Loading ...Thanks to those of you concerned enough by our lack of updates in a few days, we are still here, but to be honest, not a lot of happening, everything seems to have come to a standstill with Freesat. However, we do have calls in to both Humax PR and Freesat PR for various updates, mainly focused around more information on the Humax PVR availability/price, plus when the regional channels and further FTA channels will be added. These seem to be the most pressing questions, so lets hope for some good news at the start of the week.
The silence from all parties over the past week might also be down to the fact that the key players at Humax, Freesat, Freesat’s PR agency, Alba and Panasonic have all been on holiday for a week or so; we suspect not togeather though! We’ll be back with updates as soon as we can.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
maybe they’re all busy packaging the HD PVRs that we’re all waiting for!
July 13th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
…more likely taking a hard earned break from all the improvements made since launch
July 13th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hopefully Humax are working on the lip sync prob, although I went to Currys the other day and the nice man there said i could swap my Foxsat for a Grundig HD if the next update dont work
July 14th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Over two months in, freesats promises to add 30 channels a month are appearing a bit lame.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Kevin - Strictly speaking, freesat never promised that quantity of channels per month, just that they should have upto 200 by the end of the year. They didn’t expect them to be introduced at an average per month, just when the channels come on board. We should see the introduction of quite a few channels in this update…whenever it comes!
July 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Further to my earlier comment, actually thinking about how often I’ve needed to record anything lately, what with all the “another chance to see” repeats on sister channels, the “+1″ channels, and online BBC iPlayer and equivalents perhaps the days of PVRs are numbered anyway!
July 14th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I still think that a Freesat PVR is desirable and I think Humax will miss a hugh trick if they’re not ready and distributed in time for the Olympics.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I’ve given up waiting for the PVR and gone for the HD Humax freesat box from Dixons using the 10DIGI code. I have a Humax Freeview PVR anyway. I’ll get a second gen freesat PVR with hopefully 1080p output, more functionality and more storage. Well.. that’s the plan.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I have given up on getting freesat. I have 2 Sky free to view (one for recording one for “live” action. What was the point of putting out HD ready tv years ago. We have one, BUT with the limited progs available, no point in wasting money on something which frankly has so many teething problems and as I said not much actually in HD format. This will certainly go the way of the dinosaurs unless the pull their socks up! Without your site, no-one would know anything .
July 14th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
i have just got of the phone with humax customer support, next software update within 3 weeks !! lip sync fingers crossed
July 14th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Humax should have stuck it out with the forums though, instead of going off in a huff!. I have no doubt they will fix it, they fixed all the issues with the 9200T box and it’s now one of the best Freeview PVRs available.
Fingers crossed for a PVR launch soon! and maybe some extra channels.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Agreed Lee B,
You have to take the rough with the smooth and that includes taking critism.
I’m always critising Freesat and will continue to do so until they deliver what most of us want (not relisting here as done many times), but equally I’ll be the 1st to praise them if they deliver. I’m sure most would do exactly the same for Humax.
Personally, I’m just hoping for a eral high end box in picture and sound quality. The Foxsat isn’t bad but it isn’t the dogs either. I’m hoping the PVR might be.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Just as many others, i too am awaiting for the Humax HD PVR, Ive recently bought myself a new sony tv, but i’m just not prepared to buy a freesat box until a decent PVR version is on the market.
I guess if they* [the hardware manufacturers] dont get their act together soon and what with this credit crunch with a good possiblity of recession on the horizon, people wont have the cash to buy them when they finally get released!
July 15th, 2008 at 8:41 am
hey guys - have you seen this cool freesat dish….
http://gadgetshow.five.tv/jsp/5gsmain.jsp?lnk=101&id=952
that’ll make you stand out from the neighbours!!
July 15th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade here, but I’m wondering if all you guys waiting for an HD PVR know what you are waiting for?
I’ve already moaned elsewhere about the lack of actual HD content from the BBC on freesat but you should also be aware that the ‘red-button’ service for HD broadcasts on itv means that HD broadcasts for that channel are not going to be recordable in HD.
So by all means wait for a freesat pvr , but if you are expecting your HD pvr to be of much use I suspect you are going to be disappointed (unless you are a huge fan of BBC repeats).
If freesat is going to be a success then pressuring and campaigning for broad FTA HD content is what we have to focus on. This is what differentiates freesat from its competitors ( terrestrial and satellite ) and why most of us are interested in it in the first place. Not channel count or regional support, or the availability of a pvr or the s/w problems of the current hardware all of these things are secondary IMO.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Al Catraz,
Nice looking dish, but when I see true signal figures for that verus an ordinary dish in a marginal area I’ll believe it!!! The whole point of a parabola, is it concentrates signals received by any part of the dish onto the LNR. A flat panel can’t do that because its flat. Also, size is king, at least in marginal areas.
Doug,
Fair point. I personally haven’t bought into Freesat despite being one of its greatest pre-launch fans, and I won’t be doing so until a long list of improvement demands I’ve posted many times before are met.
In fact recently, I’ve been looking back to Freeview - my favoured Televes DAT 75 with Margin Riser configuration. Alternatively, I might just take the Sky Freesat offering. We’ll have to see.
I don’t want to go that route, but I’m not prepared to buy into a 2nd rate service (my opinion) and my purse strings are getting impatient!
July 15th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I use freesat together with my Humax freeview PVR currently, if I want to watch some HD material I use the BBC HD channel, but mostly I’m still using freeview. But freesat is the cheapest route to some HD TV currently, fingers crossed ITV get some more HD material soon.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
It looks as though something may be happening at last. As of today, BBC 1 South West has been added to the Freesat channel list/EPG. Let’s hope this is a sign of more channels to follow shortly.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’m looking forward to Zone Horror….don’t ask me why!.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Update… The BBC and ITV regions on Freesat now seem to have been (mostly?) sorted out. There also seem to be one or two other new channels. (I had to do a rescan to get the EPG repopulated though.)
July 15th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
My main interest in freesat is the HD service. Now, if freesat fails to deliver over the coming months, and HD is rolled out on freeview (including C4), and many TVs have an integrated SD freeview receiver, will you need to override the SD freeview receiver to connect a HD box and if so how. Just looking at the options.
July 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Must admit I’m not bothered about HD. I have a preety new non-HD TV and all I want is Freesat + recordabilty of a second channel. If an SD PVR were coming along I’d go for that, but there seems to be nothing in that market. I’d seriously consider fsfs if I could get the recordability.