freesat - my initial impression

[jimmyboy]

I have a 50inch HD plasma (Panasonic 1080p) and have been itching to try a HD source. I have been waiting for the DM800/8000 to arrive or the 900/9000 to hit the UK. So I decided to buy a Humax HD Freesat from Comets yesterday as we mainly watch freeview anyway and the footy/movies are streamed via my PC dvbs card and MVP Hauppage router (in SD). I have a good Sony DVD recorder/hard drive/freeview unit that upscales dvd to 1080p and to be honest look almost as good as BBCHD broadcasts.

Comets were muppets- no one knew about the boxes so I had to go in the morning and pay for a box prior to delivery and collected my box at 7pm, hooked it to my sat dish.

I was disappointed that only BBCHD is available in HD, itv did not have a 'red button link' to itvhd yesterday so I assume this will only work when they broadcast HD content. The box only does 1080i (as do all sat boxes) which is not as good as 1080p to the eye on similar SD broadcasts.

I am not sure the box is worth £149 but it is a cheap way to view HD without hassle until a suitable sat box becomes available for general sat use, my family like the ease of EPG and use of the box. It is very stable and BBCHD pics are very good but the SD broadcasts are similar to freeview quality.

[crabber]

That is interesting, thanks for letting us know. I heard about the freesat "launch"on BBC news last night, I thought that they said £150 for a standard box and £200 for an HD box, obviously you get BBC HD OK on yours?

[Detlef]

That is interesting, thanks for letting us know. I heard about the freesat "launch"on BBC news last night, I thought that they said £150 for a standard box and £200 for an HD box, obviously you get BBC HD OK on yours?

I think your prices include installation.

Finding these boxes on the four supplier sites listed is not easy except for Argos who only seem to have the Goodman and Bush versions in both SD and HD - just visited them again and they are now listing the Humax FoxsatHD for £149.

[jimmyboy]

No- the standard box (SD) is less than £100. The HD boxes vary from around £120-£149 depending on the make (I think the cheepie brands like Bush are cheaper) the Humax is the best available brand at £149. Installation is extra at £80 if needed. It picks up (or will soon to pick up) all the freesat HD and SD (ItvHD when transmitting/CH4HD will join soon). You can under the setting actually use it like any other free sat box and scan other transponders/satellites. There is no PVR function and no CI slots. There is a USB slot but no idea what it is used for. The quality of the pics is actually very good on HD and not bad on SD compared to my friend's boxes.

[jimmyboy]

On reflection £149 is not a bad price for a HD box but having a CI slot would have made it even better. Who knows- someone might come up with a way of patching this box to work with emu?

[birkenhead]

would F/star HD passion work on the freesat regarding the EPG side of things, was look to buy this until it freesat was released - now in two minds with the Humax box.

more to the point which would be the wiser buy?

[jimmyboy]

I spent a great deal of time (although not sure why as is the case with this hobby) about the idea of buying a freesat box until the dreambox becomes available (cheaper, dedicated, receive all the HD content as well as SD, no hassle, good EPG 7 days) against spending more money on a box which can either be patched (Technomate HD but an extra £100 but with PVR ability via USB) or a Passion (not patchable but similar price to the freesat but unstable and unable to view many of the freesat such as ITVHD and not many others like ch4/five etc without a sly freeview card and cam such as Dragon cam that would need updating in a sly box).

I thought I would spend less no and buy a freesat box and buy a dm800 in 3-6 months after it was launched (if ever).

[xoted]

can anyone tell me what satelitte free sat operates from and is not possible to view their channels with ordinary motorised receiver,if they are free as they say

[satwyn]

most of the content yes for HD you will need a HD receiver but itv is a no go not even on a HD receiver apart from some computer cards and the new freeview receivers just on the market 28e orbital position a sly mini dish will be ok for uk use

[trotwood]

can anyone tell me what satelitte free sat operates from and is not possible to view their channels with ordinary motorised receiver,if they are free as they say

Astra 28*2 east.

[thomasking]

in my view for all future HD will be maybe sky news cnn HD FILM4 HD like all same hd picture on normal station it will be better.i have sony 32 inch with free to air box techomate use standard channel but i will get new call foxsat hd reciver i find this box is better for all customer if they have hd ready lcd tv is top one cos i find suitable better viewing make clear picture full 1080i upscaling i find bbc HD is better then Sky sport hd quite ok. i alway watch rugby 6 nation is best picture then other one i give credit to bbc hd like same premiere HD on football very good high pixel HD but more expenvies but i alway watch bbc hd football film and some history it save your money to watch bbc hd we never know freesat will biggest hd for future who know

[007.4]

Eh? Some basic grammar would make your post more understandable.

[TheBadger]

ITV HD is available on a number of non-dedicated boxes including the Fortec Passion and TM6900 I believe.

[xanadu]

ITV HD is available on a number of non-dedicated boxes including the Fortec Passion and TM6900 I believe.

At the moment ITV HD has not been available on official Freesat receivers as they are still testing, and not officially launched the channel.

[mark68]

nice to hear your views but as far as freesat there is very little information out there for the general public which i think with most of the retailers too there is so much confussion due to lack of advertising and sky also playing the fool saying they are lauching freesat (£75 for equipement and a few months free channel package).
any way just after the launch ??????? very quite afair i took to the shops but nothing or should i say lack of boxes and everything else. so i will wait and see for now but wish them all the look..

[Keano]

Yeah I have just seen what sky have done, bunch of idiots. They have to get involved or try ruined everything that anyone else does.

At the end of that day us lot know what we are doing but if someone went in to shop they could end with the sky freesat and after 4 months end paying £19 a month.

Check out the link below and notice the small print at the bottom " debit or credit card required "
Anyone who has tried leaving sky will know how hard it is and I feel lots of elderly people could be very vulnerable to skys tactics.

h**p://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/editorial/Sky+Offer/?int=topbanner-skypayonce

[jimmyboy]

Despite updating new software on my humax freesat box no itvhd on footy yesterday!
I also noticed that the quality ( i assume bitrate) on the freeview built into the panasonic plasma 1080p set looks more detailed and better pic that the freesat SD pics (itv on 28 deg looks like a blur in comparrison to freeview on terrestrial).

[mrbleu500]

Despite updating new software on my humax freesat box no itvhd on footy yesterday!
I also noticed that the quality ( i assume bitrate) on the freeview built into the panasonic plasma 1080p set looks more detailed and better pic that the freesat SD pics (itv on 28 deg looks like a blur in comparrison to freeview on terrestrial).

ITV looks like crap on a Sky box too... Not a problem of the Freesat box, but appalling bitrate and quality of the ITV channels on 28.2.

[Bradwall]

Footy on ITV HD ( 28.2E) last night was brilliant using my Fortec Star Passion receiver. It was simulcast with the ITV freesat SD offering.

[peggle]

There was HD Footie on a Foxsat yesterday.

I discovered it at half time from Digital Spy & posted it here on the "ITV HD Testing at 28.2 now" thread.

It only works when ITV are transmitting the "Press Red To Go To ITV HD" Dog, which a Foxsat cannot see at the moment.

Tune in to ITV. Wait a few seconds.

Press Red, Red, Green, Green, Blue.

You then see the "Press Red For ITV HD" Dog.

[jimmyboy]

I think I wasted my money buying a freesat! I should have bought another box such as technomate/fortec - I assumed the freesat boxes were the only way to watch itv hd!

[TheBadger]

That's what they want everybody to think!

[Bradwall]

I think I wasted my money buying a freesat! I should have bought another box such as technomate/fortec

The trouble with being an early adopter is that things don't always work as they should (as I have found out personally) but knowing Humax and the support they have given their other products I expect that updates will radically improve the performance of their Freesat receiver.

[jimmyboy]

I still cannot see itvhd despite pressing red/red/Gre/Gre/blue on the remote!

[xanadu]

I still cannot see itvhd despite pressing red/red/Gre/Gre/blue on the remote!


That hack no longer works.( Now disabled on the Humax)

[TheBadger]

Apparently there is a "Secret Menu" accessible by pressing Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Green, Yellow, Blue. I cannot confirm this or say what options it has as I don't have a Foxsat HD box but I will be playing with a friend's later this week. I'll report back but perhaps one of you owners could have a play sooner!:respect-048:

[xanadu]

Apparently there is a "Secret Menu" accessible by pressing Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Green, Yellow, Blue.

It no longer works, as I said above.

[TheBadger]

I assumed from your post that you meant the access to the red button had been disabled as you made no mention of a secret menu.

[xanadu]

Have read that ITV HD will be a proper launched service when the Euro football starts this weekend.

Wait and see I guess.