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Dear Graham
I think you misunderstand.
The FoxSat HDR has been a great piece of kit for the time that I have used it. It gives excellent pictures for HD and upscaled SD. I obtained a full resolution tv screen in order to benefit from its quality. I think the work that some have done on the custom firmware is excellent and a model for commercial products to follow. It has all the features that I could imagine.
You therefore have to understand my disappointment that a seemingly inoccuous piece of code “save transponder” fails to work as expected, coupled with the transponder information of the one other satellite that I require being completely wrong.
Humax UK have made every effort to provide me with the information on accessing the antenna settings, and they have enquired and determined that there is a bug in the code. They put me in touch with the forum on Custom Firmware in the hope that this might give a workaround or someone might have the information to do a workaround. Likewise they have been prompt to provide other assistance to questions (eg why does the volume not work on HD channels).
It is a pity that there is not the information available to allow the “simple” change in information to correct the settings for TurkSat to allow it to be used. Cursory examinations shows they are probably compiled into the settop application (at least this application holds the strings for the names of the satellites). Likely the settings are in binary somewhere within the image, but it is not easy to determine their location, as their format is unknown.
If anyone has ideas I would be pleased to receive.
malcolm_c – 26 minutes ago »
. Cursory examinations shows they are probably compiled into the settop application (at least this application holds the strings for the names of the satellites). Likely the settings are in binary somewhere within the image, but it is not easy to determine their location, as their format is unknown.
If anyone has ideas I would be pleased to receive.
That’s the root of the problem. All the work done for the Custom Firmware releases and associated packages has not changed the propriety Linux code forming the settop app or directly altered any data contained within it. To do so may well be a breach of copyright. Where the CF is able to add data like for example programme schedule changes made externally from the UI, it has been done by editing data files held externally and persuading the box to reload this data after a reboot. If the data was held in a separate and accessible file then there is a good chance it could be sorted. However as you have found it doesn’t seem to be the case. If Raydon or AF123 reads this they could give a much more detailed idea as to this being in any way possible.
I can answer the one about volume not working on HD channels, it’s down to the ac3 audio output by default. As I understand it to change the volume at source requires the ac3 data stream to be re-coded. In an AV amplifier with suitable decoding the volume is controlled at the analog audio output part of the process. You can restore volume control by changing the audio output option in the Settings – Picture and Sound – Digital Audio Out – Stereo. This causes the box to output pcm stereo as it does for SD channels using MP2 audio.
I have the Humax installed in Spain and am experiencing the same problem in adding new transponders to the freesat scan list, in fact worse, as I can’t add even one transponder. I also see that some of the listed transponder frequencies differ from the Lyngsat frequencies by 1. The problem is that there are new sky FTA transponders being added as more stations are now using the Ku european beams.
Although the design might be old I purchased the receiver from Humax less than two years ago and the front label says Sky so I would expect to be able to receive all Sky transmissions.
Has this fault always been present or would it be possible to load an earlier release?
In any case I would expect the receiver to scan all possible frequencies when in Manual scan mode.
Any assistance would be welcome.
A difference of 1 or more in the frequency is insignificant. It’s just down to rounding. It will lock on to the correct carrier. Have you tried enabling the network scan option ?
If you try adding a new transponder with such a tiny difference it will presumably not add it because it’s already in the database.
The front label say SKY – there is no mention of Sky on mine nor would it be legal if it did. It’s a Freesat+ box and has the Freesat epg, not the sky epg. Are you sure you have a Foxsat-hdr ?
Sky doesn’t own any transponders, they rent them like any other broadcaster for there own channels like say the BBC. Sky has vey few fta channels, the only one that is available on a Freesat box is Sky SD News.
The reason you losing channels is because the broadcasters are moving channels from the Pan European transponders remaining on Eurobird 1 (28.5E) to UK spot beams from SES Astra satellites at 28.2E. This is nothing to do with you using a Humax box, your dish simply isn’t large enough.
Incidentally reading your post again, you cannot add transponders to the freesat scan list. The freesat database is updated automatically from the freesat home transponder (it’s not editable by a user). The manual tune capability is for use when the box is being used as a generic free to air receiver (no epg but now and next). If you are losing channels there is two possible reasons.
You can’t get the home transponder (it appears to have been on low power for several days, as of this morning it’s better than it has ever been)
Or (the most likely one) is that the your database is correct but the channels are now on a UK Spot beam which you can’t get.
Latest batch to move – see here
https://myhumax.org/forum/topic/update-log-for-recordwatch-apps/page/48#post-37838
On the same topic see
http://skyinmadrid.com/pages/news.html
Note the comment re Eurobird 1 – May 27th.
There appears to be two configurations here: the transponder list (frequency, polarisation, data rate, multiplex, error correction) and the broadcast channels on each transponder. It is the case that the broadcast channel allocation may change, and given the transponder list you can scan through each transponder to find the channels. However the transponder list cannot change (it implies a hardware change to the satellite itself). The only change can come from new satellites; either entirely new in the case of TurkSat at 42E, or added to a cluster.
This is the problem I am having; that an entirely new satellite has been added, but the FoxSat does not correctly allow changes to the transponder list or a new satellite transponder list to be saved. This is a fundamental blunder in software that should have been correct at the time, tested at QA and ought to have a bug fix.
The impression is that others have met this bug, but given up in frustration, as getting to the menu option is hidden and needs information from Humax, and then given up and maybe gone and bought a different manufacturer receiver in the hope that the functionality is better supported.
Thanks for the information. This explains the poor performance on CBS Action that I have noticed.
Thanks for the reply, sorry I was wrong to say Freeview when I should have said Astra 2. The location is near Figueras and we are in a complete dead spot.
The setup is a communal feed using two Disecq feeds. A is on Astra 1 (19.2) with a 80cm dish and B is on Astra 2 28.2 with a 1.3Mtr Dish. This dish was increased in size by the installer but could still not receive the UK beam. However it gives full strength on all the European beams.
We have, of course lost all BBC and ITV transmissions but I can get Sky News (almost advert free) and other news channels on 19.2 but now that more FTA sky channels have moved to the European beam I would like to receive all these channels.
I get good reception for all transponders in the Astra 2 listing but there are two or three new transponders and I want to add these to the list.
When the Humax scans for all channels it only looks at the frequencies in the transponder list and skips the new ones. There are not many channels that are worth watching but there are some film channels and these are on the new transponders.
I can edit the transponder list but when I select “Save” there is an unreadable blue message flashed for a fraction of a second and the listing is not modified.
I am in the UK at present but will be returning to Spain later in the year and I was hoping to find a solution that I could take down and install then. I noticed that in another forum there was a reply some years ago that said that he could add transponders with no problems and I wondered if the problem was only with recent firmware updates.
Thanks Graham, I have only just got around to looking at your referenced site, it looks as if there won’t be many worth while channels on the European beam anyway, I can only wait and see.
Devonian – 17 minutes ago »
Thanks for the reply, sorry I was wrong to say Freeview when I should have said Astra 2. The location is near Figueras and we are in a complete dead spot.
The setup is a communal feed using two Disecq feeds. A is on Astra 1 (19.2) with a 80cm dish and B is on Astra 2 28.2 with a 1.3Mtr Dish. This dish was increased in size by the installer but could still not receive the UK beam. However it gives full strength on all the European beams.
We have, of course lost all BBC and ITV transmissions but I can get Sky News (almost advert free) and other news channels on 19.2 but now that more FTA sky channels have moved to the European beam I would like to receive all these channels.
I get good reception for all transponders in the Astra 2 listing but there are two or three new transponders and I want to add these to the list.
When the Humax scans for all channels it only looks at the frequencies in the transponder list and skips the new ones. There are not many channels that are worth watching but there are some film channels and these are on the new transponders.
I can edit the transponder list but when I select “Save” there is an unreadable blue message flashed for a fraction of a second and the listing is not modified.
I am in the UK at present but will be returning to Spain later in the year and I was hoping to find a solution that I could take down and install then. I noticed that in another forum there was a reply some years ago that said that he could add transponders with no problems and I wondered if the problem was only with recent firmware updates.
Confused by your reply.
Sky is a broadcaster, it has virtually no free to air content. Pretty well all Sky’s own channels require a sky box and a suitable viewing card.
All the channels who pay to be included in the Freesat epg have to be free to air. Sky has one channel on the Freesat epg ( 202 Sky News).
When you say it ignores the new ones you are adding, that could simply mean there is no reception.
When you add a new transponder to the list you should see if your box indicates signal strength and quality. When you scan the single transponder it will find any free to air content and if you save the channels will be added to your non-freesat channel list. It will have no effect at all on Freesat mode operation.
Can you post which transponders you are trying to add to the non freesat database and which channels you are expecting to get and why you think these are now on a PE beam ?
Before you go any further can you check if you have freesat channel 999. If you have go ahead and carry out a freesat retune (not a manual tune). If you can’t get 999 don’t try a retune post again with the above requested information.
Thanks Graham,
I refer you to Lyngsat 28.2 channel listing. This lists all channels above 11222 H as being Sky owned and on one or other of the European beams. As I said, I am unable to receive any signal on the UK beam i.e. all freesat signals, so I will not be able to receive Freesat 999 if this is on the UK beam.
I checked which transponders were scanned during the tuning scan and all that were listed were included and the channels added to the channel listing. However the list did not include several transponders listed by Lyngsat and I assumed that these has been added since I purchased the Humax.
As the receiver is in Spain and I am in the UK I can’t actually test this until I return to Spain later in the year. I was hoping to obtain some suggestions via this forum on how to overcome the problem then.
From your reply I gather that you can edit the Transponder listing on your system. Did you do this in the extended manual mode or in the standard Freesat mode. I have only tried editing after entering the extended search mode. Perhaps I should try editing it before entering the extended menu via RGYBGYB. I would expect the same listing to be used for both modes.
If you can let me know how you did this I will try to duplicate your sequence of inputs.
When I changed the frequency and polarity via the edit mode there was no signal indicated even though the working channels gave full strength and quality.
Selecting the “Save” did not result in any change in the listing.
I think the transponder I tried to select was 12633 H but I can’t be sure about this.
The impression I got was that it would not tune to this frequency until it was listed for the satellite.
Unfortunately I had only a limited time to experiment whilst in Spain as the dish had been displaced by high winds before I arrived as it is on top of a three story block and it was only re-aligned just before I returned to the UK.
No it does not, it merely indicates the specific broadcaster pays Sky to be included on the Sky epg. Those also on the Freesat epg are marked as Freesat. Those on both shoud be dual marked. The appropriate epg(s) data is transmitted along with the actual broadcast.
If you were to setup your Foxsat in the UK, the freesat database would be corrected. If you then took your box to Spain and you were still able to receive the freesat home transponder it would be kept up to date otherwise it would gradually be kept up to date. That doesn’t mean you will be able to view these if the actual transponders can’t be received. At the same time any new transponders from a freesat change should be reflected in the non-freesat database. That doesn’t mean they will added to the non freesat channel list. You have to do that yourself.
If you have details of two transponders that are used only by broadcasters with no Freesat presence, I can try adding them to non-freesat and report if both transponders are viewable and recordable. It has certainly worked OK in the past, for a long time STV-HD wasn’t available on Freesat, but could be viewed by adding the appropriate transponder to the non freesat database.
It doesn’t matter which mode you are in when editing the NON-FREESAT channel database. It has no effect on the channels available in Freesat mode. The Freesat home transponder is still on EB1, when it moves we don’t know if it will finish up on a PE or UK spot beam.
I can’t edit freesat channel data I can though extract a current list from my box for my postcode.
I will add 12633 H to my non freesat mode and report what channels I get,
Right that transponder is already in the list. euronews on Freesat channel 204 is on that transponder. My Foxsat says 12662 H 22000 5/6. Signal Strength and quality is 100/100%.
Scanning that transponder from Manual Tune
Adds 14 channels (including Euronews already available in Freesat mode)
[attachment=38019,518]
Because that transponder is already in the database if you try and add it you get no signal.
If you suggest another I can add that as well.
I don’t have another orbital point so I can’t set up diseqc switching.
I have had a look at Lyngsat, adding the Sky or Freesat logo to a transponder is entirely misleading. Look at the first transponder in the list, it is marked Freesat which is not a broadcaster at all. They do not own any channels, they solely exist as a epg service provider. In fact all the channels on that transponder belong to Channel 4. They will be renting this transponder from SES AStra. The same channels will also be found on the Sky epg.
Now look at transponder 64, It has the Freesat logo. The first two channels are owned by STV and UTV, the last two by ITV. The former are available on the Freesat epg (subject to postcode), the latter only on the Sky epg (and require a subscription).
Have a look at kingofsat, they correctly identify which channels can be found on the respective epgs.
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