which box,Pace,Thompson or Samsung?

tokwitney

Established Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
385
Reaction score
27
Points
69
Location
W.Oxon.
I'm having SkyHD installed on Sat morning.I spoke to the Sky engineer who will be doing the install in our village shop & asked him what boxes he carries.He told me Pace,Thompson and Samsung.

I was wondering which one to go for,presuming I have a choice on the day.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated as I have read that there are issues with the Thompson & some Pace boxes.
 
I too would love to know the answer to this as my second Sky+ HD install is coming up in 6 days.

I do know the pace boxes seem to be faster but it has some minor issues.
The Samsung is kind of an unknown at the moment.

Also im pretty sure the Thomson box is the only one with component output.

Can people post advice / confirm / add to what i have already said.

Thanks.
 
The new Thomson boxs dont have component, at least the one I had installed on Monday didnt.

Cant report any faults with chanel changes, seem quick enough to me, but then have nothing to compare it with.

Had massive lip synch issues on the first day (strangely on the SD chanels, not the HD chanels like evveryone else), but seems a lot more stable now.
 
Also im pretty sure the Thomson box is the only one with component output.
Only older Thomson boxes have component: more recent ones don't.

The Pace box has coax as well as optical digital-audio output: that might be useful for some.

It's unlikely that the Thomson box is the best choice for anybody: it's notoriously unreliable. Historically, Pace products have tended to be quite good, but it's really too early to tell with this one. There seem to be a lot of reports of lip-synch problems.

Initial reports suggest that the Samsung box is capable of outputting 576i via HDMI instead of 576p, and doesn't corrupt it in the process in the way that the Thomson box does. If this is confirmed then the Samsung box would be a good choice for anyone wanting to use an external video processor (or even anyone whose TV is better deinterlacing than their Sky box is).
 
Is the new Thomson box the same build as the old one then, but just without the component outs? Or is it a better built box?

Having had synch issues, if its not sorted by the end of the cool off period I will have to consider my options. I wasnt given a choice of boxs when it was installed, could I ring Sky and inisist on a Pace box?
 
Thomson build is the same pre and post component.

Lip Sync is affecting varying numbers of boxes from all makes, Thomson, Pace and Samsung.

I'd recommend Pace at this time.
 
I had a Thompson box from day one,and never had any problems until last week when it had "no satellite signal" They came out changed my dish and the box for a pace i now have the lip sync issues and the picture on the tv and pj jump when the channel is changed.So what box would i recommend? It has to be the Thompson.I think its the grass is greener on the other side scenario.
 
Just had my HD installed today, and the guy only had 2 boxes left on the van, both Thomson.Initially I thought I'd be disappointed but am willing to give it a go, flicked to Sky Movies HD and straight away lip sync problems, but I altered the optical delay to 20ms and it is now spot on :thumbsup: so that is one of the issues dealt with no probs.

Menus and channels seem to change quickly and its nice and quiet.

FInding the channels that broadcast 4:3 programs giving bars down the side a bit strange but I am sure there is a way of fixing it, probably on the TV settings
 
I was wondering which one to go for,presuming I have a choice on the day.
I would go for whichever box the engineer says is the newest, ie most recently introduced. I think that will either be the Samsung or the Pace MkII.

The Pace MkI hasn't been available for very long and yet it scored almost as badly as the much longer-in-the-tooth Thomson in the poll at http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd/819623-poll-do-you-have-lip-sync-audio-problem.html. According to reports, the Pace MkI has been withdrawn by Sky, but I'm assuming that some engineers will still try to palm one off on you.

The poll looks like good news for the Samsung box - but there are fewer of these in circulation so the reported low incidence of sync faults probably isn't a good guide.

However, Samsung know plenty about TV technology so I wouldn't reject their box; and Pace certainly knew how to make good Sky boxes in pre-HD times so they will get it right sooner or later.

Sky have apparently blamed the lip sync faults on just one box, the Pace MkI and they claim to have handled the problem by withdrawing that box. But that's just a smokescreen since all makes of box have given lip sync problems.

There are other issues as well. Thomson boxes have allegedly been prone to flaky power supplies and unresponsive remote controls when in FF mode.

Simon
 
Thanks for the input guys, im leaning more towards the Pace V2 box but its still way too early to tell.
Of course i could take the plunge and give the Samsung a try but its risky.
Knowing my luck i will probably end up with a Pace and the newly introduced Sammsung will turn out to be the best one of the bunch! lol
 
square_eyes, where did this info about Pace Mk 1 / 2 come from, and (if correct) do you know how to differentiate between them?
 
I got the Pace installed yesterday and have got lip sync problems with some of the HD channels, now they are coming to fix it on saturday and if nothing can be done, they will replace it...so hopefully i'll get a different box manacfacture.. i duno. just assuming pace has the sync problem
 
I got the Pace installed yesterday and have got lip sync problems with some of the HD channels, now they are coming to fix it on saturday and if nothing can be done, they will replace it...so hopefully i'll get a different box manacfacture.. i duno. just assuming pace has the sync problem

I have got lipsync problems on the Samsung, they literally told me that it was too new to swap out as another box could have the same problem...In the mean time I won't have to pay for HD....Luckily my lipsync issues are only with recorded material and when played back via an optical output (no before anyone shouts setting the delay parameter will have an even worse adverse effect as it is in reverse...)

But it is not good...I find them noisy as well...But then again my Topfield did not have any fans at all...
 
I got mine today and it is a Samsung (I had no choice in the matter).

Watched the golf on Sports HD1 and had no lip sync issues with the live broadcast. On BBC HD Preview it is atrocious. i have tried it straight thru the TV and also via digi coax into my amp. Adjusting the delay on the Sky Box does bugger all to improve it as it's THAT far off it remians on all settings.

Seems some channels are affected more than others too.

Picture is great by the way:thumbsup:
 
Only older Thomson boxes have component: more recent ones don't.

The Pace box has coax as well as optical digital-audio output: that might be useful for some.

It's unlikely that the Thomson box is the best choice for anybody: it's notoriously unreliable. Historically, Pace products have tended to be quite good, but it's really too early to tell with this one. There seem to be a lot of reports of lip-synch problems.

Initial reports suggest that the Samsung box is capable of outputting 576i via HDMI instead of 576p, and doesn't corrupt it in the process in the way that the Thomson box does. If this is confirmed then the Samsung box would be a good choice for anyone wanting to use an external video processor (or even anyone whose TV is better deinterlacing than their Sky box is).

*Removed incorrect info*
 
Last edited:
FInding the channels that broadcast 4:3 programs giving bars down the side a bit strange but I am sure there is a way of fixing it, probably on the TV settings

I'd be interested to know as well - if you watch Sky1 HD, Simpsons is in 4:3 format - not sure why this should be the case!!!

Cheers

Per
 
Just got a call from the engineer to say he will be here 8.30 tomorrow morning, turns out it is the sky guy who lives on the end of my street doing it. He said all his box's were samsungs so looks like thats what i'm getting which i'm happy with, just didn't want a thompson.
 
My PZ85 reports a 576i input signal via HDMI on my Pace box for SD channels
That's strange, my new Pace into a PX70 reports 576p for SD channels. There is no way to force the box to 576i that I can see.
 
I'd be interested to know as well - if you watch Sky1 HD, Simpsons is in 4:3 format - not sure why this should be the case!!!

Cheers

Per
It's because Simpsons was filmed in 4:3 so it's impossible to show it in 16:9 without distorting the picture. Sky here do the correct thing for a 4:3 picture and pillar box it - it's a pity they don't do the same thing for sport so I either have to manually switch the aspect ration or watch the SD channel.
 
If you're having a Samsung, you'll be pleased to know that the volume difference between SD and HD channels seems to be okay on this box. If anything, the HD channels are a smidge louder than SD compared to being way lower on the Thompson.

The programme guide seems a bit slower to me than on the Thompson.

Reported signal strength/quality is higher on the Samsung.
 
How do you what make it is ?

Edit Ignore that !


Our 2 year old box is Thomson, New Box installed today is Samsung.

Old box is ok - Freezes sometimes - Probably had to turn it off at mains 10 times in 2 years to reset it.

Surely they are all the same Inside though ?
 
Last edited:
square_eyes, where did this info about Pace Mk 1 / 2 come from, and (if correct) do you know how to differentiate between them?


I would like to know to
 
square_eyes, where did this info about Pace Mk 1 / 2 come from, and (if correct) do you know how to differentiate between them?
In one current or recent thread, someone reported a conversation with Sky in which they allegedly attributed the lip sync problem to a Pace bug and claimed that they had withdrawn the Pace box from distribution, replacing it with a new version.

I have no idea whether that was true, nor do I know how to tell the two versions apart - if indeed there are two versions. I do know that it was a load of hogwash claiming that the problem was restricted to Pace boxes; but, again judging by reports here, some Sky engineers allegedly refused to install Pace boxes because of the high number of lip sync issues they were generating -- so that may have misled Sky into thinking that the problem was exclusive to the Pace box.

Simon
 
Looks like its a toss up between the Pace mkII or the Samsung.
I shall ask the engineers advice as he's the man putting them all in.
 
ordered 2hd boxes recently. first pace v2 worked fine. 2nd pace box was stuck in the software update loop...then the sky engineer tried another pace v2 box, and again it just got stuck in the update loop....so he cchanged to his last box...a thompson without the component out and older EPG (since updated). Glad to say bith are working fine, but I find the thompson box a little more responsive. According to the engineer, the pace v2 has this well known DOA issue...
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom