Category: General articles

Unable to get HDR through MHUB or XTND to TV / Projector
If your MHUB is marked with “TPC” then it is capable of passing a HDR picture to your display. There are a number of reasons why HDR may not be fed through your HDA device. This support post aims to troubleshoot the most common reasons and how to resolve them.

Important: there are different versions of HDR, make sure your display supports the format your source is outputting!
There are multiple variants of HDR such as HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, please ensure your display supports the relevant HDR technology.

When connecting your HDR enabled source and display to a HDA system you may need to adjust some settings to get it to work.
1. First, disconnect the source and connect it directly to your display. Do you get HDR?
2. Ensure you are using High Speed HDMI Cables, this is important as long HDMI cables (over 5m) unless Active or Fibre will not work.
3. Was you HDA device manufactured before 2019? Does it have TPC markings or 18G/18Gbps on it anywhere? If it doesn’t then there is a good chance that your HDA device does not support HDR as it was made before the specification was finalised.
4. Does your HDA device support scaling? If so please ensure it is set to bypass.
5. Copy or set a custom EDID directly from your display. This post explains how to copy EDID directly from your display.
November 5, 2021

HDANYWHERE product information on power usage and BTU outputs

The table below details the PSU DC rating, the system power draw in watts and BTU(British thermal unit) heat output of each device.

Product Code	Release	PSU Rating (DC)	Power Draw (watts)	BTU
XTND
XTND2K30	2017	5V 1A	2.5	9
XTND4K40ARC	2018	24V 1A	20	68
XTND4K100TPC	2018	24V 1A	12	41
MHUB
MHUBAUDIO64	2018	24V 13.4A	520	1774
MHUBMAX44	2018	24V 2.71A	19.2	66
MHUB431U	2018	24V 2.71A	36	123
MHUB862U	2018	24V 2.71A	28	198
MHUBPRO4440	2018	24V 2.71A	40	136
MHUBPRO8870	2018	24V 6.3A	98	334
MHUB4K44PRO	2016	24V 2.71A	42.72	146
MHUB4K88PRO	2016	24V 6.3A	100	341
MHUBPRO24440	2019	24V 5A	68	232
MHUBPRO288100	2019	24V 6.3A	130	444
SPLITTERS AND SCALERS
SPLITTERMAX12	2019	5V 1A	2	7
SPLITTERMAX14	2019	5V 1A	2	7
SIGNALMANAGER	2018	5V 1A	1.65	6

November 11, 2019

Voice control with Amazon Alexa* using the “MHUB AV” Skill
*Before you activate the Alexa Voice Service with your MHUB, make sure Amazon support your territory and version. We cannot guarantee voice services or offer support to those territories not officially supported by Amazon. Check here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202207000

What you need to get your MHUB to respond to voice commands:
1. You have completed the first-boot procedure within MHUB-OS
2. You have MHUB-OS version 8.10 or higher installed on your MHUB
3. You have an active HDA Cloud account
4. You have downloaded uControl packs for all displays and source devices you want to control
5. You have completed input mapping in MHUB-OS
6. You have an active Amazon account
7. You have an Amazon Alexa enabled device, such as Amazon Dot/Echo/Show
Setting up AV Skill

Configure voice commands to do exactly what you want

Let’s take the command “Alexa, Turn on football” as an example.

It might appear like a very simple command but there are a number of things that need to happen in order to watch football! First the TV might need to turn on, but in which room? The volume might need to be set to a desired limit. The correct source input might need to be selected on MHUB and finally that source will need to navigate to the channel hosting the football.

You can configure all those actions in what we call a “Sequence”.

Taking the example above:
Alexa (this wakes up your Amazon Dot/Echo/Show)
Turn on… (this invokes the smarthome skill)
football (this is your custom name for the Sequence, it can be anything you want)

Inside MHUB-OS we can configure exactly what “football” does.
- You can select if you want MHUB to turn your TV on and adjust the volume
- You can tell MHUB to switch to the source device with has the football on it
- You can instruct MHUB to change the channel on that source device
Read more about Sequences and Scheduling.

Troubleshooting
- When searching for devices, nothing is found
- When you try to control a zone Alexa says the command isnt supported
Here’s a table of all the commands you can tell your MHUB to do…

Now you’re ready to go. Take a look at a full list of commands that you can say to your Echo.
March 28, 2019
MHUB-OS 8: a quick guide to zones

Zones define a physical space in a property where outputs from MHUB terminate.

A Zone can include a maximum of 1 video output and a maximum of 4 audio outputs. For example, you can create a zone called “Kitchen” and assign 1 video and 1 audio output to it to provide you with viewable TV and sound. A Zone must contain at least 1 output from an MHUB for it to be addressable for control. Note: outputs can not be shared or split to more than 1 Zone.

October 12, 2018
MHUB-OS 8 first boot process
The first boot process for MHUB-OS has remained largely unchanged with the exception of zones.

The slideshow below walks you through the steps within MHUB’s first boot process and how to setup zones to refect the different rooms or areas within you property.

If you wish to configure a stacked system please watch this video – Creating a MHUB stacked system.

You should be able to complete the process in under 10 minutes.

MHUB-OS first boot steps are as follows:
1. EULA and Privacy policy
2. Name your MHUB
3. Name your source devices
4. Create zones
5. Assign outputs to zones
6. Confirm zones
7. Connect MHUB to HDA Cloud
8. Complete setup
HDANYWHERE(HDA) recommends that every MHUB install goes through its first boot process to ensure that the MHUB is setup correctly.

How long does the process take to complete

If you have an update to install then then first boot usually take about 10 minutes. If there is no update you can normally finish the entire process and have an operational MHUB system well within 5-7 minutes.

Yes. You do not need to access MHUB-OS if you don’t want to. But this is only recommended if you intend to control you MHUB via a control system. You will also miss the opportunity to increase your warranty period and open your MHUB to additional features or services.

I don’t want to use MHUB-OS or go through the first boot process, will MHUB work like a normal?

Yes. You do not need to access MHUB-OS if you don’t want to. But this is only recommended if you intend to control you MHUB via a control system. You will also miss the opportunity to increase your warranty period and open your MHUB to additional features or services.

I made a mistake in the first boot process, can I go back or make a change?

Yes. You can go all the way back to the update step and correct any incorrect information you entered. Alternatively, you can also access MHUB-OS (after you have completed first boot) and change anything then.
October 12, 2018
Updating MHUB-OS to a new version
If you have received a notification in uControl or by email that an update is available for your MHUB-OS then follow these steps to update your system. All updates are now handled by uControl. Please ensure you have installed the latest version.

If you have not connected to your MHUB before, please follow this guide first – Connecting to a MHUB

If you have received a notification in uControl or by email that an update is available for your MHUB then chose the correct option below:
Updating an existing system

The majority of MHUB customers will be on MHUB-OS 7 and their systems will contain user data which needs updating to the latest version. If this is you then follow these steps.
1. Click ‘Connect to an exisiting MHUB system’, uControl will scan your network for any MHUB systems
2. Select your MHUB device
3. Connect to your MHUB
4. uControl will show popup message that MHUB-OS requires updating, click ‘update’ and follow on screen prompts
Updating an New system

This is likely to happen if you have recently bought MHUB and it was shipped to you on older software. You will run through the following steps:
1. Click ‘CONNECT TO MHUB SYSTEM’, uControl will scan your network for any MHUB systems
2. Select your MHUB device
3. uControl will check the current version of MHUB-OS, if an update is required, you will be prompted to update it.
4. Connect to your MHUB
5. Perform first boot process.
Updating to MHUB-OS 8.00 from an earlier version

If your version of uControl updates to version 2.0 or above automatically, any previous connection to your MHUB will be reset. This is normal and part of the update process. Follow the process as described in ‘Updating a New System’ and uControl will update your system as part of the connection process.

Follow the instructions within the app to connect back to your system. During this process uControl will check MHUB(s) to see if they also require updating.

Watch a video of it here:

Having trouble updating your MHUB, check here –Update Troubleshooting
October 1, 2018
MHUB-OS first boot process
Make sure MHUB is connected up correctly before starting the first boot process on MHUB-OS

HDANYWHERE(HDA) recommends that every MHUB install goes through its first boot process to ensure that the MHUB is setup correctly. Please follow the quick start guide (inside MHUB packaging) to make sure your MHUB is connected correctly to your source devices, displays and has an active network connection before proceeding.

I don’t want to use MHUB-OS or go through the first boot process, will MHUB work like a normal matrix?

Yes. You do not need to access MHUB-OS if you don’t want to. MHUB will work distributing video as normal and will be controllable using the included remote controls. Please note that you will not be able to access advanced features such as voice control, the uControl app or build Sequences.

Accessing MHUB-OS (MOS)

There are two ways to access MOS:
1. Download our app, uControl, from the iOS or Google Play Store and let it find MHUB (and run you through the first boot) for you
2. Go to your MHUB and press and hold the “MENU” button for 5 seconds to reveal its IP address. Make a note of it then put that address in to any web browser on the same network. You will be forwarded to the first boot process.
First boot process
- BEFORE STARTING:Read and agree to the End User Licence Agreement (EULA) and Privacy Statement
- First Boot Step 1 – Check for MOS updates
  This is where your MHUB requests available updates from HDA cloud so your unit will update to the latest version. This is done before proceeding.
- First Boot Step 2 – Name your MHUB
  Here you can give your MHUB a personal name, this can also be used to differentiate multiple installations by HDA Pro’s
- First Boot Step 3 – Name your sources/inputs
  On this page you can label your input devices, such as Sky, Apple or Tivo. These labels are used in the uControl app and with voice control. Please go here for best practices when adding names. [Best Practices]
- First Boot Step 4 – Name your Displays/Rooms/outputs
  This page is similar to the previous step. You can choose to label them as display manufacturers or room names. Again please follow best practice guidelines available here – [Best Practices]
- First Boot Step 5 – Turn update notifications On/Off
  MOS updates are released periodically, here you can choose to be notified when an update is available
- First Boot Step 6 – Create or link your MHUB to a HDA cloud account, read and agree to our Terms and Conditions
  MHUB4K(3rd gen) and MHUB4KPRO units can be linked to a cloud based account. When registering as a homeowner this enables a couple of things. Firstly when you register, your warranty period is extended by 1 year, in addition to that cloud access is required when using the uControl IRengine feature allowing you to control source and display devices. Cloud access is also required for voice integration. For a HDA PRO the cloud account allows you to manage your MHUB installations remotely, getting system information as well as a host of other features.
- First Boot Step 7 – Secure MHUB with a PIN number
  If you wish you can lock local access to MOS stopping any unwanted configuration changes from being made.
- First Boot Step 8 – Complete First Boot Setup
  Once you have completed the first boot process you can either ‘COMPLETE SETUP’ and go to the MOS DASHBOARD pag, . or goto the uControl page to start adding device/source control. For more information on uControl go here uControl
May 26, 2017
Voice control with Amazon Echo using the “MHUB 4K PRO Control / MHUB 4K PRO Smarthome” Skill
Setting up the MHUB 4K PRO Control / MHUB 4K PRO Smarthome Skill on the Alexa app

We are assuming that you have already downloaded the Amazon Alexa app and have a functioning Amazon account.

Skill types:
There are two types of skill which you can enable on the Alexa app.
- Custom Skill
  With a Custom Skill we have full control over the voice interaction (a voice interaction is the communication you have with an ECHO device when speaking a command and also includes the response given by the ECHO) between you and your Echo device, this allows for a greater range of voice commands including playhead, change channel, switch sources, increase/decrease volume.Click here to view a the full range of voice commands.
- Smarthome Skill
  The Smarthome skill differs from the custom skill in a couple of ways. Firstly, invoking a smarthome skill is fixed and defined by Amazon, this also applies to the voice interaction. We currently support on/off commands, allowing you to perform actions quickly by uttering “Alexa, turn on TV” or a custom label like “Alexa, turn on movies”.
- You can of course, use both. They are FREE!
What you need to get your MHUB to respond to voice commands:
1. You have completed the first-boot procedure within MHUB-OS
2. You have MHUB-OS version 7.0 or higher installed on your MHUB
3. You have an active HDA Cloud account
4. You have downloaded uControl packs for all displays and source devices you want to control
5. You have an active Amazon account
6. You have an Amazon Alexa enabled device, such as Amazon Dot/Echo/Show
Linking the custom skill “MHUB 4K PRO Control”
1. Go to the Skills section on the Alexa app and search for “MHUB 4K PRO Control”
2. Click on the skill and select “Enable”
3. Click “Link Account” – when you do this, you will be redirected to HDA Cloud’s secure login page. Enter your username and password in to the fields.
Linking the smarthome skill “MHUB 4K PRO Smarthome”
1. Go to the Skills section on the Alexa app and search for “MHUB 4K PRO Control”
2. Click on the skill and select “Enable”
3. Click “Link Account” – when you do this, you will be redirected to HDA Cloud’s secure login page. Enter your username and password into the fields.
4. After the account has been linked, visit the “Smart Home” screen then navigate to the ‘Manage devices in Smart Home’ then Devices. Next click ‘Discover’.
5. This action will communicate with MHUB and pull any devices making them ready to use.
Configure voice commands to do exactly what you want

Let’s take the command “Alexa, tell my TV to watch football” as an example.

It might appear like a very simple command but there are a number of things that need to happen in order to watch football! First the TV might need to turn on, but in which room? The volume might need to be set to a desired limit. The correct source input might need to be selected on MHUB and finally that source will need to navigate to the channel hosting the football.

You can configure all those actions in what we call a “Sequence”.

Taking the example above:
Alexa (this wakes up your Amazon Dot/Echo/Show)
tell my TV to… (this invokes HDA’s custom skill)
watch (this is a special function which tells MHUB to start a Sequence)
football (this is your custom name for the Sequence, it can be anything you want)

Inside MHUB-OS we can configure exactly what “football” does.
- You can select if you want MHUB to turn your TV on and adjust the volume
- You can tell MHUB to switch to the source device with has the football on it
- You can instruct MHUB to change the channel on that source device
Read more about Sequences and Scheduling.

Here’s a table of all the commands you can tell your MHUB to do…

Now you’re ready to go. Take a look at a full list of commands that you can say to your Echo.
May 19, 2017
MHUB 4K 4×3+1/8×6+2 RS232 Connection

If you wish to control your MHUB 4K 4×3+1/8×6+2 from an external control system via a RS232 connection you will need to wire the included phoenix connector to the following specification.

March 28, 2017
Daisy Chaining IR – How To

Daisy chaining IR can allow you to connect the IR systems of 2 devices. This allows IR to pass from one device to another

This does not work for HDMI Mirrored ports.

a) The diagram below shows how you can link two HDA devices, such as an MHUBU86240 and an XTND4K40TPC using a MHUB + XTND Integration Kit

b) This second diagram shows how you would connect a HDA system to a 3RD PARTY extender or device such as a Harmony Remote by Daisy-chaining the IR transmitter from the 3RD party device and the IR receiver included with the MHUB system.

c)

March 9, 2017