Humax FoxSAT-HDR restricted 2nd/3rd Channel
Posted by: Musicmad on 03 April 2010
I've been enjoying the FreeSat reception from the Humax FoxSAT-HDR for a few months now (the HDR almost makes the Pioneer DVR redundant!) but a couple of things bother me.
(1) I have a dual feed from the satellite dish (to LNB 1 and 2 in) with a feed back out (LNB 1 out) to the monitor (a Panasonic Plasma V10).
When the Humax is on, or recording whilst "not on", then the feed to the TV does not work - I have to switch to the Humax to get FreeSAT (no disruption to the TV's FreeView or Analogue, of course). Is this normal? Or have I missed a trick somewhere?
and, more importantly:
(2) the Humax receiver does allow me to record 1 channel and watch another but with restrictions on which 2nd channel is available. There are many options but, for example, recording channel 102 (BBC 2) prevents me accessing channels 101 (BBC 1), 103 (ITV), etc. Or recording channel 108 (BBC HD) prevents me accessing channels 102 (BBC 2), 104 (Channel 4), 105 (Channel 5), 300 (Film 4), etc.
If I select a second (restricted) channel to record then the third channel to view is heavily restricted. E.g. recording channels 108 and 115 leave me with only channels 116, 951 and 954 to view.
Again, is this normal or have I got something wrong in the set-up? I'm based in the Midlands, just south of Birmingham, if location is a factor.
Many thanks for any input.
Posted on: 04 April 2010 by garyi
Pardon?
Posted on: 04 April 2010 by Musicmad
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
Pardon?
There I was, excited that I had a reply ...
Are my queries not clear? If you have the Humax FoxSAT-HDR and can access all channels no matter what 1st channel is recording (and similarly all channels if 2 channels are recording) please say ... then I shall know I have a problem with my set-up.
But as it stands the choice of the first channel restricts the choice of a second channel, etc.
I can't be more clear.
Posted on: 04 April 2010 by Paul Russell
I'll address the queries in reverse order.
Sounds to me as if you do not actually have a twin LNB - Low Noise Block-downconverter, the blob on the end of the dish arm. If there were two independent feeds from the dish there would be no restriction on watching or recording two channels from any multiplex.
What you are experiencing is that you are being restricted to watching channels through tuner 2 that are at the same polarity (horizontal or vertical) and in the same half of the frequency range (upper or lower) as the channel being watched through tuner 1. This does, as you have found, severely restrict the combinations of channels that can be combined.
So can we confirm that you do have a multi-output LNB, with two cables running down the wall to the STB? If the output from a mono LNB is being split either at the LNB end of the cable or near the STB it ain’t going to work properly.
Regarding question 1 - does the V10 have a satellite decoder fitted internally? I can't find a Panasonic freesat TV with V10 in the model number.
Location is not a factor - you're watching exactly the same signals from the same satellites as everyone else.
Paul.
Posted on: 04 April 2010 by Musicmad
Hi Paul,
Many thanks for the detailed reply.
The TV monitor is the Panasonic Viera Plasma V10 which includes a FreeSat HD tuner (as well as FreeView and "normal" analogue tuners).
After I bought the Humax FreeSat-HDR (STB) I had a new satellite dish with a Quad LNB fitted - with two cables - to replace the old Sky dish (single cable). The fact that I can record two channels - and watch a third - concurrently implies that I must have more than a single feed (I could not do that with the original satellite dish/single feed).
But your reply indicates that perhaps the guys who did the work didn't do it properly ...
I don't know anyone else who has this Humax box hence did not know whether this restricted access was normal. From what you write it is not so it looks like I shall have to get someone in to sort it out.
Thanks again for your reply.
Posted on: 04 April 2010 by Paul Russell
I have the Humax, but I only use one feed as I only have a mono LNB. The two tuners in the STB will record two programmes at the same time, but only if they are on multiplexes that are at the same polarity and in the same half of the frequency band - exactly the symptoms that you describe.
I loop the LNB1 out to LNB2 in to achieve the limited recording/viewing combinations.
Thinking back to when I bought my Humax, I have a dim memory of the box checking what sort of LNB is attached when you first set it up. As you say that you had the new dish fitted after the Humax was installed, you'll need to do a factory reset and set the STB up again so that it can "see" the twin feeds. The box will not auto-reconfigure. I think that this will solve your problem.
A factory reset will clear any scheduled timers that are set up, but will not delete your recordings. (Menu / Setup / Factory Reset)
Oh, forgot to add earlier that the third channel being very restricted is normal - even with a working dual LNB set up, you could only watch a third channel that is on one of the two muliplexes that either tuner 1 or 2 is tuned to.
Paul.
Posted on: 05 April 2010 by ianmacd
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Russell:
.... the Humax was installed, you'll need to do a factory reset and set the STB up again so that it can "see" the twin feeds. The box will not auto-reconfigure. I think that this will solve your problem.
Hi Musicmad
I can confirm what Paul said about a factory reset.
I had my Humax for about a month, then I replaced my single LNB to twin LNB along with a second cable. When I connected both cables, the Humax didn't "see" that I now had two feeds in.
A very helpful guy on one of the AV forums explained I would have to do a factory reset in order for the Humax to pick up the new setup. It worked immediately.
I hope this helps with your problem.
Ignore your first reply, he is incapable of writing a post without injecting bile and arrogance into it.
Good luck with the Humax.
Kind regards
Ian
Posted on: 05 April 2010 by Musicmad
A great big Thank You to you both, Paul and Ian.
Factory reset and I can now record two channels - apparantly without restriction - concurrently. And the choice of third channel is far wider, too. Excellent result - thank you!
Mitch.
