IceTV Forum

Hi Everyone.

I have just joined this forum so I am a complete newbie. I am looking at getting a new PVR to replace my old Topfield 5000 masterpiece (which is still going great by the way). I got interested in the Humax HDR-7500T and tried to find everything I could on it. I read the review linked on the icetv site but was looking to hear from people that have one so I could get some feed back. My next choice would be the Beyonwiz DP Lite-i .   

Any suggestions or feedback on the Humax would be appreciated.

Les

IceTV only started selling and supporting (http://news.icetv.com.au/news/blog/2011/08/29/humax_and_icetv_europes_leading_pvr_comes_to_australia/) the Humax in late August, so there may not be much experience of it around.

Thank you Peter for your reply. I didn't realize it was only just released. The fact that they are giving a 2 year warranty means that they must be confident with the product. I might then have a closer look at the Beyonwiz DP Lite-i .

Les

I used a Humax PVR in the UK for 4 years and was disaapointed there weren't available here when I arrived. Thankfully IceTV have introduced them and I bought one immediately. Glad I did.

Hi bakerbirch

Thank you for your input. I recieved my Humax yesterday. So far I am quite impressed. Icetv works great with it. Have you had any experience tranfering files to an external source?

Les

I'm tossing up buying either the Humax (probably the 1Tb Humax 7500t) or the 1Tb Topfield Masterpiece HD-PLUS PVR TRF2460.

I'd also be really interested in any feedback on the Humax by owners.

Cheers!
Cods

Here's what I posted over at the DTV Forums at http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?s=&showtopic=95867&view=findpost&p=1743872 (http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?s=&showtopic=95867&view=findpost&p=1743872).

_______________________________

I apologise in advance for the latest instalment of the Which PVR Should I Buy post.
Obviously I'm not so apologetic as to avoid posting it though...

I'm in the market for a good PVR that has the all-important high WAF.She's used to various TiVo's (OzTiVo, US TiVo HD, briefly an Australian TiVo 320) so that'll be what the interface of new PVR will be measured against.

It can't be a TiVo, as for whatever arcane reason, Australian TiVos will not play nicely with my US Panasonic plasma TV. I've exhaustively checked this, and whilst it should be impossible, it's definitely the case - annoyingly, exasperatingly, bewilderingly the case. Suspect some bizarre HDCP issue, possibly some weird power artefact, but that's off topic. I've tried with two different new TiVo 320's, and ze TiVo, she doesn't like to play. Kmart HD set top box is OK. Australian Mac Mini OK. US Apple TV2 OK. Random laptops via DVi-HDMI adaptors OK. Australian PlayStation 3 OK. Everything but Australian TiVos...

OK to pay in the $550-650 region if that's what it takes.

Environment:
- Free to air TV only, no Foxtel/Austar etc.
- Will be connected to an HD plasma via HDMI, initially directly, soon via a nice A/V amplifier.
- Will be always connected via Ethernet to internet.
- Will always be used with an IceTV subscription, IceTV settings probably done via iPad2 or iPhone.
- Already have a PS3 for Blu-Ray playback, and it gets used quite a bit these days for ABC iView.
- Already have an Apple TV2 that accesses our expanding iTunes library of HD movies and kids shows.
- Already have an Elgato EyeTV Netstream DTT happily sending TV via WiFi 802.11N to an iPad2 (very high WAF!) and also recording stuff for the archive to a MacBook Pro with an attached NAS. Was going to set up an old (CoreDuo) MacMini as an HTPC, but just cannot find the time, and the WAF of the HTPC has been tested as low. Seeing a pattern here...

High Priority / Must Have:
- Good user interface, easy to use.
- IceTV compatible (this may outweigh an average UI?)
- Twin HD tuner minimum (ie: record 2x programs on different networks simultaneously)
- Reliable, with decent support.
- Decent capacity for HD recordings.

Medium Priority / Nice To Have:
- Expandable HDD capacity (either via swapping in a new, larger HDD, or adding an external HDD).
- ABC iView

Low Priority / Don't Care If Present or Not:
- Catchup services from Channels 7, 9, 10, etc
- Playback of video, audio or images from other sources.
- YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Weather, <insert Next Big Thing here>
- WiFi

Other Commentary:
I quite like the look of the Humax 7500t 1Tb or the Topfield Masterpiece HD-PLUS PVR TRF2460 1Tb.
That said, I'm open to other suggestions if there's a compelling reason to choose X over the two models mentioned above.

In favour of the Humax 7500t is:
- Lower cost, $549 on the IceTV web store.
- Has ABC iView capability
- Deeper IceTV interoperability (?)
Against the Humax 7500t:
- Unsure about storage capacity expansion via external HDD
- No TAPs (Toppy owners seem to love these)

In favour of the Toppy TRF2460 Plus! Whiz! is:
- The Quad record capability (yep, I'm aware it's over 2x networks only)
- TAPs
- Known 1Tb internal + 1Tb external HDD capacity
Against the Toppy TRF2460
- ~$100 more expensive than the Humax on IceTVs web store.
- No ABC iView capability

I'd really appreciate recommendations from you guys!
Cheers,
Cods

Hi Cods

I have had my Humax now for 2 weeks and liking it very much. The only thing I can’t do so far is open the .TS files which I download to the computer through the FTP server. I have tried VideoRedo to open and convert the files but no go. It says unknown format but Videoredo has .ts files listed in file types menu. Unable to stream to the computer also. I will play around with it a bit more when I get more time.
IceTv works great with the Humax and as a PVR I couldn’t be happier.
Les

Quote from: lespato on October 05, 2011, 08:36:38 AM
I have had my Humax now for 2 weeks and liking it very much. The only thing I can’t do so far is open the .TS files which I download to the computer through the FTP server. I have tried VideoRedo to open and convert the files but no go. It says unknown format but Videoredo has .ts files listed in file types menu.

Keep an eye out for a firmware update.

Hi Dave

Thank you for your reply. I will keep an eye out for a firmware update. Do you have any idea as to when this might be?

Lespato

The latest firmware (version 1.04.00) goes a long way to solving this issue. If you copy the files to a USB drive you can now play and edit them on a computer, as they are regular unencrypted .ts files.

With firmware version 1.04.00 and earlier, do not copy recordings from the Humax to a computer using ftp as they are still encrypted when transferring via ftp.

With firmware version 1.04.00 and earlier, after copying the a recording to a USB drive you will need to delete the .htm file if you want the Humax to be able to see the .ts video file, so it can play it.

With firmware version 1.04.00 and earlier, do not copy a Humax recording from USB back to the internal HDD. But if you do, and the Humax cannot see it, you can delete the files via ftp. Copying .ts files is ok.

Humax are due to release an update to fix these issues sometime in December... just in time for Christmas.

Having fiddled around with tranferring files, here's some info.

I copied the file in the Humax to a USB drive. I found that I couldn't connect the drive to the front - it didn't work there, though USB flash sticks do - so I connected it on the back.

I couldn't open the .ts file in VideoRedo Plus, but I could after updating VideoRedo Plus to the latest version. I could only open it in Windows Media Player by using the popup 'open with' - other methods failed.

FTP - The FPT user name is Humaxftp, the password is '0000' and the IP address is as shown on the Internet LAN settings in the Humax. I used FileZilla for the FTP - Internet Explorer also worked using ftp://humaxfpt:0000@192.168.1.101 (for my IP), but it's klunky. Firefox doesn't do FTP. As Dave pointed out, if you ftp a .ts file to the PC, it won't open (encrypted). I FTPd an mpg file to the Humax and it played OK. (Note that you also need to enable FPT on the Humax,)

BUT ... with files FTPd from the PC and files on the USB, I had no control over the playing of the files, ie I couldn't move forward or back or use FF. Downer. ... but see below

NETWORK - this was a pain too, but I got there. I downloaded the latest version of Windows Media Player for XP and added some mpg files to the Library. I enabled sharing and then the Humax could see and play them over the network. In this case I can control the playback (which is weird but given the problems above is also encouraging).

Humax needs to do a lot more documenting in this area. Virtually everything I learnt was from random forums like this.

Andrew

I bit the bullet and ordered the 1TB Humax 7500T, which was delivered on Monday.
Unfortunately, whilst it turns on fine, I get nothing on screen on my Panasonic plasma, whether connected via HDMI or Component video.
I've spent an hour or so buggerising around with the TV settings trying to work out what the issue is, and I still can't get any picture whatsoever to display.
Any tips?

Worked fine using HDMI on my Sony - easiest installation I ever had. Not sure how you configure a Panasonic input channel, but on the Sony you just select the HMDI channel.

Andrew

Humax HDR-7500T as a DLNA server

I actually did some research to find out if the Humax had this capability (to serve DLNA) but I couldn't find anything to suggest it had it.   The Ice spec page here http://www.icetv.com.au/store/PVRs/Humax_HDR7500T_1TB_PVR (http://www.icetv.com.au/store/PVRs/Humax_HDR7500T_1TB_PVR)  doesn't imply this, though it does show a DLNA player capability.   Also there is no mention in the Humax manual, though again there is mention of a DLNA player capability.

So imagine my surprise when I switched the source on my Samsung TV, looking for my TVMobili DLNA server, and found HDR-7500T as well!!!!

When I tested if it worked I was again pleasantly surprised.   The Samsung TV didn't have any problems playing the DLNA stream (which is surprising because normally it is quite fickle - I have a NAS which claims to serve DLNA, but that's another story...).   It also played fine on VLC on both computers in the study...simultaneously, while the wife was also using the Humax to watch TV in the lounge room, oblivious to my background machinations.

The wife and I are planning to get another TV for our bedroom and this would work brilliantly with the Humax serving DLNA and being programmed via Ice from our phones.

Also TPG (my Internet provider) is playing with serving multiple IPTV streams via DLNA see here http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1619072 (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1619072) So DLNA has a big future in our house.

There is only one small fly in the ointment - it takes a minute or two to find the Humax, and this is true for both The Samsung TV and VLC.  Both of which find TVMobili and the NAS straight away.   But otherwise I couldn't be more stoked.   I really think both Humax and Ice need to update their documentation though.   The ability to serve DLNA is an important selling point, which customers need to be made aware of.

Mark

Re Humax FTP: after many hours, I've found the server on the Humax to be useless for me. One PC cannot see it all, my Notepad (Win7) can, but will only let Windows Media Player access the saved TV recording, which being in .ts, it will not play!

So I tried using Filezilla (thanks for the hints to earlier poster), and although I could connect, it refused to open the media directory, so snookered yet again.

I'll swallow my pride and see if IE (yuk) will download it.

OK, finally got the file onto a USB drive, plugged it into PC and VLC would not play the file!

Not a happy camper.

What firmware are you on?

Software Version: 1.01.01
Loader Version:  a7.53

Ok. That firmware won't allow you to play the recorded ts files as they are encrypted. Update to  1.05.01 which allows transfer to USB or hard drive.

Thankyou Swamprat I'll do that tonight.

I presumed that the unit had the latest firmware, as I just purchased it, but obviously not.

I'll let you know how I go.

Cheers

Couldn't resist giving it a go (although really, I should be out of here!), and it works.

I can stream it over Wifi to my Notepad using VLC as long as I first get the full http address of the file from the Windows Media library (where it won't play of course). Take it off Properties and bung it in the Advanced  file selection section of VLC under Networks and BINGO!

Oddly enough, a straight search for files under Network on VLC does not see the Humax, but it does see three other network devices.

Go figure.

Anyway, it shows I can get the files to play on the network with a little messing about.

Cheers

Now, gotta get out of the house.....

So the files can now be transferred via USB, and oddly enough when done this way, Windows Media Player (on Win7) will play them, but says it can't if I try to get them on the network on the same device (Notepad).

Strange.

Also, Filezilla will connect, but is unable to read the files: "Failed to retrieve directory listing"

And, no WinXP device will see the Humax on the network, even though I can ping it from them!

Curious and curiouser, as they say.

Any clues?

you won't see it on your network because its a DLNA server and an FTP server-but not a Samba server. Windows media player is a dlna server and client- so it sees the humax

filezilla works fine here- as in I can FTP to the humax no issues

Yeah, I did finally figure that bit about DLNA thanks Swamprat, although that does not explain why my Notepad's (Win7) Media Player can see the file, but says it cannot play it,despite the fact that it will play the file if transferred by USB.

Nor does it explain why Filezilla connects but fails to open the directory.

I did discover that the kids' PS3 works just fine, and will stream the recorded TV over the wifi flawlessly. (Currently the devices are in separate rooms).

As I'm soon to upgrade one PC and it will have Win7 that solves my main problem, and as I said before, I can strip the URL of any recorded programme and put it into VLC to get it playing on my Notepad.

Still, it would be good to know why the above things don't work.

Cheers

Apparently the recordings are encrypted and are only unencrypted when copied to a hard drive or USB. I say apparently because I've never tried it. But if that's correct you say your PS3 can stream off the Humax - that's a new discovery.

Pure speculation here. Based on what you've found I suspect that the Humax is a Linux based operating system - which the Ps3 is also. So there may be no encryption as such - its just a different file format which both the ps3 and the Humax share if I'm correct. Your pc cannot read the file as it needs converting.

On to FileZilla. When I FTP to the Humax I see three folders-my pictures,my music and my videos. I can open each one. But I can not transfer entire folders over. It must be individual files.

Not only can the PS3 stream Humax files, but VLC can too on my Notepad, so there's no encryption problem with that. Of course I still have to get the URL for any file via Media Player first, but then it works perfectly in VLC.

There is some configuration problem that I've been unable to solve with both the FTP connection and the fact my Media Player won't play the file directly over the network.

I haven't yet tried doing the VLC thing on an XP machine yet, but since they can ping the Humax (but not see the files) I suspect that should work. Just got to send the URL over first.

Yep, the XP box plays the files with VLC flawlessly...just can't get Filezilla to connect.

For the final 'grunt' test:

Put the Humax on the Wifi connection (as I intend to put it upstairs to replace Fox IQ) so will not be ethernet connected to the router, and then:

1. Watch one recored programme through the PS3 (also on Wifi connection, by the way)
2. Watch a different recorded programme on the XP box using VLC

...and then try a third programme on this Notepad, all while the TV is also running on a fourth screen.

Result: Worked perfectly for 1 & 2, but got just a little patchy when I tried the Notepad. Still watchable, but some audio dropouts occassionally.

And all over the wifi.

This machine has grunt, and apart from some networking issues that I seem not to be able to solve, I declare the Foxtel service gone!

try setting the ip for the humax to fixed or static. Thats what I have here. Then try ftp to that ip address

Thanks Swamprat, I'l give that a go when I get home.

Still can't get Filezilla to read the thing even though it actually connects. Is it because the Humax O/S is Linux? And that explains the transfer via USB as readable by WMP but not directly over the network?

Another quirk, now that I've connected the Humax to the network with Wifi, it does not automatically reconnect after being in standby unless you also disable the power saving option, and then it does. OK, I can easily live with that.


I did find on a UK forum where someone had done what I'd found ie transfer the URL for the saved file from WMP and put it into VLC, so it seems there really is some system incompatibility there.

But the PS3 is the only device I have on the network which will both read and play the files on the Humax without juggling the data.

So until WMP is able to do so, I'll just use VLC and if I ever need to use an XP box, I can easily send the URL to it.

Conclusion: very good PVR, some networking issues, plenty of grunt, good interface (IceTV), and yes, goodbye Foxtel!

Mission Accomplished, (as the man once said).

Hmm. All three of my PC's here are win7- but I can't see why that would make a difference as we are both using filezilla. Do you see three directories? Or nothing at all. Is the fault when you click on those directories?

I wonder if a factory reset might be worth a try? Maybe those three directories have been changed

Quote from: Cods on December 14, 2011, 01:24:35 PM
I bit the bullet and ordered the 1TB Humax 7500T, which was delivered on Monday.
Unfortunately, whilst it turns on fine, I get nothing on screen on my Panasonic plasma, whether connected via HDMI or Component video.
I've spent an hour or so buggerising around with the TV settings trying to work out what the issue is, and I still can't get any picture whatsoever to display.
Any tips?

Just for anyone reading my earlier post and concerned about it, I strongly suspect it's due to my TV.
Short version is:

• It's a US Panasonic plasma from 2009 brought back to Australia.
• The TV seems to have problems with what can only be HDCP handshake.
• The HDCP handshake issue only occurs with HD inputs that are from hardware from Australia.

Same thing as happened with the Humax also happened with an Australian TiVo, same thing happens when trying to play BluRay discs from an Australian PS3 (although games and DVDs on the PS3 are fine).
Seems obvious now that, even though it just shouldn't be a problem, the TV firmware is not set up to do HDCP handshakes with non-North American HD inputs.
No problem with the Humax unit.

as I understand it- US TV's accept only a 60Hz signal. As Australia's standard is 50 Hz they won't play here. Its done deliberately by the manufacturers to prevent cheaper US models making their way to the lucrative asian market. Panasonic, Samsung and several others are known to do this. Some US Sony models work.

But what foxes me is that you obviously are receiving FTA TV OK. You'd "think" that if free to air works- the rest would

Can the Humax be set to a 60Hz ("NTSC") output mode? That might keep the TV happy, though conversion from 50Hz to 60Hz is often not done well.