Loading ...Nov 09 2008
The first signs of Metronic’s Freesat HD Digital Box (SAT HD 100) have appeared on Maplin’s website, allowing you to pre-order the upcoming product for £149.99.
We have no further information on which major retailers or independents will be selling this receiver, and this is in fact the very first actual image we’ve seen, other than those published some months ago by Metronic as an example.
The HD digital box is expected to launch later in November, with a PVR version due early 2009.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=227336
November 9th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Who do they expect will buy this when you can get the other HD boxes for cheaper? Does it have any “extra” features?
DanielQuote
November 9th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Amazon has it listed as a Metronic HD 441827 Satellite Freesat Receiver
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Metronic-441…/dp/B001IZYQWE
thanks to Qwerty9
xoolQuote
November 9th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I have to agree with Daniel. When the Foxsat is such a good box for £133, who’s going to pay more for the Metronic?
Its going to take something really special picture and sound wise to persuade people to by this over the Foxsat at any price never mind a more expensive one.
Al (Original)Quote
November 9th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
No been able to find any technical spec on this one so far . . Otherwise if it doesn’t do DiSEqC1.0/1.2/USALS it ought to be £100.. Or sold to the ignorant . .
StevenQuote
November 9th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
It’s just an expected retail price from Freesat for a HD box, the price will come down once Metronic realise that it won’t sell at that value. Suspect not many of the distributors will consider large volume purchases either when Alba and Humax can be bought in so much cheaper.
adminQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I just think adding yet another Freesat box to the market is just going to confuse people more.
DanielQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I have seen this new box working. the user interface looks very similar to the look of the Humax. The Sat loop through works and it has usb upgrades as with all metronic boxes.
AdsQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 10:26 am
@Daniel
From the admittedly vague spec on Maplin’s site, the Metronic box seems to have a huge advantage over all the others in that it will play video files from a USB stick.
Assuming this means downloaded Divx files, the upcoming Metronic PVR makes the Humax one obsoete before it’s even launched.
DavidQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 10:51 am
@David. But from the looks of it, this only has a single tuner. Unlike the upcoming Humax that has two; allowing watch and record or 2 x record.
Dan & JimQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 11:12 am
@ Steve
Since you are unable to follow the link @ 2.
I have copy it here for you…
Product Features and Technical Details
Product Features
* HD Freesat Satellite Reciever
* compact size
* front panel controls CH+/-,volume up/down
* Full remote control
* 8 day Freesat EPG
* DiSEqC 1.1 compatible
* Broadband return path
* Parental lock
* DVD Subtitles
* Audio Description facilty
* Teletext
* IF loop through
* 2 year manufacturers warranty
* SPDIF Optical
* Over 100 Digital channels plus HD programmes available
Technical Details
Standard Demodulator 1,DVB-S,DVB-S2
Input Frequency
950-2150Mhz
IF loop through
950-2150Mhz
Video Format SDMPEG-2MPML
HDMI upscale
HD:1920X1080i 25/1280x720p50/720×576 for SD
Video Signal connector 2xSCART (composite amd RGB) /HDMI V1.2
Audio connector SPDIF Optical
RJ45 Return Path
HDMI Cable.
xoolQuote
November 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Dan & Jim, this model has only a single tuner but it’s not a PVR, just a receiver. We haven’t seen the PVR spec yet but would be v surprised if it didn’t have two tuners.
DavidQuote
November 11th, 2008 at 10:28 am
@David, you’re not going to get many movies on a USB stick and the Foxsat PVR has 2 USB ports anyway. Only thing it doesn’t have is DivX licensing.
As for the Metronic making the Foxsat obsolete with its DivX capable USB stick, I doubt it somehow. I’d no more download a movie than fly to the moon. Hours of waiting only to then wonder if there are any file errors, compression that downgrades the picture, charges unless your pirating, I mean why bother?
Much easier to subscribe to Lovefilm and get unlimited DVD’s through the post, or visit your local video store or just buy the damn things. Silver discs all the way for me. I’ll never download movies. I already hate music downloads with a passion and only do it if forced because I can’t buy it in a shop. Nothing worse than stacks of white CDR’s and chemical coatings on recordable discs eventually break down anyway. Somehow, I’m betting there are a lot like me on the silver disc front.
Al (Original)Quote
November 12th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Has the Metronic got DivX licensing ????
DeanoQuote
November 18th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Having had a look at the Metronic full specification it seems they have attempted to bridge the gap between the Humax HD and DTR receivers. It can to upscale in standard mode – it has component out (omitted from the Humax DTR) it can record to an external HDD and has USB2 archiving capability to the external HDD permitting eg: JPEG – uploading to the drive.MP3. With these capabilites it is priced well Specification can be viewed on the Maplin website. (No stock) as yet.
Les NicolQuote
November 28th, 2008 at 11:50 am
April 25th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
can someone advise on picture and sound quality?
what are the 100 channels available, thanks for any information
williamQuote