Best HD box for Freesat ?

[swayzak]

hi again

I gather that you don't have to use a special Freesat HD box for Freesat HD - is this true ?

If so, are there cheaper (but as good) alternatives ?

My aerial installer (who was excellent) recommended Pace - which model would be best ?

thanks

swayzak

[Andy98765]

Go to http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/

Read the items on 22nd and 19th.

[swayzak]

Go to http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/

Read the items on 22nd and 19th.

thanks - so was I wrong regarding Pace/other boxes then ...

[benraz69]

thanks - so was I wrong regarding Pace/other boxes then ...

Your installer was probably talking about standard free-to-air HD receivers, such as the Pace DS810XE (http://www.pace.com/corporate/products/productDetails.asp?nav=products&productID=DSAT-DS810XE).

[swayzak]

Your installer was probably talking about standard free-to-air HD receivers, such as the Pace DS810XE (http://www.pace.com/corporate/products/productDetails.asp?nav=products&productID=DSAT-DS810XE).

Ah

So for Freesat HD I definitely need an "official" Freesat box.

I gather I can also use the Sky dish left on the roof by the previous occupiers of my new house (installer said this will cut cost) ?

[Stevie_M]

I use a Pace DS810XE which gives me BBC HD as well as all the unencrypted freeview channels. Box cost £99 brand new including delivery.

[Neil Watson]

The reply from freesat on 22nd is very carefully worded.

"freesat would like to clarify that the Hauppauge free-to-air USB2 satellite tuner is not a freesat licensed product and as such will not receive freesat services"

Yes it (and other hd boxes like the pace DS810XE or SkyHD box) will not beable to access the Freesat EPG and other features but you can still view the channels. Each channel i.e. BBCHD is only going to be broadcast once but will contain two sets of metadata, one which is freesat specific to have it show up in the Freesat EPG and one that is as current so the likes of the DS810XE still see it. As long as a channel continues have have both sets of metadata it will show up on non freesat boxes. That could well be the case with some channels deciding to only be in the Freesat EPG due to Sky currently charging more for an slot on their epg.




Depends on how much value you put on using the freesat epg I guess?

[benraz69]

I gather I can also use the Sky dish left on the roof by the previous occupiers of my new house (installer said this will cut cost) ?

Yep :)

[mrbleu]

Check out this guy's blog entry, he is the directly involved in the development of the boxes at Humax, and has some interesting comments about what we can expect:


Bob's Blog (http://www.orbit.me.uk/Blogs/Wandering-round-in-fields-of-idiots/Freesat-HDR.html)

Interesting that the Humax PVR will be based on their iCord unit, which is one of the most interesting HD PVR's out there.

[swayzak]

Thanks again folks

Now I'm confused about the relative merits of the EPGs (didn't really use the Freeview EPG much in previous house) !

So on balance, is it worth stumping up the £149 for official Freesat HD STB ?

Isn't the Pace stuff (ie. Pace DS810XE )supposed to be good / best quality ?

[mrbleu]

The EPG is only essential for use with a PVR.

Otherwise, as in the case of the Sky EPG, it is quicker to get the info from the web :)

[davemurgatroyd2]

Thanks again folks

Now I'm confused about the relative merits of the EPGs (didn't really use the Freeview EPG much in previous house) !

So on balance, is it worth stumping up the £149 for official Freesat HD STB ?

Isn't the Pace stuff (ie. Pace DS810XE )supposed to be good / best quality ?

Pace used to have an excellent reputation but that has gone downhill recently with manufacture moving to the Far East. The Pace DS810XE is now a discontinued product (which was originally priced at £199 but is now being remaindered at as low as £69) and Pace have now stopped supporting it with software updates although spares and repairs will be available for some time. Reading reports on various forums it seems it is another Pace product slightly ahead of its time and not fully developed and "bug sorted" before being discontinued in the same way as the Pace Twin Freeview receiver. So you may have good build quality but you are now stuck with any bugs still present in the software and if broadcasting technologies are changed the box may not cope.

The other point in favour of freesat boxes is they will fully support interactive screens (press red for other event etc) whereas generic FTA receivers such as the Pace will require that you set up those interactive channels manually and change to those channels manually (if you can find which of the up to eight screens refers to which channel.