Next Gen Freesat?

ka2

Looks like non-Freesat mode is very broken. I tried to enable it to add Channel 4 HD. It worked but I couldn’t delete 4seven from the channel list.

But when I chose to exit non-Freesat mode, I had to go through the whole setup wizard again (re-entering the postcode and the like).

Went back to non-Freesat mode and Channel 4 HD was gone. Then had to run the setup wizard yet another time when back in Freesat mode.

I won’t be touching it again for a while I’d say.

Harry Palmr

Well they'll not be in a rush to fix FTA switching I'd say.

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

I see Digi Repairs are selling the 500Gb box at a £60 markup over the Currys £199.99 price + £23 EU delivery from Co. Fermanagh.
https://www.digirepairs.co.uk/product-category/freesat/

Someone is having a laugh up in Enniskillen, price has increased by £200 to £487.49 delivered for the 500Gb box.

Atlantic Dawn

To record 4 things at once what LNB is needed? Seems to be Sky Q setup as best to use?

The Cush

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

To record 4 things at once what LNB is needed? Seems to be Sky Q setup as best to use?

According to reports over on the AV Forum it requires a wideband LNB feed for the 4 recording option from either the standard wideband LNB fitted during a SkyQ install or a wideband feed from the fixed wideband outputs of the newer Sky supplied 4 output hybrid LNB.

It doesn't appear to be able to auto-switch the outputs of the original 6 output smart hybrid LNB over to wideband output. Not sure if this is by design or one of the many bugs reported.

This 6-output Labgear hybrid LNB with 2 fixed Wideband and 4 Quad outputs should be compatible - http://www.visiblewave.tv/product/vhk6-hybrid-lnb-6-output/

Also one person on that forum reports he cannot get a signal via his communal single-cable setup even though the is an MDU feature in the LNB-type screen, he's awaiting feedback from Freesat.

swoofer

Just to be clear that lnb you can use any of the six outputs for wideband ie they are not specific.

The Cush

swoofer wrote: »

Just to be clear that lnb you can use any of the six outputs for wideband ie they are not specific.

Which 6 output hybrid are you referring to?

There are 2 that I'm aware of, the original Sky supplied smart hybrid where all outputs can be wideband or legacy, now discontinued.

The retail one from Labgear that I linked to previously has 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 fixed legacy outputs.

The Cush

Set up and review of the new Arris Freesat UHD-X 4K satellite receiver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgGlZFK2Dfc

mackersdublin

ka2 wrote: »

Looks like non-Freesat mode is very broken. I tried to enable it to add Channel 4 HD. It worked but I couldn’t delete 4seven from the channel list.

But when I chose to exit non-Freesat mode, I had to go through the whole setup wizard again (re-entering the postcode and the like).

Went back to non-Freesat mode and Channel 4 HD was gone. Then had to run the setup wizard yet another time when back in Freesat mode.

I won’t be touching it again for a while I’d say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcwlsGc6DLE

ka2

mackersdublin wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcwlsGc6DLE

That’s exactly what happens with me. Have to do that every time I switch, it doesn’t save.

Despite the bugs, the box definitely has good potential. I always found the Humax to be sluggish and this doesn’t feel that way at all.

Tigerandahalf

Can you put a dns service on the box to get the players?

The Ayatolla

I don't see a major demand for this with Freesat.

LG's mid-range of TVs have a lash of catch-up apps (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five etc), Freesat TV guide and ability to series link, pause etc with a hard drive plugged in. Netflix and Prime Video available on 4K too. I think the need for separate boxes for Saorview and Freesat is becoming less & less.

Fair enough most of the catch-up apps don't work in Ireland without a VPN or what-not but that will never be Freesat's target market anyway.

Tigerandahalf

Youtube kids has launched on the 4k boxes it seems but not on older boxes.

castle2012

Hi Guys I have sky q and am thinking of getting freesat. Do I need to change the lnb? The current lnb has 6 ports on it.Many thanks

Gerry Wicklow

with 6 ports it could be a hybrid LNB which will work with a FreeSat or FTA box. Worth trying before spending on a new LNB.

The Cush

castle2012 wrote: »

Hi Guys I have sky q and am thinking of getting freesat. Do I need to change the lnb? The current lnb has 6 ports on it.

The new Freesat box should work with your hybrid LNB but the exact model of hybrid will depend on how many tuners are available to you. 2 tuners when connected to a standard legacy 2 cable LNB or 4 tuners when connected to 2 fixed wideband outputs of a wideband LNB or hybrid LNB.

Over the years Sky has fitted 3 types of 6 output hybrid, the most well known was the smart hybrid (EL010) where all 6 outputs could be a wideband output or a legacy output depending on a switching signal from a SkyQ box, Without this switching signal the output defaults to a standard legacy output. Unfortunately, according to posts on other forums the new Freesat receivers do not send this switching signal and therefore the output remain legacy with 2 tuners available.

Since mid 2019 they have discontinued the smart hybrid and replaced it with 2 fixed hybrids EL027 (4 outputs - 2 for wideband, 2 for standard/legacy) and EL028 (6 outputs - 2 for wideband, 4 for standard/legacy), The wideband outputs on these LNBs will provide for 4 tuners on the new Freesat box.

The original Sky hybrid, before the smart model, also had 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs.

Also there is now a commercially available 6 output hybrid with 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs - http://www.visiblewave.tv/product/vhk6-hybrid-lnb-6-output/

castle2012

The Cush wrote: »

The new Freesat box should work with your hybrid LNB but the exact model of hybrid will depend on how many tuners are available to you. 2 tuners when connected to a standard legacy 2 cable LNB or 4 tuners when connected to 2 fixed wideband outputs of a wideband LNB or hybrid LNB.

Over the years Sky has fitted 3 types of 6 output hybrid, the most well known was the smart hybrid (EL010) where all 6 outputs could be a wideband output or a legacy output depending on a switching signal from a SkyQ box, Without this switching signal the output defaults to a standard legacy output. Unfortunately, according to posts on other forums the new Freesat receivers do not send this switching signal and therefore the output remain legacy with 2 tuners available.

Since mid 2019 they have discontinued the smart hybrid and replaced it with 2 fixed hybrids EL027 (4 outputs - 2 for wideband, 2 for standard/legacy) and EL028 (6 outputs - 2 for wideband, 4 for standard/legacy), The wideband outputs on these LNBs will provide for 4 tuners on the new Freesat box.

The original Sky hybrid, before the smart model, also had 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs.

Also there is now a commercially available 6 output hybrid with 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs - http://www.visiblewave.tv/product/vhk6-hybrid-lnb-6-output/

Thanks a million excellent advise, much appreciated. I have just ordered one of the new freesat box's with recorder from currys.co.uk and getting delivered through parcel motel.

castle2012

The Cush wrote: »

The new Freesat box should work with your hybrid LNB but the exact model of hybrid will depend on how many tuners are available to you. 2 tuners when connected to a standard legacy 2 cable LNB or 4 tuners when connected to 2 fixed wideband outputs of a wideband LNB or hybrid LNB.

Over the years Sky has fitted 3 types of 6 output hybrid, the most well known was the smart hybrid (EL010) where all 6 outputs could be a wideband output or a legacy output depending on a switching signal from a SkyQ box, Without this switching signal the output defaults to a standard legacy output. Unfortunately, according to posts on other forums the new Freesat receivers do not send this switching signal and therefore the output remain legacy with 2 tuners available.

Since mid 2019 they have discontinued the smart hybrid and replaced it with 2 fixed hybrids EL027 (4 outputs - 2 for wideband, 2 for standard/legacy) and EL028 (6 outputs - 2 for wideband, 4 for standard/legacy), The wideband outputs on these LNBs will provide for 4 tuners on the new Freesat box.

The original Sky hybrid, before the smart model, also had 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs.

Also there is now a commercially available 6 output hybrid with 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 standard/legacy outputs - http://www.visiblewave.tv/product/vhk6-hybrid-lnb-6-output/

Thanks a million excellent advise, much appreciated. I have just ordered one of the new freesat box's with recorder from currys.co.uk and getting delivered through parcel motel.

Movie Maestro

castle2012 wrote: »

Thanks a million excellent advise, much appreciated. I have just ordered one of the new freesat box's with recorder from currys.co.uk and getting delivered through parcel motel.

Please post a review here when you get a chance to try it out:D

_Kaiser_

I'm thinking about it because while my LG 4k 55" does have Freesat support, it's somewhat broken in that the EPG and channel switching from within it doesn't work right (known bug with LG Freesat TVS generally)

That said, I don't watch much live TV anyway so might wait until the bugs are ironed out

I have Humax 1100S is there any value for me if I upgrade to the new box or would o be wasting my money?

Also if I did upgrade so I just plug on and put in the cables old words from satellite into the new box?

Thanks

Harry Palmr

Only change is that you will need a Q Box type wideband LNB to take advantage of it's up to 4 simultaneous recordings facility but if you do nothing it'll still record two channels. So not much of a big deal really.

I'd wait, the software is clearly several updates from sorted. If the Humax is working stick with it.

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Only change is that you will need a Q Box type wideband LNB to take advantage of it's up to 4 simultaneous recordings facility but if you do nothing it'll still record two channels. So not much of a big deal really.

I'd wait, the software is clearly several updates from sorted. If the Humax is working stick with it.

Only problem I have and there’s is nothing wrong With my box is when I turn if now from stand by mode it takes about 30-40 seconds with the loading screen other than that it’s perfect, maybe there is something in setting I can do to stop that?

I’m guessing it’s bad to leave it on 24/7? When going to bed?

Harry Palmr

My box (a Manhattan) also takes 45 seconds to boot from stand by as it happens. Nothing can be done about it in the menu so i live with it

ka2

I only got the new 4K box because my Humax died. If yours is working then hold on to it. There’s nothing groundbreaking in the new box, the interface is more responsive but that’s about it. And, as was mentioned, it’s still quite buggy in parts.

About the startup times, a lot of this is down to EU power regulations, so the boxes go into very low power states by default.

decor58

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have Humax 1100S is there any value for me if I upgrade to the new box or would o be wasting my money?

Also if I did upgrade so I just plug on and put in the cables old words from satellite into the new box?

Thanks

I have a Humax about 3 years now, I had been keen to see what the new box offered but having seen the specs now I won't be in any rush to change.

castle2012

Movie Maestro wrote: »

Please post a review here when you get a chance to try it out:D

OK so waiting almost 2 weeks. Got stuck in parcel motel for a week. Any way on opening looks very impressive, Much smaller than the sky Q box.
Very easy to set up, And as said previously works off the sky Q cables.
Very user friendly to use, very sleek, Really like the remote, No freezing, very camparable to the sky Q box in my opinion.
If you have a humax I wouldn't change, However if your buy for the first time, it's the way to go.
Hope that's of help

The Cush

castle2012 wrote: »

OK so waiting almost 2 weeks. Got stuck in parcel motel for a week. Any way on opening looks very impressive, Much smaller than the sky Q box.

You have the (smart?) 6 output hybrid, how many tuners have you available, 2 or 4?

castle2012

The Cush wrote: »

You have the (smart?) 6 output hybrid, how many tuners have you available, 2 or 4?

6 output hybrid lnb, What do you mean with regards how many tuners? Are you referring to the leads going into the box?. If you are i have 2 going into the box.

The Cush

castle2012 wrote: »

6 output hybrid lnb, What do you mean with regards how many tuners? Are you referring to the leads going into the box?. If you are i have 2 going into the box.

When connected to a 2 output wideband LNB or a hybrid LNB with separate wideband outputs the box has 4 tuners available for recording/watching.

When connected to a standard LNB or Sky smart hybrid LNB only 2 tuners are available for watching/recording.

See my post above re hybrid LNBs.