Humax FoxSat-HDR first impressions

[charliecoultas]

I got one of these just before Christmas. A few observations:

There is no RF output, so if you have a telly in another room (or two) then you will need an RF modulator. Fortunately SatCure sell these. You will also need a double SCART adaptor (SCART from Humax box to telly and also the modulator). I think SatCure sells these too. There is no facility to relay the remote control commands from another room (Magic Eye). Martin?

The menu system takes a bit of getting used to.

The picture quality (from SCART to a CRT telly) is noticeably better than my previous Sky+ box.

If you try to record two things at once, the box eventually gets its knickers in a twist. It starts to freeze-frame then the box stops responding to the remote control. Eventually you have to switch the whole box off then on again.

The beam width from the remote control is very narrow. If you are more than a few degrees off in your aim the box won't respond.

Hopefully Humax will be offering a software download soon.

The positioning of the buttons on the remote have not been thought out very well.

A Google search for "Humax Foxsat HDR problems" reveals several others with similar faults.

I hope some of you find this useful.
Charlie.

[dave2010]

I got one of these after a significant wait. It took me a couple of weeks to open the box, and then a short while to install it. It detects whether one cable is connected or two. For some reason it insists on asking for a post code, and sometimes it is necessary to reset the unit if this is not input correctly. The factory reset does not erase any recorded programmes though, fortunately.

The quality of the picture is very good - particularly on HD - but there are very few HD programmes. It is possible to record in SD and to download the recorded programmes to an external hard drive or USB memory stick. This is quite easy, and fairly quick. Unfortunately it is not possible to record in HD and download to any external storage. This is particularly a problem if the unit develops a fault - see below.

Also some programmes are available in HD and SD. The box is so "intelligent" that it won't let you record in both formats, even though it has two tuners. There are occasions when that might be useful - given the constraint on downloading noted above.

Signal strength and quality measurements seem too simple in Diagnostic mode. I achieved 100%/100% (allegedly), apparently from both tuners. Compared with other receivers I've used this seems a bit primitive, and useless for tweaking satellite antennae. Other makes give readouts such as 90%/75% and so on. Selecting the Info for selected channels may give slightly more information.

I haven't yet found out how to do chase play - which is possible with similar Humax Freeview boxes. This can be a nuisance when trying to watch a programme which is being recorded.

It is possible to tune it in Freesat mode, or manually. In Manual mode it finds most of the stations available on the Astra 28.2 satellite - FTA? In Freesat mode the EPG is quite useful.

I don't know whether this receiver would work with other satellites.

Unfortunately after a week or two my unit developed a crack in the plastic case edging near the front LH corner, possibly due to heat, and there is something rattling around inside now. I am taking it back to the store where I bought it, and hopefully will get a new replacement. I don't know how the crack happened - we don't have cats, dogs, children, and we didn't drop bricks on it or anything else for that matter.

I would rate this very highly, but I do need to get it replaced, or a refund applied. I have had to download all the SD programmes recorded to a memory stick. They work with VLC on most computers, but I don't think they can be reloaded to a similar PVR. I have erased all the recorded HD programmes as they can't be saved.

I hope this was just a one off problem unit.

[dave2010]

PS - I used the HDMI output, not SCART. The quality on the TV via the HDMI output is very good, but could be compromised by using other outputs. The HDMI cable supplied doesn't seem great, but works well enough. If you think you can tell the difference between HDMI cables, then you will probably want to replace the included one.

[T1154]

I consider the User Manual poorly written and confusing to use and I am an Engineer !
Other wise I find myself in general agreement with earlier messages on 'First Impressions'
I choose to employ the Non-Freesat Package [So-called]. I have found that though the non-Freesat package can apparently be selected and memorised ,the Freesat package is the default to which the box returns at the first opportunity ! Can anyone tell me what I am not doing ,or is this a programming error ?

[Anton Redman]

The box uses postcode to choose which national version of BBC2 you receive, which regions of BBC1 and ITV1, and I think which Welsh language channels you receive.

Does anybody know what happens to the alternative feeds of sporting events, continuation of snooker etc. that you sometimes have BBC1 and BBC2 and are accessed using the red button on a Sky receiver?