For comparison purposes only (this also applied before Beta update):

Aerial: Wall Socket > Aura > Humax DTRT2100 > New TV (Sony KD-43XH8505)

Readings taken for BBC 4 HD, Channel 55 Winter Hill COM 7

Device Signal Strength/Quality

Aura 26 100

DTRT2100 46 100

Sony TV 40 100

On Channel: 35 (BBC1HD)

Device Signal Strength/Quality

Aura 81 100

DTRT2100 91 100

Sony TV 93 100

The 26/100 reading for Aura Ch55 sometimes drops to 18 Strength with Quality jumping between 0 and 100. At the lower strength level pixilation occurs or no picture. At 26 it seems to be borderline.

With the above exception there have been no cases of pixilation since new TV installed 4 days ago.

In both examples the Aura has a lower signal strength than the others but only the first could be a problem in my particular case. It’s not helped by the low output signal from Winter Hill COM 7 (again in my particular case). I can see the transmitter mast from my flat, about 3 miles away.

davidrew – 18 hours ago  » 

davidrew – 3 days ago  » 

davidrew – 1 week ago  » 

Updated yesterday all OK. Watched 4 HD programmes recorded since the update and all were fine apart from Neighbours on 5HD today (lunchtime) which had a single brief pixilation issue.

Signal strength is constant 89% with 100% quality. Ethernet is currently hardwired LAN to test ethernet updates.

Image capture attached with extracted video clip.

Let me know if you need any additional information or files for diagnostic purposes.

Video won’t upload for some reason? Can be downloaded from here: Google Drive

[attachment=90667,2024]

An update:

Experienced some more pixilation/pause issues on CH5-HD so have finally bit the bullet and replaced the run of old brown coaxial cable from the loft (installed early 90’s when the house was built) to the Humax with PF100 double screened cable. The whole run from the aerial to the Aura is now PF100.

The new cable has definitely reduced signal loss as I have had to wind back the variable attenuator more to the max -20db to reduce the signal strength off 100%.

Result: Two more pixilation/pause issues, one on an episode of Neighbours and the other Home & Away.

To test further I have now acquired a Humax HDR-Fox-T2 and looped this to the Aura RF-OUT with PF100 and set-up the programmes that cause the most issues to parallel record. I hopefully will then identify if its the signal or the Aura causing the issues by comparing the recordings when there is another pixilation/pause.

I now have conclusive proof the AURA is at fault for the picture/sound break-up I’m seeing on recordings and not my new cabling or attenuator.

To reiterate the test HDR-Fox-T2 for parallel recording is connected to the AURA RF-OUT so both boxes are processing exactly the same signal data from the Oxford transmitter on CH47.

Two recording issues this evening. Bake Off The Professionals on CH4-HD had a pixilation issue which was not on the parallel HDR-Fox-T2 recording, and likewise a worse instance during EastEnders on BBC1-HD which I have captured and uploaded.

Clips on Google Drive Here (as upload to forum post not working):

AURA: AURA Clip

HDR-Fox-T2: HDR-Fox-T2 Clip

It’s over to you Humax as I believe I have now tried everything in my power to diagnose and fix this.

It seems you’ve done all you can reasonably do in the circumstances David.

Like yourself, I’ve been through the gamut of trying to eliminate possible causes of pixellation through cabling & attenuation, but it seems a sudden loss of signal causing pixellation is an issue for the Aura.

With many users experiencing the same issue at random, it points not to be an issue with end user’s equipment or connectivity, especially as connected equipment is unaffected.

Yes, the Aura is a complicated bit of kit but if the weak link is the digital tuner within the unit, it’s pretty much integral to it’s purpose as a Freeview recorder & end users shouldn’t really have to troubleshoot to the extent of replacing cabling.

You expect some teething problems with new equipment, but it would be good if Humax could offer an update on their view on at least a potential solution or perhaps answer a couple of questions along the lines of:

Do newly manufactured boxes still suffer from the same issues?

If not, has the internal hardware recently been changed?

I had a punt yesterday at a potential cause on the “picture breakup” thread yesterday, but I might be wide of the mark…

<quote>andyd1302 – 1 day ago  » 

technick – 9 hours ago  » 

Although other TVs/STBs in my house are happy with DTT signal I get here, the Aura wasn’t. I had ruled out any cable issues by swapping devices and cables around. I then put a amplifier on the Aura aerial input which has fixed picture/sound break up on affected SD channels.

Interesting you mention using an amplifier on the signal as that was my initial thought way back before Beta testing but I decided on the attenuator given it’s a reasonably priced attempt at a solution.

The attenuator seemed to lessen the effects for a while (breakups have never been fully eradicated), but whilst switching on the unit the other night then scrolling up through channels to BBC1 HD to view a programme, BBC1 HD was virtually unwatchable due to the breakups in both picture and sound.

The unit was behaving itself for the Week prior to the latest set of glitches.

A soft reboot didn’t help remedy the situation either, but bizarrely after soft rebooting then watching a previously recorded programme from the HDD then viewing BBC1 HD ‘live’, resulted in the picture being clear as a bell with no further glitches that viewing session.

Like I say, bizarre.

The issue seems so random & replacing cables seems excessive.

I wonder if it’s an app update within part of the Aura’s software that’s causing the pixellation due to a bombardment of requirements placed on the RAM/ processing power of the box.

The reason I think this is the unit whilst updating has so much to do (downloading programme pictures, updating guides etc. when locked to the live TV feed), the allocated memory might be so maxed out pixellation is the end result.

All conjecture on my part of course, but the tricky bit for Humax if this is the case is pinning down which app or update is causing the nuisance.

If an official update can be given though, it would be much appreciated.

There’s a lot to like with the Aura, but it would be a shame for the performance of the units to fall down on one of the major selling points..

Noticed something strange today. When I access itv hub through the apps page it works as usual and goes straight to its normal homepage. But when I access through recent apps it asks me for my postcode, like its forgotten my settings.

Many thanks indeed Barry for the detailed explanation. My old TV apparently was not capable of transcoding to DD 5.1. It is just by chance that I upgraded my TV midstream and found that the new one did the business. It seems I now have the choice of which one does the transcoding – TV or MS12. In each case the Sonos app shows that it’s receiving DD 5.1.

Thanks again.