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Humax FOXSAT-HDR february 2009
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n www.humaxdigital.co.uk n 0870 247 8800 n £299
Humax Foxsat-HDR It’s the must-have PVR for Freesat early adopters, but should enthusiasts hold back until the competition weighs in? The Opposition Sky+HD n A wider selection of channels, but you have to fork out for them. Also boasts a more intuitive remote and the perennially satisfying Sky EPG
As Freesat is now established as a viable alternative to both Freeview and Sky, expectations for the first Freesat+ PVR have been sky-high. Humax’s Foxsat PVR adds live pause and recording facilities to its already-impressive Freesat HD receiver – but should you snap it up now?
Appearance and connectivity
Setup and use Setting up the Humax is hassle-free. On first use the setup wizard takes you through inputting your postcode – to determine which versions of BBC One and Two sit at 101 and 102 in the EPG. You can select the screen aspect ratio and resolution and tune to the Freesat channels – the whole process takes under two minutes.
Interface
Technomate TM-6900 HD Combo Super n Boasts satellite and DTT tuners, but doesn’t (yet) have access to the swanky Freesat EPG and its attendant functions
The Foxsat-HDR is quite a looker. The box is a bit heftier than the company’s standard Freesat HD receiver, and the new PVR has roughly the same dimensions as a chunky DVD player. It boasts a gloss-black fascia that’s broken up only by a few logos (including that allimportant Freesat HD icon) and an LCD display. The display indicates the current channel the HDR is tuned to – and the screen resolution also. Flipping down the fascia reveals some basic control buttons controls, plus a USB port and slot for a CI-Module. Round the back there are twin Scarts, RCA and HDMI outputs, an S/PDIF
output, a second USB port and an Ethernet port for Freesat’s upcoming on-demand fare. The remote control is nicely put together. It acts as a 4-in-1 universal remote with a set of buttons allowing you to control your PVR, DVD, TV and amp (codes are provided in the manual). It looks rather flash with its large silver cursor control that’s clearly riffing on the iPod’s control wheel, and a raised ‘select’ button in the centre makes it easy to navigate menus in the dark. Less intuitive are the rest of the buttons, which are bunched too closely and could do with clearer labelling.
A hidden menu features advanced options and DiSEqC functions – just enter R-G-Y-B-G-Y-B on the remote to discover them 2 What Satellite & Digital TV
The Freesat Electronic Programme Guide makes recording easy for Freesat channels – but options are more limited in non-Freesat mode
The Humax Foxsat-HDR’s list feature allows channels to be viewed by type. You can re-sort them and create nameable favourite lists
Test satellite
Manual setup offers a wide range of options; you can scan transponders from a list, or an entire satellite – the Humax also offers the option of scanning for FTA-only, scrambled or all channels. In all three cases an Astra 2/ Eurobird scan took 9.5 minutes. Once scanned, the receiver can be switched between Freesat and nonFreesat modes in the Settings menu. A hidden menu accessed through the coloured buttons offers advanced functionality, with the option to change antenna type to fixed or motorised, and connection type to single cable or SMATV. A sub-menu allows you to scan satellites by transponder or by satellite. This sub-menu also provides access to options for changing LNB frequency and LNB power, while DiSEqC 1.0, 1.2 and USALS are supported.
Navigation and features The Humax has two main modes for browsing channels; a list feature and the Freesat EPG. The list feature includes separate lists for HD channels, as well as user-defined Favourites lists (Freesat channels only), which can be renamed, and manually ordered. The slick-looking Freesat EPG appears overlaid on top of the picture; there’s also an option to tweak the transparency of the EPG. A search function enables searching by keywords, genre, time and day, while programme information for Freesat channels is provided for the next seven days. With twin tuners, the Humax is able to record two programmes simultaneously while viewing a third (on the same transponder). A sizeable 320GB HDD can store around 160 hours of SD recordings, or 80 hours of HD. It offers all the features we’ve come to expect on PVRs, including series record and split recording; there’s also a flexible ‘autotracking’ feature that tweaks the recording time in order to take account of programmes missing
their scheduled start and end time. The EPG offers an option to record the HD stream when programmes are simulcast in high definition; it’s this that enables it to record from ITV’s red button HD offering. However, Wotsat wasn’t able to get this option working for a Saturday broadcast of Strictly Come Dancing, presumably highlighting the fact that the system relies on the broadcasters providing accurate meta data. There’s also a scheduling menu that allows you to review your scheduled recordings and make manual reservations. However, when used in non-Freesat mode, the PVR’s functionality is somewhat curtailed. In non-Freesat mode the EPG is limited to now-and-next info, and making programme reservations in advance is disabled. Furthermore, the scheduling menu is disabled altogether – meaning that you can’t make manual timer recordings. The HD-R’s live pause and rewind functions work well, with no stutter or slowing when viewing SD or HD. But the message box that flashes up onscreen when you return to live viewing mode is a little annoying, though. Two USB ports enable you to connect flash drives and external hard drives for archiving recordings (standard def only). The box can also play MP3 files and display JPEG images, but had trouble with the encoding on some JPEGs and refused to display Wotsat’s holiday snaps.
Performance The Humax’s picture output settings include 576i, 576p, 720p and 1080i; there’s also the option of 4:3 and letterboxed aspect ratios (but if you’re watching on a 4:3 CRT screen it begs the question of why you’re spending £300 on a HD PVR). Picture quality by Scart was acceptable, while the HDMI output gives a smooth, crisp picture on an HD screen. The PVR also offers upscaling of SD channels, which look clear and sharp. But it’s worth noting that there are no options to adjust the picture beyond the basic aspect ratio/resolution settings n Stephen Graves
Verdict Humax’s offering has the considerable advantage of being the only Freesat+ PVR available so far. More cautious buyers might want to wait until there are more options on the market. Nevertheless, Humax hasn’t been complacent; this PVR offers excellent out-of-the-box functionality – although the limited options for recording non-Freesat channels might dent the enthusiasm of dedicated satellite enthusiasts. But as a Freesat PVR it’s certainly a worthy rival to Sky+HD for those who don’t mind the more limited selection of HD channels.
Tech Data Freesat only scan: 1m 0s 0
5 mins
Full scan, Astra 2/Eurobird: 9.5m 0
10 mins
Common Interface support: (Interface not active) Power consumption: In use: 50W, Standby: 1W
Features No. LNB inputs: 1 LNB loopthrough: Yes DiSEqC: 1.0, 1.2 No. Channels: N/A Selectable FEC: Yes Symbol rate: 2-45 (DVB-S), 10-30 (DVB-S2) CAM: None Common Interface: Not active Teletext: DVB decoded EPG: DVB now-and-next/Freesat 7-day Timer: 7 days UHF modulator tuning: N/A Software upgrade: USB, OTA Data ports: Ethernet, USB SD out: TV Scart (composite/S-video/ RGB), VCR Scart (composite/S-video/ RGB) HD out: HDMI (576i/576p/780p/1080i) Audio out: Optical digital audio (Dolby Digital bitstream-compatible)
Ratings PLUS
n Excellent PVR functionality n Fast scan times n Freesat EPG
Minus
n No timer recording in
LNB in
LNB loopthrough
Composite video out
Analogue stereo audio out
TV Scart (Composite/ S-video/RGB)
VCR Scart (Composite/S-video)
S/PDIF output with Dolby support
HDMI output
Ethernet port (not used)
USB port for update/ multimedia
non-Freesat mode Build Setup Searching Navigation Performance Features Value
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85% What Satellite & Digital TV 3