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TechniSat have today announced the launch of the new Freesat high-definition (HD) digital box, equipped with a range of advanced features which will give viewers greater functionality and ease-of-use.
Receiving a Gold Award in a recent review by What Satellite & High Definition magazine, the TechniSat HDFS Freesat digital box comes with an extended feature set which allows the playback of movies, music and pictures from either USB memory sticks, memory cards, or from a PC using the LAN connection or a TechniSat WiFi adaptor (sold separately). The receiver is also eco-friendly, consuming just 0.25 watts in standby mode.
Cementing the partnership TechniSat and Freesat announced earlier this year, Martin Cole, TechniSat’s MD comments
We are very pleased with our relationship with Freesat which has given us the opportunity to create an award winning HD digital box, helping to position TechniSat as a premium UK brand.
Emma Scott, Freesat’s MD, added
With the arrival of their new Freesat box, TechniSat are providing viewers with yet another compelling way to access the range of channels and services available on Freesat.
The HDFS Freesat digital box comes with a three year manufacturer’s guarantee and is available now from some independent, and available within the next week or two from Currys, Comet and Maplin.
We’ll update the TechniSat product page with price comparisons as soon as they are available.
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Can it read USB Hard drives and play back Hi Def H264 video?
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Of topic a bit but what is happening with freesat? because im fast running out of patience with this service. The first year i was impressed with how how things were progressing (channels been added regular bugs fixed etc) and there for i presumed that things would just go from strenght to strenght but this year in comparison to last has been poor to say the least and that worries me.I cant remember the last time we had some info on new channels in the pipeline is all it seems to be is new hardware which is all good and well but we need some new quality content in the form of new channels for this hardware.Sky+HD is looking more tempting by the day.
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
wezo – credit crunch
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 am
Lee B. So how do you think the service would be progressing if there wasn’t a recession? Do you think we would have the 200+ channels that they were promising including some more HD content. I hear what your saying mate but I would be surprised if freesat was any different credit crunch or not.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
Freesat is designed as a compliment to the digital terrestrial swithover not a replacement for Sky HD.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 am
The credit crunch excuse is used being used too much recently.
If there is a so called credit crunch, why did freesat not reduce the price of their epg inclusion charge. I’ve heard it costs 30,000 to be included for a year – if there is a credit crunch, why did freesat not reduce it a bit to encourage channels to join?
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 am
I think Lee B has a point. Setanta going down. ITV struggling to put HD out (a non event here in Scotland anyway) and an apparent reliance on future BBC license money to keep them afloat.
When times are good = Investment and new development
Recession = Belt tightening and all hands to the pumps.
Freesat is unfortunate that it’s launch coincided with today’s economic downturn and we should be happy to be getting what we get – for the time being at least.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
Freesat: All going a bit flat, is it not, I’ve gone back to using BT Vision with all its features a far better service at the moment.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Back on Topic, if it can read a USB stick should that mean it can read a USB Hard drive (formatted as Fat/Fat32), and if it can play BBC HD, it should have the hardware to play H264 video from the stick/drive?
How many watts does it use while displaying HD (BBC HD) video for example? Might be a low power, quiet replacement for the PS3 as a media player.
Will a future upgrade allow for recording to USB drives?
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
Tony Hales- true what you are saying and i never suggested it was in direct competition with Sky+HD. In freesats advertising stratedgy though HD does feature quite heavily. Basicly im trying to say that this years progression in comparison to last year is poor.All these new hardware stories are getting boring in my opinion which im entitled to likewise other peoples opinions. Its all good and well having all singing all dancing kit but when there isnt much in the way of HD/quality channels to showcase it whats the point in flooding the market with all this hardware. Recession = Excuses and not just in the world of Freesat.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
hopefully freesat can do a deal with ESPN and get Football.
I’ll Pay £50 a year for season ticket
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Great news with another product,more choice etc,and hopefully more competitive prices,but can anybody tell me what happened to Simply Movies? As a film fan this is a great loss to me!
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Good looking box, nice to see it uses very little power as in standby as well.
I’d be interested to see how it compares to the Humax boxes on power consumption.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I think Sky could learn a thing or 2 about standby power from Technisat!
More choice is good, though the freesat zapper market is rather flooded, Technisat need some good functions which the other boxes don’t have (USB recording, H264 playback from Usb HDD ??), especially at this price level as it’s not too far off the Humax HDR, which has been dropping in price recently.
I’d also like to see a new/improved Humax HDR model, maybe with a 1 gig HDD now the drives can be had for £45 retail. The standard HDR drive can fill up too quickly with HD material that you want to keep.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:36 am
i fail to see why everyone is moaning about the state of freesat.
As mentioned it is a “credit crunch” and most companies in the world are struggling. freesat as mentioned before is not competing with sky, as much as we would maybe like it to. We can record things for free- sky cant do that. we have cheap affordable HD (ok only 3 channels but it is what it is) Lets face it HD is not as exciting as many people wish it tobe. And we have a wealth of channels which will please most people. Ok i dont like zone reality for instance but my missus does. im very pleased with both the service and the quality of the whole thing. i have 3 different models of freesat boxes (the HDR included) and i cant complain about any of them.
We would all like more channels more this more that, but lets face it, its a free service. Yeah we want Dave and 4music and fiver etc but its ups and downs i know lots of freeview watchers that want channels we have they dont have.
im very happy with it and i would just wish people would be a little more realistic with what they want the service to be.
plus back on subject again, it looks like a cool if somewhat awkward player.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Does anyone know if Technisat will be launching the twin Hard Drive version, and if this receiver still supports the Technisat EPG Service from Astra 1 when in non Freesat mode?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Just bought this TechniSat HD and have found it to be very user friendly and equal to my Humax HD, actually installed it myself (after paying £65 last time) with the help of a guide from freesatsetup.com, and did it in a couple of hours without any meters or special tools.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Technisat have launched a HD box, but without a PVR, and that the Humax HD PVR box has been out for a while now, I was wondering if any had heard whispers of Topfield entering the FreeSat market with a PVR?
July 21st, 2009 at 11:03 am
Craig Says:
July 1st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Technisat have launched a HD box, but without a PVR, and that the Humax HD PVR box has been out for a while now, I was wondering if any had heard whispers of Topfield entering the FreeSat market with a PVR?
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Only if they have signed a Trade Mark License with Freesat and the product passes DTG testing for Freesat compliance. Freesat are being much stronger than Freeview in the regulation of the products available for market. It is interesting to know that 50% of Freeview products have been retrospectively tested by the DTG and FAILED compliance. These are of course nearly all Far Eastern cheap imports.