We’ve been using two Humax PVT 9200T freeview digital set-top boxes around the office for nearly two years, and in recent months we’ve been suffering increasing problems with the units.
Both have suffered rapidly degrading performances, with the remotes failing to work at times, the fans refusing to turn off when the unit is switched off, and recordings being missed because the unit has ‘stuck.’
A bit Bob and Terry
When we’ve been watching recordings of football games, sometimes the fast forward will get ‘stuck.’
This means that not only do we fly past the adverts as intended, but then have to watch the entire game hurtling past as we try and wrestle the remote into stopping.
It ends up being a bit like the famous Likely Lads, ‘No Hiding Place’ episode, where Bob and Terry try to avoid hearing a match score so they can enjoy it on TV later – except in this case we’re trying to cover our eyes to avoid seeing the goals onscreen while grappling with the remote.
Sometimes, it’s as if the machines are slow to wake up, so that it can take some time before the PVR will respond to instructions from the remote or display any programme information.
Other times, it stays resolutely frozen so that the only way to get the thing working is to physically unplug it and start over.
Frozen standby
Annoyingly, sometimes it will freeze up when in standby mode too, so when we’ve come back from the pub – curry and tinnies in hand – looking forward to a feast of pre-recorded Cardiff City goals only to find nothing’s been recorded.
You wouldn’t want to hear what we shout at the PVR during those moments.
Update promised
Looking on the web, there’s seems to be no shortage of people suffering similar problems, with very few getting the situation resolved, so we wrote to Humax for assistance.
They acknowledged that there is an “issue that seems to be affecting some users,” and that the UK MD is, “on the case and we’re
working to get an update from Korea as soon as possible.”
We’re as fed up as everyone else suffering these problems, so we’ll post up news as soon as we hear back from Humax.
I’ve had EXACTLY the same problem with my 9200T for ages and every fix on the web has failed to work.
It’s just out of warranty too, so I hope Humax come up with something soon, else I’ll be looking elsewhere for my next PVR.
Same here. Sometimes it’s impossible to stop the thing fast forwarding/rewinding and other times it just freezes up completely.
And me. Its been a lot worse since the DSO (Mendip transmitter). Humax have been promising updated firmware for ages, indeed, according to some blogs, certain people are testing a Beta version. I wouldnt hold your breath for an OTA update though!
A PVR is a great idea but I will not be buying Humax again.
My experiences have been similarly frustrating. The unit seems to have become worse after the DSO (again Mendip!). The online solutions didn’t work for me. I’ve held off buying a new Humax because of the lack of support for this problem and in the hope that the new 3view box will live up to expectations. Bye bye Humax. (screen frozen on BBC1….)
@kip
We’ve been promised a reply ‘soon’, so we’re going to get on the case if we haven’t heard anything by this time next week.
As it is, we’ve got two Humax players in the office and both are hugely erratic and neither can be relied on to record important programs.
The outcome of this will definitely influence what our next PVR will be, and what units we’ll recommend to our readers here.
These problems have been occuring for months and quite frankly, its beyond a joke. They should be required to produce a software fix that can be transmitted OTA (over the air) within a couple of weeks or replace everyones 9200T with the latest machine for free.
I suggest everyone suffering problems with these units contact the BBC Watchdog programme via their web site. The more people who complain to Watchdog, the more likely that it will be investigated by them and given prime time TV coverage. Hopefully, this will embaress Humax into addressing this issue. They clearly arent responding to complaints direct from their customers.
I experience exactly the same problems and I was thinking I should replace the hardware. Its good to know I am not alone on this one.
All the tips I have tried have helped temporarily. Includes re-setting Humax, re-downloading channels, then deleting all but essentials. Re-setting controller by removing batteries etc. I am also on the Mendip transmitter.
Humax is fine immediately on switch on from off, but deteriorates rapidly. I hate to think how many future sales will have been lost by Humax. I heard that many of Sky PVRs are actually Humax; are they having problems too?
Looks like Humax has finally got their act together. An OTA update to fix these freezing issues is promised soon.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/32863/humax-fixes-dodgy-pvr-problems
The update to fix the freezing and slow response to the remote control issues due to the new transmitters has been promised back in December 2009. Unfortunately it was an empty promise and don’t really trust them to get it out now. After a few months of pure frustration I think it’s time to get a new box (not Humax this time).
mine fails to wind forward and freezes up will not respond to any remote or manual functions
I’ve had my 9200t for 3 years. Total idiots designed this. The ABSOLUTE WORST communication between it and my pc. I can just about tolerate the slow EPG but not the slow response to the remote. I will never buy another humax piece of junk. On the rare occasions when it works properly it is brilliant.
I had a very bad day with it today and had to abandon the film I was looking forward to watching.
Previously, the thing’s got stuck in fast forward to I’ve had to hide my eyes to stop myself see the final score of the game I’d recorded.
If anything, it’s getting worse each week, so I’m going to keep the pressure on Humax here. Us consumers deserve a fix or a refund.
My 9200 worked perfectly until digital day – Mendip again – on 22nd April. Now the remote stops working after a while, fast forward sticks – can’t even turn it off with the remote and it is only resolved by turning off at the back and then switching on again. I also have the smaller disk version for my bedroom – only three weeks old and the remote stops working almost immediately after switching on. I also await an update.
Me too!
Mendip transmitter- feezing,no recording,having to switch box off then on on rear to get any reaction at all.
Looks like I’ll have to switch to Sky!
[I live in the Belmont transmitter area]
9200-T I’ve had all the problems detailed above for some time too. I often have to turn off the mains power when everything locks up. Then I’m waiting forever for the EPG to load during which time the PVR fails to respond reliably to the remote control – grrrrr!
As this is a hard drive, is it conceivable that deleting of recorded programmes results in a fragmented file system, as with computers? I’d like to re-format the disk but have unwatched programmes – can they be transferred on to my W7 laptop and then transferred back after I reformat this useless PVR? There isn’t a defrag utility so formatting is the only option…
I’d struggle on if I could find a work-around – promised patches don’t sound like they’ll arrive from all the above comments.
Very disappointing and this unit was a Which? best buy – wonder how long they tested it? Wonder if any other PVR is any better?
I have precislely the same problem – and I’m near Glasgow (nowhere near the Mendips!).
It has become worse of late, freezing during the day – usually during the ‘morning shows’ according to the ‘still’ that sits on the screen when I turn on the t.v. I’ve tried reformatting, etc., but a cold reboot is the only thing that seems to unfreeze it – i.e., switching off and on again at the socket, so I miss programmes, too.
Yes, I’ve all of the above problems, can’t get the OTA fix either, comes up with an error, stays at 0%.
Prob crashes 3 times a day. I’ve formatted HDU, but format is so fast looks like a delete function not format.
Gets worse if close to full.
GET MORE OTA TIMES!
Absolutely the same here – have had it over 3 years andsince the last digital upgrade – unit has been terrible. Worse when full, break up with bad weather,near buy trains etc, freezing lost recordings, how can we get this fixed??? I’m in South Ayrshire 30 miles from Glasgow.
My one unit is unbearable, refusing to respond to the remote control, freezes, won’t stop fast forwarding fans won’t turn off etc etc.
It’s an awful machine – a total waste of money.
@mike s – a lot of the trouble I had with my unit was eased with the OTA update although I still get problems forwarding and rewinding. Because of this, I’ve decided not to upgrade to the new Humax pvr with DVB-T2 tuners. Some forum posts I’ve read suggest there are HDMI issues. 3view doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. I’m stuck using a windows media center recording standard def and relying on my TV’s upscaling to make it look decent – it looks like upgrading to DVB-T2 tuners (when they become available) will require a processor upgrade. This is all such a mess!
I seem to have more problems than most. Yes, I get unreliable activity via its remote controls (am I daft? I have TWO humaxes!). Among the many problems we all seem to have, mine OBLITERATES all recordings I make!!! Football, history, films, documentaries are all there waiting for me to watch – but the recording sections are totally blank!Software updates (via a computer) are useless. Automatic updates (the 4am debacle) do absolutely nothing to my degraded Humaxes.
Pull your finger out Humax!!!
i’m glad i’m not the only one with these problems,i thought they were suppsoed to be one of the best on the market wish i never seen one now ,mine locks up when you fast forward or do anything when playing back ,have to switch off completely !!! and start again !!!!
I have been having the same problem and I am near the Crystal Palace transmitter in South London. The unit was okay until the last Upgrade. Previously when it had frozen I downloaded everything off the disk by removing it and reformatting – this does invalidate any warranty, but it is more than 2 years old anyway! I recently had to defragment the disk because the problem was so bad but it hasn’t changed anything. I hadn’t tried the recommended ‘fixes’ proposed on other sites – of reinstalling the software directly to the Humax using a special connector, and was just about to go to Maplin and buy the components when I came across this website. I guess I will also log the problem with Humax and join the ever-growing list of unhappy 9200 Humax owners – shame, since this was, up until now, a good piece of equipment
My Humax 9200t performance improved when I put new batteries in the remote control !!
Thought it was just me, my Humax has been playing up for a number of months now slow or non responsive remote, faliure to record, constant freezing, have to turn it off all the time but the problems persist. Used to love my humax, now it drives me mad thinking about getting BT vision.
Has anyone resolved their problems? Humax should have done something by now surely? If not this is simply unacceptable esspecially given they are not exactly cheap.
we have had 2 humax machines both having the same problem with freezing not loading and being unable to record, but now we are on the 3rd we have come across yet another problem, we have sound on normal telly yet when we go to watch a recorded programe we have no sound.
I have all of these problems with my 9150T Humax PVR
If all of these ‘OTA’ updates can be transmitted ‘OTA’ what is stopping manufacturers transmitting ‘Glitches’ Over the Air to force the consumer to spend yet more money.
Conspiracy theory ?
Maybe NOT
all of the humax range pvr etc are designed to go haywire after a period of 2 yrs. faults are not related ariels etc but the faults are the capacitors and resistors used on the motherboard inside the pvr. humax are lieing when they talk about upgradeing your systems over the air as they know that this will put people off takeing civil proceedings against them to refund monies. humax was notified ages ago about the problems and simply ignored them. take note there are NO fixes for these pvr’s ,only way for a refund is to tell humax that civil proceedings will ensue unless there is a refund, i was given a refund by threats to humax my set was over 2 yrs old and i told them i had their motherboards inspected etc and of the componants used were designed to die after a period of 2 yrs thus conning people for more monies , NOTE your system cannot be upgraded period
I have 2 humax recorders. One 9500 which as yet is less than 1 year old and is still working, the other about 14 months old which has stopped working. Is there any fix that works? I will be replacing the one that died but not with a Humax. Can anyone recommend a decent one?
I am interested by Paul Simin’s view and approach to dealing with it. Paul, would it be possible to put the contents of the warning letter you drafted to Humax and your evidence of the deliberate design life of 2 years for the motherboards in the Public Domain? Possibly via this forum? If this is true then we all should take Humax to task and demand replacements.
I’m glad I’ve read all these reports as I am sufering all the faults mentioned.If this hapening to all PVR-9200T machines ,Why isn’t anything being done about it? I’m so fed up I have bought a Panasonic DMR-HW100
I have just acquired a 9300 and it is doing the same. Very slow response to the remote, sometimes needing another keypress (eg 0) before it responds to the up/down key. It is freezing at times as well. I wonder if it’ll be fixed or should I return it to my friend who I bought it off.
9200… Mine and three of my friends over the last couple of weeks, have frozen (non use of hand set).The only way to get it to work is switch mains on & off. Have tried resetting DEFAULT, no use. UNPLUG ARIAL, RESETTING DEFAULT,no use. Contacted Humax, they said software problem.No date known of next OTA sotware transmission.Humax are blaming the digital signal.How can this be eg. frozen and CAN’T EVEN RAISE OR LOWER THE VOLUME.
WHAT IS DOING THIS ???????
I have just read Paul Simin’s comments. As an electronic designer of forty years standing, I can assure Humax owners that it is not possible to design components to fail in specified time – it would be much easier to do in software.
So, I can only suggest self delusion or malicious intent is at the heart of this posting.
I am a retired electronics engineer and I agree with Paul G that there is no way passive electronic components can be programmed to expire in a given time scale.
Hi,
have anyone managed to update their PVR 9200T software recently, and that way managed to overcome the freezing/unresponsive remote problems? I just happened to come by this web page (after opening my remote to see if someone had spilt cola on it, and tried to cover it up) and realise that the problem lies within the PVR box.
I see that I have .21 installed, and the latest available software seems to be .23. Is it possible to download and transfer the latest software via a Macintosh computer? I don’t have (and don’t want to get) a PC with Windows.
Hi Irritated Humax Owner, My solution is to make a small claims court claim against my retailer under the Sale of Goods Act. If you would like copies of my correspondence trail to use as a template, I’d be glad to forward it to you (and anyone else who would like to make Humax ‘pay’ for the frustration their inaction has caused to so many!
I read above re comments from Mr MD, Humax. I dont know anyone who doesnt have problems with Humax recorders and as for fixes its beyond their capability. This a translation of “issue that seems to be affecting some users,” and that the UK MD is, “on the case and we’re
working to get an update from Korea as soon as possible.”) The solution, is replace with a Sony machine, far better, fault free and steer clear of anything Humax in future, that is the reality.