Sab Unix triple tuner freezes on playback

joeirish

I have been having an odd issue with my Sab Unix triple tuner. When I playback a recording sometimes it freezes and I have to do a hard re-boot as everything stops working. And when I restart the recording at the beginning it will freeze at the same point again. Sometiines this happens in the middle of a recording but more often near the end, just before the titles. The sound usually goes first and then everything freezes. I have just changed to a re-furbished Sab Unix triple tuner, same model as previously and the same thing has happened again. But as with my other tuner this does not happen on every recording, but does seem to be mainly with BBC1 programmes.

There is a double LNB on the sat dish and there is a joiner to merge the signals from the differerent cables and a splitter in the house to separate them again. I only have a single coax coming into the house as I need this set up (low energy house which is mainly airtight so I can't just drill a hole and bring another coax into the house.)

Some ideas I've had include whether they method that is used to signal the end of a program is causing this problem because the same coax brings in signals from more than one channel at a time (when you press the Record button it asks if you want to stop at the end of the program so I guess there must be some method to tell the tuner/recorder that the programme has finished?). Or does the BBC embed something is certain broadcast to mess up recordings?

Not sure if there is more information needed but happy to answer any questions or explore any suggestions. I not very knowledgable with this technology but will to try any ideas. Thanks in advance.

Gerry Wicklow

Is it the same HDD you were using with the other box? I would be thinking more in that direction for a problem rather than the signal source.

greasepalm

Passport by usb ,internal hdd or externally powered.
Not heard of combining 2 lnb feeds to input 1 coax cable and then to extract to 2 feeds.
I have heard of diplexar for sat and saorview down 1 cable and extracted again.

joeirish

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Is it the same HDD you were using with the other box? I would be thinking more in that direction for a problem rather than the signal source.

Thanks for the reply. I wondered about that so I've tried two different HDD and a USB. All give the same problem.

joeirish

greasepalm wrote: »

Passport by usb ,internal hdd or externally powered.
Not heard of combining 2 lnb feeds to input 1 coax cable and then to extract to 2 feeds.
I have heard of diplexar for sat and saorview down 1 cable and extracted again.

I've tried two different external HDD one externally powered and one powered via usb cable, and also a large USB. Problem was the same on all of these. The satellite installer guy used that method with the double LAB cables combined. Saorview is on a separate coax.

joeirish

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Is it the same HDD you were using with the other box? I would be thinking more in that direction for a problem rather than the signal source.

Thanks for the reply. I am usingbbyhe same HDD I was using with the previous box but I have alreadybtried a different HDD and a USB key with that box and all had the same problem. So I have now just installed a refurbished box but still happens. Weird thinkmis that I did a load of test recordings over a few days and everything seemed to be working fine then it happened on Sunday night on BBC1.

Gerry Wicklow

Presumably you have the drives formatted to EXT4 the linux format and not fat32 which would have a 4Gb limit. One hour at HD could be more than 4Gb which would explain it bombing out at the end of shows. Also is the box and HDD well ventilated to prevent overheating.

joeirish

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Presumably you have the drives formatted to EXT4 the linux format and not fat32 which would have a 4Gb limit. One hour at HD could be more than 4Gb which would explain it bombing out at the end of shows. Also is the box and HDD well ventilated to prevent overheating.

Thanks again for your help. My sat installer told me to format to FAT32 which is how they are at the mo. However when a programmes freezes at 14 or 15 minutes, which does happen would that not indicate that the 4GB limit is not the main cause. Also I have recorded two progs on Sunday each longer than 1 hour and no problems but they one that froze did so after bout 48 mins. So still no pattern to this as far as I can see which is really puzzling.

Tuner and HDD are well ventilated, i.e. they are free standing on a table which is also where the TV is. Not in press or covered in at all.

greasepalm

As said box has to set up storage devices and if its Linux ext4 to be used correctly for recordings.

joeirish

greasepalm wrote: »

As said box has to set up storage devices and if its Linux ext4 to be used correctly for recordings.

Thanks. As I said I am not that knowledgable on this technology so could you tell me how to check if it is Linux or some other system on the box? I seem to remember the installer saying it was not Linux.

joeirish

joeirish wrote: »

Thanks. As I said I am not that knowledgable on this technology so could you tell me how to check if it is Linux or some other system on the box? I seem to remember the installer saying it was not Linux.

I think it says it is SPARK enabled. Is that the same as Linux?

greasepalm

Not sure as dont own that box ,check storage device and see what it says.+ what options are listed.

Format will erase the whole hdd so dont if recordings are there or do to set it up correctly.


Have a read here.

https://conoroneill.net/2014/03/09/with-the-enigma-2-software-the-sab-unix-hd-triple-tuner-is-a-very-impressive-satelliteterrestrial-box/

joeirish

greasepalm wrote: »

Not sure as dont own that box ,check storage device and see what it says.+ what options are listed.

Format will erase the whole hdd so dont if recordings are there or do to set it up correctly.


Have a read here.

https://conoroneill.net/2014/03/09/with-the-enigma-2-software-the-sab-unix-hd-triple-tuner-is-a-very-impressive-satelliteterrestrial-box/

Hi and thanks again. The url part of your message only showed up when I was replying with the Quote option, not sure why. Anyway I'll have a read of that now I can see the link.

I had a look at the formatting options (I have used a spare USB as there is stuff on the HDD I would not like to erase yet). The three formatting options given are Win95 FAT 32; Ext3; NTFS. At the moment the File System is FAT32 with 29.866 GB free on the drive.

I also checked another recording which is 1h45 long and it has played to the very end without any issues. Very puzzling why some progs freeze and others don't.

greasepalm

Go for ext3,many have had issues with usb and fat32.
i had edited the post and added that link.

After the ext3 see if see ext4

Gerry Wicklow

joeirish wrote: »

....
I also checked another recording which is 1h45 long and it has played to the very end without any issues. Very puzzling why some progs freeze and others don't.

Was that HD or SD recording?