FreeSAT - Humax PVR spec announced

pizzahead77

Has a 320GB HDD but no prices announced yet (but rumoured to be about £300 sterling). Supposed to be in shops in the UK before Christmas

http://www.trustedreviews.com/home-cinema/news/2008/08/29/IFA-2008--Humax-Quietly-Unveils-Freesat-HD-FOXSAT-HDR-PVR/p1

Dman001

Cool, thanks. It says that it upscales SDTV to HD. Do all the Freesat HD boxes do that?

homer911

They mention MPEG4 - do you think this will also be capable of picking up Irish DTT?

pizzahead77

Can't imagine that it will. Its a satellite receiver using DVB-S standards whereas the Irish DTT is Digital Terrestial using DVB-T standards.

But I can be corrected on this.

byte

pizzahead77 wrote: »

Can't imagine that it will. Its a satellite receiver using DVB-S standards whereas the Irish DTT is Digital Terrestial using DVB-T standards.

But I can be corrected on this.

Quite correct.

The Freesat box will pick up MPEG4 satellite signals, including HD. Won't pick up MPEG4 DTT though. Don't know of any SD channels using MPEG4 on Astra2 at the moment, but I'd imagine it'll happen at some stage.

Compton

you need a combo box.

Like this: http://www.satworld.ie/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49

I have one at home and it's great.

greatgoal

so this can be used with a digital albanian card?

byte

greatgoal wrote: »

so this can be used with a digital albanian card?

Anything with a Conax cardreader should work. Technomate TM6900 is another MPEG4 Combo box, and it definitely takes a digitalb card.

shblob's box should do also, as it mentions having a Conax card reader.

watty

One of these with a Sony 3 x LCD 1080 projector, approx 34" to 72" via its x2.1 Zoom WS 16:9,( is about 29" 4:3 at minimum size) would be good for Christmas Holidays. Decent 3x chip full HD projectors look to be about same price as a good 48" TV soon, under €2000. Though much HDTV that is not films is shot for regular TV too and looks stupid at "proper" HD size. Most made for TV HD content is not compelling HD as it is shot safe for ordinary TV, close ups are too close and shots framed too tightly.

And a PS3 for games & BluRay HD disks.

37" to 48" is a bit small for cinematic HD and too big for regular TV. Hence Zoom lens and projector. Old 4:3 VHS or classic TV or pre 1950s Cinema is all 4:3. Some of the good 4:3 DVD transfers of old films will bear 60" size. The 2.35:1 definately needs 72" 16:9 (1.78:1)

No card reader or CI slot on the Humax though?

slegs

These boxes will sell like hotcakes in the run up to Christmas as Sky+ replacements. Get you prebookings in as soon as...

My current setup
Irish DTT Trial on TV
Humax Freesat HD
Sky+ (2 mixes) for recording

Other Rooms
Sky+ via magic eye

24€ per month

My Future Setup
Irish DTT Trial (TV and DVD Hard Drive Recorder)
Humax Freesat HD PVR

Other Rooms
Irish Analogue until suitable cheap DTT boxes
Sky boxes as FTA and Humax Freesat box

0€ per month

Mark#1

shblob wrote: »

you need a combo box.

Like this: http://www.satworld.ie/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49

I have one at home and it's great.

What are you saying here shblob? That the receiver in your link will pick up both Freesat HD and Irish DTT? :eek:

Sorry if I've misunderstood you.


Mark

Mark#1

I'm answering my own question here, but I just rang that shop in shblob's link.

It seems that that M-Vision HD200 Combo receiver (€325 for just the receiver) does receive all the Freesat channels (incl BBC HD and ITV HD, and maybe CH4 HD?) and RTE1, RTE2, TV3 + TG4.

The guy I spoke with said that it takes a single feed from a dish pointed at 28.2, and a single feed from an aerial.

This is where I got interested. I asked what happens when analog is switched off and we're on DTT? He said that this receiver receives the 4 Irish channels via MPEG4. I asked if he meant DTT, and he said that the DTT trial was finished and that for the last three weeks, a lot of Dublin has been able to pick up the 4 Irish channels via MPEG4, and that officially, all of Ireland will be the same after January 1st.

He says the receiver is on display in the shop to show the functionality.

Is this common knowledge? Is this not a big deal? Are there not some big implications now?

I thought we weren't ready for DTT yet, or at least the claims are/were that no current satellite receiver could receive MPEG4 DTT in Ireland?

Am I interpreting this all wrong? Does it mean that DTT is here now for the masses? Am I confusing MPEG4 and DTT?

I know I'm drifting off topic - sorry. If mods want to start this as a new separate thread, please feel free.

Mark

Tony

Yes excellent box

shblob wrote: »

you need a combo box.

Like this: http://www.satworld.ie/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49

I have one at home and it's great.

Onikage

DTT is the platform. MPEG-4 is the format the channels are delivered in. The old DTT trial used MPEG-2 as the channel format. So both are DTT, but now the channels are MPEG-4 instead of MPEG-2. And no, it has not been given a official launch date.

Lots of sat receivers can view MPEG-4 channels, the Sky HD box for instance. But this is a combo box which is essentially a sat box and a dtt box glued together.

Mark#1

Thanks guys.

If I wanted to use a DVD recorder (Panasonic DMR-EX88 in mind) with this HD200 Combo, does anyone know how I would go about connecting it all up to ensure I could avail of the EX88's series recording and timer recording functionality?

Essentially, could the EX88 function as a PVR (albeit without the "pause live TV" functionality) for both DTT and Freesat if it was used in a set-up with this M-Vision HD200 Combo?

Thanks,

Mark

The Cush

Onikage wrote: »

So both are DTT, but now the channels are MPEG-4 instead of MPEG-2. And no, it has not been given a official launch date.

From Communications Minister Eamon Ryan media release at the end of the DTT Trial in July

...
RTÉ networks limited has started to build this network and initial services are due to commence in autumn 2009. In the meantime, Mr. Goan has indicated that RTÉNL will provide a DTT network at Three Rock and Clermont Carn to test and develop new services, from 4th August 2008.
...
National rollout and Government information campaign

“Central to the success of national rollout will be a public information campaign by the Department explaining digital television to the nation. My Department will begin this national information campaign in March 2009, in advance of the autumn 2009 launch date. Analogue switch-off must be complete by 2012.

Onikage

In fairness, Autumn 2009 is a season, not a date. Plenty of wiggle room there. Why not say August 31st?