HUMAX VAST PVR arrived & activated

**Tassie Devil** · 24-05-13, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Sunshine Coast

My installer is going to query Humax about the fact that even though you can go to Menu --> Settings --> Preferences --> Media Playback, & select "Skip forward time" as 30s, 60s, 120s and 240s, there is no way that this has effect on the functioning of the unit.

As posted above, I'm banging the drum on that one and hope to get a response today.

**Croady** · 24-05-13, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by wyalkatchemsat

Hi if anyone in wa is contemplating buying a humax from over east and activating it over here please do not try it as humax is having trouble locking onto gwn I will update when problem is fixed cheers wyalkatchemsat

Sent from my LG-P690f using Tapatalk 2

Phoned Sciteq yesterday and they confirmed this issue. The series record was a big one for me and reading above it would seem it's not a goer. Think I'll now wait until the bugs are sorted.

Cheers
Croady

**Tassie Devil** · 24-05-13, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Croady

The series record was a big one for me and reading above it would seem it's not a goer. Think I'll now wait until the bugs are sorted.

Cheers
Croady

It will record a series, but not reliably from the EPG. It seem,s Humax have adopted a different apprpach to others and rather than use the day & time settings as the trigger, look for a program tag. That would be clever if the same (hidden to us) tag was used for all programs in the series as it would mean recording would stop when the series stopped. However iot appears that many (if not all) commercial series have a different tag associated with weach episode so the "clever" Humax approach does not work from the EPG.

So, to ensure you get the episodes you need to go deeper into the menus to manually (and tediously) set each timer for channel, start, stop etc. I guess that is not really a huge chore as once set it merely repeats. But of course it breaks down if the channel decides, without due warning, to alter the time of the program. Lately I have found WIN guilty of this. And of course it will continue to record even when the series is finished.

But you are wise to wait. The Humax, if set up the same as the terrestrial unit, would be a winner. At the moment it appears crippled and has a few bugs to sort out as well.

I double checked that non delete issue and it does indeed seem that a file has to be played, if only for a few seconds, before it can be deleted. Maybe a good feature as it prevents accidental deletion of unplayed files.

**Tassie Devil** · 24-05-13, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Croady

The series record was a big one for me and reading above it would seem it's not a goer. Think I'll now wait until the bugs are sorted.

Cheers
Croady

It will record a series, but not reliably from the EPG. It seem,s Humax have adopted a different appoach to others and rather than use the day & time settings as the trigger, look for a program tag. That would be clever if the same (hidden to us) tag was used for all programs in the series as it would mean recording would stop when the series stopped. However it appears that many (if not all) commercial series have a different tag associated with each episode so the "clever" Humax approach does not work from the EPG.

So, to ensure you get the episodes you need to go deeper into the menus to manually (and tediously) set each timer for channel, start, stop etc. I guess that is not really a huge chore as once set it merely repeats. But of course it breaks down if the channel decides, without due warning, to alter the time of the program. Lately I have found WIN guilty of this. And of course it will continue to record even when the series is finished.

But you are wise to wait. The Humax, if set up the same as the terrestrial unit, would be a winner. At the moment it appears crippled and has a few bugs to sort out as well.

I double checked that non delete issue and it does indeed seem that a file has to be played, if only for a few seconds, before it can be deleted. Maybe a good feature as it prevents accidental deletion of unplayed files.

**transit** · 24-05-13, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Tassie Devil

It will record a series, but not reliably from the EPG. It seem,s Humax have adopted a different apprpach to others and rather than use the day & time settings as the trigger, look for a program tag. That would be clever if the same (hidden to us) tag was used for all programs in the series as it would mean recording would stop when the series stopped. However iot appears that many (if not all) commercial series have a different tag associated with weach episode so the "clever" Humax approach does not work from the EPG.

So, to ensure you get the episodes you need to go deeper into the menus to manually (and tediously) set each timer for channel, start, stop etc. I guess that is not really a huge chore as once set it merely repeats. But of course it breaks down if the channel decides, without due warning, to alter the time of the program. Lately I have found WIN guilty of this. And of course it will continue to record even when the series is finished.

But you are wise to wait. The Humax, if set up the same as the terrestrial unit, would be a winner. At the moment it appears crippled and has a few bugs to sort out as well.

I double checked that non delete issue and it does indeed seem that a file has to be played, if only for a few seconds, before it can be deleted. Maybe a good feature as it prevents accidental deletion of unplayed files.

The dual tuner UEC model must be using this method too as it will record a series at varying times and channels if that is what you want. Pity it's not working yet.

**Tiny** · 24-05-13, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by transit

The dual tuner UEC model must be using this method too as it will record a series at varying times and channels if that is what you want. Pity it's not working yet.

When you say pity it's not working yet, do you mean the Humax & UEC or has the UEC got the series link function working?

**transit** · 24-05-13, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Tiny

When you say pity it's not working yet, do you mean the Humax & UEC or has the UEC got the series link function working?

I mean pity for the HUMAX -- I don't know if it's working or not for the UEC.

I reckon that it could be a really handy function especially with some networks splitting a series over 2 channels.

**Croady** · 24-05-13, 07:27 PM

A tagged link would be the way to go. Setting manual timers is really hit or miss. Recording via the UEC 4021 PVR using the EPG is a bit like chook lotto, and in reality the Foxtel IQ system leaves VAST for dead in this regard. I was hoping ICETV would be available with the HUMAX but this seems to be terrestrial only.

**transit** · 24-05-13, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Croady

A tagged link would be the way to go. Setting manual timers is really hit or miss. Recording via the UEC 4021 PVR using the EPG is a bit like chook lotto, and in reality the Foxtel IQ system leaves VAST for dead in this regard. I was hoping ICETV would be available with the HUMAX but this seems to be terrestrial only.

I record using the EPG on the 4121 frequently. I haven't found any problems -- what's the problem?

**Tassie Devil** · 24-05-13, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Croady

A tagged link would be the way to go. Setting manual timers is really hit or miss. Recording via the UEC 4021 PVR using the EPG is a bit like chook lotto, and in reality the Foxtel IQ system leaves VAST for dead in this regard. I was hoping ICETV would be available with the HUMAX but this seems to be terrestrial only.

When I first got the terrestrial Humax I joined ICETV but was unimpressed and dropped it. Unimpressive for me.

**Tassie Devil** · 24-05-13, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by transit

I record using the EPG on the 4121 frequently. I haven't found any problems -- what's the problem?

There is no problem IF the stations stick to the times on the EPG. When they do not you miss part of it. The point with program tags is that the PVR "intelligently" looks for the tag so records the program following that tag. Jay at Humax tells me that some series programs alter the tag for each episode thus destroying that intelligence in the PVR.

**wyalkatchemsat** · 25-05-13, 01:25 AM

Hi again just got phone call from sciteq this mourning all bugs are sorted and the humax's are go for wa. The problem was not with the decoder but with the streem that gwn was useing from the satellite.

Sent from my LG-P690f using Tapatalk 2

**Buffalo Bill** · 25-05-13, 11:02 AM

The UEC boxes never had any problems viewing this channel.
Sounds more like the stream has been altered to cover up a problem with the box...

**viewer** · 25-05-13, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Tassie Devil

There is no problem IF the stations stick to the times on the EPG. When they do not you miss part of it. The point with program tags is that the PVR "intelligently" looks for the tag so records the program following that tag. Jay at Humax tells me that some series programs alter the tag for each episode thus destroying that intelligence in the PVR.

The UEC has the ability to start the recording before the epg time...can't the Humax do this?

**Tassie Devil** · 25-05-13, 12:07 PM

Yes, you can pad out start & stop times BUT, as with any PVR, you can run into difficulties with conflicts. That is where a series timer setting which relied on tags could be better although if the station shifted the broadcast too much the same conflicts could be inadvertently created without you knowing it, resulting in lost recordings. Sadly there is no perfect system.

**Rodnic** · 25-05-13, 12:27 PM

G'day Tassie. Have you tried using the external USB drive, stick or HDD, function? Does it record or only play? I ask this in conjunction with the other thread about a Humax with no HDD.

**Tassie Devil** · 25-05-13, 01:25 PM

No, not tried but yes, it will record MP3 (and jpeg files) via USB and it is effectively "smart" because like the Terrestrial model, connects to the net via what they term "Humax TV Portal" where you can catch up on missed TV programs or download movies etc from the net.

As I have a separate music server I'll not be recording MP3 on it but will be using their "TV Portal".

The PVR has a removable HDD but they insist you have to buy them from Humax. I just pulled it out - a 2.5" Seagate 500GB unit in a plastic tray. It looks pretty normal to me so I fail to see why Humax should demand you get one from them although I guess it cannot be formatted correctly via the PVR so you are forced to use their (most likely far more expensive) services. But the advantage would be you would get the removable tray with the HDD is screwed in to thus making interchange of HDDs simple.

1TB 2,5" HDDs have been available for some time now so I'm guessing they could be used although my experience is 500 GB is enough. I have 1TB HDDs in two other PVRs here but have never more than half filled them. Anything I want to archive is transferred to DVD via s-video but the s-video output is now omitted in the Humax and most other new PVRs so a component to s-video converter is needed if your DVD-R only takes s-video as the highest grade video input. Of course many avoid this by transferring using a PC, something I've been lazy about investigating.

**transit** · 25-05-13, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Tassie Devil

No, not tried but yes, it will record MP3 (and jpeg files) via USB and it is effectively "smart" because like the Terrestrial model, connects to the net via what they term "Humax TV Portal" where you can catch up on missed TV programs or download movies etc from the net.

As I have a separate music server I'll not be recording MP3 on it but will be using their "TV Portal".

The PVR has a removable HDD but they insist you have to buy them from Humax. I just pulled it out - a 2.5" Seagate 500GB unit in a plastic tray. It looks pretty normal to me so I fail to see why Humax should demand you get one from them although I guess it cannot be formatted correctly via the PVR so you are forced to use their (most likely far more expensive) services. But the advantage would be you would get the removable tray with the HDD is screwed in to thus making interchange of HDDs simple.

1TB 2,5" HDDs have been available for some time now so I'm guessing they could be used although my experience is 500 GB is enough. I have 1TB HDDs in two other PVRs here but have never more than half filled them. Anything I want to archive is transferred to DVD via s-video but the s-video output is now omitted in the Humax and most other new PVRs so a component to s-video converter is needed if your DVD-R only takes s-video as the highest grade video input. Of course many avoid this by transferring using a PC, something I've been lazy about investigating.

So, are you saying that it won't record video to external USB drives but only still images? It would sort of make sense for it not to work because then they are making you buy one of their drives and plastic case. It would be really good if you could try it and see what happens using say a USB HDD and then a USB stick. What file type is it recorded in if it works and what is the format of the USB drive? If it formats to say exFAT then perhaps formatting a 2.5 inch drive to that and inserting it into the plastic tray will work.

The UEC 4121 won't record radio at all so could you try recording radio [to the main HDD] and see if it works please? I thank you for all the trouble that you are going to to keep us all informed -- there is nothing better than someone who owns and uses one telling it like it is.

**Tassie Devil** · 26-05-13, 09:57 AM

Hi Transit

I'll get around to answer all this some time soon. At the moment there are a few other items to deal with, guests soon arriving, .... you get the picture.

Apologies to all if it sounds like I'm canning this PVR. It has potential but has not met it yet. Hopefully Humax will come through and transform it to the specs of the terrestrial unit. Until that happens I'll remain very disappointed and it will sit on the shelf to only be used when terrestrial conditions again deteriorate here. So, at this stage, the less expensive UEC model would have been as good and maybe better. We shall see what evolves from Humax.

**gordon_s1942** · 26-05-13, 12:08 PM

A reason they insist you buy a specific HDD could be so they can control the distribution of the recorded material on the HDD to conform with the requirements of VAST.
Time and trials will show if you take the HDD from one Humax to another or even a different media and access the recorded files.
While they havent yet done this, there is a possibility that eventually some programs could be 'Self Erasing' as happens with IQ's and Internet downloaded rentals of programs from places like Telstra etc.
The words 'Humax's own TV portal' option gives food for thought as to what may be available eventually.
I gather from what Tassie devil has said, you have to 'open' the Humax to access the HDD rather than just using a USB port as the UEC does.