Failed recording.

churchwardenchurchwarden Member Posts: 795 ✭
edited 8 May 2017, 7:26PM in Archived Posts
As people are posting that recordings have failed in a number of different threads, I thought it would be helpful to provide a single thread for failed recordings to be clearly logged.

I have not experienced failed recordings until very recently, but, for instance, Borgen episode 9 failed last Saturday night on BBC4, whilst episode 10 recorded quite happily.

Signal Strength 88%, Signal Quality 100%.

If other people experience failed recordings, I suggest they register them here, and include

Type of YouView box - Retail, BT, TalkTalk
Programme
Channel and whether SD or HD
Date/Time
Signal Strength/Quality

plus any other information they think may be helpful.

«134

Comments

  • SomersetBobSomersetBob Member Posts: 213 ✭✭
    edited 27 February 2017, 10:19AM
    Retail Humax 1000


    Atlantis

    BBC1 - HD

    Saturday 14th.

    Signal Strength/Quality - 71/100 (normal for my location)

    This was one day after I applied the latest software update (is it related?) :-(



    But at least it rescheduled the recording for BBC3 later in the week :-)

  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,453 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 9:29AM
    Interestingly Atlantis on 14/12/2013 failed to record here too. Likewise this was BBC1 HD and the box successfully recovered the situation via the repeat on BBC3. This is on a retail Humax T1000 where the signal strength/quality on BBC1 HD is typically 77/100.

    Something I have observed of late is the box occasionally reports it has updated  the channel list/found new channels. Whether this is relevant to this issue is not clear. It is also not entirely clear whether that is specifically since the December software update or since the new HD channels became available.
  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    I never had failed recordings, until the recent update - have had 2-4 failed recordings now - I have the box in high Eco mode (power saving on) and think there's a issue waking up and recording:

    The latest:

    The Keiser Report 730am on 24/12/13
    (Note - series link not available for above?)
    Ch 85 - 45% Strength / 100% Quality
  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    Guess ill leave this tab open...

    Retail
    IJ- Temple of Doom
    BBC Three HD - 105
    25/12/13 - 2033-1024 (youview displays 12 hr clock - annoying!)
    69% / 100%
    High Eco

    - have now treated myself and switched to Eco low (power saving off) - hey it's Christmas!
  • S RS R Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 9:29AM
    Retail graded T1000 box.

    I've had mine fail to record bluestone 42 xmas special 3 times. Mix of SD and HD. Channel 105 & 7.   All BBC 3.

    Low eco mode and high eco for last one but retuned in between and did a maintenance menu internet recovery in between. Signal strength about 50% and quality 100%. Signal strength reported is much lower than my other pvr, that says 100% when this says 50% from the same aerial connection.

    Finally recorded last night in HD.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,453 ✭✭✭
    edited 21 December 2016, 10:30PM
    S R said:

    Retail graded T1000 box.

    I've had mine fail to record bluestone 42 xmas special 3 times. Mix of SD and HD. Channel 105 & 7.   All BBC 3.

    Low eco mode and high eco for last one but retuned in between and did a maintenance menu internet recovery in between. Signal strength about 50% and quality 100%. Signal strength reported is much lower than my other pvr, that says 100% when this says 50% from the same aerial connection.

    Finally recorded last night in HD.

    Hi S R - one possibility is the signal strength of 100% that your other PVR is reporting shows you have a signal that is actually too strong (for the YouView box). In the past some people have found with a YouView box a signal strength that is too strong in some senses seems to blind the YouView box and it instead then locks on to tuning from a different weaker transmitter which has a lower signal strength. This in turn tends to mean they are now tuned to a transmitter that is really too distant, too weak or just a freeview lite transmitter than only offers a fraction of the channels you would otherwise get from a full transmitter. If you have a booster somewhere within you aerial chain you could try removing that and retuning the YouView box to see what it then finds. Ideally it would find a signal strength that is say below 90% whilst still being higher than the 50% it currently reports. If you have no booster that could be turned off then others have added in a variable attenuator (typical cost under £5) to allow then to make an adjustment and hence either drive a freeview lite transmitter signal down low enough to be ignored or take the edge off an overly strong signal that may then be more acceptable to the YouView box.
  • S RS R Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited 28 December 2013, 5:01PM
    S R said:

    Retail graded T1000 box.

    I've had mine fail to record bluestone 42 xmas special 3 times. Mix of SD and HD. Channel 105 & 7.   All BBC 3.

    Low eco mode and high eco for last one but retuned in between and did a maintenance menu internet recovery in between. Signal strength about 50% and quality 100%. Signal strength reported is much lower than my other pvr, that says 100% when this says 50% from the same aerial connection.

    Finally recorded last night in HD.

    Hi Keith, I tuned it again without the booster the other night. That reported 40 something % as signal strength which jumped to about 50 ish when I put it back in.  Unfortunately the information display is so poor I can't tell which transmitter it has tuned to. It should be either Fenton or Sutton Coldfield. Both are strong signals. I don't think it can be tuned to Winter Hill as I've got BBC 1 west midlands and I don't think that is broadcast via there. There is an outside chance it has tuned to the wrekin but it seems unlikely as Fenton and Sutton Coldfield are where everything else has tuned into both with and without boosters.

    Aerial is just a basic aerial with no booster or masthead amplifier. It's in the loft too so it shouldn't get a massively strong signal that way either. I only have a booster on the sitting room connection as it is the longest and I need 3 outlets at the moment. I took it out the other day and the youview only got 50 odd channels so I've left it in. When I retuned the other night with a different cable but no booster it was finding 120 channels so I've left it as it is and kept the signal strength above 50%.  There is no channel break up or anything else and signal quality is 100% which I think is just as critical. I can't really do more with it without knowing exactly which transmitter it has chosen.

    My old pvr can't necessarily be trusted on signal strength either as it tends to lose it over time and a restart gets it back.

    Without the channel frequency display on each tuned channel you can't really trouble shoot the issue. Not having that or a manual tune option is a real down side of the youview.
  • S RS R Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited 28 December 2013, 5:57PM
    Just had a thought. Noticed when I switched box back on without TV going on first there was this silly error message about not being able to view the content as it was protected. I wonder if this could be related to recording failures on hd channels and boot issues. If TV isn't on already which is likely when box is left to record it would create this spurious error and possibly crash the box when it tunes to an hd channel or it is left on one.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,453 ✭✭✭
    edited 21 December 2016, 10:30PM
    S R said:

    Retail graded T1000 box.

    I've had mine fail to record bluestone 42 xmas special 3 times. Mix of SD and HD. Channel 105 & 7.   All BBC 3.

    Low eco mode and high eco for last one but retuned in between and did a maintenance menu internet recovery in between. Signal strength about 50% and quality 100%. Signal strength reported is much lower than my other pvr, that says 100% when this says 50% from the same aerial connection.

    Finally recorded last night in HD.

    As you say the absence of a more detailed info and/or manual tuning option for the YouView box can be a potential hindrance in a situation such as this (even if only to help confirm the tuning is as expected). Having more detailed tuning info and a manual tuning option have been requested in the past as noted in item 53 of the consolidated list of improvements and feature requests but as yet there is no sign such functionality will be added any time soon.

    It does also seem plausible that the December software update or other change around that time may have introduced some slight issue that is related to recent failed recordings. Although I've only reported one concrete example above I think I have had 5 this month. I have not investigated each case in detail but am not aware of an obvious reason for the failed recording each time which is in contrast to the few times over the preceding 17 months when I have had only a handful of failed recordings and in each case have been able to identify the cause (e.g. series linked items that move in the schedule to become a triple clash or past bug that is now fixed that affected the box waking up in time for the recording in a corner case situation). Fortunately, although I have had 5 failed recordings this month, in each case the box has manage to automatically record a repeat of the failed programme and hence rescue the situation later in the week. Overall though having even one unexplained failed recording in a month is one too many so I'm very much hoping not to see any more or if further ones occur then finding there is an issue or pattern that will allow YouView to rapidly respond and address the situation as appropriate.
  • scottscott Member, Super User Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭
    edited 6 March 2017, 7:32AM
    Not sure if this is any help (probably not) but had a failed recording the other night (Scooby doo on CBBC HD - BT you view box with 60/100 %). Anyway thought I would test this out and set it up to record another Scooby doo on same channel. I checked the box while this was supposedly recording and found that 5 minutes after the start of the programme the my view still just said awaiting to record, I then went to the programme on the channel guide and pressed record off then on, still nothing, still showed as awaiting to record in the my view schedule. I then went to the channel itself and bingo as soon as I went on it a pop up came up saying started recording. Will try testing further.
  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    Last night set the box from power saving (ps) off to on.
    Turned the box on and it came on straight away - rather than the 2 minutes it takes to come on when normally in ps on.
    It should of been recording BBC 'Match of the day' morning repeat - I went to watch something in my view, no indication motd was recording. When I came back to myview, it had 'Motd - FAILED'

    So, box in ps on turns onto record, but doesn't record - appears to happen if recording is first thing in morning / after 10+ hours of standby.

    Also, does anyone EVER use the blue youview button to acess the guide? It's amazing the flaws in design present in the youview UI and now software / hardware failure!

    That reminds me, I must series link 'The Chuckle Brothers'.
  • Philip TrottPhilip Trott Member Posts: 1,040 admin
    edited 17 February 2017, 4:59PM
    Hi Steve, are you receiving a failed recording every time you have a scheduled recording set in the morning? Also have you tried to test this on ECO mode High and Low with the same results?

  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    failed recordings appear to happen in the morning / or are the first recording in the day - only happens if in high eco 

    ive set to eco low and have had no failed recordings, however, when turning the box on for the first time in the day, I receive a black screen - have to turn off at back of unit and re-boot - when turning on 3-6 times during the day, I do not receive a black screen. 

    All since the Dec update. 
  • HydeTheDarkerSideHydeTheDarkerSide Member Posts: 247
    edited 2 January 2014, 9:50PM
    Had 5 failed recordings over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  It's a Huawei box from TT with latest (cough) software.  Can't establish signal/quality issues as there's no method of recording these over any meaningful period.  Snap shot views show 60% to 70% strength and 100% quality.  Certainly these are good enough for my Topfield PVR where the signal monitor TAP isn't showing any issues for its half of the aerial feed split.
  • f1charlief1charlie Member Posts: 15 ✭
    edited 18 July 2014, 7:25PM
    I got a BT YouView box just before Christmas.  The first failed recording was the F1 Review on BBC1 HD on December 28th at 1315 and I have just had two more - University Challenge and James May on BBC2 HD last night (4th January 2030 and 2100).  Initially these latter two programs did not show at all in the recordings page, but were on the Scheduled page still showing as scheduled.  As I was moving between the pages they moved to the Recordings page and showed as failed.
    Since I have probably set no more than about 10 recordings, this is not a very good hit rate!  I just checked the BBC2 HD signal and it is currently 72/100.
    I'm beginning to wonder whether I should have gone to Virgin!
    Adding a manual timer setting for recordings should be a priority for a future update as the broadcast signal is obviously not reliable.

    I noted that the recording for James May was rescheduled for today's screening, but not on the HD channel.
  • alal Member, Super User Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    edited 5 March 2017, 1:28PM
    I gave my YV box a bit of a beating over Christmas. Starting with out 75% capacity, now at around 25%. I haven't noticed any missed recording at all. I even tried BBCFourHD as this sounds like a problem channel - 99% of my recordings were HD channels. The only problems I've noticed are when the box gets switched on/off during recording it affects the signal and my subtitle/DD issue. December F/W Humax. All signals ~ 80/100
  • Steve AllenSteve Allen Member Posts: 47
    edited 6 January 2014, 9:11AM
    The Bridge II, Saturday 4/12/2014.
    Both consecutive episodes. As a note, I even waited to see the 'Now recording ..." header message.

    Also, Cbeebies, every episode of 'Katie Morag'.
  • SW1SW1 Member Posts: 240
    edited 5 January 2014, 10:33PM
    Steve Allen said:

    The Bridge II, Saturday 4/12/2014.
    Both consecutive episodes. As a note, I even waited to see the 'Now recording ..." header message.

    Also, Cbeebies, every episode of 'Katie Morag'.

    Mine failed to record the 2nd of the two episodes that night.

    Mendip, retail T1000.
  • SW1SW1 Member Posts: 240
    edited 5 January 2014, 10:35PM
    Failed to record Sherlock tonight. The T1000 did display the now recording banner.
  • Steve AllenSteve Allen Member Posts: 47
    edited 6 January 2014, 9:11AM
    Steve Allen said:

    The Bridge II, Saturday 4/12/2014.
    Both consecutive episodes. As a note, I even waited to see the 'Now recording ..." header message.

    Also, Cbeebies, every episode of 'Katie Morag'.

    To  add, T1000, retail.
  • ShepShep Member Posts: 26
    edited 29 November 2016, 8:46PM
    BT Humax
    Saturday 9pm and 10 pm The Bridge, BBC4 HD
    Both recordings failed.

    Ive noticed a couple of other recordings that have failed part way through and these are the first that have failed completely. 62% free space in the disc.

    Very annoying!
  • f1charlief1charlie Member Posts: 15 ✭
    edited 18 July 2014, 7:25PM
    I tried to record 'Weight Loss Ward' tonight by selecting the guide just before the program started and pressed the record button.  The record symbol appeared in the guide.  I went back to the TV to watch other programs and have just checked to see if the recording is there.  The program is listed in Scheduled with Record against it, but nothing in Recordings. 
    I just tried the same sequence with the current program, going into guide, selecting the program and pressing the record button.  This time the program recorded successfully.
    Is there some sort of 'dead zone' before a program starts where you can't set record via the program guide?
  • KateThatchamKateThatcham Member Posts: 53
    edited 8 January 2014, 12:10AM
    f1charlie said:

    I tried to record 'Weight Loss Ward' tonight by selecting the guide just before the program started and pressed the record button.  The record symbol appeared in the guide.  I went back to the TV to watch other programs and have just checked to see if the recording is there.  The program is listed in Scheduled with Record against it, but nothing in Recordings. 
    I just tried the same sequence with the current program, going into guide, selecting the program and pressing the record button.  This time the program recorded successfully.
    Is there some sort of 'dead zone' before a program starts where you can't set record via the program guide?

    f1charlie  - I too have experienced that problem on several occasions with different programmes on different days and channels, when I'd only just realised that a programme was about to start.  It is most frustrating and I haven't yet found a way to resolve it.  

     I've also found that sometimes a scheduled series recording doesn't start recording and if you try to manually record the programme when it should be recording, it won't record....   

    Kate
  • S RS R Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited 9 January 2014, 10:15PM
    Retail humax t1000. Fresh exchange box.

    2 failed recordings tonight. Not impressed. Stargazing live, bbc2 hd 8-9pm, birds of a feather 8.30 -9 itv hd. Benidorm and silent witness both recorded fine and so is Charlie brooker seemingly. Bof and Benidorm are on same channel so it should have got both easily. Pvr was on so beats me why they didn't record. Think I was watching iplayer while it should have started the recordings. Recorded fine last night while using iplayer. It's rescheduled bof but can't do stargazing as it is a one off.

    HD channels are all on same mux so it shouldn't matter what else was being watched anyway.

    Think signal strength is 50 odd percent but quality is always 100%
  • Peter JacksonPeter Jackson Member Posts: 62
    edited 8 May 2017, 7:26PM
    Dolphins spy in the POD failed while watching 4OD nothing else being recorded. This system is very buggy isn't it
  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    Well this is embarrassing - I now without 'fail'(excuse the pun there) always have a black screen when turning on the box for the first time - have had a couple failed recordings - I give up!

    Advice for next update...

    Fix failed recordings
    Black screen on startup
    Do something radical - combine the 'summary' and 'details' page into one - try it, you'll like it
    The blue youview button goes DIRECT to myview - there's a dedicated button for epg - it gets tedious pressing left and ok to access myview - my hearing is fine - a setting to make 'ad' button into 'direct to myview to avoid unnecessary key presses design by committed dumbness' button

    Oh and a option to turn auto updates off cos, ya know, youview is a bit ropey and want a reliable box!
  • Steve MullinsSteve Mullins Member Posts: 58 ✭
    edited 15 January 2017, 7:13PM
    Suits 2am in dave last night

    This after I set Eco mode to high due to having a black screen on startup when in Eco low.

    Guess ill just have to turn it off at the wall and on again every time I attempt to use youview, or cancel all recordings as they will fail if the first recordng from a deep sleep.

    Any word on when / if this December update will be corrected - tempted to take my box outside and smashit up with a sledge hammer and just use Netflix and play tv on the ps3...(until a update breaks that too!)
  • S RS R Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited 11 January 2014, 1:55PM
    My second box was very similar to how yours is behaving. My new one, which is in low eco all the time, doesn't do the black screen or hanging on start up. It seems to have worked reasonably well apart from Thursday where it failed to record 2 programmes for no reason whatsoever. If it has updated to the recent January update and it is still doing the black screen in low eco then I'd get Humax to swap it out.
  • f1charlief1charlie Member Posts: 15 ✭
    edited 18 July 2014, 7:25PM
    Tonight, BBC3 HD 8pm - Tough Young Teachers failed, but BBC2 HD Sport Relief Bake Off scheduled at the same time recorded OK.
    The box was in standby at the time of recording. Signal/quality is 73/100 on both channels.
  • f1charlief1charlie Member Posts: 15 ✭
    edited 18 July 2014, 7:25PM
    f1charlie said:

    Tonight, BBC3 HD 8pm - Tough Young Teachers failed, but BBC2 HD Sport Relief Bake Off scheduled at the same time recorded OK.
    The box was in standby at the time of recording. Signal/quality is 73/100 on both channels.

    Repeat of Tough Young Teachers recorded OK.

    What happens if the record signal comes through at exactly the same time for two scheduled programmes? Does one get missed - a possible explanation for this missed recording?
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