Help choosing a Freesat HD digital TV box

jackybaby10

jackybaby10

jackybaby10

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Joined
6 Dec 2008
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28
Hi,

Im currently looking into buying a Freesat HD Digital TV Box to play on my 32" Samsung LCD and was wondering if anyone could recommend any reliable and good boxes. I dont need it to record as I just download tv shows etc and im willing to spend around £120.

Ive looked at the HUMAX FOXSAT-HD but a few issues concern me with the sound volume apparently being low even at its maximum and the control not being able to sync with most tvs.

Any suggestions would be most welcomed

Thanks in advance

Jack
 
This will probably get better reponses in the Home Cinema & Hifi Forums, I've requested a move for you :)
 
Personally I would buy the Humax.
Not sure what you mean about the sound issue, I do know that the box has a separate volume control on the remote... But that's the same as many Freeview / Freesat receivers.
I just put the volume on the humax box to 100%, then use the tv remote to control the volume.
 
I got a Bush HD box for £65 at Xmas and it's working fine for me so far, good reception, all channels, responsive menu system, BBC HD looks great as does ITV HD when there is actually something on! All the HD boxes have optical out and HDMI out so you can connect them to a receiver for 5.1 or Stereo out if watching SD TV. O it has the same volume thing as the Humax, I just set the box at 100% and use the TV remote for the TV speaker volume as said above.
 
I've got an FOXSAT-HD and I don't have issue with the sound. Where did you hear about the sound problem and control not sync with most tvs???
 
Ive just read a lot of user reviews and it seems to be an occuring theme that everyone keeps mentioning.

When turning the box volume to 100 % and adjusting your tv volume as the central control is the sound distorted at all as Im only usually my lcd tv speakers which arent the best.
 
Is the Humax's EPG fast to upload from a FoxSat recorder? My Humax Freeview (PVR9200T) is terrible, with very s-l-o-w EPG update, taking up to 10-15 minutes!

Is FoxSat any better, despite that it's a Humax make?
 
I got the impression that the Foxsat was the only HD capable Freesat box. Is there a number of competitors now?

One other question, what's the channel choice like now? Last time I looked it was something like 2-3 channels in total depending upon the time of day.
 
There are competitors, as I said my Bush HD box cost only £65, think you can get it for £60 now.

BBC HD is a channel with it's own place in the EPG, ITV HD is accessed through the red button on ITV but it is rare that they show anything in HD other than football and the odd film or drama type programme. Also BBC HD either shows the same content as BBC1, 2, 3 or 4, where as ITV HD only shows the same thing as ITV1 and as said not a lot is in HD.

I found one other channel by scanning the frequencies, which is Luxe HD, it isn't anything exciting, just a HD version of Luxe TV and basically just shows luxurious products from what I can figure.

edit/ o yeah iPlayer is going to be rolled out to all HD boxes starting with Humax.
 
For the people moaning about the sound (Note that I haven't used any Humax Freesat products, but have got a Humax Freeview PVR) just how quiet is it? I know that BBC HD on my Panasonic V10 is quieter than all other channels, so could it be that you mean rather than a Humax-only issue?

Re iPlayer: AFAIK all "Freesat-HD" products (STB, PVR, IDTV) will be getting iPlayer. Currently the beta only works on Humax PVRs/STBs and Sony IDTVs that have the latest firmware, but it will be coming to all "Freesat-HD" products subject to the manufacturer and the BBC sorting themselves out with firmwares. iPlayer is a red-button service with the menus carried down the BBC Freesat feeds, and the actual programmes being streamed through the ethernet port.

Note that there is a difference of products displaying the "Freesat-HD" logo and products that are just satellite receivers viewing unencrypted channels.
 
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