[wilkybobs]

I am thinking of buying a Humax foxsat hdr with recording facility,are these as easy to setup as a freesat sytstem,It will be setup just to a TV and my original dish,I know I have to put another cable down but any help on sockets at rear etc would be great.I believe you have to type in your postcode as well.
question is are they a doddle from there on?

WB.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by wilkybobs

I am thinking of buying a Humax foxsat hdr with recording facility,are these as easy to setup as a freesat sytstem,It will be setup just to a TV and my original dish,I know I have to put another cable down but any help on sockets at rear etc would be great.I believe you have to type in your postcode as well.
question is are they a doddle from there on?

WB.

They are very simple to setup, basic minimum connections, preferably two cables to a lnb (They will also work with some restrictions with one cable and a short cable to loop tuner 1 ou to tuner 2 in) and a hdmi cable to your TV (supplied) - (and of course a mains socket ). The postcode is only needed to give you your local regions at local channel nos 101, 102 and 103. You can use any postcode if you want to vary these. That's it.

[wilkybobs]

Are you saying Graham , they come straight up with EPG like freesat when you first install or do you have to scan channels?

WB

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by wilkybobs

Are you saying Graham , they come straight up with EPG like freesat when you first install or do you have to scan channels?

WB

It's all completely automatic. The setup procedure scans for all your freesat channels. After setup you press guide on the remote to get a new epg (takes 30 sec), you can also instantly access the stored epg by pressing media and then the red button. The only channel scans you need to do is if you want to access the hundreds of other free channels (mostly rubbish) which switches the box into a non-freesat generic fta receiver.

[wilkybobs]

All clear !
Thanks Graham.

[wilkybobs]

Sorry Graham one last question,if you use two cables for the full use of the HDR what would be another use of the LNB 1 out sckt,or is it just a loop out for the one cable method as you decribed earlier.

WB

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by wilkybobs

Sorry Graham one last question,if you use two cables for the full use of the HDR what would be another use of the LNB 1 out sckt,or is it just a loop out for the one cable method as you decribed earlier.

WB

It's as you say primarily to allow use of the hdr on one cable but can be used to feed a second sat box with the same restrictions as tuner 2 would have if looped. It should also be possible to usae it fully with the hdr in sby but some say that the signals too weak to work well used this way. Lot's buy the box and use the loop as a temp fix until the second cable is available. If you do this just remember you have to do a factory reset after fitting the second cable or the hdr won't know it's there

[wilkybobs]

so are you saying.

Option 1:
single cable in LNB input 1 but I would only be able to record one channel while watching another.

Option 2:
as above but place a cable in for freesat receiver into port LNB 1 out to feed another other room.

But In option 1 ,do I have to do the fly lead from out 1 to input 2 because if I do this I can't do both ,just trying to aviod another cable run.
What are the restrictions on only wiring up the one input from the dish and not looping out giving me the feed out for another receiver,is it the reception or the recordability.

WB

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by wilkybobs

so are you saying.

Option 1:
single cable in LNB input 1 but I would only be able to record one channel while watching another.

Option 2:
as above but place a cable in for freesat receiver into port LNB 1 out to feed another other room.

But In option 1 ,do I have to do the fly lead from out 1 to input 2 because if I do this I can't do both ,just trying to aviod another cable run.
What are the restrictions on only wiring up the one input from the dish and not looping out giving me the feed out for another receiver,is it the reception or the recordability.

WB

Using one cable you need the loop cable because the firmware assumes you have installed it so that it will let you set impossible recording conflicts that will fail when the box tries to carry out the recordings. To understand the limitations you need some basic facts

THe lnb converts the very very high frequncy signal from space to a lower frequency that can be sent down a coax cable (Its an abbreviation for Low Noise Block Downconverter). To allow more frequencies to be squashed in alternate frequencies are opposite polarised horizontal and vertical and because the lnb can't handle all the frequencies at once the frequency band is split into high and low band (at 11700Mhz). To do this the tuner has to tell the lnb two pieces of information, ie which band and which polarisation which it does by sending 12V or 18V DC and outputting a 22Khz tone to switch to HIgh frequency band. Only 1 tuner can control the lnb the downstream tuner has to use whatever channels are in the block currently used by the controlling tuner (tuner 1). Keeping up so far each frequency (known as a transponder) has multiple Digital radio and or TV channels multiplexed onto the carrier frequency. It's the job of the tuner to extract the one you wan't (demultiplex).

One last piece of information a single tuner can demux two channels at the same time if they are on the same transponder.

Time for you to do a bit of work download this htm file and open it in your browser.

4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download FoxsatStaticMK2_011.htm

Look at col 4 it shows the freesat channels in each of the four blocks.

Look at cols 1-3 it shows what channels are on each transponder in the block

Still with me, now concentrate

With one cable you can record any two channels in the same block (You won't have all the ITV regions though)

If the two recordings are from the same transponder then you can watch (and pause live as a bonus) any other channel in the block (Remember two channels on 1 transponder only need 1 tuner_

If the two recordings are on different transponders then you can watch any other channel in the same transponder as either recording.

Now you know why it's not in the manual.

If you have Excel and a PC it's all available as an automated version

4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download FoxsatRecordCheck011.xls

[wilkybobs]

hi Graham.

Thanks for all the advice and brilliant write up,I understand the switching 14v /18v and full now have put it together with your explanation and understand about the 2nd port.

thanks agian

WB

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by wilkybobs

hi Graham.

Thanks for all the advice and brilliant write up,I understand the switching 14v /18v and full now have put it together with your explanation and understand about the 2nd port.

thanks agian

WB

You are very welcome just hope it's usefull to others as well

[KERNOWPETE]

Re the Humax freesat PVR, I have a SKY HD box but am stopping due to cost etc, instead of buying the Humax can I continue to use the Sky box for freeview and also to record same? or is the Humax a better quality reception due to upscaling

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by KERNOWPETE

Re the Humax freesat PVR, I have a SKY HD box but am stopping due to cost etc, instead of buying the Humax can I continue to use the Sky box for freeview and also to record same? or is the Humax a better quality reception due to upscaling

You can't use the Sky box to record without paying £10.00 a month to record. As to picture quality there's nothing in it. You have to balance the cost of £10.00 a month to record but continue to have Fiver, Five Us CH4 HD etc against the £250.00 one off to buy a foxsat-hdr

[KERNOWPETE]

Thanks for that, thought there was a charge.

KP