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I,ve seen that you can now buy Freeview HD boxes. Has anyone had any experience of these? It seems a better option than paying Sky £10 a month for HD.
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check out the AV and TV forums. A lot of the cheap ones that have hit the market are having problems.
HD content is patchy at best. Most of it seems to be upscaled.
Dr Who and Live football in Native HD are superb tho.
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Oh if you have a dish, buy a freesat HD box and use your dish.
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I do have a Sky dish & a digital receiver. Having just bought a HD TV i,m looking at the options to receive HD. Can i connect a freesat HD box to my dish without interfering with my SKY reception?
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Yes, provided you have spare connections on your LNB (the receiver unit on the arm in the centre of the dish.). Sky plus uses two, so if you have a quad unit you can connect an HD Freesat receiver to the other two. (As I understand Freesat, you'll need two feeds to watch and record simultaneously.)
I offer this advice based on my own research. I'm about to move into a house with a Sky dish, to which I'm thinking of connecting a Freesat HD recorder, so ask me again in a couple of weeks and I may be more helpful.
};---)
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Freeview HD coverage is not great at the moment, having been rushed in for the World Cup - 6 major transmitters in the UK, with some additional coverage in post DSO areas. See their site for coverage info:
www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/HD
Freeview HD comprises BBC HD channel, ITV HD, and channel 4 HD(or the Welsh version I can't remember the spelling for if you are in their coverage), plus the usual Freeview offerings in standard definition.
Channel 5 won't be along later in HD, AFAIK.
As Zero says, a lot is upscaled on the commercial channels which is poor, but the BBC HD stuff is often stunning - Shaun the Sheep being a personal favourite for content as well as definition.
As mentioned, FREESAT is available anywhere in the UK you can point a dish at the right corner of the sky.
The HUMAX Freesat+ box is pretty good, but from personal experience I can say it does occasionally miss a recording for "unknown reasons" - this doesn't go down terribly well with the management.
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Another vote for the Humax Freesat box. It also has the added advantage of an ethernet port for (wired) comnnection to your Broadband router allowing acceptable streaming of BBC IPlayer material for free. Whether it is possible to hack this to allow streaming of PC Hard disk HD material I don't know. But I guess somebody somewhere has tried it!
My major criticism of the box is the poor user interface if you wish to receive signals from a second (or 3rd, or 4th) satellite. You have to select Freesat mode or Non Freesat mode from a buried menu choice. Not a problem for me but the other user is not impressed. If only the selction was from a single key on the RC.
Last edited by: pmh on Mon 31 May 10 at 20:00
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If and when the Humax Freeview HD recorder arrives, I shall go for that.
That means I have all my bases covered. HD freesat on the TV, Stream from home pc server on the TV, Iplayer via the tv, and HD freeview via the recorder.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 31 May 10 at 20:31
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Considering there are so few HD channels at the moment, even on SKy HD (37 there which includes Sport and Movies) then I'm staying standard definition for now. We get a new Sky+HD box tomorrow without the HD pack. Although I am guessing we will get BBC HD, ITV HD and probably Channel 4 HD anyway.
From what we had on Virgin for HD I'm not inclined to want or need HD channels because most are not in HD on any platform. What we need is decently upscaled SD into HD. The Virgin Media V+ did this well and I hope Sky is okay too.
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Not a box, rather I got a Freeview HD TV a month or so ago, a Sony, just as they were launched, it is great.
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Does it upscale SD channels any better or the same as a normal Freeview TV? Curious to be honest.
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The Humax STB HD recorders are the best you can get but, if you can, put the sum involved towards a Panasonic TV (preferably plasma) with both Freesat and Freeview HD tuners, set up the picture configuration with the THX default mode and enjoy superb displays.
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Plasma is dead technology
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>>Plasma is dead technology>>
I've read some daft comments in the past, but that's one of the daftest...:-)
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The panel makers are moving to LED panels.
Plasma is on its way out. Its picture quality is falling behind LCD and LED panels because no investment is taking place int he technology, they consume too much power and put out too much heat. Their working life is also limited.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 1 Jun 10 at 22:17
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No LCD set I've seen can match the all round performance of my two month old 2010 model year 42in plasma Panasonic - I certainly wouldn't have spent a four figure sum on the set if I felt it wasn't worth it...:-)
See:
tinyurl.com/37ufpau
with regards to technology investment.
Seems the just arriving V20 models are even better as they benefit from increased use of Pioneer's Kudos technology (when Pioneer ceased making TVs Panasonic took on their display technology engineers a year ago).
The power consumption is much less than the 2009 Panasonic models and even the Standby consumption is only 0.4 watts.
I already have an LCD set, which offers an adequate display, but is just not in the same league as the Panny.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Tue 1 Jun 10 at 23:27
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Yes I suppose you have to try and justify spending too much on a tele.
And on old technology too.
Never mind.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 2 Jun 10 at 09:39
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>>And on old technology too.>>
Perhaps you should research the subject properly rather than making crass statements.
I don't have to justify the amount spent on my Panny TV - it's worth every penny.
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Its not crass just because you disagree with it.
come back and tell me this in two years time when there are no plasma TVs on sale.
>I don't have to justify the amount spent on my Panny TV - it's worth every penny
if you say so.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 2 Jun 10 at 19:32
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((Re: Panny & Sony TV))
I must admit that I've been a 'Sony man' since I replaced my excellent ITT 22" in the 1980's,
But I bought a Panasonic 32" 100Hz LCD on the recommendation of a friend,
I found it to be so good, I bought a 19" Pana LCD for the boudoir,
TBH, there probably isn't a great difference between Panny & Sony in todays market £4£.
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>>come back and tell me this in two years time when there are no plasma TVs on sale.>>
I'll lay you a pound to a penny right now that that scenario will never arise.
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>>Panasonic TV (preferably plasma) with both Freesat and Freeview
>>
Sony have the edge, Panasonic claim a 600mhz refresh rate thought it's a bit of a con, all they are doing is switching pixels on and off.
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>>Sony have the edge>>
Sony TVs are generally good, but studying some of the reviews or a quiet word with your local audio/visual shop's repair man might reveal one or two potential problems at some time in the future.....
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Sony now use Samsung LCD panels. Technically I think it's a joint venture but in reality it's Samsung technology. For LCD Panasonic when I last checked still had the edge with their IPS panels. But these things change all the time.
Plasma and LCD might both be replaced at some point though. e.g. OLED. There was no technical reason why we couldn't have CRT HD TVs (some were available in other countries) and a CRT has display advantages over LCD. But uses more power for a given screen size and have costs associated with transportation etc.
My last CRT weighed about 50kg plus the speakers etc.
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>> Sony now use Samsung LCD panels.
As are Tesco's 'own' brand of TVs (Technika).
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Dont know if it upscales better than a box, but my sony HD freesat TV upscales ok but you can tell its upscaled, because the source is just notthere.
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And for a while, there will be few HD channels on Freeview. Bandwidth requirements mainly.
Why they didn't go for more efficient use of bandwidth and opt opt for H.264. There would be more requirements on the broadcaster to capture and encode to H.264 but there would then be better use of the available bandwidth.
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One for Dog or Martin here.
Can you confirm that Cornwall has gone digital already please?
We keep a small 8'' cab TV in the caravan for the very rare times we want to watch something on holiday, and I have a feeling it isn't going to work in Cornwall this year.
Pat
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>> We keep a small 8'' cab TV in the caravan for the very rare times
>> we want to watch something on holiday>>
Should be OK Pat.
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>>Can you confirm that Cornwall has gone digital already please<<
Yes Pat ~ we're completely Digi down here now (more's the pity) no analogue transmissions at all at all,
Loadsa ppl having trouble with it though and some elderly/housebound folk who rely on their telly have a torrid time with it.
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Well, it's MotoGP at Silverstone, and Assen the following week while we're down there, so can you recommend a bike friendly pub:)
And also somewhere deserted and beautiful on Bodmin Moor for the Summer Solstice?
I'm a bit worried that this Faery Festival thingy will mean too many people still about at daybreak. If so it will be the Merry Maidens again and breakfast at Lamorna again:)
Pat
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>>And also somewhere deserted and beautiful on Bodmin Moor for the Summer Solstice<<
You could try this pub Pat ~ tinyurl.com/33lwdxg
And ask them to direct you to the stone circle @ Harpur's Downs near the old china clay workings.
It's a really good circle ~ like the Merry Maidens but there are many other's all over Cornwall & Devon (Dartmoor)
I'm a bit of an ex~pert on pre Romano Cornwall and I know of some stunning hut circles,
cairns and stone circles on high ground,
I've also studied ley lines as well & used a dowser to find them (energy lines)
- - - See! there's more to the ole Dog than ya thought :)
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Thanks D, we'd looked at The Hurlers but we're an antisocial pair and thought somewhere less well known might be better.
There's always Duloe if we're late getting up!
Pat
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>>we'd looked at The Hurlers but we're an antisocial pair<<
Haha! you certainly know your Cornwall then mate,
The other Dog and I were discussing Minions and the Cheese ring a few hours ago, www.flickr.com/photos/dewonderful/sets/72057594111599876/
I be reckoning that most stone circles will be well attended this year,
but very few ppl know of the one I mentioned yesterday.
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>>Why they didn't go for more efficient use of bandwidth and opt opt for H.264.
>>There would be more requirements on the broadcaster to capture and encode to H.264
>>but there would then be better use of the available bandwidth.
Freeview HD is H264. Also the modulation scheme used with T2 gives 40mbps, as opposed to the 18 or 24 currently on the other muxes.
The other (SD) muxes are unlikely to change though, as you'd render millions of boxes useless.
Last edited by: AnotherJohnH on Tue 1 Jun 10 at 22:23
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>> The other (SD) muxes are unlikely to change though, as you'd render millions of boxes
>> useless.
>>
You mean like proper telly's when analogue is turned off?
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>>You mean like proper telly's when analogue is turned off?
Almost exactly like that, except the "proper telly's" can still be used with a box costing from a few £'s.
Whereas a box which doesn't work anymore is a doorstop.
There were a significant number of people upset when the "split NIT" change was implemented in 2008 which broke their box:
www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=903723
And there is the 2K/8K modulation business at change-over too.
tinyurl.com/372w3y8
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>> Does it upscale SD channels any better or the same as a normal Freeview TV?
>> Curious to be honest.
>>
Varies from channel to channel or even brodcast to broadcast, some SD broadcasts seem almost HD quality, others not so. Interesting to compare SD to HD sometimes looking at one and then the other when it is the same programme.
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Thanks Cheddar.
One reason I didn't opt for the Sky HD pack was I did exactly this at my mother in laws and both HD and SD looked the same. I know some Sport and Movie channels will be better on HD version but I don't watch Sky Movies and have not bothered with Sport channels (yet).
We had Sky Movies at the last house and I never watched any - no point getting rid of then because they helped me get a big monthly discount on the bill :-)
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>>..and both HD and SD looked the same. >>
On many HD Ready sets (rather than Full HD) that's hardly surprising.
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With decent HD content, even HD ready sets can show off what they are capable of showing. Remember Sky HD is only 1080i.
With BluRay or some game consoles the graphics are very good. I've also connected by laptop to our Panasonic HD TV for photo shows etc.
The problem with HD is the lack of content. HD Freeview has what three channels?
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>> With BluRay or some game consoles the graphics are very good. I've also connected by
>> laptop to our Panasonic HD TV for photo shows etc.
You mean your TV can not connect to your NAS? pffft how cute and retro. Its nice to see bakelite and valves still surving.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 4 Jun 10 at 09:17
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>>You mean your TV can not connect to your NAS? pffft how cute and retro. Its nice to see >> bakelite and valves still surving.
Not yet :-) Now I am in the new house and the NAS is plugged into the Gigabit Ethernet switch I will have it streaming movies to the TV soon. And music streaming around the house and maybe over the 9Mbit/s upload Internet connection.
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...Now I am in the new house and the NAS is plugged into the Gigabit Ethernet switch I will have it streaming movies to the TV soon. And music streaming around the house and maybe over the 9Mbit/s upload Internet connection...
Strewth - an inside toilet is still considered a luxury in some parts of the North East.
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>> Strewth - an inside toilet is still considered a luxury in some parts of the North East.
Got two of those. But we had four in the old house ;-) But this is the NW.
I was serious about the NAS being plugged into the Gbit network now though. Just waiting for the Internet connection now which should be at least 22Mbit/s download and 9Mbit/s upload. The fast upload will be more useful for working from home. Anyone else have VDSL yet?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 4 Jun 10 at 10:46
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>> Remember Sky HD is only 1080i.
Not only is UK broadcast HD 1080i, it is also 3/4 horizontal resolution.
That is 1440 instead of 1920 across.
AFAIK BluRay is full definition.
>>HD Freeview has what three channels?
Currently 3. Plans for 4 - possibly another BBC offering, as channel 5 aren't playing the game.
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At least Coronation Street is now broadcast in HD.
:-(
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Zero,
"If and when the Humax Freeview HD recorder arrives, I shall go for that.". July, I understand.
JH
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Yeah and 340 quid I last heard.
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A lot of notes when you can get a non-HD Freeview recorder for under a ton.
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I had a Humax PVR9300T 320GB for a while, problematic, not great support, I returned it before buying the freeview HD Sony TV and bought a Sony RDR-205 instead. This is a 250GB PVR, only single tuner though works fine and also has a built in DVD recorder / player which seems to upscale to HD quite well.
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The £75 Digihome twin tuner PVR installed in my caravan is one of the best gadget purchases I've ever made.
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>> The £75 Digihome twin tuner PVR installed in my caravan is one of the best
>> gadget purchases I've ever made.
ditto (in our lounge, no caravan!)
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Three 'refurb' ones in Spamcan towers working fine, one 80GB and two 160 GB. Total cost about 160 quid.
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>> A lot of notes when you can get a non-HD Freeview recorder for under a
>> ton.
Dont intend to get one at that price, I have an SD Humax PVR so I can wait for the price to drop.
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>> Dont intend to get one at that price, I have an SD Humax PVR so I can wait for the price to drop.
May be a long wait. Their Freesat HD recorder is much the price it was when I got ours over a year ago ~ £250
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Agreed, I can get one for £230. Which is about the level I am prepared to pay.
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Reviving an old discussion here because, as I threatened in May, I've bought an HD Freesat+ recorder by Humax.
Quick précis of the decision process: old house had adequate Freeview signal and no dish, so we used a Humax PVR9200 happily for our last two years there. New house has multiple aerials pointed at Crystal Palace (30 miles away behind some hills) and none of our Freeview tuners can pick up a thing. But does have a Sky dish, left behind by the previous owner.
Choice therefore was between paying an aerial contractor three digits to fit a more suitable prong on the chimney and continue with our existing Humax hardware - with no guarantee of a decent result even then - and using the dish and buying a Freesat box, with the bonus of HD. Freesat won - but the old box can stay in the hope that the digital switchover in 2012 will produce a signal it can use in another room.
So far, very impressed. Britain from the Air happened to be on BBC HD as we powered the box up and the sensation, after three months of fuzzy analogue, was more of relief than elation.
But now for a question. Our dish has only one LNB down-cable and the HDR would rather have two. Looking at the dish from the ground, I think the LNB has only one output. The dish would be safely accessible from a ladder against the wall - no Rod Hull moments for me, please - but is replacing the LNB achievable for an homeowner with a screwdriver, or will I have to get the pros in after all?
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Yes it is.
I have just done it for my mother. The only thing you have to worry about is the lnb/arm mount design issue and get one that matches it. Amazon is full of the bits and bobs you need.
The modern ones are held by a plastic rivet and snap onto the arm.
Sticking up your own dish is a breeze too (I did that a month or three ago)
How dod you do the install with only one feed? did it update the firmware?
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 12 Sep 10 at 21:55
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That's encouraging, Z - thank you.
Humax offers a workaround for the single-feed situation, presumably thinking of users who rely on a feed from a single dish. By connecting LNB1 Out at the back of the HDR to LNB2 In - I rigged myself a 25cm lead to do this - you can overcome some of the limitations. I've not had it long enough to know how effective this is, but I don't intend to keep it that way for long. Once I have the second feed I can reconfigure it from the main setup menu.
The machine itself is a dream to set up. It took about 15 minutes and I needed only the Quick Start guide, not the full manual. Most of the controls are self-explanatory and don't need the manual at all - just as it should be.
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You loose the ability to record different channels on different multiplexes at
the same time.
Yes I installed one for my mum - as per the need for a new LNB.
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Freeview HD boxes. - Zero
