Humax Hdr1100s Custom Firmware !exclusive! -

Unlocking the Beast: The Complete Guide to Humax HDR1100S Custom Firmware

The Humax HDR1100S is a stalwart of the British television market. As a Freesat recorder, it offers a robust, subscription-free way to watch and record HD satellite television. It’s reliable, has a clean interface, and does exactly what it says on the tin.

But for power users, the standard "stock" firmware often feels like driving a sports car with the handbrake on.

This is where Custom Firmware (CF) enters the chat. For years, the Humax HDR-FOX T2 custom firmware had a cult following. Now, the HDR1100S (and its sibling, the HB1100S) is getting similar treatment. If you want to transform your standard Freesat recorder into a media server, automated downloading machine, and file management powerhouse, read on. humax hdr1100s custom firmware

Disclaimer: Installing custom firmware will void your warranty and carries a small risk of bricking your device. This guide is for educational purposes. Ensure you understand the legalities in your region regarding recording and decrypting content.

Part 5: First Things to Do After Installing

To get the most out of your setup, do this immediately: Unlocking the Beast: The Complete Guide to Humax

Enable Samba (Network Share): In the web interface, go to Service Management > Samba. Start the service and enable "Auto-start." Your Humax will now appear in Windows Explorer as \\HUMAX.
Set Auto-Decrypt: Create a folder on the Humax HDD called "Decrypted." In the web interface, browse to that folder, click the "Wrench" icon, and tick "Auto-Decrypt." Move any future recordings you want to save here.
Install Sweeper: Via the Package Manager. This prevents your hard drive from filling up with old trash.

4. Custom Channel Lists & EPG Modifications

The default Freesat EPG (Electronic Program Guide) includes 200+ channels, many of which are shopping or +1 variants. With root access, you can manually edit the channel.db SQLite file to:

Delete adult channels entirely from the list.
Reorder your favourite channels (e.g., moving BBC Two next to BBC One).
Increase the EPG cache retention from 7 days to 28 days.

5. Lightweight Media Server

Because the HDR-1100S has a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM (modest by PC standards, but significant for a PVR), some users have installed minidlna. This turns the Humax into a DLNA server, streaming your extracted recordings to smart TVs, phones, or game consoles on the same network. Part 5: First Things to Do After Installing

Safer options for the HDR-1100S

Use official firmware updates (from Humax or Freesat).
Use the box’s built-in FTP/SMB features (if available) to copy recordings to a PC – the HDR-1100S has a hidden FTP server on some firmware versions (try port 21 with humax/humax or blank password).
Connect external USB storage and copy recordings (encrypted, but playable only on that box).

Practical, minimal safe workflow (recommended)

Backup everything
- Dump partitions over serial/TFTP or through existing update tools. Save bootloader, kernel, and rootfs.
Get serial console working
- Open the enclosure, locate UART pins, connect 3.3V USB‑to‑TTL adapter, capture boot log.
Identify bootloader and partition layout
- From U-Boot prints and /proc/mtd or /proc/partitions when running stock firmware.
Test an external rootfs
- Prepare a minimal Debian/Buildroot rootfs on USB; configure fstab and init to avoid hardware conflicts.
- Boot from USB (or via NFS/TFTP) by interrupting U-Boot and changing bootcmd to test without flashing.
Only flash once tested
- If USB boot works, build a proper image preserving bootloader and vendor kernel if possible, then flash rootfs partition only.
Restore procedure
- Keep recovery instructions handy (tftp server, flashing commands, serial prints). Keep original backups.

Bricking is Permanent

Unlike the older Foxsat HDR (which had a recovery mode via USB), the HDR-1100S has no official recovery mechanism for failed flashes. If you corrupt the bootloader or flash the wrong partition (e.g., burn-mtd to the wrong address), your box becomes a $150 paperweight. No JTAG, no unbricking service.

1. FTP & Network File Extraction

The stock firmware locks recordings (*.ts files) inside an encrypted partition with a proprietary header. With custom modifications, you can install vsftpd (FTP server) and ntfs-3g (NTFS driver). This allows you to:

Copy recorded shows to a NAS or PC.
Remove the broadcast flags (like "copy once" or "no export").
Convert standard definition recordings to MP4 for archival.
Note: HD recordings (BBC One HD, etc.) remain encrypted unless you extract the box’s unique key from the NVRAM – a painstaking process.

8. Conclusion

The Humax HDR-1100S remains an excellent Freesat PVR for stock use. The custom firmware scene, unlike previous legendary Humax models, is largely theoretical and unsuitable for daily use. Unless a permanent bootloader exploit is found (unlikely at this stage), users seeking a hackable satellite PVR should consider Enigma 2 receivers (e.g., VU+, Mutant, Octagon) instead.

Final verdict for HDR-1100S owners: Stick with the official firmware. The device is mature, stable, and does not benefit significantly from community modifications.