[Chris Longley]

Available to order today from SatBuyer but apparently initial stock sold out within 6 minutes. (LINK)

It's not the end of the world though as now there's more chance of seeing a full review and maybe a price drop before I get mine.

For those that don't know what it is, it's like SkyPlus for Freesat (including HD recording) and it's from Humax who make some of the best Freeview PVRs you can buy. It also upscales SD material outputting to HDMI.

It's been anticipated for a few months and there's been a few write-ups on it.

What has really piqued my interest today is a couple of paragraphs on the Satbuyer website that strongly suggest in future the Humax will include:

1) iPlayer compatibility
2) The option of adding an external hard disk
3) The ability to copy programs to the PC over 100Mbps LAN.

Do you think this is just speculation on the part of SatBuyer? Is it likely that I could record an HD movie on BBC-HD on the external hard disk and see it on my PC or use FTP to bring it over the LAN?

That seems a bit too good to be true?

Are SatBuyer just basing this on net speculation in the run up to release?

I then wonder if it's going to allow users to transfer their own content for playback on the Humax, including HD movies???

[Paul Shirley]

Originally Posted by Chris Longley

1) iPlayer compatibility
2) The option of adding an external hard disk
3) The ability to copy programs to the PC over 100Mbps LAN.

First thing to understand is Humax 'promise' lots of things, always through deniable leaks, actually deliver very few. About 50/50 on not managing to make things work/just not bothering.

In this case Humax are in a bind, a lot of the competing players already offer recording to USB disk, a fair number do networking, Humax need to catch up. Eventually they will try to add (2) and (3) but it will take an unbelievably long time, past experience tells them you lot will wait a ridiculously long time as long as they keep leaking teasers. If you want these features in the near future (12months) buy something else.

[Chris Longley]

Originally Posted by Paul Shirley

buy something else.

What else is there to buy, or even on the horizon?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Paul Shirley

First thing to understand is Humax 'promise' lots of things, always through deniable leaks, actually deliver very few. About 50/50 on not managing to make things work/just not bothering.

In this case Humax are in a bind, a lot of the competing players already offer recording to USB disk, a fair number do networking, Humax need to catch up. Eventually they will try to add (2) and (3) but it will take an unbelievably long time, past experience tells them you lot will wait a ridiculously long time as long as they keep leaking teasers. If you want these features in the near future (12months) buy something else.

Depends whether you class free to air boxes as competing with freesat. In any case you can't buy a twin tuner HD fta pvr ready box plus a hard disc for less than £300.00

[nwhitfield]

Well, transfer to and from USB does already work - I've seen it first hand, though it's not possible with content that's marked as copy protected. iPlayer is part of the whole freesat proposition, and I'd consider it very unlikely any maker of the kit would decline to implement it in the software, especially having included the mandatory ethernet port.

As for file transfer over the LAN, all that's been said about that is that it's not a priority.

[Chris Longley]

Stuff that's marked as copy protected? Is this marked by the broadcasters? They're likely to mark most of their stuff?

[nwhitfield]

It's likely to be stuff that's considered 'high value' by the rights owners, so hollywood films, for example, and perhaps some co-productions - remember the way Damages wasn't initially available on iPlayer, for instance.

It won't be all material, in the long term - that seems reasonably clear. But at the moment, it effectively is, until they add the necessary bits to the playout signals to carry per-programme information all the way through the chain.

[mike-p]

My Humax HDR arrived yesterday, I connected a USB HDD to the USB port and was able to copy videos from the on-board HDD. Which should mean I can catch up with recorded stuff on the train.

The network stuff isn't implemented yet apparently, but it gives a MAC address and the ability to get a DHCP IP address, as I'm not close to a wired network in that part of the house I'll test it when I set up a wireless extender behind the TV.

Initial impressions are pretty good, it's far more functionally rich than the Humax 9200 I already have.

HD reproduction is good, SD upscaling to 1080i is OK.

[satbunny]

2 key questions:

Does it allow you to stop a recording and restart from the same spot when you come back later, maybe after having watched another programme? [seems simple but our Goodmans Freeview + PVR doesn't allow this]

Is there a way to pipe RF output through a distribution box in the loft and control the PVR via a remote and a magic eye in extra rooms? [we use that a lot with Sky+]

I am so keen to go Freesat but right now I can't get my wife off her Sky+ functionality.

[Geofbob]

Originally Posted by satbunny

Does it allow you to stop a recording and restart from the same spot when you come back later, maybe after having watched another programme? [seems simple but our Goodmans Freeview + PVR doesn't allow this]

Do you mean stop viewing a recording, and restart it from the same place later? If so, I'm surprised your Goodmans doesn't do this, as ours does (and it's by no means a new model). Break off by pressing either the pause or stop button; recommence (hours or days later) by pressing the play button.

[creddish]

Originally Posted by Geofbob

Do you mean stop viewing a recording, and restart it from the same place later? If so, I'm surprised your Goodmans doesn't do this, as ours does (and it's by no means a new model). Break off by pressing either the pause or stop button; recommence (hours or days later) by pressing the play button.

PVRs from several manufacturers are marketed under the Goodmans brand name so unless model numbers are quoted comparison is not valid.

Colin

[Ben]

Originally Posted by satbunny

Is there a way to pipe RF output through a distribution box in the loft and control the PVR via a remote and a magic eye in extra rooms?

This can be done with anRF modulator & any one of these "magic eye" equivalents/add-ons

[Geofbob]

Originally Posted by creddish

PVRs from several manufacturers are marketed under the Goodmans brand name so unless model numbers are quoted comparison is not valid.

Colin

Fair enough. We've got a GHD8015F2.

[satbunny]

Originally Posted by Geofbob

Do you mean stop viewing a recording, and restart it from the same place later? If so, I'm surprised your Goodmans doesn't do this, as ours does (and it's by no means a new model). Break off by pressing either the pause or stop button; recommence (hours or days later) by pressing the play button.

No ours doesn't.. but my question is.. does the Humax Freesat PVR?

[satbunny]

Originally Posted by Ben

This can be done with anRF modulator & any one of these "magic eye" equivalents/add-ons

Thanks but I don't really want to invest in a new architecture to support it. This is what will probably mean we go Sky+ HD and not Freesat.

Unless anyone knows if the functionality is built in?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by satbunny

No ours doesn't.. but my question is.. does the Humax Freesat PVR?

There is a link to the manual here

Welcome to HUMAX [UK]

[Ben]

Originally Posted by satbunny

Unless anyone knows if the functionality is built in?

The Humax doesn't have a modulated RF output like Sky - so no, it doesn't. FYI, the kit I mentioned before probably wouldn't cost you more than £50 total.

[Chris Longley]

All of the other Humax PVRs that I've used allow you to start playing a programme from the point where you stopped it. I'm certain the Freesat one will too.

It's common for PVRs to allow this, not unique to Humax.

It works just like stopping a VHS tape.

Any more user reviews of the Humax Freesat PVR?

[BlueWyre]

I know this review is a bit Mickey Mouse, but its the first time I have done one of these, so here goes.
I actually got my Foxsat HDR from my local Apollo 2000; just walked in, asked if they had one, paid £293 and walked out with it. On opening the box, we were impressed with the quality and build of the box, even the protective strip on the front panel is on so well, it took a while to realise it needed to be removed.
The box comes with cables galore: RCA, SCART, HDMI, yet the one vital cable you need if you only have a single satellite source, the loop through (connects LNB 1 out to LNB 2 in), is not included. It doesn’t stop you from using the HDR, you just can’t watch another channel whilst recording. For me, it wasn’t a problem, as I was planning to split the LNB 1 out between an old Sky box and the LNB 2 in.
Setting up was fairly straight forward. The only issue came when downloading of a firmware update failed, but the system just re-booted and continued on to the next step.
So far we have had no real problems, even the loop through to the Sky box works well. In theory you are limited on what channels you can watch via LNB 1 out, but so far we have had no conflict between users wishing to watch different channels. It even works when the Foxsat is on stand by.
I prefer Fresat’s TV guide over Sky’s version and generally we have no criticism over the quality of picture. However, we are just a little disappointed with HD. It’s not the box’s fault. I think It has just been oversold. We were expecting a real wow factor when you are watching HD broadcasts (yes, we are tuning to BBC HD and we have got a HD TV). I’m sure if we had HD and non HD TVs next to each other, we would see difference straight away. I suppose our expectations were too high, or I haven’t got HDR/TV set up properly.
The only real issue we have is with the remote. It well put together; many people have commented on it, It’s just using it. If you not face on with the box, it just doesn’t work. Partly I think the remote’s range is poor, but main reason is that the Foxsat’s front panel is too thick, which reduces and restricts the signal corridor. Our multi-control remote overcame the range and leaving the front panel improves the signal corridor width.
Are we glad we brought it? Yes. We can’t get Freeview and we wanted a PVR, but wasn’t willing to pay Sky’s fees. HD was a nice to have, but not the main driver.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by BlueWyre

even the protective strip on the front panel is on so well, it took a while to realise it needed to be removed.
.

There's another one under the flap over the display even harder to spot and remove. Some posters say removing that helps with the IR remote.

[Chris Longley]

BlueWyre, I have to confess when I first got my 50in full HD plasma I was a bit underwhelmed at HiDef broadcasts.

Of course you can't help watching the TV and not the programme.

That night I had BBC-HD on all the time. It was sharp and clear, but a bit of an anti-climax.

However, later on they started to show the movie Armageddon. I'd seen this corny Bruce Willis asteroid thing before but continued to watch (as it was HD).

It blew me away. The sequences where there were special effects and the spaceship interiors with complex cine lighting were amazing in HD.

I even rang a friend to "come round and see my TV again!"

[BlueWyre]

There's another one under the flap over the display even harder to spot and remove. Some posters say removing that helps with the IR remote.

Got home and went straight to my box, dropped the flap and thought, "Can't see what he is talking about". Back to the kitchen, got the torch out and had another look and "Yea he's right there is another strip there". So I see how it goes now.

BlueWyre, I have to confess when I first got my 50in full HD plasma I was a bit underwhelmed at HiDef broadcasts.

Of course you can't help watching the TV and not the programme.

That night I had BBC-HD on all the time. It was sharp and clear, but a bit of an anti-climax.

However, later on they started to show the movie Armageddon. I'd seen this corny Bruce Willis asteroid thing before but continued to watch (as it was HD).

It blew me away. The sequences where there were special effects and the spaceship interiors with complex cine lighting were amazing in HD.

I even rang a friend to "come round and see my TV again!"

Maybe I just have to wait and see. I'm told the footie is worth seeing in HD.

[DaddyR]

Originally Posted by satbunny

Is there a way to pipe RF output through a distribution box in the loft and control the PVR via a remote and a magic eye in extra rooms? [we use that a lot with Sky+]

Sorry for being dim but I've got the same sort of question, but I might have half the answer.

Studying the pictures of the rear of the FOXSAT-HDR it has two LNB ins and one LNB out. Can I use both LNB ins (too watch and record simultaneously) and also use the LNB out to connect it to my existing Freesat box, which is in turn connected to the rest of the house? I've got to fit a new LNB to the sat dish anyway so will probably fit a quad one and attach that to the old sat box. Does this mean I can dispense with the LNB out on the HDR?

If that works I don't think it will allow me to watch stuff from the HDR in the rest of the house. Is this where this:

Originally Posted by Ben

This can be done with anRF modulator

comes into play?

[Paul Shirley]

Originally Posted by DaddyR

Studying the pictures of the rear of the FOXSAT-HDR it has two LNB ins and one LNB out. Can I use both LNB ins (too watch and record simultaneously) and also use the LNB out to connect it to my existing Freesat box

I believe they did that to support 1 LNB daisy chained to both tuners but you should be able to use an external box this way. You need to understand though that the 1st stage of tuning happens at the LNB and what you watch on the Foxsat will affect what's output on the LNBout. So you'll have unpredictable results, superficially you have a 1 in 4 chance of each channel combination working, about zero chance of Diseq passing through the Foxsat and perhaps even a chance of damaging the Foxsat tuner.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Paul Shirley

I believe they did that to support 1 LNB daisy chained to both tuners but you should be able to use an external box this way. You need to understand though that the 1st stage of tuning happens at the LNB and what you watch on the Foxsat will affect what's output on the LNBout. So you'll have unpredictable results, superficially you have a 1 in 4 chance of each channel combination working, about zero chance of Diseq passing through the Foxsat and perhaps even a chance of damaging the Foxsat tuner.

You won't damage the Box it's recognised in the manual as use for the rf1 out.

With the box on the rfi out will only output channels in the same band as the foxsat tuner 1 is using.

List of freesat channels by band is here:

Digital Spy Forums - View Single Post - Humax-HDR Bonus Feature

With the foxsat switched off and energy saving in standby turned off in theory the Sky box should work normally but some have reported that this does not work and others that it does so it appears to box specific. FTA boxes connected in this way seem to work without problems. A work around if your specific box does not work is to fit a changeover switch to the second cable then routing the coax to either stb as required. The foxsat will work in a limited way without the second cable (and without the loop through)