Which Freesat recorder to buy for sky dish with one link

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Hi,

We are looking at getting a new Freesat HD Recording box for Mum. She has an old sky disk with 1 connection and we wont be able to run a new cable in as it would require work on her newly refurbished living room.

Given that we only have the 1 cable, is it possible to do this?

We would be happy if you could only watch and record one channel at a time, but as long as there is a way we can actually do both without having to swap the cable over each time or anything daft.

I've had a look at some other posts and can't work it out. I have read you can't split the cable which is fine... but not if it will work with 1 cable only.

The specific box Mum was looking at was the Panasonic DMR-HW120EBK .

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

DbZ
 
That Panasonic DMR-HW120 is a Freeview+HD recorder and not a Freesat one.

Humax have a good reputation for Freesat recorders, try looking at their ones. There's the FOXSAT HDR500 or the new FOXSAT HDR1000S - both will work off one feed to watch and record the same channel. Do not attempt to split the feed in any way!
 
That Panasonic DMR-HW120 is a Freeview+HD recorder and not a Freesat one.

Humax have a good reputation for Freesat recorders, try looking at their ones. There's the FOXSAT HDR500 or the new FOXSAT HDR1000S - both will work off one feed to watch and record the same channel. Do not attempt to split the feed in any way!

"Do not attempt to split the feed in any way" You actually need a splitter with the HDR-1000S according to Humax (It does not have a LNB1 OUT).
 
"Do not attempt to split the feed in any way" You actually need a splitter with the HDR-1000S according to Humax (It does not have a LNB1 OUT).

My apologies, I have dealt with the HDR500 and knew about the LNB out, I haven't had any dealings for the 1000S.

I thought it wasn't possible to split a satellite feed to get to 'active' feeds - a simple one-or-the-other splitter yes, but not both simultaneously.
 
Hi DbZ.
Here are all six of the current Freesat recorders: freesat+ HD TV recorder - freesat.
You need a second dish connection only for recording one channel while watching another, and even that can be done, with some restrictions, with the single cable.
Logi
While you wre looking aorund you must have missed these two fixed threads immediately above this one:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1250668-can-you-split-sky-signal-freesat.html
http://www.avforums.com/forums/freesat/1703113-foxsat-hdr-hdr-1000s-recording-limits.html
 
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My apologies, I have dealt with the HDR500 and knew about the LNB out, I haven't had any dealings for the 1000S.

I thought it wasn't possible to split a satellite feed to get to 'active' feeds - a simple one-or-the-other splitter yes, but not both simultaneously.

Basically I think you need a splitter with dc pass on one leg (connect to tuner 1), the non dc pass to tuner 2 (preventing DC control signal clashes). Maplin have one but you may find the same elsewhere. The key in the case of both Humax Freesat+boxes is the firmware has the intelligence to know what channels are available from Tuner 1 (On a Freesat box a little less than 50% of the total will be available for tuner 2). Your post is correct, just like the Foxsat-hdr tuner 2 isn't active as you put it (no lnb control), it takes what tuner 1 provides :D It also knows that only 1 tuner is used to record two channels from the same transponder.

There's a thread on here somewhere from a poster that uses a splitter with a hdr-1000s
 
My apologies, I have dealt with the HDR500 and knew about the LNB out, I haven't had any dealings for the S.

I thought it wasn't possible to split a satellite feed to get to 'active' feeds - a simple one-or-the-other splitter yes, but not both simultaneously.
A split feed only has DC pass on one side - so the split is not active and will work in the same way as the loop from LNB1 out and LNB2 in on the Foxsat - i.e. simply enable a second tuner. The logic to handle this and it's limitations is built into both Humax models.

Update: Pipped at the post by GT.
 
That Panasonic DMR-HW120 is a Freeview+HD recorder and not a Freesat one.

Thank you!!

That was the 4th search result on Amazon.co.uk for "freesat HD recorder"... how useful!
 
Given that we only have the 1 cable, is it possible to do this?
We would be happy if you could only watch and record one channel at a time
It is possible, but not only that, it's perfectly normal to run a satellite recorder on only one feed from the dish.
As you're OK about not doing two things at once none of the other options need concern you.
 
So with the Humax HDR500 it says that it has 2 in and 1 out. That would mean that I could just connect that one in and loop out/back in, then I will be able to watch and record at the same time (though with some limits as to the combinations of channels I can watch/record at the same time).

Do I then need to loop through a DC device like Maplin would see or is a straight co-ax loop fine?

As is evident from my posts, this is totally new to me.

I am trying to find the online manual for the HRD500, which is probably answer my questions.
 
It is possible, but not only that, it's perfectly normal to run a satellite recorder on only one feed from the dish.
As you're OK about not doing two things at once none of the other options need concern you.

Thank you. So I could buy any of the 6 freesat recorders listed in the post above and do just that, but if I wanted to watch and record different things, I should look at the Humax which has some more functionality.

Thanks
 
It is possible, but not only that, it's perfectly normal to run a satellite recorder on only one feed from the dish.
As you're OK about not doing two things at once none of the other options need concern you.

You keep saying this. I will say this again, if you have a single cable feed and a Humax Freesat+ pvr, it's important that you provide the second tuner with a feed. This is doubly important if you have a non technical user that simply chooses a programme from the epg and chooses to record it. Humax boxes will always assume the second feed is present so will not generate an error until the box actually tries to make the recording. The OP's mum is not going to be very happy when faced with mysterious on screen message relating to recordings the box quite happily accepted.
 
So with the Humax HDR500 it says that it has 2 in and 1 out. That would mean that I could just connect that one in and loop out/back in, then I will be able to watch and record at the same time (though with some limits as to the combinations of channels I can watch/record at the same time).

Do I then need to loop through a DC device like Maplin would see or is a straight co-ax loop fine?

As is evident from my posts, this is totally new to me.

I am trying to find the online manual for the HRD500, which is probably answer my questions.
On the Foxsat a straight co-ax loop is fine and all you need. I have one on my Foxsat for a very different purpose.

If you spend about £50 on a new SCD LNB you could get full functionality (with the Foxsat) using one cable plus the loop and a specialy antenna type setting. Which is what I am using.
 
If you spend about £50 on a new SCD LNB you could get full functionality (with the Foxsat) using one cable plus the loop and a specialy antenna type setting. Which is what I am using.

I am in the same situation as the OP...

What make of SCD LNB are you using?
It is the Inverto?
Where did you buy it from?
 
On the Foxsat a straight co-ax loop is fine and all you need.

Thank you.

I assume though, that using that method, you would only be able to watch certain channels at the same time as recoring others?
 
The details of that feature should be covered by the second link in my post #5.
It is a matter of certain channels being available at the same time, and others not.
You keep saying this. I will say this again, if you have a single cable feed and a Humax Freesat+ pvr, it's important that you provide the second tuner with a feed.
This time I said it about " a satellite recorder" not specifically the Humax.
Most satellite recorders that I know of are perfectly happy with one connection.
Does the limitation apply to all or any of the other Freesat ones?
If it does apply then my post #9 was too general - apologies to DbZ.
 
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I am in the same situation as the OP...

What make of SCD LNB are you using?
It is the Inverto?
Where did you buy it from?

Yes the Inverto from Inverto Black Unicable Quad 40mm LNB, 2 Legacy (1 splitter)
After installation - you need to fit the loop and then get into the antenna settings (hidden menu) and set it to SCD. I accepted the suggested frequency settings. The HDR-1000S does not yet have this feature - I understand Humax intend to add it.
 
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Thank you.

I assume though, that using that method, you would only be able to watch certain channels at the same time as recoring others?

Yes, the LNB will be controlled by tuner 1 - so switching between the 4 possible control settings will be done by it. In pratice it is actually less limiting than you imagine. The Foxsat will not let change to a unavailable channel and spoil your recording.
 
As previously linked in post #5.
 

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