Periodic switch-off

[HobbsAu]

Good day, folks,

Yesterday, I installed the new version of the whatever-it-was-that-I-need-to-install-this-week-to-get-a-working-box software, hoping that the improved stability regarding USB devices might mean fewer crashes while using the T3. For me, this mostly involved when chase-playing something being recorded, mainly AFL games.

Ok, the good news: there are, indeed, fewer crashes. In fact, I don't remember any in the two days of usage, some of which involved chase-play.

The bad news: the T3 periodically decides to switch itself off while playing back a file. Sometimes it switches itself back on again; other times I have to switch it back on with the remote power button. In this instance it always comes up with the "Do you want to resume this playback at h:mm:ss?" message. As I type, this has happened 7 - count 'em SEVEN - times in one episode of The Roast.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have felt the device - it is not overheating at all. This switch off problem has only appeared since the latest software install.

All assistance gratefully received.

[prl]

OK, so just what does "whatever-it-was-that-I-need-to-install-this-week-to-get-a-working-box software" mean for you?

Just the USB upgrade to version 20140612? Or that, plus the updates available online? Or something else entirely?

And just what, exactly, do you mean by "T3 periodically decides to switch itself off"? Do you get the "crash screen", black with white text with (somewhat cryptic) information about the crash? If you do, then the T3 has saved useful information about the cause of the problem.

If not, does it go back to the boot loader (the big Beyonwiz button splash screen) or the GUI startup splash screen (the green football field splash screen in 20140612/ bubble splash screen in other recent firmware).

If not, does it actually go into shutdown (front panel off, red LED on)? Or standby (date/time on the front panel)?

It may be useful to have a look at How to create good bug reports.

[HobbsAu]

The update to which I refer is the boot loader update. As per:

Dear T3 owner,



Please head to the following link for further information and to download the Bootloader update. This will increase stability of your T3 when connecting multiple USB devices. viewtopic.php?f=45&t=8099



All the Best,



Sales Desk

www.shop.beyonwiz.com.au

And no, I don't mean crash, I can recognise those easily. I was getting plenty of them in chase-play (playing back a file that is still recording, eg an AFL game) prior to this update.

Since this update, no crashes - this is progress! - but the unit switches itself off and on periodically. Literally that - switches off and (sometimes) back on during playback. This can be playback of recorded files, eg The Roast that the T3 has recorded itself or files recorded on other devices (Wiz DP-P2 files converted into .ts format via WizFX) or even audio files stored on my network drive.

Further observation showed that the red LED kept lighting up when this happened, so I pointed the T3 remote at the back of the sofa, 180 degrees away from the unit and into soft material that should not reflect the IR. (Is it IR? Some are some aren't...) I also did this with my Logitech remote. All to no avail, the T3 will switch itself off and on again at undetermined intervals.

This did not happen prior to the boot loader update so I think it is fairly safe to say that it is newly introduced. It does not appear to do that if just watching TV using the T3, but on playback it will do a soft restart. Often. Then not very often. Then often again.

The current software showing in the "About" menu is the 12th June software; there was not an update to this by the boot loader upgrade, apparently. I have tried to do an update via the network (yes, the machine is wired into the network and is able to get out onto the WWW). It always comes back with a "nothing to update" message, which I take to be a good thing.

A little background: I bought this machine hoping to get four channel recordability from one device. That has never worked, the USB tuner has never ever worked for me. I updated to the June 12 software as soon as I got the e-mail about it (AFAIK I was up to date at that stage, having upgraded the software via USB before). After this software was installed I got crashes during chase-play and sometimes while playing back a different file while something else was recording. I put the T3 to one side for a while because I could not find an answer to the problem. "Wait for the next release," thought I.

I did. Now the machine does not crash, but it does appear to switch itself off for no apparent reason.

Peter, I know you and others do a lot - an awful lot! - of work with these machines; please do not take my posts personally. My opinion is that Beyonwiz rushed the product out before it was robust enough for general use. I am fairly technical and prepared and able to do upgrades of firmware to solve problems. This is an awful lot more than Joe User would be prepared to do (or even be able to comprehend). Beyonwiz have rushed out a premium-price product before it is able to do what was claimed for it.

Now, having spent $700 on a bare bones machine plus a 2TB HDD, installed it myself, been blown away by the potential of the machine - the web interface and EPG and recording options are fantastic, easy(ish) to set up - the basics do not work. The machine crashes on chase-play or, now, is just switching off for some reason.

I don't give up easily, which is why I put it to one side and kept on using my Toppy 7160 for AFL hoping to be able to solve the T3 problems with future software releases. I am, however, starting to get a little brassed off with this. My better half thinks it is a complete crock and would not have bought it in the first place. I still have hope that a fantastic machine can be salvaged out of the marketing wreckage.

So please, forgive my impatience; it is primarily for Beyonwiz to sort out its problems, not the people who help on these forums, the beta (alpha?) testers and the enthusiasts who dive in early to the potential of this powerful new box.

[HobbsAu]

Addendum: Apologies, I missed a bit of information. By "switching off" I mean it goes into Stand-by mode as you described it, with the date/time displayed. Then it powers back up and resumes playing the file (if it is video) with the "Do you wish to continue from *time*?" prompt.

One can then either opt yes or no, but it will continue going into stand-by, possibly indefinitely. It is not really usable to watch recorded items on at the moment.

Ah, there is an edit button...

Yes, I have also done a complete shutdown and restart, including a 30s power off (switch at rear) before restarting. In all cases, playback gets interrupted by going into stand by mode.

[prl]

I don't think I took anything there personally. I share some of your misgivings about the state of the firmware. It's just that I couldn't work out what the state of the machine firmware was, or what was actually happening from the post.

I'd suggest redoing the bootloader upgrade, making sure you follow the instructions exactly, though it doesn't seem like a bootloader problem.

[MrQuade]

Hobbs. If you keep seeing the red IR LED light up when this happens, then perhaps it is coming from something else in the house. Have you bought anything new recently that could potentially be spewing interference out?

Perhaps try playing back a file and putting a tea towel over the front of the T3 to block any random sources of light as an experiment. If it doesn't switch off during playback, then you might have a clue.

Or of course, the IR receiver could be on the fritz and just firing off randomly (I had an airconditioner do this when its remote circuit went pop).

[prl]

That doesn't really look like something that would change because of a new bootloader. But then the whole thing seems like an odd thing to have been caused by the new bootloader.

[Gully]

Talking of sources of interference for remotes, fluoro lights can be a problem so checking they are not on or being switched might be an idea to.

[HobbsAu]

No new items in the house, no. This problem occurred last night (ie when house lights were on) and today (no lights on). It is very significant, I think, that it only started to happen after the bootloader upgrade but, like you, I cannot really imagine why it would be.

I think the most likely suggestion is that the IR receiver could be on the blink (just coincidentally after the boot loader loading). I am intrigued by the tea towel experiment and I will try that tomorrow when I have experimentation time (thanks to the flu).

My only other thought is perhaps to go back to loading the June 12 software from USB again and then installing the boot loader upgrade over that and any other items that need adding on. But I am not sure it would get me anywhere but here. I will try it though unless anyone thinks it a particularly bad idea.

[peteru]

You said you installed an internal HDD yourself. I would be inclined to think that this is the most likely cause of your issues. The internal cable routing has to be done carefully, otherwise you will get all sorts of random trouble that looks like front panel issues.

I have posted about this:

• T3 Unpack and Install
• How to install a HDD

The other thing to check is the power cable connection on the back. You may want to turn off the power at the socket, pull the cable out and reconnect it, ensuring it is inserted firmly.

No one else is reporting the same problems, so it is more likely that you have an isolated electro-mechanical issue, rather than running into a bug.

[peteru]

My only other thought is perhaps to go back to loading the June 12 software from USB again and then installing the boot loader upgrade over that and any other items that need adding on. But I am not sure it would get me anywhere but here. I will try it though unless anyone thinks it a particularly bad idea.

Don't bother. This bootloader upgrade is completely independent of any previous firmware updates or any firmware upgrades coming up in the foreseeable future. If the bootloader upgrade worked (i.e The front panel briefly displayed Upgrading after you inserted the bootloader USB drive and powered on), then you have the most current bootloader installed. A bootloader upgrade is a fairly risky process, because if it goes wrong, you can brick your T3 and it will have to go to the factory to be resurrected. Don't do it more often than necessary.

You can reflash the firmware if you want, but I suggest you hold off on that for a day or two. The next firmware release is imminent, the consensus in beta testing is that firmware 20140708 can go out to the general public now. Wiz HQ is likely to make an announcement soon.

As I mentioned before, I think your problems are electro-mechanical in nature. Any physical movement of the T3 when you performed the bootloader upgrade may have pushed the issue into a state where it causes these strange symptoms. My advice would be that you recheck all physical connections to the T3, both on the T3 and also the other ends of any cables connected to the T3.

During early alpha/beta testing, we had a case where a T3 kept rebooting because one of the cables connected to it had a short circuit!

[HobbsAu]

G'day, folks,

Update follows...

When I repeated play-back of files to reproduce the switch off problem it did, indeed, switch off. And on... and so on. So I tried the tea-towel option over the front. As soon as the towel touched the front panel, the power off button was activated. Often. Until I removed the tea-towel and gently pushed, pulled and prodded the front panel near the power button. Incidentally, the hot-spot for the power button seems to be some way to the left of where the diagram appears on the panel itself.

It now looks like the front panel power button has gone from not working at all (I had to force the upgrades from USB in earlier upgrades because of this) to being a little over-sensitive. I suspect a dry joint somewhere, as the unit does not start powering off until it has been running for some time.

I think I have it now working OK and not continually powering off. If it starts to do so again I will open it up to check things out, but I definitely have the cables running correctly and not interfering with the panel switches (nor getting heated by the disk) as I checked the photographs before.

I did not repeat the boot loader upgrade, just in case... Very good advice to do this only if absolutely necessary, I think.

Thanks for your help, folks.

Cheers,

[sburke781]

Hi Hobbs,

Just noticed your post. Good to hear you might have it working again. I had the same thing, during both playing of recordings and live TV. I currently have mine with the support desk to get looked at. Perhaps if it comes back you might want to try the same?

Simon

[sburke781]

I know this is a relatively old post, but thought it may be useful to share my experience for anyone else with this problem...

I think the cause of my problems with the GUI switching off was to do with HDMI-CEC settings on my blu-ray player and/or TV.

The cabling and setup around my TV can be a bit of a mess at times. A few months ago I connected my Samsung blu-ray player to watch a movie and at one point noticed the front panel on the T3 going nuts, showing changes in the channel, etc, so much so that I turned off the power to it just in case. This made me start to wonder whether the cabling from other devices may have been introducing some kind of electrical interference or signal which resembled hitting the power button on the remote. I think at the time I had HDMI-CEC turned off on the TV, but it was still active on the blu-ray player, or perhaps the other way round, can't remember for sure. Once I made sure this was switched off on both TV and blu-ray player I have not had any problems. Since then I have been able to watch things like the State of Origin and World Cup matches without any issues, whereas last summer when wathcing the Tennis on 7 it was turning off every 5 minutes at times.

Hope this helps.

Simon