Loading ...Apr 11 2008
Early indications suggest that Alba and Humax will lead the way with the first receivers available from launch. This information has been provided to us:
- Standard receivers from launch (manufacturer: *alba)
- HD receivers from launch (manufacturer: humax)
- HD receivers from may/june (manufacturer: *alba)
- HD/PVR receivers from july (manufacturer: *alba and humax)
*alba receivers are likely to be badged as grundig, goodmans and bush.
Its also beleived that the receivers will start hitting the shelves of those selected suppliers for purchase at the end of April, with installations / official launch happening early May.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
I’m a little concerned that the receiver manufacturers are, with the exception of Panasonic, all pretty low-fi manufacturers. Humax and Alba between them make cheap digiboxes with SCART connections and cheap components. They are not the sort of people I would associate with purist build standards, picture and audio quality. Perhaps I’m a little ‘brandist’ but I would have liked to see a Sony or a Phillips unit with all the extras we associate with them (high quality connectivity, system integration etc). In Sony’s case, they manufacture in the UK and have a large piece of the UK flat panel market. I have to imagine that a large fraction of the Freesat HD early adopters will be LCD/Plasma owners. I believe Panasonic are only going to include Freesat SD/HD modules in their TVs to come.
Still, can’t really complain until Alba and Humax have their day – and it’s great news for a household like mine with strict “no Murdoch media” policy
April 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I ‘ve been wondering about a couple of things as we run up to the launch : –
- I have a FortecStar FTA HD receiver which gives me a great picture using my Sky dish on the existing FTA HD transmissions from Astra – are the Freesat actually gong to be FTA, or only available through a dedicated, new receiver ?
- if they are restricted, do you think a CAM card will be made available ?
- and lastly, given that some manufacturers have already indicated that they will include freesat receivers in new models, that technically, other main HD TV players may provide a retrospective unit to fit ?
April 16th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
The freesat platform will be wholy FTA channels, so the receiver you have will pick up the same as the freesat receivers will. The only difference will be freesat will include a custom EPG providing 7 or 8 day listings, whilst your FortecStar probably won’t. We wouldn’t expect retrospective units to fit older HDTV’s, but we personally beleive that freesat inbuilt will be a long way off yet, and maybe won’t happen at all if the service isn’t a great success (expect they are hoping for a ‘Freeview’ style success to consider it).
April 20th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Adrian, its my understanding that Humax have long had a reputation as producing some of the best satellite receivers.
For me the disappointing thing is that there won’t be a combined receiver and PVR at launch. This is a serious oversight as this is the box most people will likely want given that existing video recorders can’t be used with Digital.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Adrian:
You’re very mistaken about Humax. They make premium PVRs, sold at premium price points and are one of two best PVR manufacturers in the business.
Check out reviews for the Humax 9200T. It’s one of the best PVRs on the market, beating the crud PVR Sony managed a few years back (which was a re-branded Digifusion).
I’m sure Sony and Panasonic will soon follow.
I’ll personally wait for the PVR model. I couldn’t go back to a Standard Digi-box now, even if it supports HD.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Please explain what is a ‘PVR model’
September 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Come on come on what month is the new recordable pvr/ hdd freesat box coming out, i guess the clever marketers will bring it out just before christmas
we were not born yestoday, the same old dirty tricks,
i guess i will have to wait till the new year anyway, i can,t afford this one
And i will never line rip off sky pocket, So i will make do with freeview till then
good site cheers H M