Freesat Box Recommendation

ibFoxer

Hi all,

I currently have a Sky+ HD box but i am seriously considering cancelling my subscription when its over and getting a Freesat box, however i am finding it difficult enough to pin one down to do what i want.

Basically i would like to be able to continue watching & recording at the same time, and also have a 7 day EPG. As far as i am aware i just need the box and i can swap them out? What are the recommended boxes at the moment? Are there varying prices or are they all up around €200-€300??

Thanks in advance

The Cush

http://www.freesat.co.uk/get-freesat/recommended/boxes
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/ (rh column)

The Humax Freesat+ boxes are always highly recommended as is the Manhattan. Basically they're pretty much all the same except for HDD capacity and price.

Same Sky dish and cabling can be used, easy swap over. UK postcode required on setup.

No Irish channels are available via Freesat, separate Saorview TV/STB required and attached to an aerial. Saorview PVR required to record the Irish channels.

NIMAN

I own a Humax HDR and can thoroughly recommend it. Very reliable.

You can pick up some bargains out there, just look at this 500gb Grundig up outside Derry

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/grundig-freesat-hd-pvr-sdtr500hd/1038284938

If you were tempted by this, I live not too far away and could maybe try to get it for you and post it? PM if interested.

ibFoxer

The Cush wrote: »

http://www.freesat.co.uk/get-freesat/recommended/boxes
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/ (rh column)

The Humax Freesat+ boxes are always highly recommended as is the Manhattan. Basically they're pretty much all the same except for HDD capacity and price.

Same Sky dish and cabling can be used, easy swap over. UK postcode required on setup.

No Irish channels are available via Freesat, separate Saorview TV/STB required and attached to an aerial. Saorview PVR required to record the Irish channels.

The Humax seems to be recommended by everyone alright, is it better than the Manhattan box?

I have the sky dish so no problems there.

I would have to get an arial and cable for Saorview as my tv is Saorview approved and i doubt that would break the bank so i'm not over worried in that regard.

As an aside i also have the Eircom tv box so i know if i am crazy stuck i can use that for a while for Rte 2.

ibFoxer

NIMAN wrote: »

I own a Humax HDR and can thoroughly recommend it. Very reliable.

You can pick up some bargains out there, just look at this 500gb Grundig up outside Derry

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/grundig-freesat-hd-pvr-sdtr500hd/1038284938

If you were tempted by this, I live not too far away and could maybe try to get it for you and post it? PM if interested.

Thanks very much for the offer

I need to do a bit more research into what kind of box i want though first before i jump. Will certainly keep the offer in mind though

ibFoxer

I'm not trying to cheap out on it but this box seems to be held in high regard http://www.freesat.co.uk/get-freesat/freesat-plus/233939

Anyone have one or have any experience with it?

NIMAN

Yeah think that Manhattan box was well reviewed too.

You can often see Humax's for sale secondhand as they have been superceded by a fancier box for Freesat+. I got mine off AVFORUMS classifieds a few years back, never a minutes bother with it. The current price they are going for is around £90- £100.

The Grundig one I listed is, afaik, one of the generic ones that are made in Turkey I think. Might be Vestel, who also make the likes of Bush, Alba, Goodmans etc. All those cheap brands. They don't have the same reliability records as Humax.

ibFoxer

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah think that Manhattan box was well reviewed too.

You can often see Humax's for sale secondhand as they have been superceded by a fancier box for Freesat+. I got mine off AVFORUMS classifieds a few years back, never a minutes bother with it. The current price they are going for is around £90- £100.

The Grundig one I listed is, afaik, one of the generic ones that are made in Turkey I think. Might be Vestel, who also make the likes of Bush, Alba, Goodmans etc. All those cheap brands. They don't have the same reliability records as Humax.

Is your Humax a HD box? The impression I get is I'm better looking at freesat as opposed to FTA, the EPG is cleaner, is that correct?

The Cush

foxerv1 wrote: »

The impression I get is I'm better looking at freesat as opposed to FTA, the EPG is cleaner, is that correct?

Freesat offers 7 day epg, red button/digital text, auto channel updates, series linking for a PVR etc.

A FTA satellite receiver won't give you those features, now&next channel info only, no digital text, if a channel moves frequency a manual retune is required. With a FTA receiver you can arrange the channels the way you want.

NIMAN

what he said ^^^ !!

Yeah I would go Freesat if possible, lot more user friendly.

excollier

NIMAN wrote: »

what he said ^^^ !!

Yeah I would go Freesat if possible, lot more user friendly.

And the Foxsat HDR at that. Superb machine, but discontinued now....get one while you can.

ibFoxer

excollier wrote: »

And the Foxsat HDR at that. Superb machine, but discontinued now....get one while you can.

I assume that is a second hand buy?

excollier

No, you can still get them new if you search around a little.

stanley1

try here, maybe parcel motel for delivery.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat.asp?cat=factory

Upsy_Daisy

stanley1 wrote: »

try here, maybe parcel motel for delivery.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat.asp?cat=factory

Ok I know nothing about these but just have a basic triax receiver on both our tv's but not being able to record is just becoming a pain. one tv is saorview compatable the other is not but we don't watch irish channels on it.

Will a receiver bought in the UK work here, if I were to order one of those on the link is it just a case of switching over to the new receiver.

kooga

Upsy_Daisy wrote: »

Ok I know nothing about these but just have a basic triax receiver on both our tv's but not being able to record is just becoming a pain. one tv is saorview compatable the other is not but we don't watch irish channels on it.

Will a receiver bought in the UK work here, if I were to order one of those on the link is it just a case of switching over to the new receiver.

those receivers will work here all you have to do is input a postcode as to what region bbc/itv you want and away you go. The beauty about freesat is that it will update if the channels frequency moves plus a seven day epg.

Upsy_Daisy

Kooga thanks a mil for that, my local TV guy was looking at getting a humax box for me but it was costing over €300, they seem like a good deal for £140.

kooga

Upsy_Daisy wrote: »

Kooga thanks a mil for that, my local TV guy was looking at getting a humax box for me but it was costing over €300, they seem like a good deal for £140.

well if he was getting you a brand new box 500gb pvr for €300 its not too bad as i paid £229.95 back in 2011 in Richer Sounds in Belfast.

bear in mind to watch and record at the same time you will need two cables from the sky dish into the humax receiver.

Enjoy

Upsy_Daisy

Its just that my budget doesn't stretch to €300.

ronan.h

stanley1 wrote: »

try here, maybe parcel motel for delivery.

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat.asp?cat=factory

Put an order through for this earlier with Parcel Motel as delivery and got a mail after lunch from them stating they have cancelled my order as they don't accept card payments from outside the UK nor do they deliver to freight forwarding companies
Looking around Amazon appear to be next best priced at £210 - I'm going to order there

kooga

ronan.h wrote: »

Put an order through for this earlier with Parcel Motel as delivery and got a mail after lunch from them stating they have cancelled my order as they don't accept card payments from outside the UK nor do they deliver to freight forwarding companies
Looking around Amazon appear to be next best priced at £210 - I'm going to order there

why not ask richer sounds over on talk to for a boardies price?