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[Martin_1962]

We acquired a brand new Humax box this week.Quite like the idea of setting it up and binning Sky,but apparently its doubtful if we can get a decent Freeview signal where we live. 

Freesat is the thing to go for A

Got both - apart from BBC HD and ITV HD Freeview is better for picture.

You can get Freeview reception most places if you know what you are doing.

According to the post code checker - no Freeview here - but I am on Sutton Coldfield and get a good digital signal

[albitz]

.............But can I get freesat on the Humax box ?  :-/

[Dishevelled Den]

Can I get that on this Humax contraption then ?

I am a self confessed technoretard.

No the Humax will be for terrestrial signals - a nice wee box all the same.

Freesat+ is a satellite receiver with a hard disc recorder built in - rather like the Sky+ or Sky HD boxes only there’s no subscription to pay.  You will need a small dish aerial and suitable receiver but will get a much more complete service than terrestrial without the reception problems.

[albitz]

I already have Sky,so if I cancel it I buy a freesat box instead ?
Then presumably the new Humax box is best used as a doorstop. :-/

[Debs.]

.......I am a self confessed technoretard.

Technology lesson-01:
Remember that baked bean cans work best and to keep the string taught!

[Dishevelled Den]

I already have Sky,so if I cancel it I buy a freesat box instead ?
Then presumably the new Humax box is best used as a doorstop. :-/

Yep as you have the dish already installed, although if you go for the Freesat+ you need two leads coming from the dish as there's two tuners in this type of box - go for the standard Freesat and you only need one lead, which you should already have, it's a simple switch over.

If you presently have Sky + or Sky HD then you will already have the two leads required, in that case it's a straight swop.

If you can't get the terrestrial Freeview signal without blood and guts, sell it on.

[albitz]

Thanks Zulu. Have multiroom (which doesnt work) so have 2 leads,so should have a few options.

[Martin_1962]

What TV transmitter would you be on - better to have too many than not enough

[albitz]

Sudbury I believe,but there is a hill between it and us which weakens the freeview signal........I think. :-/

[Ken T]

Thanks Debs, ever one to upset the way things are.   :-/

I have just bought another Digi TV Card for my PC so I can record lots of programs at once, and you tell me that they may be useless soon  . I did  a  bit of looking into the whole freeview system used, and it shows that our Government wanted the DVB system out quick so adopted whatever was offered to them, no mind if it was inferior, just get it out quick and placate the masses. Now there is potentially a lot of boxes not able to receive the new 8K encoding, some of the chips being invented way back in 2001, so a lot of fully working but no longer of any use equipment heading its to the dump soon.   

On another tack, did you see Watchdog last week ?. They were talking about PS3 failures and how their special team put the  guts into an oven (at gas mark 5  ! ) and magically a lot started working again. This is a classic system of bad BGA joints, not helped by the crap, lead free solder they use. I  have reflowed a few bad BGA's, but unlike the clowns watchdog used, I always flood the area with flux to promote good soldering, and it works quite well; unlike their dismal failure rate. Companies are using a lead free product known as SAC, Tin/Silver/Copper, cause its cheap. However it is brittle ( no lead, a ductile material) and fails soon. Hmm you might also want to look into silver mining and consider the costs to the environment. 

I use a different solder, SN100C, which has most of the characteristics of proper SN/PB solder, so is a lot more reliable but is more expensive than SAC, so will not get mainstream use. I am more concerned with quality than  quantity.

We are going to end up with mountains of faulty/useless junk because peple in charge who should know better, don't. Why do we vote these clowns in charge ?.

ken

[TheBoy]

We acquired a brand new Humax box this week.Quite like the idea of setting it up and binning Sky,but apparently its doubtful if we can get a decent Freeview signal where we live. 

Freesat is the thing to go for A

Not convinced it is - certainly on SD, freeview seems to have a noticible quality edge to my eyes...

[TheBoy]

To anyone looking at buying a new box - be it cheapo, Topfield, Humax, whatever - remember that the HD will use DVB-T2, and all the current models (afaik) only support DVB-T, so even though they may claim HD compatibility, they won't work.


I'm in the same boat, as my Media Center only has DVB-T cards.  In fact I've yet to find a card that does DVB-T2, not that I would want a first generation one anyway.

[Dishevelled Den]

To anyone looking at buying a new box - be it cheapo, Topfield, Humax, whatever - remember that the HD will use DVB-T2, and all the current models (afaik) only support DVB-T, so even though they may claim HD compatibility, they won't work.


I'm in the same boat, as my Media Center only has DVB-T cards.  In fact I've yet to find a card that does DVB-T2, not that I would want a first generation one anyway.

Yep, that's another one waiting to trip those trying to find their way in the digital world

[Dishevelled Den]

We acquired a brand new Humax box this week.Quite like the idea of setting it up and binning Sky,but apparently its doubtful if we can get a decent Freeview signal where we live. 

Freesat is the thing to go for A

Not convinced it is - certainly on SD, freeview seems to have a noticible quality edge to my eyes...

It's a subjective thing I suppose but it should let Albs get round the problems he has with reception.

[Martin_1962]

We acquired a brand new Humax box this week.Quite like the idea of setting it up and binning Sky,but apparently its doubtful if we can get a decent Freeview signal where we live. 

Freesat is the thing to go for A

Not convinced it is - certainly on SD, freeview seems to have a noticible quality edge to my eyes...

It does - noticed it since the early days