Our Wharfdale Freeview/DVD recorder packed up today. I only ever use it for recording as we have a Freesat box for viewing. Sadly, DVD recorders seem to be history now and I was thinking of replacing the Freesat with the same thing but with a HD.
Do these things need two feeds from the dish as they all seem to have this rewind live TV function, or will they work with only one?
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Ideally you need two feeds as they are capable of recording more than one channel. (this is because it needs to polarise the LNB differently for different channel blocks)
They will work with one feed, but you will loose this multiple recording ability (or the ability to watch one while recording another) depending on your choice of channel.
And you will need to make up some kind of "pass through" or Y cable for initial set up and tuning.
The Humax is generally considered the best.
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Ta.
Is a second feed a straight forward job?
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If you already have a multiway LNB and access to your dish, yes it is. Otherwise its a new LNB, which might need a different carrier arm, at which point you are probably better off into new dish territory. Which are dirt cheap from up the jungle as complete kits.
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>>The Humax is generally considered the best.
That's why I went and bought one - annoying pile of poo!
It will lose seconds of recording or seconds of audio, while retaining video, at irregular times. The problem is you don't realise until you play them back. Grandson was distraught at the gaps in 'room on the broomstick'.
It's, apparently, a well known problem discussed on Humax forums. The manufacturer's fix is to re-boot the hard disc, which means losing everything recorded on it.
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>> >>The Humax is generally considered the best.
>>
>> That's why I went and bought one - annoying pile of poo!
>>
>> It will lose seconds of recording or seconds of audio, while retaining video, at irregular
>> times. The problem is you don't realise until you play them back. Grandson was distraught
>> at the gaps in 'room on the broomstick'.
>>
>> It's, apparently, a well known problem discussed on Humax forums. The manufacturer's fix is to
>> re-boot the hard disc, which means losing everything recorded on it.
Not a well know problem on the three I bought.
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BT
is the box web enabled for updates?
I only ask because my Humax Freesat HD box has become much improved over a period of 18 (or 30?) paricularly for BBCiP functionality. Still lacking a degree of intuitivness and a problem for swmbo, (since I bought it as a Birthday present!), but has always been rock solid on satellite!
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>>is the box web enabled for updates?
One of the first things I did when the problem raised its head and I've done subsequent checks to ensure it's up to date.
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Why not just replace your Wharfdale with one of these: goo.gl/SYUad (ebay)
I bought that machine (refurb) from the same supplier some 5 years ago and it worx a treat.
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We bought a Samsung Freesat recorder, biggest load of carp ever, damned thing lost its memory times apparently a regular fault, returned and refunded.
Have a Humax now, it works well enough but the remote and operating system arn't exactly user friendly IMO, had it 6 months and its still not intuitive for either of us, SWMBO bought an all in one remote controller and finds that a lot easier than the genuine Humax jobbie.
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Bought a couple of phones that were manufacturer refurbished last year despite Mrs RR saying they would be rubbish and me assuring her they would be good as new.
They were rubbish and I don't fancy that amount of grief again.
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Wharf(e)dale - now there's a name to conjure with if you know anything about sound reproduction. Once a respected, if not expensive, marque in the world of hi-fi and made where it said on the box - at picturesque Idle, not far from Bradford. I still have the book entitled 'Audio' by the late Gilbert Briggs, founder of the company and pioneer in his field.
Now just another name on a box of Far Eastern bits I guess.
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Made in China England goo.gl/KFMLT (ebay)
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Wharf(e)dale - now there's a name to conjure with if you know anything about sound reproduction.
I have a "factory matched" pair of Radford monitors with one inch solid Afromosia cases.
Celestion were made just a mile down the road from me at Thames Ditton.
In my yoof I worked for the BBC making speakers etc with another old name Bush Radio just a few yards down the road, another label on far east low spec stuff.
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If we're enjoying old stuff, when i was a lad of 16 i bought a lovely old ITT-KB (formerly Kolster Brands) radiogram from Northampton Salerooms auctions for a fiver, it was as new, lovely walnut veneered plywood construction.
Rare piece in that it featured FM, which was most unusual in those old radiograms and only just coming in with the dreadful 'music centres' and their silly little tinny speakers.
ISTR a huge single 15" speaker and goodness knows what the power was of the valve amp cos it could shake the house walls without the slightest distortion.
Wish i still had that.
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Just bitten the bullet - my Humax HDR1000S was ordered the other day arrived today - took all of 10 minutes to set up (including sorting out a dodgy sat. connecter) - totally intuitive to use, truly plug and play, including setting the broadband connection out - Sky will be dumped shortly once I've downloaded all my stuff from it (currently connected to the second room) - Goodbye Sky.
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The original box had to go back with a faulty sat. connection - a rather clunky customer services meant the replacement arrived a week later - I've only just plumbed the new one in and it works. Guess I'm lucky from what I've read elsewhere about their responsiveness.
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One of the "issues" that Humax had with me was that they'd asked me to scan in the original receipt and return it via e-mail. This I did - the call centre chap said that I should have scanned it in the right way up....
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He probably had terrible trouble holding the monitor upside down, or maybe Health and Safety regs prevented him from standing on his head to read it.
You really should be more careful, Rob.
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I'm surprised that you had a long wait for your replacement Humax. I had a problem with my Foxsat HD which was about eighteen months old. I emailed a copy of the receipt and a replacement arrived the next morning and the delivery man took away the faulty box.
Apart from that one all of my Humax boxes have been perfect. I have had seven over the last fifteen years and that was the only faulty piece.
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I don't believe what's happened now. Humax have delivered a second brand new box complete with all the gubbins (the original swap out was box only) - completely bizarre. I've e-mailed them but so far no response....
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Flog it on fLeabay = result!
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There goes the dishonest Roger again. Still illegally downloading movies?
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I could do with a Humax recorder - lemme know how much you want for it, m8.
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Debating it with Humax by e-mail - please come and get it !
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I bought a Honda mower on-line from an outfit in Jockland some years ago, they sent me two!
I kept it in the garage but received no communication from the Co about numero dos.
Eventually I got in touch with them and they arranged for it to be collected, good ain't I.
:)
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I'll get bored soon - Don't see why I need to go into forensic detail as to how it got to be delivered....done the honest thing.
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Comes under the heading of unsolicited goods anyway, surely.
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I've done my bit not going to debate it any more with them - they know how to collect. End of my responsibility....
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Well - I've spent some money - shock horror!
A Humax Freesat 500GB PVR is on its way to us, directly from Humax.
A manager's special, "Grade A", with 12 mths warranty, manuals and an HDMI lead for £149 + £6 courier delivery, arriving next Monday.
Amazon have these (new) at over £300, but generally up to £225 is about it.
As "grade A" are possibly cosmetically flawed and ours will be in a cabinet, I think I'll put up with a few dings in it to save some seventy quid!
Thankfully there is a double LNB and dual cables already installed, so hopefully, no extra expense.
The TV purchase will be deferred until our LG dies on us!
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The HDMI lead to the TV will be better than Scart. Is there such a thing as an HDMI lead from satellite dish to TV?
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No. The connection from the dish is via an F connector
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Well, our Humax arrived this morning two minutes into the one hour delivery slot advised by email!
Having unpacked it, I can find no evidence whatsoever that it is anything but brand spanking new! There is ot a scratch anywhere, it has a full complement of original packaging, all instruction manuals, all leads are present and even the plastic film over the front panel is intact.
Now comes the fun part: setting it up and learning how to work it all!
Bad language expected so SWMBO has gone out shopping!
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>> I bought a Honda mower on-line from an outfit in Jockland some years ago, they
>> sent me two!
I got two printers from DELL when I had specifically asked them to check they would send me one. Their response when I pointed out the error - keep it with our compliments. I gave it to a charity but it makes me wonder how high the markup was that they could be so cavalier about it.
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This is the company in Jockland that I bought my Honda mower from 8 years ago:
www.seddonhondascotland.co.uk/
BOGOF :)
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Still waiting for them to contact me.
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Well they eventually did (I think it was three weeks later following a lot of nudging by e-mail) - lo and behold another one has been delivered unbidden yesterday....this is now the fourth one I've had. Well stuff them this time. Anyone want a brand new Humax recorder/decoder ?
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Can you put my name in the hat pugley.
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And mine (if the price is right)
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 23 May 13 at 00:58
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>>(if the price is right)
Naturalmente Señor
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>> Anyone want a brand new Humax recorder/decoder ? >>
Very sad. Humax is the top name in this field and has been for many years.
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>> >> Anyone want a brand new Humax recorder/decoder ? >>
>>
>> Very sad. Humax is the top name in this field and has been for many
>> years.
As a recorder and freesat box it works very well, but it is let down by its dreadfully slow EPG response time.
There is a perceptible delay shifting between program listings , whereas the TV's own EPG (on freeview) is almost instantaneous. The delay on the Humax is irritating as rapid scrolling is not really possible.
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I've bin after a Freesat recorder for some time actually, I bid on one via eBay last week, there were only 4 bids in the closing seconds, but then another 10 came out of the woodwork, including moi.
I bid £150 and the winning bid was £2 higher, but of course, we don't know what his/her maximum bid was, innit.
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Nice one johnH, my 6 year old £50 LG DVD recorder was a refurb., and it's still going strong.
I made it multi-region using a hack, so I can now buy cheap (er) region 1 DVD's.
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>> @ dog
>>
>> www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat.asp?cat=factory&type=sat&gclid=CPGthd6rrrcCFUXJtAodkVgArw
>>
>> manufacturer's refurb £149
Mine was from Humax @£149. Seemed brand new in unopened packaging to me!
I reckon it's Humax undercutting their retail outlets:-)
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>> As a recorder and freesat box it works very well
We've got a Humax PVR-9150T. Quite a basic recorder by today's standards. One of its main faults is that it suffers spouts of amnesia and forgets to record something. I've discovered that more often than not the box throws a hissy fit and refuses to record three programmes in a row. I have to set the recordings quite carefully and plan them around channels that have a +1 station to make sure it has a break between recordings. Still not 100% foolproof though.
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>>Humax is the top name in this field and has been for many years.
Not in this house it ain't.
The biggest pile-of-poo it's ever been my misfortune to buy.
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Had three in my experience.
1/ is now attached to a spare tele, superseded by HD, one is on my main TV, and one is installed in my mums house.
All excellent. Even my gaga 83 year old mother can operate hers.
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>> >>Humax is the top name in this field and has been for many years. >>
Not in this house it ain't. The biggest pile-of-poo it's ever been my misfortune to buy.>>
Before his retirement several years ago, my best mate ran an audio/video/appliances independent retail outlet. Humax products were one of his best sellers, were highly recommended and he has at least two still going strong in his own home...:-)
Those who are involved in the selling of products of whatever type normally have a very good idea of what's good, what's not so good and what's, frankly, rubbish; they also know which products keep their workshop in full-time gainful employment and Humax was never one of his...:-):-)
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I've had a Humax for a number of years. Never been a problem and very straightforward to use.
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Two good ones here too. The Freeview one is still in service at my mum's, and the Freesat HD just needs a better feed from the dish, which I'll get round to one day.
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>>I got two printers from DELL when I had specifically asked them to check they would send me one. Their response when I pointed out the error - keep it with our compliments. I gave it to a charity but it makes me wonder how high the markup was that they could be so cavalier about it.
Same here. I put the spare into a raffle for a charity I supported and it was won by its secretary, whose own had just conked out.
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Don't know how this got in again.
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>> Don't know how this got in again.
Because you replied to your own post.
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The only way I can get an attentive audience.
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You'll be telling us next you are the only sensible person you talk to.
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Eh, I've just emailed Humax tech. dept. and said:
"Can the Foxsat-HDR/500-G Freesat twin tuner 500GB PVR (Grade A) be used for recording TV programs - with my single LNB / co-ax cable, if I don’t require the facility to record 2 channels at the same time, or watch one while recording another".
And the reply:
"If you wish to just record one programme then you can do this with one satellite connection to the box, however the channels you can watch after this are limited due to the channels been in different Muxs or groups".
Woss he on about then??
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To simplify a little, think of it like this.
A MUX, is a single frequency you tune into. It is split into channels, and each channel carries a programme.
For example MUX A could carry BBC, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4.
Now the problem is, the MUXs are polarised, Horizontally or Vertically. Your tuner polarises the LNB on your dish, so if its polarised it horizontally you cant receive Vertical MUXs, so you cant watch one channel and hope to record some of the others at the same time.
Basically having a twin tuner receiver with a single LNB feed is a complete waste of time and money.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 30 May 13 at 11:10
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Thank you Zed, any ideas as to what to replace my old LG DVD recorder with, as I'm fed up with not being able to record films which run for over 110 mins.
All I ever record is Escape to the Country every day, and the occasional film.
My TV is Freeview and I have a Humax Freesat HD box.
Last edited by: Dog on Thu 30 May 13 at 11:24
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The key is to replace your dish and LNB and then buy a device.
Its not dear, multi LNB dish kits are cheap enough on the bay and up the jungle.
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Would I then have to wire up an additional co-ax cable from the dish to the receiver.
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Yes, replace the cable you have with a twin cable.
It is possible to use just one cable and a single feed LNB, but you have to do fancy things with passthrough cables at the set up and tuning stage. Its then capable of recording or watching one station at a time ( or maybe two if they are on the same MUX). If you just want to record one station at a time its do-able.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 30 May 13 at 12:26
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Ah, sod that idea then.
Final question ... why is it 22° in Moscow, 23° in Trondheim, 25° in Archangelsk, but only 13° in London.
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Blame the weather / jet stream.
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Zero is correct!
I have a TV on freeview + an A grade Humax box on Freesat. (£149)
The combination works well, as the TV can record to a USB memory stick, for which there is a dedicated USB port, so in theory I could record three programmes at once! Or view one on Freesat, record one on Freesat and record one on the Freeview TV, or record two on Freesat & record one on Freeview - and so on.
When we bought the house both systems were installed, but I would not bother paying to have both if starting from scratch.
The EPG on the Humax is very slow to react, the one on the TV is much better.
I have found that if recording a film, say, split by a news programme, that the Humax doesn't pick up the second part, so one needs to book both parts individually.
The real problem is finding three programmes one wants to watch at the same time!
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>>The real problem is finding three programmes one wants to watch at the same time!
Say n'more!
I think what I need for my little use, is a DVD/HDD recorder, 160GB would do, ideally HD, but not essential
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>> I think what I need for my little use, is a DVD/HDD recorder, 160GB would
>> do, ideally HD, but not essential
If the DVD isn't essential either, you're prepared to put up with 320GB, and want to save some dosh, then I recommend one of these:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bush-Freeview-Digital-TV-Recorder-320GB-Compact-Latest-Model-BU11FVRSD32X-/310561833627
We've had one for a few months now and it's great. It's only a bit bigger than a paperback book, and you can't hear it (unlike our previous cheap Digihome box). At that price it's grade A stock, but ours appeared to be as-new.
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Thanks Focus, no, I don't need a DVD recorder, or HD really, and 150 hours recording time should be good enough for most films :)
The Bush brand goes back to 1932 but is now owned by Argos (Home Retail Group)
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>> I have found that if recording a film, say, split by a news programme,
>> that the Humax doesn't pick up the second part, so one needs to book both parts individually.
Can of worms.
(Nearly, but not quite always) To do with the particular programme's broadcaster.
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>> (Nearly, but not quite always) To do with the particular programme's broadcaster.
Yup, the recorder is merely a dumb slave following orders.
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The issue there is the EPG transmitted on Freesat, not the box itself. The Freesat EPG is in effect a dedicated channel for all the suppliers, and not the individual responsibility of the programme supplier, unlike the freeview EPG.
The freesat EPG is never as reliable or flexible as the Freeview one.
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I tink I'll get one of these then,£140 for a refurb with 12 months manufacturer warranty,
should do 'the job' for what I want:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0038VZXMS/ref=dp_olp_refurbished?ie=UTF8&condition=refurbished&qid=1369915286&sr=8-1
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>> The issue there is the EPG transmitted on Freesat, not the box itself.
Mostly true, but there have been a number of software issues in boxes.
>> The Freesat EPG is in effect a dedicated channel for all the suppliers,
>> and not the individual responsibility of the programme supplier, unlike the freeview EPG.
AFAIR That's wrong.
It used to be something like this (it may still be like this):
The programme supplier, or others working on their behalf, provide their parts of the EPG to the "central collator" for the relevant (but separate) Freesat and/or Freeview systems.
The transmission of the EPG data is different - each Freeview multiplex carries the whole EPG for all channels, but the bulk of Freesat EPG is carried on the "home transponder" (which may even be transmitted on a different satellite), but "now and next" is "cross carried" on the other transponders, AFAIR.
>> The freesat EPG is never as reliable or flexible as the Freeview one.
Never is a long time.
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If you are going for a Freeview recorder why don't you get one of these? www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10095 It's far better than the Panasonic for the same price. I bought one for my cousin a few weeks ago and she's delighted with it. I also have one that I have had for a few years. Humax will deliver it the following day.
You can also record two programmes and watch another providing it is on the same mux as one that you are recording. Alternatively, you can record two programmes and watch another via your Freeview TV. Which is what I do occasionally.
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Cheers Robbie, my TV has Freeview built in, but I'm in a dodgy reception area surrounded by high trees,
so I use a Humax Freesat receiver on my Panasonic TX P42G30B Freeview telly.
I could still use the Humax Freeview HDR-FOX T2 of course, but, as I said, I only really want to record a film on Film4 now and again when something arf decent and worth recording is on,
my old LG Freeview DVD recorder does that okay, unless the film runs for more than 110 minutes.
Such is life :)
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Can't remember if your Humax is a PVR. If not, you could get one for about the same price. How accessible is your sat dish? It's not that difficult to fit a quad LNB and run some shotgun cable from there to your box. If it's too high up you could always mount another dish low down. They don't have to be high up, just as long as you can get line of sight to Astra 2.
I fitted a second fixed dish a few months ago for Astra 2 for my Humax PVR. I fitted a motorised dish about twenty years ago, but I'm not able to get up there now to fit a quad LNB and new wiring.
I got a zone 2 Sky dish, quad LNB and all the bits needed here. www.buymystuff.co.uk/raven-quad-output-satellite-dish-kit/
£39.99 for everything you need.
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My Freesat Humax digi box isn't a PVR Robbie, and it isn't all that old so probably worth a few coppers.
I can easily get to the dish with just a step ladder but, the co-ax runs along the guttering which is high, I don't like heights, but I could do it - if need be, it then goes into the loft area which again is no problem of course, but then it disappears down the side of the chimney breast, and comes out at the TV plug socket in the lounge.
So I would need to faff about with a mouse etc. and TBH, I'd rather call my aerial man in, give e'e a cup o tea,
and ask him how Dudley is:
www.flickr.com/photos/43576259@N04/6425490581/
:)
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and TBH, I'd rather
>> call my aerial man in, give e'e a cup o tea,
>> and ask him how Dudley is:
One cute puppy is Dudley.
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Freesat Recorder - Zero
