[abulkasam]

Hi guys,

Just bought a Humax HD box the one for £150 at curry's/argos etc.

Pretty impressed by the BBC HD football so far.

Now a couple of questions. Under "freesat" set top box mode - it does not pick up channels like CNN, Sky news and I think More4 as well and a whole host of music channels, language channels and so on.

But if you then choose non freesat mode - and do a manual scan, you can find near enough 700+ channels, however many many are itv and bbc repeat channels. Or others are encrypted, and others imply they are encrypted but simply have no signal. Therefore is there a way to 'move' some of better ones over to the "freesat" section. Or is there an easier way to search for channels, under the manual mode to remove all the dudd channels. Or perhaps someone somewhere has compiled a list say a top 20 channels over on the manual section - as downloading 700+ channels when in reality you want about 20 is a little pointless. Also as far as I can see you can't switch the freesat mode to non freesat mode without going through the menu system. Finally will firmware updates duff up your manual search results?

Thanks for everybody out there who can help

[small358786]

You can't add non Freesat channels to the Freessat ones whilst in Freesat mode.
The only way to do it is to scan in non Freesat mode and then edit/rename/delete all the ones you dont want to keep.
The other problem that brings is you dont get Freesat EPG if you do.

[abulkasam]

There's quite a few decent channels on the non free sat range. It's a little annoying that they would then limit the EPG on it, and not have fixed channel numbers for them. Or categories and so on. I think if they provided a single button (i.e. on the remote) where you could switch between 'freesat' and 'nonfreesat' that would be useful. It's a complete pain trying to find CNN or E4+1 etc.
I have a skybox I have been using without subscription before this - full use of EPG for all FTA channels - no need to manually add and so on. The only added value therefore are the HD channel(s) - and I use the plural 'channels' quite liberally there.

Still Euro 2008 looked pretty damn good on a 40inch LCD with the BBC HD 1080i feed. The audio via optical to a 5.1 surround sound system. Also one other point is when a channel has 'dolby digital' i.e. BBC HD the sound is amazing, but otherwise on other channels - it's very very quiet - quieter than the same channel over a sky box for example. (This is over the HDMI cable). I didn't test the scart.

[jwball]

Originally Posted by abulkasam

Hi guys,

Just bought a Humax HD box the one for £150 at curry's/argos etc.

Pretty impressed by the BBC HD football so far.

Now a couple of questions. Under "freesat" set top box mode - it does not pick up channels like CNN, Sky news and I think More4 as well and a whole host of music channels, language channels and so on.

Sorry for being dumb, but how do you switch from freesat mode to non-freesat?

[oldjohn]

Press menu on the remote and scroll down to STB mode,chose freesat or non freesat mode.

John.

[jwball]

Originally Posted by oldjohn

Press menu on the remote and scroll down to STB mode,chose freesat or non freesat mode.

John.

Does this effectively switch off the other non-freesat channels from the epg and vice versa?

[derek500]

Originally Posted by oldjohn

Press menu on the remote and scroll down to STB mode,chose freesat or non freesat mode.

John.

Out of interest, how many button pushes and how much time to get from say BBC News to Sky News?

[davejm]

Originally Posted by abulkasam

Also one other point is when a channel has 'dolby digital' i.e. BBC HD the sound is amazing, but otherwise on other channels - it's very very quiet - quieter than the same channel over a sky box for example. (This is over the HDMI cable). I didn't test the scart.

When you're watching a HD broadcast, the volume is being sent through at full volume; regardless of the volume levels of the Humax box, which is very low by default. Just increase the volume levels of the box when you're watching a SD broadcast so it matches (I found this to be 1 notch from the top).

[digitl]

Originally Posted by abulkasam

when a channel has 'dolby digital' i.e. BBC HD the sound is amazing

Often, yes, but I'm getting a lot of distortion on the demo loop when listening to it through the optical connection from my Humax Foxsat to my Yamaha amplifier.

[Kev12]

Will it pass the DD soundtrack(5.1) on BBCHD via the HDMI output, or do you also have to connect optically?

[Cliff]

It sounds like the Freesat people should make their software more friendly and open.

The solution is to write the software so that you get all the Freesat channels and EPG up to say channel 199 and then allow the user to scan his own channels from 200 and above .. Simple!

Not my idea - I am watching an Orbit receiver in the middle east at the moment which used to have the same restriction as Freesat but eventually Orbit got their act together and re-wrote the software - using a Humax coincidentally.

[Hi-Def]

Originally Posted by Cliff

It sounds like the Freesat people should make their software more friendly and open.

they charge channels a fee to be on the EPG don't they? so I doubt they will make it open so people can add channels at whim for free

as the number of slots is increased loads of channels will appear in freesat mode - they limited it so they could gradually increase the number of channels and phase in updates etc and because the first buyers were the guinea pigs

[Dumb Blonde]

I bought a Humax HD Freesat box because the house I have moved into has a poor signal from a normal aerial. I'm now trying to link up a Philips DVD Recorder to my TV and Freesat box. Philips Helpline told me that I can't have full facilities on the DVD Recorder because I don't have an analogue aerial connected but, whilst I can get the recorder to record, it switches to another scart and records in black and white. My instruction manuals for TV (Lexsor 27"), Freesat and the DVD recorder all seem to give different instructions for connections. Can someone please help? I have now established that my TV has progressive scan, which according to the manual, says to connect the DVD using component cables (blue/green/red and red/white) but what then happens in respect of scart cables for other connections between the TV, Freesat and DVD?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by oldjohn

Press menu on the remote and scroll down to STB mode,chose freesat or non freesat mode.

John.

You have to do a manual tune before this option is available

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by jwball

Does this effectively switch off the other non-freesat channels from the epg and vice versa?

There is no epg in non freesat mode only now and next. A word of warning scanning for new channels in non freesat mode deletes your freesat programme recording reservations (not your recordings)

A scheduled freesat recording won't start to record while you are in non freesat mode

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Kev12

Will it pass the DD soundtrack(5.1) on BBCHD via the HDMI output, or do you also have to connect optically?

The HDMI carries the digital sound so if you connect it to a suitable AV amp you dont need the optical digital connection. IF you connect it to a TV though most TV's downsample to stereo and that's what is output from a TV's S/Pdif output.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by derek500

Out of interest, how many button pushes and how much time to get from say BBC News to Sky News?

Menu - non freesat mode (might need one or more to select right option) - OK - 3 digit nos for appropriate channel

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by digitl

Often, yes, but I'm getting a lot of distortion on the demo loop when listening to it through the optical connection from my Humax Foxsat to my Yamaha amplifier.

The sound on my Denon AVR4306 is great. Connection via optical to coax converter and 10M of coax. (10M is too far for optical).

[Phil Reid]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

optical to coax converter

That's just what I need; I didn't know there was such a beast.

Any recommendations on what I should buy and where from?
Are there any downsides, such as drop in quality?

Thanks...

[mccg]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

The sound on my Denon AVR4306 is great. Connection via optical to coax converter and 10M of coax. (10M is too far for optical).

Really?
I have a 10m optical cable from my PC to the amp, and it works fine.... with mp3s & DD5.1/DTS signals
(I have seen longer optical cables advertised)

Never had any issues.. maybe I'm lucky!

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Phil Reid

That's just what I need; I didn't know there was such a beast.

Any recommendations on what I should buy and where from?
Are there any downsides, such as drop in quality?

Thanks...

Optical SPDIF Toslink to Coax Coaxial Converter Adapter on eBay, also Other, Cables Connectors, Home Audio Hi Fi, Consumer Electronics (end time 15-Jan-09 01:51:05 GMT)

No loss in quality only downside I can think of is it needs a mains plug for the power supply

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by mccg

Really?
I have a 10m optical cable from my PC to the amp, and it works fine.... with mp3s & DD5.1/DTS signals
(I have seen longer optical cables advertised)

Never had any issues.. maybe I'm lucky!

The following is a quote

Connections longer than 6 meters or so, or those requiring tight bends, should use coaxial cable, since the high light signal attenuation of TOSLINK cables limits its effective range.

From

S/PDIF - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[davemurgatroyd2]

Graham you are replying to parts of the thread that are seven months old.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by davemurgatroyd2

Graham you are replying to parts of the thread that are seven months old.

True but no one else sems to have answered the questions and it's generating new postings

[col996s]

"Pretty impressed by the BBC HD football so far"

Not seen any football in HD on the BBC channel yet?

[Bachstrad]

Originally Posted by col996s

"Pretty impressed by the BBC HD football so far"

Not seen any football in HD on the BBC channel yet?

You would have in June last year when the original post was made!

ATB

Max

[mccg]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

The following is a quote

Connections longer than 6 meters or so, or those requiring tight bends, should use coaxial cable, since the high light signal attenuation of TOSLINK cables limits its effective range.

From

S/PDIF - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Interesting....
but I have never had problems with my 10m cable - maybe it has low-loss glass (or is it plastic these days?).
It was only a cheapo cable from CPC a few years ago.
I'm sure they sell longer ones too.

I would have thought that an optical connection would have less attenuation than an electrical connection - since they use them for cross-ocean cables... but that is a different grade of cable, and a different protocol (I know they have repeaters, but they are more than 10m apart)

Anyway, this is getting a bit OT! sorry.

[Dracutus]

Er dont know if you know this but in non freesat mode, if you keep say sky news on for say 5 mins, then it automatically goes into the favourites menu..just press the green button. All of your viewed channels will be there. It's very handy, Drac

[robinthakur]

Personally, the bizarre inability to be able to use the EPG on these extra channels renders the whole Freesat system pointless and a massive step backwards in terms of user friendliness over (much as I hate to say it...) Sky. While its true that the channels have to pay freesat to have the EPG running, at some stage didn't the powers that be think "Hold on, this is going to majorly inconvenience our users? and be worse than what's already out there"

I wouldn't mind if they were all pointless channels, but More4, Channel 5, Film 4, +1's etc are really useful to have and make up parity with Freeview, yet don't appear in the Freesat guide the last time I checked. At least make it as good as Freeview. Most normal people just want to watch TV without flipping between 4 different set top boxes, going into the menu to enable non-freesat mode etc. which is admittedly fun to maybe do once but not every time...

[rikscha]

Isnt there a short-cut for switching between the two modes?

Or is there a nice way of programming a nice macro for the logitech harmony one?

thanks.