What's a good Freesat box?

Qualitymark

I recently replaced my old Bush Freesat box with a Humax, thinking that the Humax was better. But the Humax is slow to start and it's hard to see the menu. I don't like it much.
My second reason for buying the Humax was to record programmes, but this proves to be impossible anyway, because I already have two things connected to the TV - an aerial for the RTE stations, and the box. So that's pointless.
Advice would be gratefully received on what's the best Freesat box for the best price at the moment. For now I'll probably sell the Humax and go back to the antique Bush, but I might upgrade at some stage. It would be nice to be able to record, too, if there's any workaround on the fact that I've got two connectors coming in already.

Sam Russell

What model Humax have you got?

Thurston?

Qualitymark wrote: »

My second reason for buying the Humax was to record programmes, but this proves to be impossible anyway, because I already have two things connected to the TV - an aerial for the RTE stations, and the box. So that's pointless.

Why does this make it impossible to record?

Qualitymark

@Sam Russel: HDR-1000S Freesat HD+ 500GB Satellite PVR with Free Time EPG & SD Channels

@thurston: The fact that I have an antenna and also a dish feeding into the TV means that the Freesat box can't connect to the TV with two inputs, one for recording and the other for playing a programme. The local TV shop said they'd come and look at it, but that would be another €80 on top of the €200 or so for the new box, and they mightn't even find a workaround…

muffler

Qualitymark wrote: »

@Sam Russel: HDR-1000S Freesat HD+ 500GB Satellite PVR with Free Time EPG & SD Channels

@thurston: The fact that I have an antenna and also a dish feeding into the TV means that the Freesat box can't connect to the TV with two inputs, one for recording and the other for playing a programme. The local TV shop said they'd come and look at it, but that would be another €80 on top of the €200 or so for the new box, and they mightn't even find a workaround…

First of all Im no expert on these matters but if Im reading your posts correctly you will have 2 cables going to the box and not the tv. A single HDMI cable will connect the box to the tv.

Also you say that you currently have a cable running from the dish to the tv. You wont need that now surely.

Qualitymark

The box connects to the dish at one end and the TV at the other.

muffler

Qualitymark wrote: »

The box connects to the dish at one end and the TV at the other.

Yes, but with different types of cables though. There are different slots in your tv for receiving (A) cables from aerials and satellite feeds and (B) HDMI and scart leads from satellite receivers and Blueray players etc.

I think you're getting a wee bit confused as to what type of cables and connections go where.

Edit/ just to add that you may have 2 cables coming from the dish to the box but you will only have 1 connection from the box to the telly

Qualitymark

I don't have two cables coming from the dish at the moment, though. Installing a second one (if possible) is what would cost the extra €80+ to my local TV shop. Without looking at it, they're not sure if this is possible; they might have to replace part of the dish, they say.

muffler

I cant see a problem really with having a second lead from the dish. If you have a look at the dish and where your existing lead connects to it (LNB its called) there should be at least 2 connection points (little round slots) if not 4 possibly. Once you have a second cable connected then you simply run it to the humax box or whatever box you intend to get and pull out the Bush receiver if its still connected to the telly and you have all the points you need then.

I had a second cable hooked up to a box about 2 years ago and got a local lad who is an electrician to do it and he charged me €30.

Thurston?

Aren't those Humax boxes supposed to detect if there is only a single feed from the dish present during setup, & configure themselves accordingly?

They will use the single cable to feed both tuners, allowing some degree of record/watch flexibility, if I'm not mistaken.

Qualitymark

@Thurston Really? The TV shop man told me they wouldn't, that you could only record (while at the same time being able to watch another programme) if you had a double feed.
I'm not sure if I've just got a bad model of this box; it's rather slow. But the menu for the schedule is also much harder to read than the old Bush box - fancy-looking, but you have to get up off the couch and go over to the TV to read it, which probably isn't a lot of harm to my belly, but isn't what I want to do when lounging and watching nonsense.
What's the consensus here on the best Freesat box, in terms of speed, readability, ease of use, technical specs, etc?

Thurston?

Qualitymark wrote: »

The TV shop man told me they wouldn't, that you could only record (while at the same time being able to watch another programme) if you had a double feed.

You will only get the full choice of programmes to watch while recording, or record 2 programmes at once (& watch a 3rd), if you have 2 independent feeds.

Schorpio

Qualitymark wrote: »

@Thurston Really? The TV shop man told me they wouldn't, that you could only record (while at the same time being able to watch another programme) if you had a double feed.
I'm not sure if I've just got a bad model of this box; it's rather slow. But the menu for the schedule is also much harder to read than the old Bush box - fancy-looking, but you have to get up off the couch and go over to the TV to read it, which probably isn't a lot of harm to my belly, but isn't what I want to do when lounging and watching nonsense.
What's the consensus here on the best Freesat box, in terms of speed, readability, ease of use, technical specs, etc?

Are you sure that the box s connected via hdmi to your tv? I have one of these boxes and love it - never have had any issues reading the text on the guide I agree that it can be a bit slow to start up, but thats because it consumes very little power whilst in standy mode. You can change the settings to a higher-power standy setting with a much faster boot-up time if you prefer. Also, as others have said, 2 satellite feeds are required for full recording felxibility, though the box will allow limited recording with just one feed (channels on the same mux).

Thurston?

Schorpio wrote: »

... 2 satellite feeds are required for full recording felxibility, though the box will allow limited recording with just one feed (channels on the same mux).

If both tuners can access the single feed, then any channel in the same block of band & polarity as that being recorded, not just the same mux/transponder.

Sam Russell

You say you have two cables (I presume co-ax). Do they come from outside?

It would be worth putting the aerial in the vicinity of the satellite dish if you can and feed the two signals down the one cable.

You can feed the aerial signal and the satellite signal down the one cable using a splitter/combiner at each end. If you cannot do this, you can connect the one satellite cable to both inputs by following the instructions in the book. You will need a short satellite cable to link the first pass through to the the second input, but read the manual.

As has been said, if the time delay for boot up is too long for you, set the standby power to the higher level.

Try these things before calling the shop in, so at least you know what you need them to do.

AndyBoBandy

I have a 4life combo, €65 in DID,

I feed the ariel & dish down the same cable using splitters at both ends, I connect to my TV with a HDMI, and have the record function once I install a flash drive into the box. simple.

Thurston?

Sam Russell wrote: »

If you cannot do this, you can connect the one satellite cable to both inputs by following the instructions in the book. You will need a short satellite cable to link the first pass through to the the second input, but read the manual.

To the best of my knowledge, the HDR 1000 has an internal loopthrough, doesn't need any user intervention. (Beyond maybe a 'factory reset', if it was originally set up with 2 feeds, & later changed to a single.)

Andybobandy wrote: »

I have a 4life combo

That isn't a Freesat box.

AndyBoBandy

Thurston? wrote: »

That isn't a Freesat box.

What is it? freeview?

Kristopherus

Andybobandy wrote: »

What is it? freeview?

Its a FTA box.

AndyBoBandy

Kristopherus wrote: »

Its a FTA box.

Ah, whats the difference?

Kristopherus

Andybobandy wrote: »

Ah, whats the difference?

Approved Freesat boxes have a full epg, similar to Sky. FTA boxes have Now and Next only, though some of them can be modded to show a full epg. Not sure if the 4life boxes can be modded, as they don't have the best of reputations.

The Ayatolla

Andybobandy wrote: »

Ah, whats the difference?

Freesat will have 7-day EPG and Freesat branding. Also channel numbers should be conveniently sorted for you and it's easier to update if a new channel launches. Most have series link for recording and such.

FTA will only have Now-And-Next EPG by default, and you'll have to manually scan for new channels if there are updates.

Thurston?

Andybobandy wrote: »

What is it? freeview?

Freeview is the UK terrestrial broadcast service.

If it's the SV600 combi, then the terrestrial side is covered by Saorview branding, & is approved to work with that service & get any support if needed to keep working.

Qualitymark

Schorpio wrote: »

Are you sure that the box s connected via hdmi to your tv?

Nope! What does an hdmi connection look like?

Thurston? wrote: »

If both tuners can access the single feed, then any channel in the same block of band & polarity as that being recorded, not just the same mux/transponder.

Eh, what?

Sam Russell wrote: »

You say you have two cables (I presume co-ax). Do they come from outside?

It would be worth putting the aerial in the vicinity of the satellite dish if you can and feed the two signals down the one cable.

You can feed the aerial signal and the satellite signal down the one cable using a splitter/combiner at each end. If you cannot do this, you can connect the one satellite cable to both inputs by following the instructions in the book. You will need a short satellite cable to link the first pass through to the the second input, but read the manual.

As has been said, if the time delay for boot up is too long for you, set the standby power to the higher level.

Try these things before calling the shop in, so at least you know what you need them to do.

The two cables come from outside. The dish and antenna are on the side of the house 20 feet up. I'm not going to abseil from the roof and undo them to join them up, probably.

The standby power is beside the point for me; when the TV's on it's on, when it's off it's off and unplugged (though I'd leave the box on if I wanted to record something, if it could do that).

Thurston?

Qualitymark wrote: »

Thurston? wrote: »

If both tuners can access the single feed, then any channel in the same block of band & polarity as that being recorded, not just the same mux/transponder.

Eh, what?

Just means that with 2 tuners fed from a single LNB feed, you have more choice of channels for record/watch purposes, than you would with only a single tuner, though not the full choice you'd get with independent LNB feeds for each tuner. Think of the LNB as part of the receiver: the 1st stage of tuning, already narrowing down the total satellite broadcast bandwidth before it gets to the box itself.

Qualitymark wrote: »

(though I'd leave the box on if I wanted to record something, if it could do that).

The box should record anything you want. If indeed there is just a single LNB feed, you'll only be limited in the channels you can record a 2nd programme from, or switch to while recording, if you want to watch something else.

muffler

Qualitymark wrote: »

What does an hdmi connection look like?

Like this......

muffler

and the HDMI slot with the cable connected is shown in the example below- 2nd from left.....

Qualitymark

Thurston? wrote: »

Just means that with 2 tuners fed from a single LNB

LNB?

I think the feed I have coming in is coax at both ends; will have to take a look.

Thurston?

The LNB is the thing on the end of the dish arm, that the cable(s) is/are connected to.

Long & short of it is, there's nothing stopping your box recording, despite what you may have been told, or decided was the case yourself.

Qualitymark

Thanks, Thurston.

I don't know what's on the end of the dish arm. It's way up on the side of the house, so I can't see it till I instal my telescopic legs upgrade.

What comes into the house is coax. Two coaxes; one from the antenna, one from the dish.

So are ye saying that I need to connect the coaxes from a) the antenna and b) the dish into a) the TV and b) the Freesat box, and then c) connect the Freesat box by an HDMI cable to the TV? (This may already be my setup; not sure, it's like an octopus nest back there.)

dodzy

Qualitymark wrote: »

Thanks, Thurston.

I don't know what's on the end of the dish arm. It's way up on the side of the house, so I can't see it till I instal my telescopic legs upgrade.

What comes into the house is coax. Two coaxes; one from the antenna, one from the dish.

So are ye saying that I need to connect the coaxes from a) the antenna and b) the dish into a) the TV and b) the Freesat box, and then c) connect the Freesat box by an HDMI cable to the TV? (This may already be my setup; not sure, it's like an octopus nest back there.)

There is an arm sticking out of your dish. At the end of this arm there is a lump of plastic. You definitely have one cable running from this into your home. You need to establish if there is more than one connection on this " lump of plastic at the end of the arm". If not, then it will need to be changed for a fitting that will accommodate more than one connection. (You should be able to see this from looking outside, unless the dish is multiple stories up) ?This will then allow you to supply 2 feeds to your Humax, thus enabling you to have a fully functional PVR box for UK channels. This box, as has been pointed out, connects to your TV via a single HDMi cable(ideally).

Note: Your saorview antenna is a separate matter all together and just feeds directly to the back of your TV.

Souriau

Thurston? wrote: »

Aren't those Humax boxes supposed to detect if there is only a single feed from the dish present during setup, & configure themselves accordingly?

They will use the single cable to feed both tuners, allowing some degree of record/watch flexibility, if I'm not mistaken.

I have the Freesat Freetime Humax PVR and can confirm that is box work 100% without worrying about missing any programs set for recording, including serial recording.
Yes the PVR does automatically detect if one or two LNB cables installed, or not, during first time installation setup and only when a factory reset is requested.
Postcode is required for which region in UK, so I just enter BT and accept as Northern Ireland region, no need to enter full postcode.

Souriau

I done a factory reset for others to see and follow

Souriau

more pics
As you see the PVR STB does check for cable connection for one or two LNB feed and check signal quality before scanning.
Postcode is just first 2 or 3 letters & number, no need for full UK postcode
BT = Northern Ireland
EH1 = Scotland
B1 = West Midland - England
E1 = London
CF = Cardiff, Wales