Humax dtr t2000 hd channels breaking up
Just got a you view box all and a aerial company out to install a aerial and amp. All the sd channels work fine but when I watch hd channels they break up every few minutes. The signal strength goes from 54 % to 57% and signal quality is 100% and also both strength and quality go down to 0% for a split second every 5 minutes or so. Sd channels are in the 60s %. Could this be a problem with the box or amp? The aerial guy says you only need 45% to get hd channels. Thanks
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Those figures should be fine, and your kit is all new.
But the first thing, as always, is to touch the On/Standby button on the set for just over 8 seconds, while not recording nor about to, until it powers down, and let it non-destructively soft reset.
Might fix it, probably won't, but this is always the first thing to try.
But if your issue carries on, I do think there are enough reports on here of HD breaking up recently to wonder out loud if there is something in the latest release doing this?
There were some known HD recording issues, with an attempted fix in the 22.16.0 software, but this went wrong, and 22.17.0 was hastily rushed out with, I think, this fix removed. I wonder, though, if traces of the fix, or bits of it that were thought harmless, but aren't, are in 17, and are doing this?
Is that five minutes pretty exact, or variable? If it is exact, it might be worth YouView looking to see what is on a 300-second timer in the box.
But as to what you can do:-
Do you have a male/female cable linking the RF Out on the T2000 YouView box to the TV, or can you get one?
And then see if the TV also exhibits this five-minute dropout?
Though what would be utterly conclusive would be if your aerial guy can put a signal meter on your new aerial, and watch what happens when the dropout occurs.
If his signal meter blips, then the dropout is something he has to fix, or at least explain, for you. Like, maybe a neighbour has a radar installation that slowly rotates, and blips you every five minutes :-)
But if he shows a signal steady as a rock, but the YouView box blips, this is something you could very usefully report here.
(As indeed is any outcome, as we are intrigued).
This indicates a mechanical or electronic device located nearby is causing this 'pulse'. It could be a boiler, heating system (even the thermostat) ect, but lets try to narrow this down a bit. Stupid question but what other AV eqpt do you have near the YV? An XBOX by any chance?
It's variable to be honest not 5 minutes.
I have tuned boiler of and it still drops out . No other av equipment running.
A YouView box blipped by such a thing, if the blip is enough to actually drop the voltages in the box - power supplies used to have big capacitors to guard against this, but nowadays they don't - could corrupt the running software and give you issues.
Though I agree that this is only on HD is odd, and I think the jury is still very much out on whether this is indeed a problem in the latest release, and may yet return with a 'guilty' verdict :-(
There is (yet another!) test you can do, though. As I am guessing that inviting the aerial man to come and stay as a way of making the box behave is not feasible :-)
If you soft reset your box - touch the standby button for just over 8 seconds while not recording nor about to - are the HD channels OK until the next lot of lights flickering, or does the issue still happen pretty much straight away?
Is there any news on when you view be bringing there next software update out ?
But we might deduce that they are working hard on 2.18.0, having quickly backtracked from 2.16.0 to 2.17.0 when 16 proved problematic, to be what 16 should have been.
I am having exactly the same problem with my new dtr t2000 box. I have 80% signal strength and 100% signal quality, but they both drop down to 0% every few minutes and ONLY on HD channels. (it doesn't happen on the TV when I connect the aerial straight to the TV and it doesn't even happen on the TV even with the feed coming from the dtr t2000 RF OUT). It also doesn't happen on SD channels.
Did you have any luck on this ?
Cheers.
I had even considered this might have been due to the recent weather but after being reminded of this thread I'm starting to think it might be the box.
Sorry to hear you're all having this issue. This doesn't sound like your run-of-the-mill signal related issue, but we can't rule out issues with the signal/setup to be causing this.
Could you answer these questions so we can get a better understanding of the issue:
The HD channels do just as above, drop to 0% for a second before returning. However I do note the SD channels to suffer occasional break up or pixelation in a similar manner which I always assumed was related.
My set up is the aerial goes to a distribution amplifier that boosts signal to two TVs in the house. When I plug straight in to my main TV this does not happen.
Sometimes hours can go by with no problems but the interruptions can happen more frequently at other times. I just resigned myself that there was sometimes outside interference causing blips. I have a lower signal strength for COM7 which seems to suffer more often (so BBC News HD, 4+1 HD et al) but I've seen it happen on all HD channels.
I don't get a choice of regions when retuning and I'm on software version 22.17.0. I'm based in Derby City Centre so should be getting channels from Waltham.
Hope this helps with the diagnosis!
Can you also send us your postcode to [email protected] we want to check the reception for the Muxes available to you.
I've sent in an email re the postcode, thanks.
Re-reading your previous posts, you mentioned you have your aerial split between 3 TV's in the house. When testing the YouView box in the other rooms, you were getting less signal strength and in one case couldn't get all the muxes. Your downstairs setup seemed to give you the best results, but for some reason the setup upstairs seems to be weaker.
Just for test purposes, have you tried removing the amplifier distributor and connecting one aerial lead direct from the aerial to the YouView box (if possible)?
Or tried keeping the amplifier distributor connected but removing the other aerial leads, leaving just the lead connected to the YouView box?
Can you also let me know what the signal strength/quality is for a COM7 channel with your current setup and with the tests above?
Your tips have made me realise my set up is not what I thought. Strangely the upstairs aerial sockets aren't linked to the distribution amp at all (I get signal without the cables plugged in to the amp and with the amp turned off) which suggests to me the upstairs aerial cables are linked separately to the roof aerial somehow.
I tried plugging the cable that feeds the distribution amp directly into the YouView Box but got no signal. The cables use F connectors so I had to try a converter but no joy.
I'm now running the Youview box from the amp again, but now it is the only cable the amp feeds (since I've no idea where the other cables lead to - I thought they fed the upstairs rooms!). I'm getting no change in signal strength/quality but haven't seen the break up issue happen so far tonight. I'll keep watching and report back.
Thanks for your continued help.
From when the signal drops out to come back on there is not enough time to change channel to an sd channel. How ever when watching any ad channel it never drops out.
Aerial in loft with a amp running straight to you view box with no other outputs. Signal strength 85% quality 100% on SD channels. 75 % signal strength and 100% quality on HD channels .
Only noticed it on BBC 1 hd how ever I haven't really watched any other hd channels .
No choice of region on re-tuning .
Thanks
Damien
Damien - I've taken the liberty of removing you postcode entirely as we have it now. The information you've provided is very interesting. There are a few things to consider when looking at your issue.
- Your transmitter is Sandy Heath (Anglia), which is currently undergoing planned engineering works. This can lead to possible service interruptions.
- In your area, two of the HD muxes (COM7 & COM8) both show a variable reception, which isn't ideal for HD channel viewing. Although you mention only noticing it on BBC One HD which is on the BBC B HD Mux which you receive a good reception for.
- The signal strength you have on SD channels is a just a little high, generally speaking signal strength over 80% may cause your picture to break up. However the HD signal strength seems within the acceptable range. Unrelated to your HD drop out issue I reckon but something to be aware of regardless.
Considering there are possible service interruptions to your transmitter at the moment, we can't say there is an issue with the box itself. I'd recommend contacting Digital UK to see if they can give you any information on when these engineering will be completed: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/homeI've been trying to think of if there are common conditions when it happens, such as high traffic outside, weather conditions etc. but there's no rhyme or reason.
My internet and wifi routers are near to the Youview box, could these be interfering in some way?
"I get 40-43% signal strength on COM7." Theres one of your problems right there, as thats not strong enough. But 50-57% on others should be fine. Just for test purposes, have you tried removing the amp and connecting the aerial coax directly to the box?
1) watching the TV directly (but getting the feed via the Humax box) - no problem
2) recording the same content on SD - no problem
3) recording the same content on HD - glitches every few minutes or so
- so it looks like a problem with the Humax HD reception to me
I put an attenuator in our aerial lead to reduce the signal strength and things seem to be OK now. I used one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philex-VHF-UHF-12dB-Fixed-in-line-Metal-Attenuator-Coax-plug-to-socket-/23...
This is a 12dB version. I tried a 6dB one first, but it didn't bring the signal down enough, so I went up to 12dB. There are also variable versions available.
Also - are you using a signal booster or amplifier?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VARIABLE-ATTENUATOR-TV-AERIAL-SIGNAL-REDUCER-20dB-3-5-6-8-9-10-12-15-18-FR...
As you said Sanj, if there is a signal booster it would be best to try without it in the first instance.
I doubt that the problem is a software issue. If the problem has only occurred in the last few months it is probable that there has been a change in the signal strength for some reason. Even a change in weather conditions can affect it.
I have the T2000 plugged into a PSU connected to an amp and then aerial. No splitters. SS/SQ on 4HD is 62/100.
Output goes directly to a T1000. SS/SQ on 4HD is 47/100 (!)
The T2000 still pixellates occasionally but the T1000 does not on the same recordings.