Humax HDR-1003S Problems thread

[Tassie Devil]

Well, folks, against my better judgement, I’ve succumbed. I now leave the 1003S on (standby) 24/7. Couple of obvious reasons like recording preprogrammed shows late at night - or the early hours to catch up on a missed show from WA (very handy that).
Mainly though, at first, I began to leave it on (standby) because when I switched on from “OFF” and it went through the motions I began to notice frequent momentary screen blackouts during the startup before the picture stabilised. I didn’t like that very much.
However, now, even from standby, I see that the picture still blacks out a couple of times - or so - before stabilising. Familiarity makes one aware of behaviour patterns.
Then the other day, there was a short power glitch and the TV screen repeatedly blacked out, continuously, every couple of seconds.
I tried all the usual diagnostics including changing the HDMI cable to the AV receiver, changing HDMI inputs, switching off - and on - but it kept happening.
I switched off at the wall and we retired to bed.

Switched on the following day and after the usual preliminaries and a few blackouts, the picture stabilized - and has done the same short blackout sequence ever since, from standby. (Have changed to a high-speed HDMI cable - no difference.)

Had anyone else experienced this?

I’m not really up on HDMI “handshakes”. We’ve never had any bother with our other HDMI connected components such as three Topfield PVRs, Oppo BD player. Once they are enabled they come up without any picture glitches whatsoever.

Could the 1003S have an HDMI “handshake” issue? I’ve read that some people have horrendous experiences with various setups and have to resort to component video/digital audio connections; that’s really frustrating.

I’ve got a sort of niggling premonition that whatever it is, with the 1003S, it could be a precursor to something worse.

Any thoughts?

I've not experienced that particular issue but do hate all the HDMI handshaking necessary to get good A/V connections. Designed to stop copying but failed, the legacy is a rotten little plug and issues in many systems. But we are stuck with it. And Optus has imposed further restrictions on VAST gear in the form of the quaintly termed "FREEVIEW" which allows anything but freedom.

Your issue could be a Humax problem but have you eliminated and LNB or cable ones? LNBs can fail. Check them out carefully and if positive they are fine, then contact Humax, the guys there are very helpful.

[kendrew]

. . . . .Your issue could be a Humax problem but have you eliminated and LNB or cable ones? LNBs can fail. Check them out carefully and if positive they are fine, then contact Humax, the guys there are very helpful.

Thanks Tassie Devil. Yes, checked everything from dish/LNB/feed/cable/connections/signal strength/quality. AOK AFAICT (love acronyms - not).

PITA

No one else has posted they experience similar - so I will contact Humax and enquire.

[Tassie Devil]

Actually one of the Humax PVRs here has been giving recording problems - timers not activating. Humax service some time ago suggested I reformat the HDD but, at the time, was reluctant to do that because of older files on it.

However I bit the bullet earlier today, did a factory reset, an HDD format and a rescan. I've now set some programs to record off EPG for the series & others set with timer settings so I'll be interested to see if it records reliably again. It certainly is heaps better behaved at playing files, particularly FF tracking, since the firmware update.

[Tassie Devil]

Time to update over a week later.

Well the reformat etc does appear to have done the trick. I have not encountered warnings about timing clashes for a bit so am not sure the problem reported before is there or not so I'll mark time on that one.

BUT I must be positive and say it is now a rather nice recorder and surprise, surprise, there is an advantage now to Freeview - it does track programs accurately. If the station changes the time of broadcast, the Humax adjusts to that change and records it all. As most of our recording is done from SBS, with a little from the ABC (we find most of their programs pretty trite these days, but that is just us), this is rarely a problem anyway. But the commercial stations are reliably unreliable so it is nice to be able to have confidence that something set by timer will actually all record. The biggest downside of freeview remains - no skip function, but I guess we can live with FF, something quite good on the Humax.

We use the Satking in the kitchen and, as a STB it is fine, but I gave up trying to tack on a HDD for recordings - too messy and most un-ergonomic, particularly compared to the Humax. Prices on the Humax have just about halved since my first purchase so they are now excellent value and finally compare OK to terrestrial unit prices.

[maudandken]

.

[kendrew]

Time to update over a week later.

Well the reformat etc does appear to have done the trick. I have not encountered warnings about timing clashes for a bit so am not sure the problem reported before is there or not so I'll mark time on that one.

BUT I must be positive and say it is now a rather nice recorder and surprise, surprise, there is an advantage now to Freeview - it does track programs accurately. If the station changes the time of broadcast, the Humax adjusts to that change and records it all. As most of our recording is done from SBS, with a little from the ABC (we find most of their programs pretty trite these days, but that is just us), this is rarely a problem anyway. But the commercial stations are reliably unreliable so it is nice to be able to have confidence that something set by timer will actually all record. The biggest downside of freeview remains - no skip function, but I guess we can live with FF, something quite good on the Humax.

We use the Satking in the kitchen and, as a STB it is fine, but I gave up trying to tack on a HDD for recordings - too messy and most un-ergonomic, particularly compared to the Humax. Prices on the Humax have just about halved since my first purchase so they are now excellent value and finally compare OK to terrestrial unit prices.

Good to read your positive comments.

Only recently having joined the Humax 1003S frat I didn’t experience much of the drama prior to the latest F/W update. In retrospect my issues were relatively insignificant and have been mostly resolved. Well . . . . as I said in an earlier post, I caved in and now leave the unit plugged in and on standby.

But I tend to agree with your thoughts and find the recorder does work rather smoothly. And if the more accurate programme start/finish times is a feature of Freeview, I’m all for that - and I’m living with the FF.

Mostly, it is a boon for us when our terrestrial digital collapses; which has been somewhat more iffy for us since the last restack. But VAST is always there. In fact, I’m tending to programme the Humax more as time passes. If it had a remote control code change facility I’d seriously consider an additional unit (with a 1TB HDD). I don’t know why manufacturers don’t include programmable codes. It would be so convenient to daisy chain a couple or more of the recorder you like and prefer to use.

J

[Sunshine Coast]

I'm still getting 0 length recordings. The odd thing is that the recording is often listed TWICE, both with 0 length, even though I had only programmed it to record once.

[kendrew]

I'm still getting 0 length recordings. The odd thing is that the recording is often listed TWICE, both with 0 length, even though I had only programmed it to record once.

Interesting.

I think that happened to me a couple of weeks ago but I assumed I’d miskeyed and programmed twice. I got the “recording” listed twice in Media and a message something like “recording failed - conflict” - or words to that effect.

Must keep an eye out.

J.

[Sunshine Coast]

Interesting.

I think that happened to me a couple of weeks ago but I assumed I’d miskeyed and programmed twice. I got the “recording” listed twice in Media and a message something like “recording failed - conflict” - or words to that effect.

Must keep an eye out.

J.

That's exactly what I get too: the recording is listed twice, 0 length, "recording failed, conflict" error when you select each one. I definitely am not programming it twice.

[Sunshine Coast]

Still happening!



But as I post this, the unit has powered down and seems to be updating!

No, still says Update Date 16 September 2014 Version AUSIAA1.01.19

[kendrew]

Still happening to me too - apparently.

Wanted to play the latest recording of a series a couple of days ago (Q&A - ABC) and found two "recording failed" files for the same programme, date and time. No way I doubled up the settings, I haven't changed anything. I'm also recording "Sleepy Hollow" as a series (on Eleven) and their times are almost concurrent - and its series recordings appear to be OK - as it should. We're supposed to be able to record two services simultaneously aren't we? Wonder if there is a conflict there.

It's a PITA especially as our terrestrial signals are very inconsistent just now - don't know what's going on there either.

Wonder if Humax monitors these threads.

Help - please - Help!

[Sunshine Coast]

New problem started today: the machine just freezes for about a minute or two while scrolling through the EPG. Unresponsive to remote control. Happened 4 times now, despite a cold boot of the machine (power disconnect).

Oops, perhaps not a problem ... changed to new batteries in remote and problem gone, so far anyway.

[banjo]

Posted earlier in this thread re my Humax when first switched on from standby, I get no picture even though I can view the channel list and get the channel info across the bottom of the screen but no picture other than the info bar.
Nothing I do will cure it till I do a factory reset and then rescan and up it comes ok ? It seems to be getting worse now and It's becoming a rel pain, I thought it might be the HDMI out but I get the channel list ok and the info bar so surely the HDMI must be fine, unit is 2 1/2 years old now full time use.

[Tassie Devil]

Posted earlier in this thread re my Humax when first switched on from standby, I get no picture even though I can view the channel list and get the channel info across the bottom of the screen but no picture other than the info bar.
Nothing I do will cure it till I do a factory reset and then rescan and up it comes ok ? It seems to be getting worse now and It's becoming a rel pain, I thought it might be the HDMI out but I get the channel list ok and the info bar so surely the HDMI must be fine, unit is 2 1/2 years old now full time use.

Do you get audio? If so you are correct in that it is not an HDMI problem. But if you are not getting audio or video it sounds like a handshaking problem that HDMI drives us all nuts with.

That is not to say the problem isn't with the Humax, but it could be because of what it is connected to. Have you tried connecting it to via HDMI to another TV or receiver?

And I would check out video connections via composite and component to see if the Humax is pumping out video or not - is the trouble only with HDMI?

A few ideas to check out.

[banjo]

No audio, no picture, but as said I can get the EPG and the info bar, my thinking is that to get that surely the HDMI is ok ? I'm not conversant much with the "handshaking" issues with hdmi but will try the composite output, we live full time in our caravan so have no other tv to check with, do have another HDMI input from my terestrial tv STB recorder and that works fine as I switched to that while awaiting the factory reset.
Running both through a new Samsung smart tv.

[Tassie Devil]

No audio, no picture, but as said I can get the EPG and the info bar, my thinking is that to get that surely the HDMI is ok ? I'm not conversant much with the "handshaking" issues with hdmi but will try the composite output, we live full time in our caravan so have no other tv to check with, do have another HDMI input from my terestrial tv STB recorder and that works fine as I switched to that while awaiting the factory reset.
Running both through a new Samsung smart tv.

The HDMI link is not a simple connection. Sony and others, obsessed with preventing copying, have insisted there be software associated with an HDMI link. There has to be an interchange of data between the two items before they connect - thus the handshaking nomenclature. Any attempt to copy with an HDMI link will fail because the handshaking will not occur. This explains why recorders have no HDMI input.

Just to complicate the picture further, there have been a number of HDMI software releases, the latest being 1.4. As your TV is "smart" then it would have 1.4 although problems can occur with modern gear - a lot of us have experienced it. A minor glitch in the software with the TV could stop easy handshaking. But of course that same software glitch could be in your Humax.

A suggestion: Power the Humax on before the TV and only when it has settled down, turn the TV on. This might make sure correct handshaking occurs.

Bottom line, if it still gives problems you might need to contact Humax and complain about the HDMI link, but make sure your TV is not the problem first - try to borrow an item requiring an HDMI link to see if that connects to your TV OK.

Hope this helps.

[gordon_s1942]

You havent mentioned if you've tried a different HDMI cable to see what happens so that may be an option to consider.
Also do as Tassiedevil suggests and try the AV/Composite outputs too, to be honest I cant see the difference between any of them.

[Tassie Devil]

You havent mentioned if you've tried a different HDMI cable to see what happens so that may be an option to consider.
Also do as Tassiedevil suggests and try the AV/Composite outputs too, to be honest I cant see the difference between any of them.

Yes, do try another HDMI cable. It has been suggested I do this to solve problems which have arisen here in the past but I never did find that any cable made a difference. But still give it a try although if you are using the quality cable that came with the Humax it is not likely to be the source of your problems.

As Gordon says, the video quality from other cabling might be fine for you so do not get hung up on HDMI although you will also need an audio link but that is simple. If I was in your situation and found component video worked then I would stop messing around with HDMI.

[banjo]

Ok back again, to answer a few queries re my problem.

Tried the composite output, still no picture or sound, tried a spare HDMI cable same thing, still get epg and info bar along bottom of screen though.
Last night I unplugged the stb after the same fault and then powered up again and away it went ! so no factory reset just a switch off and back on again.

So back to the drawing board so to speak. It's got me baffled as it only seems to fault after being on standby overnight. Then when It comes back on, all is well again no hint of a problem, till again sat overnight.
Might just switch it off at the pp till next day as thats what I'm doing anyway to get the video back, at least with not doing a factory reset I dont have to wait for it to rescan etc. It's bloody annoying though.
Wonder if it's software related, might try and do a firmware update manually.

[Tassie Devil]

Ok back again, to answer a few queries re my problem.

Tried the composite output, still no picture or sound, tried a spare HDMI cable same thing, still get epg and info bar along bottom of screen though.
Last night I unplugged the stb after the same fault and then powered up again and away it went ! so no factory reset just a switch off and back on again.

So back to the drawing board so to speak. It's got me baffled as it only seems to fault after being on standby overnight. Then when It comes back on, all is well again no hint of a problem, till again sat overnight.
Might just switch it off at the pp till next day as thats what I'm doing anyway to get the video back, at least with not doing a factory reset I dont have to wait for it to rescan etc. It's bloody annoying though.
Wonder if it's software related, might try and do a firmware update manually.

If you power it off, it will rescan on re-using. But if that makes it work OK ..........