope with changes to tv times made by the tv network. Set series link for hero’s on HD (chnl 108) and all went well until about episode 14/19 where it recorded the wrong program. Then the same thing happened again with the last 2 episodes, I’m guessing this was shown as a double episode and again it recorded another program instead of hero’s. This is a recurring problem with using the “record whole series” function. Also seems to randonly stop recording a series at any time as well, so you need to be continually checking the schedule to make sure the programme is still there.
GVXQuote
May 14th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
We recently were on holiday for 3 weeks and series that we had set to record did only do so for the first week, not in week 2 and 3. I thought this might have been due to the fact that the EPG only goes one week ahead and does update when the machine gets switched on, but then if it did record in week 1 why didn’t it download the EPG for the next weeks and record the series in week 2 and 3?
Anyone else experienced this, the box works fine otherwise allthough I struggle uploading jpg photos via USB as well, any ideas please?
ErikQuote
May 21st, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Just got the foxsat with two LNB cables so am i right in thinking that the twin tuners should be fully operational? This is not the case at the minute because the box is operating as if only one LNB cable was attached, eg its blocking some channels when recording and cant record two channels at once. The diagnostic screen shows 100% signal quality for both LNB feeds so its picking up both feeds. Is there some setting i need to change? has anyone else had this problem? perhaps its a problem with my particular box?
mikewilkinQuote
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:30 am
Did you originally setup with a single cable feed? If so, you’ll need to do a factory reset back to the initial setup procedure for it to recognise the second cable fully.
adminQuote
May 24th, 2010 at 1:48 am
How do I connect it to my pc? What cable do I need? Can I move recorded programmes to the pc?
JimQuote
June 4th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
My system is currently;
Foxsat HDR software v HPRSFCI 1.00.13, Loader v U7.50, update date 13 Jan 2010
Im trying to update the loader version to U7.53
I have followed the link in post 1006 to the letter but when I reboot it still shows version U7.50.
I have tried an automatic and manual update, but no new software is found
Has anyone got any solutions to my problem?
Thanks in advance
P McclureQuote
June 10th, 2010 at 11:50 am
I live on a boat and travel around england , would a foxsat be ok to tune to sat in diffrent locations, I know I need a double lnb dish and it would have to be small to use on the boat but would eny double dish do?
Thanks in advance
p.mellorQuote
June 10th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
P Mcclure
I don’t think the loader version makes any difference (may be wrong) your firmware is up to date so i wouldn’t worry its all fine
sorethumbsQuote
June 11th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
I am thinking of buying a Humax HDR. I want the Freeesat transmissions via one LNB with 2 cables. However, my wife also wants to also view the German channels on Astra1.
I have been told it is possible to switch to another sattelite by pressing a series of buttons on the remote after first tuning into the sattelite.
My question is! How easy is it to switch from 28E to 19E?
Thanks
Alan
A YatesQuote
June 11th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
PS. I forgot to mention I will add an extra LNB + cables.
A YatesQuote
June 12th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
O’dear, I realise if I want to record and play, there will need to be 2 cables for 28E and 2 cables for 19E. Not the 2 I firsy envisaged!
A YatesQuote
June 17th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
similar problem to mikewilken. i cannot record 2 at once. also it will not record if machine on standby. to record a channel 4 programme (say) the box has to be on and set to channel 4 which is quite restricting. this is my 2nd box (took the 1st one back) but still not sorted since january.
i would really appreciate help with this problem since the box is good in every other respect
john brownQuote
June 17th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Ref my earlier post 970. I have the Humax Foxsat and it works & records a treat.
I am now looking for a way to be able to view the signal on a second bedroom TV. Can anyone help please ?
I am considering a Sky magic Eye will it work ? Also can anyone tell me the make model of a sender unit that will work with the humax foxsat, thank you
KenQuote
June 18th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Hi Ken (1060)
I just purchased a video sender from Maplins (B63LW 5.8GHzCidSend ) I bought a B-Grade one for £40. Works great in upstairs bedroom – uses a scart connection to the second scart connection on foxsat box. Can change channels succesfully from other location. Had problems with previous digisender equipment (could get picture but not change channels). This new one works on a diff requency and should avoid interferance from microwaves etc. Recommended
RogerQuote
June 19th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Ref 1061,thank you for the reply Roger I will have a look at that item
at maplins
regarding using the SKY eye, (See 1060) can anyone give me a definate answer regarding can the SKY EYE be used to send a HUmax Freesat program to a TV in a second room ? thank you
KenQuote
June 19th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
A Sky magic eye is nothing more than a device for allowing the use of remote signals in another room; it doesn’t distribute the signal from a receiver to another room, an RF modulator and cable does that. The Freesat receivers were never spec’d with a RF modulator like on a Sky digibox, so you’ll need one of them connected via the SCART (video) and associated cables from there. Good units to look out for include the Triax Tri-link.
adminQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I have had a FoxSat box for two weeks.
Question/scenario:
You are watching channel A when a sheduled recording of channel B starts.
Then you decide to watch the recorded channel B from the start before the recording is complete. (seems reasonable!)
It seems you cannot do this. If you switch to watching channel B you cannot go back to the start of the program. The recorder will only let you go back to when you started watching channel B. After the scheduled program recording has finished you can watch the program from the start.
Ken WQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 4:33 pm
@Ken W
PVR receivers can only go back to when you started watching that particular channel. What you need to do instead is access the recording programme from within the planner and watch from the start, rather than trying to access the specific ‘live’ channel and rewinding.
adminQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for the reply. I tried both ways. If I go to “schedule” and see channel B listed (and showing it is still recording) then try to select with OK – no response. Is “schedule” what you mean by “planner”.
Ken WQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Yes, it should allow you to view whilst recording unless that is a restriction of the Humax; you might need to check with them or wait for a reply from someone using on a daily basis.
adminQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 8:39 pm
we bought our freesat + last november and it was great,we have an 8 way lnb which gives us sky + and normal free view in the bedrooms, so cool until we turned on our pvr which started to boot THEN …..HDD FORMATTING.We press yes and nothing?????so we did the GUIDE, HELP, GREEN, BLUE, GREEN…nothing So we tried the GUIDE, HELP, 1397 scrole to bottom of list and press yes….Fab it’s working, we switch it off then back on OH NO HDD FORMATTING AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
HeatherQuote
June 21st, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Can anyone tell me what the new ‘+’ Icon is on the epg? Does it mean that the programme is a repeat? The icon looks like a purple page with and large plus + on it.
JeffQuote
June 29th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Hi
Please can you tell me if the Humax FOXSAT-HDR have the magic eye capability like the sky+ box so i can watch in another room.
PaulQuote
June 29th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Does anyone know whether the Human 500 GB version is a later model (in terms of improved technology/reliability, etc.) than the Human 320 GB? I am thinking of buying the 500 GB version, especially if it is an improved model.
AnamikQuote
July 6th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
@Heather. Sorry
@Jeff. A plus one hour channel ?
@Paul. No Magic Eye & no RF Out
@Anamik. No its just the same as the 320GB version.
MattQuote
July 7th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Ah! Humax there like a 1st Division Football Team up and down.
Great spec on the system pity half of it is no use!
Awfull customer service!
Question why have two [2] usb connections and a cam slot?
Why are you running a Linux software i.e EXT3 file format
YOU CANT DOWNLOAD movies, music off the H/Drive cos it’s Linux
not sure if you can upload music, photos cos i’ve given up
DON’T buy this box!
Wish i’d stayed with sky then again………customer service, just cant win
Sreve GrayQuote
July 10th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Reply for Ken W (1064)
You can go to the Media Library and choose the programme from the library and play from the start.
SteveQuote
July 12th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
@1069 / Jeff : “[new programme guide] icon looks like a purple page with and large plus + on it.” – I noticed this a week or so ago and I think it relates to a ‘recommended programme set’.
When opting to record a programme with the ‘page/plus’ logo the options given are ‘Record Recommended’ / ‘Record Single Programme’ (rather than ‘Record Series’ / ‘Record Single Programme’) – I haven’t yet seen anything else turn up in the schedule (the ‘page/plus’ logo appeared against tonight’s Channel4 Dispatches documentary – so I am expecting similar documentaries to appear in my recording schedule.
camelCaseQuote
July 15th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I’ve trawled through the Foxsat HDR user manual (without success!) to try to find the meaning of symbols shown on the media list: e.g. G on the right side of the recorded item, a sheaf of papers symbol on the top line and a brown book in front of a recorded item.
Will somebody please tell me where to find the answers
KeithQuote
July 21st, 2010 at 6:31 am
I installed my receiver yesterday and all seemed fine. I set it up to record programmes on BBC1 and ITV1 HD using the series link and they recorderd ok. Tonight I noticed while recording on BBC1 when I tried to change channels to watch ITV 1 it jumped straight to channel 108 BBC HD and wouldn’t allow me to watch anything between channel 101 and 108 even though I was only recording BBC1.
Has anyone else experienced this?.
RonWQuote
July 28th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
RonW @1077 made me laugh — I have had humax for a couple of years now can’t believe this problem still exists
please please let me know if anyone know the answer. Maybe factory reset and re-loading/checking all settings is something this unit like any “computer” HD needs to keep it in sync.
Christine WQuote
July 29th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Sreve Gray @ 1073
You can download movies. The only things you can’t are recordings on HD channels (copy protected…don’t know how the Panasonics get around that).
If you stick a USB drive (maybe 8GB or 16GB) to the port on the front, even the manual will tell you how to download a movie to the flash drive. You can then copy to your PC & use VLC player to watch or convert to MPEG or whatever format you then wish it to be in.
I suggest you try reading the manual, or previous posts on this page covering the same topic BEFORE “dissing” Humax.
I expect $ky’s customer service is less than perfect at times, as you suggest, but then again you’re paying a cash premium for that service.
I know who I’d “diss” in those circumstances.
ChazzerQuote
July 29th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
AWESOME bit of kit… shame I cant take it to NZ with me when we move in 5 weeks time. Will miss it madly…
TrevQuote
August 4th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Hi Christine W
If you have stopped laughing maybe this reply I got from another site I subscribe to might help. It worked for me.
Go into the setup menu and press RED GREEN YELLOW BLUE GREEN YELLOW BLUE to get into one of the two secret menus.
Look at Antenna Setting – it should say Fixed Antenna
Look at Connection Type – it should say TWo Cables (same)
IF these are wrong exit and do a factory reset and look for the two cables found message.
To check full two cable working (you can try this first if you wish)
Goto 951 BBC1-Ci press the instant record button, now goto 108 – BBC-HD start a second nstant recording. Now check you can access and live pause any other channel.
RonWQuote
August 9th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hi, was wondering if anyone had come accross this problem.
I recently received the Humax HDR recorder. During the initial set up it was unable to detect any satellite signal. I followed the troubleshooting section of the manual which tells you to finish set up and check the signal strength of the 11428H 27500A transponder. This showed a signal strength/quality of 0. However all the other transponders showed up so when I did the manual scan on these transponders I found about 200 channels but seemed to be missing the BBC’s. I unplugged the Humax and plugged back in my old receiver – it picks up the BBC channles no problem. I phoned Humax technical support – they say there is liklely a problem with dish alignment – to be honest they didn’t seem that helpful. Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
Ollie McGlincheyQuote
August 15th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
The Humax fox sat with hard drive is brilliant, as is the Freesat system. I live in France (whoops, perhaps I shouldn’t have said that, so don’t tell Big Brother) and have 2 of these brilliant little boxes. I had the man in the other day to solve the problem of recording 2 channels at the same time. He did so it by blinding me with science (in French) about polarization, did something in the menu and Bob’s your uncle, it worked. I can now record without losing channels 101 through 108. He was amazed by the box, how technically advanced it is, how cheap and the simple fact that such devices exist. There’s nothing to compare with it in France, at least not for the same price.
So don’t knock it.
PS Does anyone know how a simple way to connect a hard drive that doesn’t require a PhD in IT, as the one in my Ist box is full, and I can’t bring myself to get rid of stuff.
Thanks
Stephen LewisQuote
August 18th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
My Foxsat HDR allows me to record two programmes at the same time, but if I’m recording one and try to watch another the screen goes black and a message appears telling me that there is a weak or no signal. Also a small clock symbol appears top left of screen which , I assume, is to inform me that recording is taking place. I think the twin co-ax must be correctly connected for me to be able to record two progs at once. Help please.
twinsbampy.Quote
August 28th, 2010 at 6:27 am
Just purchased this Foxsat-HDR. Has anyone got any ideas why manual tune can fine hundreds of channels, but freesat tune cannot find any? It is connected to a Sky mini-dish with a quad LNB. When set to non-freesat, the signal strength is 85% and quality is 50% for both tuners. When set to freesat mode these figures are usually 0%, but sometimes is will say 90% and 20% for 10 seconds before returning to 0%. I tried a factory reset, and noticed the connection type detected was a single cable. Through the hidden setup menu I changed this to 2 cables. Would I be right in thinking that either the dish is not pointing in the right direction, or the siginal strength is too weak? Any advise would be very welcome.
ColinBQuote
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Tried the method that Ron W suggested at 1081 (thanks Ron) but could not get into the secret menus. Anyhow did the check to see if I could record two channels at same time and I could but still could not watch certain channels.
So I did a factory reset – twice just to be sure and hey presto now I can watch any channel whilst recording another and also record 2 channels at the same time but that seems to depend which 2 channels So I am more than happy with that !
One other thing I find is that now and then something that I have programmed to record as part of a whole series fails to do so but then records next time its on – cant get my head round that one yet.
Christine WQuote
September 4th, 2010 at 9:15 am
For those like Christine W who are can only record 2 channels on certain groups of channels, then probably one of your 2 satellite feeds is not functioning correctly. The reason that you can record 2 at a time on some channels with only one functioning feed, is that up to around 8 channels are broadcast on the same frequency. If for instance you are tuned to BBC 1 and both BBC 3 and BBC 4 are on the same frequency, then the Humax box is able to record 2 of those channels, or record 1 and watch another. If however you record BBC 1 and try and watch or record ITV1 (which will be on a different frequency) then it will not work.
If you have 2 connected and functioning feeds then you can record channels from 2 different frequencies and you can watch a third channel if it is on one of the 2 frequencies that the box is recording off of. So for instance you might be able to record BBC 1 and ITV 1 and possibly watch BBC3 or ITV2, if they are on the same frrequency as either BBC1 or ITV1.
The box is brilliant by the way.
Cliff TQuote
September 5th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Can anyone help? We’ve had the Humax Foxat for a few months now, and it works great except that occasionally it doesn’t record! Sometimes it doesn’t record at all, particularly during the night, and other times it starts recording a pre set up recording once we turn the program to the channel we assumed was being recorded, ie part way through the programme or film ie it didn’t automatically change channel to record – this is all with the Humax on all the time as opposed to be left in standby mode – anyone else experienced this? and any advice greatly appreciated.
ChristieaQuote
September 6th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Apart from a couple of minor gripes – recording failures from time to time and no indication on recording schedule of subsequent consecutive programs on the same channel – this machine does everything I ever wanted for Christmas!!
In reply to 1083 Stephen Lewis and as a fellow ‘payson’ in France there is no problem with fitting a larger(1 or 1.5 TB) into the Foxsat HDR. No PhD in IT or anything else required – just a screwdriver. Bear in mind that this will invalidate your guarantee and a simpler solution(allowed by your guarantee) is to connect outside HDDs to your USBs on the box. These will also serve as back-up just in case(heaven forbid!) your box suffers a brain heamorrhage one dark night!
I have presently a USB hub on my back port with a 320 G0 and a 1 TB connected – works like a charm – 320 is 97% full and the TB 72% full – my box HDD is on 67%. Guess I’ll have to buy another one shortly. I use the f’ront port for USB sticks in or out. Apparently one can have a four-way hub on front and back ports with a 1TB in each thus providing 8 TBs of recording – plus the box HDD of whatever!!!. When one is full you just disconnect, store it and buy another! That should satisfy even the most avid collector until the newer model with newer gadgets comes on the market
PS. Why doesn’t the Humax get with it and allow one to set European time like all other self-respecting STBs?
MichelCQuote
September 8th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
I have had a Freesat Humax PVR for 6 months. I can record 2 programmes at once no problem. But often, if I have scheduled a programme to record and I then try to switch it on to watch a different channel (or even the same one), instead of the usual 10 seconds of ‘BOOT’ displayed on the TV screen followed by normal functioning, it simply says on screen that there’s ‘no signal’. The box itself displays channel info but nothing will display on screen. As soon as the recording finishes it becomes fully functional again. Anyone else had this? Got a solution?
rinkydink74Quote
September 10th, 2010 at 7:49 am
September 14th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I am thinking of buying one this week just one question has anyone tried iPlayer on the Humax? Is it easy enough to set up ? I take it that is what the Ethernet connection is for.
Rick JQuote
September 16th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Just bought a Humax Foxsat-HDR Freesat+320GB HD Digital TV Twin Tuner HD Recorder from Amazon but there is nowhere to plug one’s Skycard in. It says in the manual that a Common Interface (CI) is needed for this. Can anyone tell me where I can get one of these? I’ve looked on the net but so far I’ve not seen anything that makes any sense. I’m not sure I know what I’m looking for.
Alan PhelanQuote
September 17th, 2010 at 6:37 am
in reply to alan phelen ,it freesat not S?Y
you cant use you card it dont work
garybQuote
September 17th, 2010 at 6:39 am
to rick j ,iplayer good works well and yes thats what ethernet is for ,(faster your internet the better)
garybQuote
September 17th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
@Alan P. In the past it was possible to watch Sky via a HDR using a CAM & the right software. But the new sky cards stopped this. It may still be possible but you would be far better off just getting a second hand plus+ box and using that or subscribing :0 . You would have to put the card back in a working sky box from time to time anyway or sky would cancel it.
MattQuote
September 17th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
It’s good news that Humax have said an update will (soon hopefully) let us record the Buffer. I thought I would have to get the next HDR to do that. Also the the powercut problem should also be fixed, where the box does not wake up to record after a powercut if it’s been in standby.
MattQuote
September 18th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Humax Foxsat-HDR working brilliantly but we cannot get BBC iplayer without our phone line disconnecting or text only.
All we have is one wireless router for broadband with ethernet cable, one main cordless phone with ethernet cable and one cordless phone (not connected to any telephone line. When we connect the one end of the ethernet cable into the ethernet port on the back of our Humax freesat box and then go to BBC One and press the red button it states wait then defaults to text. What next as we have not found anything useful on the BBC ipayer site?
Judy CornerQuote
September 18th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
any reply please…item 1098
Judy CornerQuote
September 20th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Hi, I’m thinking of getting one of these, but was wondering whether it’s possible to connect the box to the internet wirelessly, and what my options are for doing this. My router is upstairs and this will be downstairs and so it’s not possible for me to connect it through a wired connection.
Thanks for your help.
KieranQuote
September 20th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
@Kieran
Homeplugs would be your best option
adminQuote
September 20th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Kieran 1100
Yes homeplugs would be the best option but the plug socket upstairs and the socket downstairs MUST be on the same ring main wired circuit. Some modern houses have separate ring mains for upstairs and downstairs or in the case of my house front and rear ring main circuits
P McclureQuote
October 4th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Any reply to Judy Corner ? I would be interested as well.
RickQuote
October 4th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
£179.00 direct from Humax! +£6 P&P
http://humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10076
karlos1966Quote
October 4th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Second hand just in case anyone misses it though.
adminQuote
October 5th, 2010 at 9:16 am
I guess a lot of people will miss the fact that “GRADE A” in (Humax terms) actually means second hand/recon etc.
MattQuote
October 6th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Not to sure if this has been asked before but
I’m trying to clean up the hard drive. If I go into file manager and try to delete a file i get the following message ” cannot delete file due to file restrictions”. The file then disappears but when i reset the box and go into file manager the file is still there.
Anyone got any ideas on how to delete the files permanently?
P mccclureQuote
October 6th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
@ P mccclure
If you want to delete all recordings from the hard drive, then you can do a hard drive format by following this method of accessing the hidden menu:
Menu > System > Diagnostics > Red > Green > Yellow > Blue > Green > Yellow > Blue >
You will essentially start from the beginning though, entering your postcode etc.
adminQuote
October 9th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Thinking about buying out first freesat plus, do we wait for new version out in mid nov.or should we buy one of version off shelf now,being used in france,thanks
s coldwellQuote
October 9th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
The new version isn’t due for release until some time in 2011; not this year.
adminQuote
October 10th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I purchased my Foxsat-HDR when it was first released in 2008. In my opinion it is a fantastic PVR in every way. However, recently I purchased a Panasonic FZ45 digital camera and find that the JPEG files will not display when transferred to the hard disc of the recorder. Files from my other cameras display with no problems. Has anyone come accross this problem? Thanks.
SteveQuote
October 12th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Steve: I have a Pan FZ50, I can get the photos on the humax but they look awful (really awful) & any video will not play. Other cams have worked fine.
MattQuote
October 13th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Matt: thanks for your response. I have got around the problem by re-saving each file as a JPEG in Photoshop Elements. Once this is done they display on the Foxsat HDR in the normal way. But of course this is a very laborious exercise and potentially reduces the image quality! I contacted both Humex and Panasonic who have not heard of the problem and could offer no advice. There is obviously something different with the JPEG produced by the FZ45 which is not handled by the Humax recorder. Files from my TZ7 work fine!
SteveQuote
October 14th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Further to the above I have used the “process multiple file facility” in Photoshop Elements 8 Editor to re-save (JPEG high quality) all files from the FZ45 in one go. When transferred to the Humax HDD they now play back perfectly. This solves the problem but does not answer why the JPEG files do not work straight out of the FZ45.
SteveQuote
October 15th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
can you delete all programs at once or do you have to do it one by one?
john brownQuote
October 18th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I find the remote control very unresponsive does any one else have that problem
ChrisQuote
October 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
No
Ollie McGlincheyQuote
October 24th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
I miss dave..
i am trying to escape from sky and have got one of these to replace a sky+. I knew it wouldn’t have all the same channels but want to know is there anyway I can attach a freeview box leaving and it on a channel I want and then setting the humax up to record it? I’m assuming not but this seems the place to ask.
Thanks
barryQuote
October 25th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
When pausing programmes, I get subtitles when playing back. Only occurs when pausing. I have latest update 1.00.13 and loader version u 7.51. Please can you advise on how to get subtitles off paused programmes. Thought it would be resolved in 1.00.13?
PaulQuote
October 25th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
@1119 I’m pleased someone else has raised this! It happens to me as well. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.
SussexdanQuote
October 26th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Paul & Dan. This might help you.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1372572
I only get them on the BBC News channel after a pause .
MattQuote
October 26th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Cheers for the heads up Matt. Thank goodness I now know the term for “chase Playback”. I didn’t know how to describe it before. This link exactly describes what happens to me. So…… I problem without a fix for now. But lets face it – it’s really not a big deal. Thanks again Matt.
SussexdanQuote
October 26th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Thanks Matt. Agree not s big problem, let’s hope it gets fixed in the next update.
PaulQuote
October 29th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I have found that going to the program guide and back turns off the subtitles when this happens.
HTH
Nic
Nic65535Quote
October 29th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Thanks Nic65535, I’ll give it a go next time this situation occurs.
SussexdanQuote
October 31st, 2010 at 10:24 am
I have a FOXSAT-HDR and I cannot watch most other channels when I am recording a program. When recording BBC1 I cannot watch ITV but I can watch BBC2. When recording ITV I cannot watch BBC.
I have connected both LNB1 & 2 input to a four port LNB on my dish and both cables seem fine (I can receive channels when either on its own is connected to LNB input 1). The system allows me to record BBC1 and BBC2 at the same time.
On the Diagnostics screen it shows both Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 connected both with Strength 90% and Quality 50%.
OwainQuote
October 31st, 2010 at 11:02 am
@Owain
If you originally set the receiver up with just one satellite cable, you’ll need to do a factory reset for it to fully recognise the second input.
adminQuote
November 1st, 2010 at 8:29 pm
I purchased a FoxSat HDR 300GB 13 months ago and it has been absolutely fantastic, easy to use, and so much better than VHS tapes.
However, when it suddenly failed, with warnings of no-signal, and following a short email to the Humax service dep’t, they sent a courier to collect the old receiver and exchange it for an apparently brand new one which the courier brought with him.
I was back on-air within minutes, but unfortunately had lost some hours of recordings on the old hard disk.
I cannot praise the staff at Humax enough, their service is absolutely fantastic, and a credit to all concerned. Thank you so much for your prompt response, and I would certainly recommend Humax to anyone.
MalcolmQuote
November 9th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I have the box since November 2008 and can honestly say its great with one exception. The Remote ! or rather the box receiving signals from the remote. Has anyone managed to get round this problem. Now that the box is out of warranty I am considering removing the plastic cover over the IR sensor to see if it makes a difference. Has anyone else resolved the problem.
David MilneQuote
November 9th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
@David Milne
The unit is fairly directional, which means you need to be facing it directly at the receiver to get the signal across, but one thing to make sure you do is remove BOTH plastic films from the front. The first is on the front facia, the second is on the small plastic screen within the front flap; it is hard to see, but is there.
adminQuote
November 10th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Thanks Admin,
But I removed both films within a week of getting the box but I still think the box is terrible at getting signals from the remote.
David MilneQuote
November 10th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I bought the FOXSAT-HDR 500GB direct from Humax for £279 – bargain! It’s taken a while to get used to the layout of the box and getting used to the various different terms such as reservations and file manager (years of being corrupted by SKY+!) – but deffo my best buy to date!
Ricardo LMQuote
November 11th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
I have just purchased a Panasonic TV with Freesat HD built in. I am considering purchasing the Humax Freesat PVR. Should it work OK?
StuartQuote
November 17th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hi I have bought a new remote from a seller on ebay which may be a mistake. I have tried to programme the remote to control my TV but although I have followed the instructions from the manual I cannot get the remote to recognise any codes and do not get the 2 flashes or 3 flashes when entering new codes. Also my old remote does not appear to accept codes anymore to change TV and Audio devices but does keep the original codes.
Has anyone any ideas? I may be missing something but have tried to 2 nights to program the remote and also contact Humax tech for help but without any success or reply.
David MilneQuote
November 17th, 2010 at 11:24 am
@David Milne
Not sure about coding the remote, but on your old remote, have you tried pressing the PVR input button at the top, as your remote may have selected another input which is why it isn’t working your HDR anymore. Also try removing the batteries, holding down any button for a minute to dispell any charge left in the capacitors and then try again.
It seems the only way to get any help from Humax is to call them; their ability to respond to emails is shocking!
adminQuote
November 28th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Hi ,
I’m hoping to buy one of these foxsat units in the near future and have read a lot of post regarding said unit At the moment I’m using Sky freeview with a single lnb cable , I understand that it needs 2 cables to operate properly but will I need another satelite dish or can the one I have be repositioned ? Sorry if this question has been asked before, only haven’t found the answer so far
.
thanks delboy
delboyQuote
November 28th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
@ Delboy
Just pop one of these http://www.satbuyer.co.uk/sky-freesat-quad-lnb-p6.html on your Sky dish and run an extra cable in to the house. You may find the extra weight of the Quad LNB and cable pull the dish down a bit, so a small adjustment back up may be needed.
Both Sky and Freesat use the same group of satellites, so it is already in the right position.
MattQuote
November 28th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Re: GrayS message #606 april 6th 2009, regarding freesat not showing an image when comes off standby if recording or recording scheduled. I have the same problem. Is this a feature or a fault? I have tried to read most of the messages, is this answered?
The only 2 ways I have managed to get image back is by unplugging then reconnecting HDMI lead (is this dangerous? ) or waiting for the scheduled recording to finish. PAIN.
Tried pressing ‘source’ buton several times but does not work. Any ideas?
kezzyQuote
November 29th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the link to the satbuyer site looks like I won’t need to buy a new dish after all. If a rotator is fitted to the dish is it possible to recieve more stations or is the foxsat only up for recieving sgnals from that satelite ?
Thanks for your Help
delboy
delboyQuote
November 29th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
kezzy, that is definitely not a feature. Maybe the digspy freesat+ forum can help you. Some TV’s do have a problem with the HDR via HDMI.
Hi delboy,
I have never got in to the DiSEqC thing with the HDR.
But this link should help you out http://foxsat.wikispaces.com/Non-Freesat+channels
MattQuote
November 30th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
December 1st, 2010 at 1:24 pm
brilliant machine had one since Oct 2009 – highly highly recommended buy one!
Mike BannisterQuote
December 2nd, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Normally watch bbc iplayer via my playstation 3, but its not working, so now watching via the bbc iplayer beta via the Humax.
What a difference. It took ages to find and load a program, and the picture quality is absolute rubbish.
Cant wait to get my ps3 back
P McclureQuote
December 3rd, 2010 at 6:10 pm
just received the humax freesat plus box …. highly recommend it , i find the non freesat channels even better than i thought they would be because the can be moved around and set up just how i want them ( around 300 channels found ) some deleted ! the rest set to my liking didnt find channels 4 or 5 though ( 4 +1 is there ) just trying the record function while watching a different channel …….. love it
tommQuote
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Following on from my previous post, if I leave the ethernet cable in the back when the system boots from standby it “hangs” in the boot process and wont go any further.
Anyone else have this problem?
P McclureQuote
December 6th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Love my Humax Foxsat-HDR, however I do have an issue when viewing BBC iplayer, sometimes the box re-boots while watching/fast forwarding a programme.
Anyone had this issue? and/or have a solution?
scotstartQuote
December 8th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Our Humax Freesat recorder is without doubt the most frustrating electronic item we have in our household. The problems we have with it are:
1. It takes ages to BOOT up correctly – 4mins+ and will only do so only after the TV has been on for about 2 to 3 mins.
2. The Media menu doesn’t always appear when selected
3. If programmed to record something the screen will go blank whilst it thinks about recording that item. After about 10 seconds the live screen re-appears. In the middle of watching another program that is not good.
4. The Pause button makes the machine go to sleep after a little while so that Play doesn’t always work. That it ridiculously sloppy software coding and should be corrected.
The good points:
1. The playback quality in HD is excellent
2. The total HDD capacity at 320GB is OK and manageable
In short the Humax recorder has too many sloppy elements to its operating software. We bought ours in 2008 and have always had issues with it from day one.
By comparison to a Sky box our Humax recorder is a nightmare to work. I can now understand why people are prepared to pay for Sky. More channels and a far better recorder. I realise that Humax make Sky recorders but my guess is that for Sky they do a decent job but for their own product they are sloppy as they know that they sell them one by one instead of en-masse to Sky.
P E A BakerQuote
December 11th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
@ P E A Baker
Either your Dish setup, TV or HDR are faulty, it sounds like you need to swap your HDR for another one to see if that is faulty. If you were to read some of the 1000 plus posts on here you will see that 4 minutes to do this and 10 minutes to do that is not normal.
I have a 1Tb drive in mine and it boots in Less than 30 seconds, and does everything else flawlessly.
Obviously you are not that savvy when it comes to PVR’s putting up with a faulty box that long :0
Please go back to using your fantasic Sky Plus box and if in the future you buy another PVR ( ie, not given one with a contract) please go on a forum a bit quicker to find out if it’s working normally.
PS The remote on the HDR is a bit rubbish why didn’t you mention that ?
MattQuote
December 13th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
@ Matt
You have a 1Tb drive in yours? How easy was it to swap? Did it work straight away after the swap? What drive did you put in it?
Thanks
JeffQuote
December 14th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Hi Jeff,
It’s really easy to to put in a 1Tb, it then will format it when you switch it back on. You can’t (easily) put a drive in bigger than 1Tb, it will not auto format. I put a Western Digital Drive in replacing a Seagate Pipeline. Find a AV/PVR drive.
Here is a how to http://foxsatdisk.wikispaces.com/Simple+HDD+swap it’s also got some suitable HDD’s .
MattQuote
December 16th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Thinking of purchasing a Humax Foxsat HDR after Xmas. I’ve read most of the posts here and gleaned some very useful info, thanks to all. A couple of questions or topics not flly covered here.
1. Can I attach a 2TB ext HD to the USB port of the HDR and will it require to format it.
2. Will I be able to load files from my PC onto this drive which can be read by the HDR.
Many thanks in advance.
RonnieRingoQuote
December 17th, 2010 at 8:48 am
@Ronnie I was hoping someone else would answer this as I don’t do either.
1. Yes, but it will have a file size limit, to copy a HD film you will need to format the drive to Ex3 via a computer.
2. Yes this is possible, but you will need to convert the files. But I can’t give you a link to the software as Hummy.org is down.
MattQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Also this should help http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=199
Personally I would keep to a 1Tb and get the HDR to format it, then put it in a caddy.
MattQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Many thanks Matt,I was looking to create a media library, music, pics and video. Will read the threads and also see if there are other player/recorders out there that are a little more flexible. Many thanks again.
RonnieringoQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
hi wy dont the remote work from the side just s small bit, you have 2b in a direct line for it to work right,some say pull the flap down but y should i, it is so frustrating ….
royQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Can’t quite understand what you are saying (text speak!) but make sure you remove both layers of protective film from both perspects pieces, this will help. The unit is a little too directional though.
adminQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
The main problem is the weak signal coming from the supplied Humax Remote, after replacing it with a Logitech harmony it will now work from almost any angle. Leaving the front cover open may also help.
MattQuote
December 19th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Roy, I have just seen that you already mentioned pulling the front flap down, anyway mine works perfectly now I have a better remote and the front flap stays up.
MattQuote
December 20th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I bought the HDR earlier this year, before iPlayer was available. Can anyone tell me if the internet connection can be via a wireless connector into the USB port rather than the ethernet port? This would be a simpler option than using homeplug adapters from my hub.
AndyQuote
December 20th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Sorry Andy that’s not possible.
MattQuote
December 24th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Just got my Humax PVR a couple of weeks ago. It’s great !!!
Hung a couple of times but in the main no probs.
I have a 1.5Tib external drive which I formatted using Linux (Ubuntu – all free) to EXT3.
I have been able to copy enc HD files no probs between the HDR and my external drive. Andy, it’s worth investing in the home adapters if you want iPlayer and other on demand stuff.
I think the seeling point for all of this is its simplicity when installing. Off to try one of those hidden menus I’ve just seen.
Regards. Mike and a happy Xmas to all.
MikerQuote
December 30th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Hi
Great forum with lots of good advice, now I’m quite good with technology – or so I thought!!!! Now – this Bl***y file manager, how does it work? I( created two folders, one for the wife and one for me, can you record straight into folders or do you have to record something and then move it in?? Now the folders are there I can’t seem to delete them? any good tips on managing the file manager.
Thanks in advance
Paul.
PauleQuote
December 30th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Admin 1156 thanks for that. After struggling with an unresponsive unit for 12 monthsw I have removed the protective film and it now works perfectly.
kevinMQuote
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:58 am
@62 Paule,
I found the file manager a bit complicated as well to start with.
No you can’t record directly in to a folder you have made (unless you edit the name of a series link folder)
Open up the folder you have made on the left side then go to the right hand side and select what you want to move, then press Green. It should then move to the right side. You can even have a folder in a folder if you want.
Folders you have created can only be deleted in the file manager, if you are having trouble deleting one them, move a watched program in to it then delete the whole folder (I do this on the left) .
Sorry for the delay, bad head.
MattQuote
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Sorry the moved folder should move to left side, you can also do a few extra things in edit mode.
MattQuote
January 2nd, 2011 at 5:39 pm
REPLY TO 1145 P MCCLURE
YEP, I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. VERY ANNOYING INDEED. I TRIED MANUALLY LOADING THE LATEST SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS, WHICH I’VE DONE SUCCESFFULY, BUT NO JOY. AFTER I HAVE ATTACHED ETHERNET CABLE FROM ROUTER TO THE FRESSAT HDR PVR, I CAN WATCH IPLAYER. HOWEVER, ONCE I TURN THE PVR OFF, IT WON’T BOOT UP WITH THE ETHERNET CABLE IN. I HAVE TO UNPLUG IT, THEN TURN OFF THE BOX AT THE BACK – VERY, VERY ANNOYING. PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE HAS FOUNDA SOLUTION TO THIS – HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THE FORUMS AND FOUND NO SOLUTION!! HELP!!
alexQuote
January 2nd, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Alex 1166
No still waiting for a solution. I thought I was the only one with this problem. My previous posts (sorry can’t remember the post no) also mention a problem with the loader software. Again it seems I’m the only one with this problem
P McclureQuote
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Post was 1053
P McclureQuote
January 3rd, 2011 at 6:09 pm
1168 P Mcclure
Yep, exactly the same problem with my Loader too.
I was going to take it back to John Lewis, but the invoice has been destroyed by water….great….might try and call Humax and see if I can get hold of anyone..see if you can too and we’ll let each other know
alexQuote
January 5th, 2011 at 11:39 am
Problems recording one channel whilst watching another
Although we have 2 ariel leads into the box (I have checked these and the connections appear secure), When recording one program, we find that some other channels are unavailable (“LNB Short” is displayed) and, where we can access another channel, the picture quality is very poor with intermittant large pixelation blocks. If we have pre set the recorder to come on, whilst watching a different channel, the poor picture quality is recorded on to the hard disc but the program we are watching retains good picture quality.
Please can any one explain what I am doing wrong – or how to sort this out.
CharlesQuote
January 6th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Thanks Matt, I have now managed to delete the folders by placing a watched program in and then deleting. I still think the file manager could be more intuitive in it’s use.
PauleQuote
January 7th, 2011 at 11:20 am
Charles @1170
Maybe your Humax is telling you that you have a Short in one of your cables. This could be just water getting in to it somewhere. Remove one and swap them around to find out which one it is. The problem could also be water in your LNB, I have had this before and after taking it apart drying it and resealing, it has worked fine.
MattQuote
January 11th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Have used GParted Live to format a USB disc drive to EXT3 but the Foxsat PVR tells me it is in the wrong format. Have a FAT32 drive attached which connects happily but want to save files over the 4GB limit. Works fine when I use the software to format a USB flash drive but an expensive way to go. Any advice would be appreciated. Otherwise very happy with all aspects of the Humax.
JohnQuote
January 11th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
P MCCLURE I HAVE A SOLUTION!!!
I CALLED HUMAX AND I’VE GOT TO SAY I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THEIR SERVICE. THEY SAID THEY’D LOOK INTO IT AND EMAIL ME BACK. THE SOLUTION – I SIMPLY TURNED OFF MY ROUTER, THEN PLUGGED IN THE ETHERNET CABLE. THEN TURNED THE ROUTER BACK ON. I CAN NOW WATCH IPLAYER NO PROBLEMS, LEAVE THE ETHERNET CABLE IN, TURN OFF THE HUMAX….AND….WAIT FOR IT…TURN IT BACK ON WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS….IT EVEN SEEMS TO TURN ON REALLY FAST NOW?!?! ALL IN ALL, PROBLEM SOLVED (AT LEAST FOR NOW!). ALL THE BEST, ALEX
alexQuote
January 12th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
If you find (like i have) that the remote does’nt have a very wide angle of response,try leaving the front flap down,ive found this greatly improves the response of the r.c if you’re not directly in front of the unit (im guessing the cutout in the front flap is a little small)
mikeQuote
January 16th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Alex 1174
Didn’t work for me. It still “hangs’ at the boot stage. Good job I got my ps3 repaired to watch bbc i player (and 4OD AND itv player)
P McclureQuote
January 17th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
I’ve had my Foxsat HDR for 2 years now & still think it’s an amazing box. It does everything I want, & I really cannot fault its operation. The picture quality on ITV used to be a bit soft, but now with ITVHD it’s brilliant, even when it.s being upscaled it’s still excellent.
Of course nothing is perfect. & my one gripe has to be with the remote control, which is just not up to the job (& yes I have peeled off the 2 bits of plastic film).
My problem was solved 2 weeks ago when I bought (£15) a One For All URC-7130 Essence 3 Remote control. It was easy to set up with the main functions, & one phone call to the helpline & they send you a list of codes for every button on your original remote. It will operate 3 devices & is now completely controlling my Humax & TV & DVD recorder. The angle for operation is good & all the buttons have got a nice positive feel when pressed, & it is actually slightly smaller than the original remote.
It has made all the difference to my viewing pleasure & I can highly recommend it. If you do decide to buy this remote, and you are looking for your initial code, you will find several for Humax. The code for the Foxsat HDR is 2443.
I have found this forum extremely helpful over the last 2 years so many thanks must go to Admin.
Happy Freesat viewing.
DabberQuote
January 17th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
I have a freesat fox and it is very good, recommend it. I have some films stored On the media store., I want to be able to take them of the freesat box and put it on a usb stick and then play them on a lap top.
1 can this be done, i have limited knowledge computors.
2 what size will i need
3 can it be any make?
kjQuote
January 18th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
1178, please note comments at 1079.
As you will see from other answers on this thread, max file size you can download to usb will be 4GB.
ChazzerQuote
January 19th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Hi all. After all the the great reviews and my sky box breaking down I decided to bite the bullet and buy a foxsat hdr. Got it for a great price from Richer sounds. Was advertised on website for £214.95. I joined their VIP club (just a few details and email address, no fee) and got a £10 voucher off. I also got there 5 year no questions asked swap out insurance for £20. I rang around a few stores and finally found a one at the Chelsea branch. The guy on the phone said that he had 3 used. He went off to the store rooms. Came back on to the phone and said actually one was new so I went and picked it up. Now here’s the thing. I reckon they may have either been mistaken and that in fact it had already been opened and used. The remote etc were all still in a sealed bag but when I switched the box on it did not go to the setup page and there was also a london based post code input in the settings. Also, it only came with a quick start guide. Should there also be a full manual in the box? Can someone confirm for me, have I been sold an old box?
Now, I think there might be a few problems with it as well. I wanted to check if these are known or have I got a dodgy box:
1) I’ve looked on lots of forums etc and understand the known problems, but when I open up the epg it completely hangs every time without fail. This with pressing no buttons at all, just opening it up and leaving it (it’s been up for about 10 mins now and still says “receiving programme info” in top right). I’ve had the box up and running for 24 hours. I know there’s the schedule/red button work around but I figure the guide should really work better than this.
2) BBCiplayer is very, very slow. You have to wait at least a good 30sec (often moere) for each new page to load. Is this normal? My internet connection is not great, about 1.7mb.
3) Other than these two problems I think the box is great. The sd picture quality is amazing!
OAQuote
January 19th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Hi, I’ve found another problem. I know it’s only a beta but I’ve been having a look at the ITV player. When I try and play anything I get the message ‘A problem has occurred with the video service. Press back to return to menu. Press EXIT to restart. (50070). Any ideas?
OAQuote
January 22nd, 2011 at 7:55 pm
My 320gb hdr works well and all seems to be well made. I have had four different freeview PVR’s and none were as good as this.
If your remote seems slow pull down the front flap and make sure the plastic film has been removed from the display on the inside as well as the outside.
joeQuote
January 23rd, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Hi. The remote works fine. The entire system locks up if you go to the guide.
OAQuote
January 24th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
I’d be very inclined to believe they’ve been ‘mistaken’ and sold you a second hand box.
Mine came with a FULL manual and the setup automatically started on first boot, and it definately never had someone else’s post code in it.
iPlayer is a little slow yes, not sure if it’s 30 seconds but it is slow.
My EPG doesn’t hang.
In short I’d take it back for a refund for sure.
TimQuote
January 26th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Thanks Tim. Richer sounds have been very apologetic and are more than willing to do a straight swap. Just checked epg and still hangs and requires a reboot. I think iplayer is slow because of my internet connection. I have to say, having had the box for a week even with the problems I’m a serious convert. By by sky! Thanks for your help.
OAQuote
January 27th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Good call OA, had our box 18 months now and never had any major problems.Richer Sounds are a decent outfit.Cant believe people are willing to pay money to sky or cable companies.All the best with your Humax.
rogerQuote
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 am
I bought this just before Christmas 2010.
I am very impressed with the device and have recommended it to many friends, who want to see the back of Sky.
I have two LNB feeds and have added an Ethernet Wireless bridge (£60) so I can link to my BT Home Hub. This works so well and I have now got BBC iPlayer (ch 901) working as well.
The only issue I have, is that I cannot seem to get a LNB signal out of the LNB out connector to feed another (non recording) humax box in one of the bedrooms. Can anyone advise on what status the box must be in to output the LNB signal? Regards
BrianQuote
February 7th, 2011 at 9:19 am
Brian @ above,
The LNB output is really only for single cable users.
“Fortunately the Humax FOXSAT-HDR has a solution, (for single cable users) and whilst it won’t give you the ultimate flexibility of two inputs/cables, it’s certainly a step forward. Humax have included for 2 inputs and 1 output on their PVR receiver, which means that with the correct set up you can at least record one channel whilst watching another, providing it’s sharing the same polarity.
All you need to do is connect up your cable from the satellite dish to input 1, then using a small length of cable with f-plugs on both ends, connect up input 2 to output 1. That’s it.”
See http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/faqs/how-to/operating-a-pvr-with-one-input
MattQuote
February 8th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
For those that are looking to add functionality to their Humax (like I have been since day 1) and are interested in FTP, Telnet and now Samba – see:
The initial forum thread (no samba): http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1391484-foxsat-hdr-ftp-telnet-working.html
The newer thread (with Samba):
http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1407447-media-file-server-bundle-foxsat-hdr.html
[Thanks to mogie and raydon from AVForums!]
SiQuote
February 15th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Can anyone please help me with my recently bought Foxsat-HDR? Am I correct in thinking that the only way to switch between Freesat and non-freesat channels is via the main menu (menu/settings/STB mode) or is there a more direct way?
This does seem a bit long winded, as my previous Freesat receiver (a Goodmans GFSAT 100SD) had a dedicated button on the remote which simply switched between the two modes.
Thanks in anticipation of any assistance.
John HerefordQuote
February 16th, 2011 at 9:37 am
Yes that is the only way John, I agree they could of made it a lot simpler. But then it is a Freesat Box and it’s not that great in non-freesat mode anyway.
MattQuote
February 16th, 2011 at 9:43 am
1191. Matt: Many thanks for your reply – at least I now know that I am not doing anything wrong!
John HerefordQuote
February 16th, 2011 at 10:01 am
Have installed a foxsat-hdr and using it with a 6 year Panasonic TV the picture quality is really excellent, but have quite a strong buzz on sound through the TV.
Did upgrade to a slightly better scart lead, would one of the really expensive ones solve the problem. Have tried to ensure that all the connections are sound and tight. Thanks
Mike BQuote
February 17th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I swapped out my now defunct Sky + Box with the Foxsat HDR when I dumped my sky subscription. Great box, let down only by the Very Poor USB Support as most USB Sticks and external USB Drives are not recognised by the box, so its almost impossible to Archive recordings.
Michael HudstonQuote
February 17th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
@ Mike B,
I wouldn’t of thought a more expensive scart lead would make any difference. Something else must be at fault.
MattQuote
February 17th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
@Michael Hudston
I didn’t have any problem with archiving as I put in a 1Tb drive after a year. A friend of mine was having problems because of the file size limit, so I recently formatted two new Tb drives using my HDR. One for them and one for me. Problem solved and I now have 2.3 Tb of space for archiving.
If you don’t want to do this then get the FTP working (see above) and transfer files direct to your computer or work out how to format your drive in Ex3 Linux via your computer.
MattQuote
February 17th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
Alex@1174 and others
I bought an ASUS PL-X32 200 Mbps HomePlug kit from box.co.uk fpr £40.99 inc delivery. (Reach further than the integral plug sort as they have leads). Last night I plugged one into the router whilst it was on and the other into the Humax. I was worried that they weren’t working as the ‘detect’ lights weren’t on but when I booted the Humax, iPlayer worked fine. Having watched a few parts of programmes I turned the boxes off. This evening I switched the boxes on, then booted the Humax. iPlayer wouldn’t work as no Internet was detected. I turned one box off and back on again and all was OK again.
John SQuote
February 18th, 2011 at 8:55 am
Matt @ 1196
Are you saying that the FOXSAT-HDR can format an external TB drive to Linux via menu settings, instead of having to format via PC? I am aware the Freeview HD Humax HD FOX T2, via a software upgrade late last year (enabling a storage drive), is able to do so, but was not aware that the FOXSAT-HDR could.
No problem archiving HD recordings?
ChazzerQuote
February 18th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I have used the FOXSAT-HDR for 2 years now and have found very little problems.
iPlayer works fine, BUT I do have 6.6MB speed and have made sure I have an ethernet cable from the router direct to the box. I don’t rely on Wireless connections.
Only real problem my machine has is Pause Live TV doesn’t work. If you pause, on resumption of play, subtitles appear, then you can’t get rid of them. So does anyone using a box bought recently have this problem? If not then it may only be a problem with older machines. Humax keep promising to release an update but haven’t so far.
BillQuote
February 18th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@ Chazzer,
It would of been nice if the HDR could format an Ex HDD via USB, but your right it can’t.
All I did is disconnect everything from the HDR except the HDMI lead. Took the cover off it, unplugged the TB drive I already had in there and plugged in one of the new 1 TB drives that needed formatting.
I just left the drive on the side of the box and I didn’t bother putting the cover back on. Plugged the box back in to the mains and switched it and the TV on, 10min later I had a new drive for archiving. I already had a dock for the old 320Gb, which I can also put the new drive into. If anyone does this remember to reduce the size of the photo/music partition down to 1Gb.
You could remove a 1TB HDD from a Ex drive get the HDR to format it as above and then put it back in its housing. Buying a new drive and a cheap housing for it is probably cheaper.
Anyway for me this was a lot safer and quicker than learning how to do a Linux Ex3 format via a PC. You are of course limited to a maximum of 1TB doing it this way.
All HD recordings except ITV can then be archived. Unless you recorded them in non-Freesat mode after doing a reboot, then they will not have any encryption.
I did wait a year before invalidating the 2 year warranty.
Well worth it in my opinion.
MattQuote
February 18th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
@Bill,
If you press OK twice the subtitles should disappear. This works for me.
MattQuote
February 19th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Matt,
I will give it a try this weekend. Still a shame we have to use a work round for something it was advertised as doing without this nonsense.
Thanks.
BillQuote
February 19th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I agree Bill, they do have an update coming out which will hopefully fix this. The last I heard from Humax was that they were looking in to adding some extra features, as well as recording from the Buffer. ? It would be nice if they could get it sorted before Christmas.
Personally I think it’s a great PVR despite the odd fault here and there.
MattQuote
February 19th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Help needed. Have recently installed Humax FOXSAT-HDR for my Mum and wired in using two wires direct from the dish. It allows me to select and record programmes but once the programme is finished it doesnt store it as a recorded programme and there is nothing there to view. Any ideas on why? The receiver on the dish has 3 outputs, would this have any baring?
Luke JQuote
February 19th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Luke J
Make sure that you are using the two LNB INPUTS, not the OUTPUT. Also, if you the receiver was originally setup with a single cable, you’ll need to do a factory reset with both cables connected. Finally, recordings are stored in the media section.
Sure the more technically minded will be able to assist further should the above not help.
adminQuote
February 19th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
To Mike B:
It sounds to me like you have multiple devices connected to your display unit (TV) and could be picking up interference. Try removing all devices except Freesat box before buying any new expensive cables.
Best of luck.
JjayQuote
February 28th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Why have Humax made the access to non freesat mode so convoluted.
Surely a button similar to the way the LG freesat tv use to switch between
freesat and non freesat would have been easier ? and why did they not make
it possible to record channels from other satellites through disqec switch?
Alan kellyQuote
March 1st, 2011 at 5:07 pm
If you want a Humax that is a good non Freesat receiver then I suggest you look no futher than the iCord. http://www.sateuropa.co.uk/product_overview.asp?id=1814&catid=1&subcat=56
The HDR is a good Freesat receiver, I agree getting in to non Freesat mode could of been made a lot easier, but if you want to record four channels and have DiSEqC 1.0, 1.2 / USALS then get an iCord.
MattQuote
March 3rd, 2011 at 12:26 am
Then why did Humax put the diseqc switch in to their freesat model.
I dont and never said i did want to record 4 channels at once.
I believe every Freesat box should have diseqc built in and it should
be a simple flick of a switch to go between the freesat and non freesat,
after all not every License fee payer has English as their first language
but should be able to get the benefit of Freesat and non freesat through the one box in a simple fashion.
Alan kellyQuote
March 4th, 2011 at 9:17 am
Thought this might help you.
. I just added the record four channels because I thought it was interesting.
@406 above I think
Bob350z Says:
January 21st, 2009 at 9:27 am
I got my box a little over two weeks ago and thought that some feedback may be helpful if anyone wants to receive multiple satellites:
Configuration is 4 x quatro LNBs pointing at 13e, 19.2e, 23.5e and 28.5e. I used a 90cm dish to enable all 4 sats to be accessed. I am using a Diseqc 17 x 6 multiswitch with both Sky HD and Humax HDR attached.
Using hidden menu under Menu, Setup, highlight manual and press red, green, yellow, blue, green, yellow. blue shows Antenna and Satellite. By selecting Antenna you can then access three options: Antenna (I selected Fixed), Cables (2 same) and Satellites.
Under Satellites I selected the Satellite first – they are all there – great job Humax – set LNB to Universal and Diseqc to required input – e.g. A, B, C and D. I read that Sky HD box (28.2) should be on A because if power to the Diseqc is lost it will still work with the Sky HD box.
I have set A = 28.2 – B= 23.5 – C= 19.2 and D= 13.
For each satellite you will have to go through the same procedure. After selecting Satellite and Diseqc settings press save. This takes you back to the previous screen with Antenna etc. In the footer select search and the Humax will start to search for all channels (Make sure that the satellite you want is being searched by selecting the correct one) – note that you can select individual channels through the Vertical/Horizontal settings but I selected all and will remove the 10,000 that I do not need.
Once programmed, to select each satellite for programmes you will need to ensure that you are in Non-freesat mode otherwise the “List” button shows the wrong selections.
Selecting “List” and the yellow button (satellite) then gives you a default satellite. By pressing the Yellow button multiple times it will move through each satellite for easy selection.
I hope that this helps other multi-sat people out there.
MattQuote
March 6th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Hi
Purchased the HDR 13 months ago today when I switched the plug on the start up gets as far a BOOT on the display and nothing else happens, sitch on and off several times. Any thoughts?
Dave
DaveQuote
March 7th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
What are peoples thoughts/expereiences with the HUMAX box when trying to connect to a home network. Yes it has the network port but limited connectivity to other devices on a network. Does it offer DLNA or any other read/write/stream facilities? If it did, it would not be competing with the Panasonic DMR-BS880-addmitedly with a few extras. If the HUMAX had DLNA it would have won by now!
John RobinsQuote
March 11th, 2011 at 11:39 am
Hi All
What movie filetypes will the Foxsat support? I have a couple of things in AVI and one in MP$ but nieter of these work.
Any ideas?
Thank you.
PauleQuote
March 11th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Sorry, That should have been MP4 and niether.
PauleQuote
March 12th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Paule @ 1213:
You will find, if you move a Foxsat file to a USB drive & then plug it into your PC, that the file type is transport script M-PEG (ts). The Foxsat also generates a couple of ancillary files, I cannot recall the type but you will no doubt be able to deduce this from the many previous answers in this stream above.
NEITHER MP4 nor AVI files will therefore “play” on the Foxsat, if that is what you are trying to do.
So what are you trying to do?
ChazzerQuote
March 12th, 2011 at 9:23 am
Hi Chazzer and thank you for the reply. Sorry if it’s a little confusing, I am trying to play some animation and film clips from my sons computer that he did at Uni and I wanted to know what format they needed to be in to play on the Foxsat. It seems like they need to be M-PEG so I’ll get him to see if they can be converted, thanks.
PauleQuote
March 14th, 2011 at 10:49 am
March 23rd, 2011 at 9:53 am
Just bought 1, I cant tune my remote to my Pioneer BCS-707 Blue Ray player,, I tried all the codes for DVD and even audio! any suggestions would be appreciated
AndrewQuote
March 27th, 2011 at 7:56 pm
I know this is a little late but other people seem to be having probs with the pvr not recognising usb pen drives. Each one that I have tried, old or new, have never been recognised even straight out of the packet. Here’s what I did. Using the free software HDDScan_v31 delete the partition on the usb pen drive. Then using the free software EASEUS partition master create a new logical partition (default) and the Humax will then recognise the drive.
ArdgartenQuote
April 8th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
hi, why does my freesat box keep going to stanby.it can happen once every other day or it can be 20 times in succesion on the same day. this is the 2nd box as the first one packed in (but it started doing the same after 2 years). It really started when i chaged my tv from lcd to led, but cant see it being that. i also have a good surge protector so it cant be that. any ideas?
MARK ROSSQuote
April 8th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
p.s
its the Humax FOXSAT-HD box
MARK ROSSQuote
April 12th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Mark Ross
Have you turned the Auto Standby Function off?
John SmithQuote
April 18th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
We have had our Humax Freesat box for nearly two and a half years but when I went to turn it on at the weekend, the display window is just showing little lines going round, like it normally does when you turn it on but its just hanging. It won’t turn on. Does this mean its broken and we need a new box?
Please let me know as its very frustrating and we can’t watch our TV!
Thanks
Catherine
Catherine HoffQuote
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:49 pm
please can you help me i have a sony tv when i watch a HD Chanel i can not turn down the volume or up using the Humax HD box
KevQuote
April 29th, 2011 at 7:46 am
Does anybody have a remedy for the problem I get when pre booking a recording from BBC4. The recording always seems to start 4/5 minutes ahead of the program and then I miss out on the usually exciting final 2/3 minutes. Has anyone experienced this. Why is it happening?
DavidQuote
May 6th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Bought Goodman PVR (DTR500HD) for £179.99 from Currys. Setup was straight forward and ready to view in less than 5 mins. Trouble starts when the unit went to sleep mode. It can’t wake up no matter how or which button you press on the remote control or the unit itself.
Went back to Curry and exchange for an allegedly better unit Samsung PVR (SMT-S7800). Setup was a pain, screen lost the video signal when the first menu appear. Swap from HDMI cable to SCART to recover the video (apparently the setup can only run on 576p mode). The engineer who designed the menu obviously have not thought well, asking to enter postcode twice during the same setup session. After setup, swap the SCART back to HDMI, disaster… no audio! And whenever you change channel from a HD to a SD channel, the HDMI lost video signal. Utterly frustrating, forced a software update through the ethernet port, it took ages to update the firmware (more than 1 hour). After upgraded the firmware, reset the box and run the setup again. Asking for postcode twice again, after about 10~15 mins later, it got worse! Now even the SCART connection has no audio. Had enough, took it back to Currys.
Swap for another make – Humax PVR (FOXSATHDR) 500GB. Up and running in less than 5 mins. Seamless installation and work out of the box!! Hurray!
Conclusion:
Goodman PVR (DTR500HD) – Overall good built. A shame that the sleep mode bug is lingering there. Good value for money if you can get one that can wake up from sleep. £179 from Currys on Apr 27th.
Samsung PVR (SMT-S7800) – I don’t believe this product is ready for commercialization. The boot up is the slowest among the 3. The Samsung guy is trying to do too much but not doing them well. Menu look attractive but not very responsive. £279 from Currys on May 5th.
Humax PVR (FOXSATHDR) 500GB – The most mature product in the market ( more than 2 years). The product is well tested, the boot up is fast and menu is stable. It gives you the confidence the moment it is switched on. £279 from Currys on May 5th.
AlanQuote
May 12th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I am sure this has been covered before on this forum but I live in an apartment with a shared dish and recently stopped subscribing to Sky and purchased a Humax Foxsat PVR.
My problem is that when recording certain channels I cannot access other channels.
I went to Maplins to purchase cables for the box and was told that two separate LNB cables would suffice.
The are two connection blocks in my apartment, one single SAT connector and another with SAT and RETURN connections. I have tried the various permutations and it only works with the SAT and RETURN connected. I have tried a factory reset but it still says only one cable is connected, hence my problem.
Does this mean I have a problem with the dish or am I using the wrong cables?
Dave DQuote
May 12th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
@Dave D
Someone with far greater technical knowledge than me will no doubt answer this for you, but from what you have said, it sounds like you only have one SAT input into the apartment which means only one signal. As such, connect that to LNB INPUT 1 and then run another small piece of cable between LNB INPUT 2 and the OUTPUT which is designed for single cable use and should at least offer more flexibility when recording/watching another channel.
adminQuote
May 15th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Ouch – my box has been working fine since I bought it in Jan. This morning when I switched it on at the back, I got a bit of illumination from the front but neither the remote or the standby button on the front will make the box wake up. What’s happened????
Andy FearQuote
May 25th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Hi guys hope one of you will be able to help me as i’m have problems with my humax foxsat box.
The box is great and really good value but ever since i’ve had the box it seems to crash over night.
Every morning without fail the box is unresponsive, so i have to turn it off at the back and then turn it on again. The box also freezes when i try to access the guide from the remote control resulting in me having to turn it off and on again which is really frustrating.
The box says that the software is up to date and i have two cables comeing from my dish.
Is the box defective and should i return it?
Many thanks
GarethQuote
May 27th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Gareth, go into menus and choose ‘factory reset’ mate. If that doesn’t help i would contact your retailer or humax and see about them replacing it, your box is still under guarantee so shouldn’t be a problem. Good luck
roger mellieQuote
June 5th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Hi, I have just bought a new 1Tb usb external drive to back up recordings on my Humax. I made a bootable CD with Linux on it and used this to format the drive in Ext3. When I connected the drive to my Humax Foxsat HDR I got an error message on screen.” Cannot read usb device. Supported systems are Ext3 and Fat16/32. Please format to Ext3 or Fat16/32″ What do I do now?
Kevin
KevinQuote
June 8th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
I too have just purchased a Humax Freesat HDR. In the main I am delighted especially as I am not now paying Sky. However just a couple of niggles.
1. When selecting GUIDE it does not always start at the first channel so have to scan up.
2. More annoying. The box has a 2 hour buffer, however unlike Sky if watching a film if after an hour I decide to retire to bed, with Sky I just hit the RECORD button and it will record from the beginning of the film (assuming I have not changed channels since the film started). Humax doesn’t seem to do this, so the buffer has very limited use, and if only there to recap 2 hours buffer seems a long time.
RayQuote
June 10th, 2011 at 8:58 pm
hi, anyone got an answer, when i hit the pause button on a programme, then come back to watch, i always get subtitles which i don’t want, tried all buttons on remote but the subtitles won’t go away, unless i return to real time viewing
this is really annoying me now, HOW DO I STOP THESE SUBTITLES?
daveQuote
June 10th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
@dave
Don’t hold me to this, but think there is a subtitle option within one of the menus where you can permanently turn off.
adminQuote
June 11th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
I have Sky+ which has an RF output and I currently cable this into a splitter which in turn is connected to other TV’s in my home so you can watch whatever programme (live or recorded) that is selected on the Sky+ receiver. Can I achieve the same funtion with the FOXSAT-HDR ?
timboQuote
June 12th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Can I use my Humax Fox Sat together with Sky
PeterQuote
June 14th, 2011 at 8:42 am
Following on from Dave and Admin (posts 1234 & 1235).
Subtitles have only just started to appear after pause is released from a TSR feed. You watch it fine, hit pause, then play and subtitles annoyingly appear. We use TSR a lot and estimate that this “feature” started approx 2 weeks ago. We have had the box 18 months. Is this as a result of a software upgrade that wasn’t properly tested?
AndyQuote
June 14th, 2011 at 11:29 am
This has happened before. Then, you used to press the OK button twice.
DegsQuote
June 14th, 2011 at 11:33 am
sorry. re my last message. This refers to the subtitles.
DegsQuote
June 18th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Having gone back to Humax after problems with Goodmans, just a couple of problems if anyine can help. Sometimes after switching box off at night, when you go to switch it on the following day, it sets up and then after about 30seconds the screen goes green and box is unresponsive. Have to switch off at back and leave for a couple of hours and then switch back on and it works fine. Also, about 5 weeks ago I started getting message on screen to stich off after 1 minute, I have turned auto stanby off but this doesnt have any effect. It dosent happen every day but then it might do it 2 or 3 times in a day. Finally, about 10 days ago, when I go into guide and select a program to record I get a message that it is waiting for information and it takes a couple of tries before I can set it to record. This happens more on HD and +1 channels. Any help please…..
Tr@cyQuote
June 19th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
ARGOS sell this freesat box for £140 and its brilliant
SarahQuote
June 22nd, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Tr@cy – Since the recent update, when trying to setup recordings, you have to wait for live pictures to appear behind the EPG screen before you can set a timed recording. I have noticed this on my unit. I have also noticed that the remote control is a lot more sluggish than it has been in the past, again I am not sure if this is a result of the update. Was annoying previously, but seems a lot worse now.
I use the remote to control other devices and they work fine, so I know it is not the batteries etc.
MJD1066Quote
June 26th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Hi, I’ve got a Foxsat HDR 500 but I originally set it up with only one line coming in. I’ve now just added a quad lnb giving me a second line in but I think I need to do a factory reset to find the additional line. Can anyone tell me if the hdd will reformat and I’ll lose all the data recorded if I do a factory reset or does it just reset all the settings and leave the hdd?.
JohnQuote
June 26th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
@John
A factory reset won’t delete any recordings or scheduled recordings; that is only possible if you access the hidden menu and format the hard drive.
adminQuote
July 2nd, 2011 at 12:05 pm
My brother lives in Rome. Would a Humax Freesat HDR be able to receive the same programmes as in the UK
Keith GQuote
July 6th, 2011 at 9:38 am
@1238 Andy and others with subtitle problems.
Since the update you seem to get subtitles when time shifting. To stop them appearing, while watching live TV turn the subtitles on and then off. You may have to do this on each channel you watch. (I did, thanks Humax)
As already mentioned @1243 Humax have now stopped owners from setting a recording until the Guide is fully loaded. This means waiting about 40 seconds, thanks again Humax, it worked perfectly well before your update.
If you want to set a program to record quickly via the guide I would suggest pressing the Schedule button followed by the Red button.
@Keith G
No, a very large dish will not help much either as if would only focus in on one satellite and not be able to receive signals from them all.
MattQuote
July 7th, 2011 at 10:56 am
Hi
How do I add more satallite programs to my box
Bill IrvineQuote
July 7th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
I’ve had a Humax 500 Gb HD unit for about 3 weeks, and I’m slowly getting used to it after having Sky for 9ish years. (Mostly with Sky+ in 2 rooms, quad LNB)
The main issue I’ve encountered is that when I’m recording some channels I can’t see others.
Eg
Record BBC One HD, and can’t see (for example) BBC News. Just can not switch to channel 200.
Worse
Record Channel 4 HD, and I can only see about 4 other channels in total.
I have confirmed I have got 2 feeds. I have one plugged in to LNB1, and the other in to LNB2 – there is another LNB1 called LNB1 Out, I think, is that used for something?
In the Menu -> Diagnostics section it shows Tune 1 and Tuner 2 connected with 100% strength and 100% quality.
Any ideas?
Rob WilcoxQuote
July 7th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Ahh so I’ve done a factory reset, and re-run setup, and it appears to have resolved it.
I lost all my other half’s scheduled recordings though – so she’s not happy!
Rob WilcoxQuote
July 8th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
@ Bill Irvine, I presume you mean add channels not programs ?
If so you need to do a “Manual Tune” found under “Set up”. After you have done that you should be able to change STB mode in settings to Non-Freesat mode.
Here you will find other free to air channels that are not on the Freesat EPG.
MattQuote
July 16th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Why is it when a programme is selected to record either from the Guide or from the channel viewed that it sometimes ends before the programme finishes! Very frustrating and not sure if there is a solution. There are no Automatic Updates in Software so what can be done?
CeliaQuote
July 18th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Hi Celia,
Some channels a worse than others for this, (it’s not the HDR’s fault) I have always used padding. You can find it in the menu, this let’s you add up to 5 minutes at the strat or end of each recording. (but then you need to watch out for clashes )
Or if you find it is just a couple of programs you have a problem with, you can edit their recording duration in the recording schedule. Then set it to repeat the recording each week or day etc.
MattQuote
July 27th, 2011 at 10:35 am
I have had a Humax box since Feb. Initially the Scart detection to the TV worked OK but after about a month I had to set it on the TV manually (other devices worked OK). I also noticed the problem of conflicts between channels even when there shouldn’t be (e.g. I was recording the Eastenders omnibus on Sunday from BBC2 and after the German GP (BBC1) wanted to watch the Tour de France on ITV4. This didn’t work, although ITV4+1 did). I have a quad LNB and 2 cables. It seems as though the Humax is only using 1 tuner, even though diagnostics indicates 2. (I don’t think it was anything to do with transponder conflicts or LNB polarizations)
After reading a lot of posts round the subject, today I tried a factory reset (after writing down all the scheduled recordings info).
Scart detection works OK now and ITV4 is available while recording BBC2.
Thanks to all posters for providing clues about resolving problems.
GeoffQuote
August 1st, 2011 at 10:00 am
Bought another one of these HDR’s yesterday at Tesco for £200. If you’re after one, go to Tesco as that’s a good 25-ish quid cheaper than anywhere else I have found. Never had a problem with my first one, looks good, slick UI and best of all it WORKS unlike my old Sky box that broke every few weeks!
PaddyQuote
August 10th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
We have a Humix 320gb box from Nov 2009.
Box is great except it on occaisions when booting up it comes up with message that requires HDD to be formatted. Have tried many ways to get out of this but it seems there is no option but to OK format and lose all recordings.
Box then works fine for weeks or months until it happens again.
Any ideas?
is there a 2 year guarantee on these boxes?
DavidQuote
August 10th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
@David
The 2 year warranty will depend where you purchased from as most major retailers only offered 1 year, whilst most independent retailers offered 2 years.
adminQuote
August 11th, 2011 at 11:52 am
I purchased the box through Amazon UK but now live in Germany.
Would Humax.de be able to support/replace this item?
Any thoughts whether it is the HDD at fault or the operating sytem? If it is the disc I wouldnt mind just replaceing that with a 1Tb disc myself.
Many thanks
David
DavidQuote
August 12th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
David. If you mention the sale of goods act you might get a replacement. Basically goods of a high quality should last longer than 18 months
P McclureQuote
September 7th, 2011 at 6:44 am
Admin,
Has there been a software update overnight (07/09/11…spookily enough coinciding with the first phase of the digital switchover in the West Midlands)?
I know issues have been reported on other posts, but since yesterday it now appears that the EPG takes some 5 minutes to load (you receive a dialog box “receiving broadcast information” if you try to schedule a recording before you get the sound & ghost of the picture behind the EPG, 5 minutes later, at which point you can schedule recordings). Previously the lag was about 10-15 seconds. Have the boys at Humax tried to fix, as it appears my Hummy is now worst than it was.
The only work around is to record a live programme, which fools the EPG into accepting schedule recordings, but I shouldn’t have to use a work around should I?
ChazzerQuote
September 8th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Has anyone tried connecting a wireless video sender to their Humax freesat PVR so that they can watch programmes on other TV sets in other parts of the house. Do they work and is there one you would recommend
Also just recently I have found that when I got to programme guide on the Humax (so I can set up a recording) that it seems to take a few minutes to receive the programme informationto allow me to set up a recording. This happens even thuoght the box may have been switched on for a couple of hours. How can I fix this.
Thanks for your help
Bill BuckleyQuote
September 9th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Bill @ 1261
As I note above, regarding the Humax EPG, before you go into the programme guide, press the red record now button to record a live program, then go into the EPG & you should be able to set up other recordings
ChazzerQuote
September 9th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I have a HUMAXFoxsat-HDR. I cannot copy from HDD to USB-Stick (FAT32 formatted). COPY-Function does not work, is not green.
HELP!
MichaelQuote
September 10th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Michael @ 1263
After you’ve inserted the USB stick in the Humax, you should get a confirmation message on screen.
Then, press “Media” button, followed by “Opt” to get the “File manager” dialog box. Press OK, & you get a dialog box/screen with the recorded media on the left hand side, & what should be your USB stick contents on the right.
If at this point you click on a media file & cannot press green (the green button may be greyed out), go to the right hand side of the page & highlight the folder symbol on the USB stick, press OK & when you go back to the left hand side of the screen the green button is no longer greyed out & you should be able to copy whatever you select by pressing the green button.
ChazzerQuote
September 11th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@ Chazzer
Thank you, Chazzer! It works now! Splendid!
MichaelQuote
September 12th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Can anyone help please? I have just replaced my Skyplus box for a Foxsat HDR and have 2 problems.
1) How do you set a soap to series link recording? I press the record button on the guide but it offers no other options.
2) When I record a channel, I then try to turn over to watch another but the system comes with ‘no or bad signal’. I had no trouble with this on my old skyplus box.
Please help. Thanks.
jossQuote
September 13th, 2011 at 11:36 pm
question from a prospective Humax HDR buyer.
I have searched online but could not find an answer to this.
Having chosen a postcode to determine the regional channels, is it still possible to also watch and record other regional channels too.
For example, having chosen a London postcode, can one then access from the guide other – non London – channels like BBC Scotland or UlsterTV?
any input greatly appreciated
pingu
pInguQuote
September 15th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@plngu-I think those channels are located in the epg in the high 900s
Tim BennettQuote
September 15th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@Tim Bennett
Thans for your reply. Does that mean that no matter what region is chosen, all other regional channels are present in the guide but just that the order is different depending on which postcode is entered?
I want to be able to set it up for say London but also have access to Scottish and other channels too if possible without going into non Freesat mode.
Sorry if this is obvious question but I have no Freesat decoder at the moment.
With my present free to air decoder, it is no problem to watch other regional channels and also red button streams anytime.
Pingu
pInguQuote
September 16th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Pingu @ 1269
If you live in the East Midlands, as I do, if you enter an East Midlands postcode, then Channel 101 (your local BBC1 channel) automatically becomes BBC1 East Midlands & also something like channel 974 in the list of channels above 900…I guess I may not venture that way there much (though I occassionally watch the BBC1 west midlands news & record episodes of Panorama on BBC1/2 Scotland or Ireland as I may have inadvertently happened across an episode halfway through on all the regular English BBC1 streams & Scotland/Ireland seem to repeat them later in the week). So, yes, you can record/watch whichever regional BBC station you like in Freesat mode.
With ITV I’m stuck with ITV west midlands & ITV1HD is obviously London. Other ITV regional channels appear to be only available off piste (non Freesat), don’t know why I’d bother with any of them anyway, don’t know if Ulster TV is ITV, if so, that would be your channel 103 depending on your postcode, I guess.
With your present free to air decoder, you say it is no problem to watch other regional channels (covered above) & also red button streams anytime (please qualify your question).
Hope that helps.
ChazzerQuote
September 16th, 2011 at 9:32 pm
Joss @ 1266
Don’t know if 2) is impacting 1) here…
1) If I go in the EPG on the Humax & scroll through a few days, then select “eastenders” as an example (not my or mrs chazzers cup of tea mind) I initially get a dialog box prompting me to select “SD” or “HD”. If I then select the resolution I get another dialog box prompting me to “record single programme” or “record whole series”…a rose by any other name perhaps? would that be your experience?
2) A further question..The Humax has 2 LNB connections, I have no idea what your old $ly box had. If you have only connected 1 LNB there are a host of similar queries regarding hot-wiring a second feed etc etc above. Otherwise, 1 LNB connection means if you record one channel nothing else is available. Have you checked both LNB connections?
ChazzerQuote
September 17th, 2011 at 9:18 am
chazzer@1270
Thanks very much for your input.
I just want to be sure that I can access the different regional channels before splashing out on a new Humax HDR.
There are many programs that are only shown on regional channels.
For example, sports.
It is common that Scottish football matches (yes, I know they never win but…) are only normally shown on BBC Scotland or on STV while England matches are obviously on English regional channels.
I would like to be able to see both (in Freesat mode!) The same thing goes for political programs and music too which are only shown on certain regional channels.
I suppose it starts to get a bit complicated….
On a Free to Air decoder, one can watch all regional channels including all ITV HD and STV HD for example without any restrictions.
Your summary of ITV channels in HD is a bit disappointing. ITV London, Granada and STV are all available in HD on a FTA.
I am sure that all of these channels can be accessed in non-freesat mode but then the decoder becomes very limited like this. i.e. no 7 day guide and recording limitations etc.
So, to be as clear as I can, I just wanted to know if all the Freesat channels (including regional varations) are available to all users direct from the program guide or if the choice of region limits the channel choice in some way other than just by changing the order of channels.
My mention of BBC streams was not really an issue, sorry if that confused matters.
Many thanks for your responses
Pingu
pInguQuote
September 17th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Pingu @ 1272
A suggestion.
Maybe two suggestions.
I take it from what you infer that you’re in Scotland.
First up, check the Freesat website for their full channel listings.
From where I sit, in the Midlands, & with the Humax Foxsat HDR sitting on the “Freesat” platform as that has to be what we’re looking at, in “Freesat” mode I can access the following “regional” channels from the EPG (I’m only looking at regional)…
101 BBC1 East Midlands
102 BBC2 England
103 ITV1 Central West
110 BBC ALBA (not in English so must be regional)
120 S4C DIGIDOL (ditto)
Channels 950 through 967 are respectively BBC regions London, CI, East Mids (again), East E, East W, N West, NE & C, NI, Oxford, S East, Scotland (this would also appear as channel 101 if you had a Scottish postcode), South, S West, West Mids, Wales, West, Yorks, EYrks & Lincs.
Channels 968 through 971 are, respectively, BBC2 regions England (again), NI, Scotland & Wales.
In “non Freesat” mode the other ITV regions appear, as well as STV HD (try reading some of the other posts on this website). STV I guess you would receive as your channel 103 if you are in Scotland, with STV HD as your ITV HD channel (119), I guess. I have no idea if you have access to ITV1 HD (England) if you are in Scotland on Freesat mode (why would I want to watch STV or most BBC regional channels for example?) but you would in non Freesat mode.
Hence my second suggestion. Why not go down to your local regional Currys or Richer Sounds & have them set one up so you can see what it actually does?
Finally, if your FTA decoder gives you EXACTLY what channels you want why are you asking such vague questions about regions? Why not specify EXACTLY what channels you are looking for on your next purchase, so someone can give you the yes/no answer you obviously seek?
ChazzerQuote
September 17th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Chazzer@1273,
Thank you for your answer.
Pingu
pInguQuote
September 18th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I have been using Humax FOXSAT HDR for nearly two years ago and have met a problem that I had when I first purchased the unit. The postcode cannot be verified, I have tried following the advice in the manual, turn off, check connections, etc. but without success. A manual tune works but cannot find the regional BBC or ITV programmes and places all of the channels in the 5000 – 6000 range. The satellite hasn’t changed and occasionally I can get the postcode to work but it recognises it as England HD and the Free sat tuning only uses one frequency and finds zero channels so not very helpful. Not sure what has changed to cause this or how to resolve. Any advice much appreciated.
John ThanetQuote
September 18th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
I have recently added a USB 1TB HDD to my Humax Foxsat 500 + HDR.
The drive is formatted to EXT3 and is recognised by the Humax box.
BUT I have been totally unsuccessful in copying files from the 500GB drive to the 1TB.
I am using File Manager – it shows the Humax drive on the left and the USB drive on the right.
I press Yellow to enter Edit Mode, select a file BUT the Copy key (Green?) remains “Greyed out”.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
Roger BinghamQuote
September 19th, 2011 at 6:55 am
Roger @ 1276
See 1264 above, whether its a USB stick or external drive the file manager process should be the same
ChazzerQuote
September 19th, 2011 at 9:05 am
@Chazzer
Thanks for the reply – but still no success.
In File Manager – Edit Mode – the files have “tick boxes” to the left. I OK on a file and a tick appears in that box.
Switch to USB drive and it shows an empty folder, presumably some sort of root directory. I OK on that and a tick appears in the box.
Switch back to HDR and the file is now deselected (no tick) – the copy button remains “greyed out”.
Tried variations on this theme – no success.
Do I need to create a new folder in the USB drive?
Regards – Roger
Roger BinghamQuote
September 19th, 2011 at 9:29 am
Chazzer
I think I have sorted it.
Edit mode is not used – stay in “Normal Mode”
I was looking at the greyed out “Copy” button at the top of the File Manager box (indicating the green button on the remote control).
In fact the “Copy” command is from the drop down menu.
Not particularly intuitive?
One last (I hope) question – Do I have to copy file by file or can I copy a folder?
Regards and thanks – Roger
Roger BinghamQuote
September 19th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Roger @ 1279.
I would have thought you can only copy file by file, as you end up with a .ts file, and two other files (I think one is an .htm file, can’t recall what the other is). You would need all three files intact to transfer over to your 1TB drive, for the Humax to play.
Not necessarily following your comments about Edit Mode, Normal Mode & Copy command from drop down menu. Not something I’ve tried I’m afraid. Would agree is not intuitive & becomes a matter of trial & error.
In copying to USB I usually display the “media list” before pressing the “file manager” button, then you end up with all your media in the left hand side of the dialog box & whatever you have on the USB on the right hand side.
ChazzerQuote
September 28th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I’ve just installed a Humax Foxsat HDR freesat box but can’t access ‘travel’ in the digital text channel. Is this normal or is there any way of being able to get ‘travel’, please?
ColinQuote
October 2nd, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Can anyone help please
My mother has a Humax FOXSAT (satelitte reciever/recorder) in her
lounge
She would love to watch the Satellitte chanels upstairs on a separate
bedroom TV
Can anyone recommend a device ( THAT WORKS) that will re transmit
the satelitte programs wirelessly ?
Thank you
KenQuote
October 2nd, 2011 at 7:58 pm
My Humax Foxsat has twice recorded programmes (from the timer) and then refused to play back the first 11minutes even though it says it has recorded them. Anybody else had this problem? Any ideas why it has happened and how to fix it?
Cheers
GGBQuote
October 10th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
I only have 3 serious moans (so far) about the Foxsat HDR.
1/ the guide info update takes priority over setting the recording of a program.
2/ the button bounce on the remote control
3/ The ethernet connection for iPlayer Chan. 901 doesn’t work (3.7Mbps internet, 100Mbps LAN from a live box, same connection as the one I use for my laptop).
Otherwise a fine box. If you don’t put more receivers in it in the future Tivo will win.
Dr Robin JonesQuote
October 11th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Hi
Has anyone any ideas as to why on ITV1 HD there is always lip sync problems, this doesn’t happen on any other channel and the lip sync option in the TV set up menu needs to “go the other way”. Has anyone else got this problem and if so can it be got rid of?
Many thanks
Paul.
PaulEQuote
October 17th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
SOLUTION TO THE HUMAX HDR REMOTE PROBLEM
The Humax HDR remote control system has always been a poor performer compared to others as far as I’m concerned. Both plastic strips have been removed from new, and unless the remote is pointed directly at the sensor and within about 12 feet, results are intermittent. My other remotes (TV, SKY, Bluray) all function over a much longer range and don’t need to be pointed directly at the sensor.
Having said all that, the problem is not the remote control itself as I also use a Harmony 525 Universal remote, which doesn’t perform any better with the Humax HDR than the Humax remote. I believe the problem lies in the window of the drop down flap on the front of the Humax HDR. If the flap is left down, the Humax and Harmony remotes both perform as you would expect. Try it. Is this a classic design design mix-up? Was the system designed and tested by engineers without knowledge of the dropdown flap? Signal attenuation and diffraction through 2 tinted windows with an air gap between them is clearly the problem.
However, there is a solution. With the flap up, the position of the IR sensor window is not noticeable externally, but the display window is. Why? Because the flap window material has been coated on its inner surface everywhere except the display window. Now fold down the flap and locate the circular aperture in the back of the flap for the IR sensor. The coating in this circular aperture can easily be removed with your fingernail without scratching the window. I have removed this coating from the circular window area of my Humax HDR and remote performance has improved.
Now for the disclaimer:
IF YOU TRY THIS MODIFICATION YOURSELF, IT IS COMPLETELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. I TAKE NO RESPOSIBILITY FOR ANY ISSUES (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTY AND TECHNICAL ISSUES) THAT MAY ARISE SHOULD YOU TRY THIS, AS THE COATING MAY BE THERE FOR DESIGN REASONS IN ADDITION TO AESTHETIC REASONS.
Derek (Original)Quote
October 30th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Hi,
I don’t know if this problems have been discussed already.
1.How can I see my HD.ts-Files on the computer? No problems with the .ts-Files which are not in HD, TS-format is readable, TS-Format in HD not
2. When will the FAT32-Restriction disappear? No chance to copy Films which are larger than 4 GB!
michaelQuote
November 1st, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Derek (Original) @ 1286.
Have you tried changing the battery?
ChazzerQuote
November 4th, 2011 at 1:20 am
Chazzer @1288
I no longer have a problem with remote performance. The poor remote performance is not battery related, and is present on systems fresh out of the box, so why would I want to change the battery? As I indicated in my #1286 post, the problem is IR signal attenuation and diffraction through the various windows and coatings before it reaches the sensor. The solution is to reduce the signal attenuation by removing the coating on the inside surface of the IR window on the fold down flap.
Derek (original)Quote
November 5th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Had Foxsat from start. loved it until last week. Now will not record first 44 minutes of hour long porgrammes. have reporgrammed, chnaged porgrammes, checked for clashing schedule but still only get last 15 minutes of Docc martin, Holby City, you name it – I don;t get all of it!
Janet TweedyQuote
November 5th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
This is a question raised a couple of times, but I can’t find any response, so am trying again.
Has anyone tried connecting a wireless video sender to their Humax freesat PVR so that they can watch programmes on other TV sets in other parts of the house. Do they work and is there one you would recommend?
I would be grateful for any thoughts.
billQuote
November 11th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
I have a Foxsat box which I have had for some months now. I am using my Sky Satellite dish and the twin cables supplies by Sky. I had Sky+ which worked well recording 1 prog and watching another etc. My Humax box will not let me watch another prog when recording, it doesn’t series link, it also regularly fails to record for no apparent reason, and I am fed up with it. Any ideas what , if anything is wrong. Do I need to get someone in to set it up properly? Any gen would be much appreciated.
JohnQuote
November 11th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
@John 1292
You may have disturbed one of the connectors on your 2 signal inputs to your Foxsat HDR. To check this, go into MENU -> SYSTEM -> DIAGNOSTICS and check whether you have good Signal Strength and Signal Quality on both inputs. If not, check that the connectors are firmly fitted on the end of both signal input cables.
Derek (original)Quote
November 12th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Hi Derek,
Thanks very much for that bit of gen, you were dead right, I only had a signal on input 1, nothing at all on input 2. I removed the connector and refitted it and ‘Hey Presto’, great signal on both inputs. Thank you very much for your assistance.
JohnQuote
November 12th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
@John 1294
Pleased to be able to help.
Derek (original)Quote
November 13th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Hi there,
I’ve set up my foxsat hd box and everything works fine except that when I’m recording one channel it seems to cause interference on the other (picture goes blocky occasionally) – the interference stops when the other channel is not recording. Any advice?
Thanks,
Frank
Frank VidlerQuote
November 14th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Sorry, does this box series link?
AdamQuote
November 14th, 2011 at 8:35 am
@Adam
Yes it does. When a programme you set to record is part of a series it will give the option to record once, or whole series.
adminQuote
November 14th, 2011 at 9:54 am
Thanks
AdamQuote
November 16th, 2011 at 11:04 am
hi My humax freesat pvr will not boot it just sits there with the front panel light and does nothing any ideas
Dave KennedyQuote
November 17th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Hi. My Humax HDR 500Gb freesat does exactly the same thing. It’s 3 days old and customer support say it’s faulty. I wonder if it’s a bad batch.
Geoff HoldcroftQuote
November 21st, 2011 at 4:11 pm
@ Bill 1291
If you find an answer to this, can you let me know please? Im interested in this too.
JimQuote
November 23rd, 2011 at 10:32 am
Bill @1291 & Jim @ 1302
Any wireless video sender should work with the HDR, you can even get them to wirelessly stream 1080p via HDMI output and not the usual Scart.
I don’t use one myself so I can’t recommend one. I believe most come with IR repeaters (remote control relays) so you can still change the channel.
DylanQuote
December 1st, 2011 at 12:41 am
Dylan@1303
Thanks for that Dylan. I seen a couple in Maplins and one on line at
http://www.gizoo.co.uk/Products/AvCommunications/TvGadgets/AVSender.htm
BillQuote
December 1st, 2011 at 11:32 am
Good HD pictures, sound good on Dolby.
Difficult remote, not the most friendly to use.
Recordings good, but has annoying habit of loosing the last minute or so of the program when recording set up for a series. Usually loosing the punch line.
So rate this box 4 star.
AntonyQuote
December 4th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Hello,
my FoxSat HDR seems stuck on the Humax Boot screen – it also has the on screen messages ‘Uploading…’ and ‘Press the Stand-By Button To Restart’. Bu this has no effect. Any ideas gratefully received.
EamonnQuote
December 4th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Sorted it out with a firmware update via USB
EamonnQuote
December 4th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
May have spoken too soon. Just been watching ‘Frozen Planet’ and on two occasions the recording has fast fowarded completely on it’s own. Is this a known issue? Thinking of doing a factory reset.
EamonnQuote
December 6th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
does it require 2 cables or can u use it with just one? does it display the error message about the 2 cable thing often
philQuote
December 7th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Hi every one,
I have been watching the comments on this board for sometime,before deciding to take the plunge and buy! Purchased today at John Lewis The price this morning in store, Kingston branch, was £279.95 they matched the Richer Sounds price of £249.95 added to which if you spend over two hundred pounds you get £20.00 gift vouchers for J L so all in all it cost me £229.95.I have two set top boxes running off a sat dish,both Humax. The new HDR runs direct from my ariel great pic quality even when not in HD broadcast Spent most of today playing with it
I note from the prices above J L are now selling at £249.95 HMM I wonder why I will check the store out again tomorrow.
Its very easy to navigate your way around, i’m learning fast. It set its self up in minutes with a few prompts for me to acknowledge respond to, Overall, great experience so far. Just recording frozen planet so looking forward to seeing the results.Have spoken to two friends already saying how good it is and well worth the money
Stephen ColcloughQuote
December 7th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Stephen, just so you know, JL have been charging £249.95 online for a few months now so unsure why the branch were charging more, unless it was for the 1TB version which falls into the original price bracket you mentioned.
adminQuote
December 7th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Sorry my error, should have made it clear it was the newer
HUMAX HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD Digital TV Recorder
which seems to have ironed out a lot of the problems some people have /are experiencing. Recorded frozen planet without a hitch
Stephen ColcloughQuote
December 8th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Antony, if you are still having problems with your remote, have you tried the procedure I detailed in #1286?
Derek (original)Quote
December 9th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Hi and good evening to all Humax users.
mY question.
I have purchased a near new Humax 500 pvr.
It obviously has been used up in Shrewsbury.
I am now in Andover Hants.
What is the setup procedure if unit HAS been set up for the first time elsewhere?
I intend to use twin lines from twin lnb’s (I have quad lnb’s fitted.)
Is there a factory reset or what do others suggest.
Many thanks.
Gary
Gary SummersQuote
December 20th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Hi All
Does anyone know how to dismantle the Humax Foxsat remote control without wrecking it.
I’ve had similar problems in the past with a SKY remote which I’ve fixed by cleaning the contact areas with alcohol. & want to try the same with the Humax
Bob.
BobQuote
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:55 am
Have had FoxsatHDR for about 18 months. It has recently commenced freezing and will not obey controls. Last night I was recording a programme which I could hear and not see!! The controls had gone completely dead. Initially I thought my tv was “up the spout”, but since I live in France I have French tv on broadband and this was okay. I disconnected the apparatus and this morning it is working!! Has anyone else had this problem?
barryQuote
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:57 am
Further to my earlier message, I had checked the batteries in the controller.
barryQuote
January 10th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
My Foxsat HDR has an annoying habit of cutting off the last few minuets of a recorded program. Mostly those set up to record a series. Any ideas why ?.
AntonyQuote
January 11th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Humax Foxsat 320GB HD Freesat Digital TV Recorder now £189.99 at Argos.
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2988375-5590799?sid=joinfreesat&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5321832/Trail/searchtext%3EFREESAT.htm
PaulQuote
January 12th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Good day.
Using the Humax HDR here in Spain and have had no problems, quite pleased with the product. However an ethernet cable was connected to see if ‘tv on demand’ would work here – it didn’t but since then the system will not recognize our uk postcode and all our programming has been lost. Assume the box picked up the Spanish server!
Power off, manual tune, factory reset etc will not clear the problem. only result is that 350 UK channels have been found at 5010-5351 in no order and a real pain in the neck.
Do you techies have any solutions for me?
regards
Lawrence
Lawrence SalvoniQuote
January 12th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
My remote has been playing up and after new batteries and much TLC, while most of the buttons are working normally again the “Media” button is not. Can it really be the case that you can’t access the hard drive to play back recordings from any of the buttons on the STB itself? Is this not a rather major flaw, or am I missing something?
lozarithmQuote
January 12th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Hi every one
Today I started seeing “Out of Index” error all over my Humax 320gb receiver. When I press guide it reboots and unable to get to the menu (due to same error) to do factory reset. Has anyone seen this before, is there a fix at all? I would appreciate any help. Thanks
ShahinQuote
February 1st, 2012 at 7:46 pm
PappieQuote
February 1st, 2012 at 7:49 pm
I got the same problems. Don’t know what the source of the problems is but I will try using different satellite lead.
PappieQuote
February 6th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Regarding the “out of index” error from a user of the Humax Foxstat-HDR. I am afraid that is a non-user correctable fault and you should contact Humax who usually provide a free replacement receiver, even if out of warranty. Good luck!
AndrewQuote
February 6th, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Regarding the message about a Humax Foxsat-HDR cutting off the last few minuets of a recorded program. Sometimes the EPG on less popular channels with advertisement signals an incorrect programme start/end. Try changing the Recording End Time available from Menu, Recording. Although this will change the end time for all recordings by this amount.
AndrewQuote
February 8th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
My Foxsat HDR has given up the ghost it would appear.HDD not available and every recording erased.Gutted to put it mildly after only 2 and a bit years of ownership.
roger mellieQuote
February 8th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Perhaps you should try contacting Humax and maybe they will be kind enough to provide a replacement or at least suggest a fix. I wouldn’t hold much hope though, but no harm trying.
AndrewQuote
February 11th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
hi all, I am looking to buy a Humax Foxsat 500bg HDR or a Echostar PVR 500 bg (HDS-600RS) only £30 diffrence in price, which is the better model? and what can you do with the Humax LBN output , I would like to run another TV/freesat box from it , and would like to watch rec. programs from the Humax Foxsat 500bg HDR or a Echostar PVR 500 bg on the second tv, and only use a standard freesat box with the second tv. I think the only way to watch rec. programs on a 2nd tv is to use the scart output and connect it to a R F modulator, and do away tith the 2nd freesat box, if so would sky magic eyes work ?. It’s all confusing but great fun.
mark sQuote
February 16th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Hi Mark, yes you can connect a second satellite receiver to the Humax FOXSAT-HDR via an LNB out. The Humax box has three LNB sockets at the rear (LNB 1 IN, LNB 1 OUT and LNB 2 IN). Those with a single satellite cable can increase recording functionality by having a loop cable from LNB 1 OUT to LNB 2 IN. Twin cables would connect directly to LNB 1 and 2 IN, thus being able to record two channels at the same time. With regard to Echostar PVR I can not comment.
AndrewQuote
February 17th, 2012 at 10:11 am
My Humax box does the same thing when using the program menu…it just appears to freeze up, and your left with the humax in a zombie state.
The ssslloowww remote is the box’s biggest bugbear for me, and i think this contributes to the ‘freezing’ problem.
My solution is to flip the switch at the left rear of the box.
This restarts the box and everything is ok (until the next time it happens !)
When it comes to replacing the box, this ‘feature’ has put me off Humax, and i shall probably look elsewhere.
danceswithhorsesQuote
February 26th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
We had a Humax Foxsat HDR for 2 years until the hard disc drive failed, e-mailed Humax a few times for help but they were not really interested. Now we took a chance on an Echostar 600 HDS Slingloaded and its a more than capable substitute. The remote control is far more responsive and PVR functions are excellent. Highly recommended @ £184 inc p+p from Satbuyer. Cheaper than a Humax and comes with a 2 year warranty. Bye Bye Humax
roger mellieQuote
March 7th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
My Humax box is about two years old and has developed a weird problem. If I set up a recording on ITV1+1 it appears to record (top-left screen notification and the recording symbol is there on the schedule list) but it never shows up on the media list. As far as I’m aware every other channel records just fine, it’s just ITV1+1 and it used to record ok, it just started happening about a week ago. Has anyone else heard of something like this happening or know of a solution? I tried reformatting the HD and re-scanning the channels but it made no difference.
Claire HQuote
March 8th, 2012 at 5:13 am
I seem to have found a solution if anyone else has the same problem. I found a thread on Digital Spy about people having problems recording ITV1 so even though it wasn’t exactly the same problem I thought I would give their solution a try. I simply changed my postcode so that I was receiving the Granada programmes. Don’t know why it worked but it did.
Claire HQuote
March 18th, 2012 at 8:02 am
i bought this foxsat and find it fine generally fine but the instruction manual is rubbish. It dont cover enough stuff in depth, for example my recorder has the STB mode is greyed out and I cant find the reason in this manual. Also the standby light is suddenly really bright red and I dont know why. A better manual would make life easier.
Danny McLaughlinQuote
March 18th, 2012 at 8:15 am
My remote on this Foxsat has gone wrong where the OK button no longer works even though it has never been misused or knocked about. I wouod never by any Humax product ever again. I have a Sony HD recorder and never had any problems with it. Also the Sony Manual/instructions are light years ahead of the Humax which leaves you to struggle to find a solution of a problem or even to set the unit up. JMy advice is steer cleaqr of Humax till they get their act together, there are much better recorders out there.
Danny McLaughlinQuote
March 26th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Did anyone else notice that all scheduled recordings are 1 hour out after the clock changes to summertime?
JimQuote
March 27th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
I’d had a Topfield PVR for years – brilliant but old so not FreeSat ready. I’ve had a Humax for less than two weeks and I am underwhelmed. My 1Tb Foxsat-HDR just froze on the ‘Guide’. Not knowing the workaround (press ‘Schedule’ then the red button), I had to unplug the unit from the mains. Whilst I appreciate the aforementioned workaround, it ought not to be needed especially for a brand new unit. For £300 (literally the price you pay for buying direct from Humax) I expect better – a LOT better.
This is my second Foxsat-HDR within three weeks. Amazon were selling 1Tb Freesat-HDRs for £280-ish when I bought mine however I deliberately wanted to cut out any middle-men from the deal in case anything went wrong and a ‘blame game’ started. As I’m dealing directly with Humax I take no nonsense. The initial box was sent back due to arriving with a dent in it. A replacement was sent within days.
I will be ringing customer services in the morning to see if they acknowledge the problem with the Guide.
I must also say that I’m also unimpressed with the fact that it’s only possible to record two program at the same time with certain channels but not with others. I even scheduled one single program on BBC 2 last Sunday night and when it came time to start recording the unit STILL requested I select a channel presumably because I was watching a channel other than BBC 2. Pathetic.
There also appears to be no facility to crop and cut recorded programs (ie chopping off the ads at the start and end of a recording). I was able to carry out these basic editing tasks on my much older Topfield.
Isn’t technology supposed to move forward and not backwards?
Joe FoneboneQuote
March 28th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
danceswithhorsesQuote
March 28th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
Didn’t ring in the end as a bit of research on the web last night revealed that a software fix was released about a week ago on the Humax site (http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/support/downloadcenter_model_tool.aspx?category_seq=65).
I’ve installed the update and the situation has improved.
I’m not finding the Humax as user-friendly or feature laden as my old Topfield PVR though so I’m a little disappointed with this HDR at the moment.
Joe FoneboneQuote
April 2nd, 2012 at 10:44 am
Many thanks Joe (#1340)
Applied the software fix (though Humax’s instructions were a bit rubbish), and the EPG is definitely more responsive, and no freezes as of yet
danceswithhorsesQuote
April 5th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Joe
Sorry to hear you’re not impressed with the Humax Foxsat-HDR. I have had mine now for over three years without any problems. Must admit it would be nice to have basic editing features, but as I don’t keep any recordings for long I haven’t had the need for such features anyway.
Regarding recording more than two at the same time, it is possible to do this but only if you have a twin feed/cable from your satellite. If you don’t already know the Humax box has three LNB sockets at the rear (LNB 1 IN, LNB 1 OUT and LNB 2 IN). Those with a single satellite cable can increase recording functionality, subject to channel feeds, by having a loop cable from LNB 1 OUT to LNB 2 IN. Twin cables would connect directly to LNB 1 and 2 IN, thus being able to record more at the same time.
Generally although the Humax PVR is now slightly behind times compared to other new products coming onto the market, it does have the benefit of being the preferred first choice by programme providers, etc, for such additions like BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, etc. My only gripe is a simpler method of moving and coping recordings from the Humax to other devices.
AndrewQuote
April 10th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Does the new 1terrabyte Humax box have the sockets in the back to allow for the Input-Ouput loop?
Is it any better or worse than the 500gb Humax boxes? Other than price! I’ve seen it for 399£ on Play.com
ChattoQuote
April 11th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Yes, all hard drive versions of the Humax Foxsat-HDR (320Gb, 500Gb and 1Tb) have LNB 1 IN, LNB 1 OUT and LNB 2 IN, thus allowing for a loop between OUT and IN.
Can’t comment on if 1Tb version is any better than the smaller hard drives, other than the obvious greater recording time. Personally don’t see the point of keeping 1Tb of recordings (HD max 250 hours, SD max 500 hours). Once they are watched surely you delete them? If they are that important buy the Blue Ray or DVD, much safer and has bonus material!
AndrewQuote
May 13th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
I originally bought a Sagem DTR94250S HD box. It was a complete disaster blacking out BBC HD pictures then running like a what the butler saw machine while refusing to respond to its remote. I took it back to Currys after I read up about the various other boxes and was recommended to purchase the Humax. What a complete difference to the Sagem. It was the 500gig Humax and its so good its boring. It does everything it says on the box records plays back no pixillated pictures like the Sky box used to do
All in all a great purchase if a bit more expensive
BillQuote
May 13th, 2012 at 10:10 pm
I originally bought a Sagem DTR94350S HD box. It was a complete disaster blacking out BBC HD pictures then running like a what the butler saw machine while refusing to respond to its remote. I took it back to Currys after I read up about the various other boxes and was recommended to purchase the Humax. What a complete difference to the Sagem. It was the 500gig Humax and its so good its boring. It does everything it says on the box records plays back no pixillated pictures like the Sky box used to do
All in all a great purchase if a bit more expensive
BillQuote