Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ 320GB HD Digital TV Twin Tuner HD Recorder

excollier

Sam Russell wrote: »

The UK government benefits by much more than any licence fee that they might collect from Freesat users by the VAT paid by all the Irish Sky subscribers who pay on average €400 per year in UK VAT. This is more than if every Freesat paid a full UK licence.

So it is the UK side who benefit.

Not in terms of receivable tv transmissions.

But the basic FTA channels, of which there are many, cost Irish residents nothing, zilch, squat, they can be received by any FTA receiver.
RTE, on the other hand, will never be receivable by GB residents, so the UK is giving away free tv to Ireland, nobody is forced to pay Sky a bean for these, or any vat, which is surely paid to the Irish vat man anyway.
Ireland benefits from UK FTA overspill, GB gets no Irish FTA overspill, there is so little it's irrelevant on the grand scale.
If the BBC, ITV, etc. suddenly went the same way as RTE on Ka-Sat then what would we be left with to watch over here? Four or five channels?
I know it's highly unlikely, or even possible with so many channels, but if it were, I would say the free stuff would be missed.
Anyway, it's irrelevant, free tv from the UK looks set to continue for a very long time yet, so, as I said, be thankful to the UK licence fee payer, and don't look a gifthorse in the mouth.
Well us border dwellers will continue to enjoy Freesat, Freview and Saorview- no subs! Thank you and good night.:D

Mr McBoatface

Actually Sam is correct The VAT charged to SKY's Irish customers goes to the UK exchequer and not the Irish one.

excollier

jobyrne30 wrote: »

Actually Sam is correct The VAT charged to SKY's Irish customers goes to the UK exchequer and not the Irish one.

It's a personal choice! No sub to Sky, no VAT to UK! Simple.
Anyway, we're way off topic, apologies to the OP.

Sam Russell

Not only do Irish subscriber to Sky pay UK vat, but Sky and UPC subscribers also pay royalties to the BBC and to other channels. So Freesat users are riding free on the backs of all those willing subscribers to pay TV here in Ireland. Fair play to them, but they are willing subscribers and could go the freeTV route if they wished.

There is no requirement for a paid subscription to watch RTE (except for the few who cannot receive it. They should be subsidised.

Hotblack Desiato

I really can't understand why anyone in this day and age would recommend buying a satellite box that doesn't have 7 day EPG!

The Foxsat HDR is a great box, very happy with mine.

20/20

I agree ninja,why would anybody want to buy a satellite box without 7 day EPG.

excollier

Sam Russell wrote: »

Not only do Irish subscriber to Sky pay UK vat, but Sky and UPC subscribers also pay royalties to the BBC and to other channels. So Freesat users are riding free on the backs of all those willing subscribers to pay TV here in Ireland. Fair play to them, but they are willing subscribers and could go the freeTV route if they wished.

There is no requirement for a paid subscription to watch RTE (except for the few who cannot receive it. They should be subsidised.

Do you honestly believe that Irish Sky sub payers are the ones who fund Freesat in it's entirity? Wise up, what about the sub payers in the UK and licence fee payers? They massively outnumber the sub payers here.
Sky subbers here contribute a small percentage, but it is small. And they all help those of us here who take the totally free Freesat ride
Freesat would have to exist in the UK even if no-one here paid into Sky.

excollier

ninja900 wrote: »

I really can't understand why anyone in this day and age would recommend buying a satellite box that doesn't have 7 day EPG!

The Foxsat HDR is a great box, very happy with mine.

I own the Foxsat HDR myself, great piece of kit, but the OP was looking for something that will do FTA satellite and Saorview in one box, I simply suggested the very piece of kit that is capable.
If you search elsewhere in similar fora you will see that the Technomates are already capable of a 7 day auto update epg for BBC on a new patch, and the other channels will follow in the near future. It then will be (the TM7102) a very attractive one box solution, triple tuner HD with hard drive up to 1.5 TB capability. Good combo box. Pricey, but very capable.
So now do you understand, why in this day and age, I would suggest such a box?

watty

excollier wrote: »

Do you honestly believe that Irish Sky sub payers are the ones who fund Freesat in it's entirity? Wise up, what about the sub payers in the UK and licence fee payers? They massively outnumber the sub payers here.
Sky subbers here contribute a small percentage, but it is small. And they all help those of us here who take the totally free Freesat ride
Freesat would have to exist in the UK even if no-one here paid into Sky.

Also not a penny of Sky money goes to Freesat.

Sam Russell

excollier wrote: »

Freesat would have to exist in the UK even if no-one here paid into Sky.

There is no cost to anyone if people here in Ireland use Freesat. The signal is there already provided for use by those UK licence payers who otherwise could not receive British television. Freesat is provided to save the BBC money.

Only the BBC is subsidised by the licence fee. All other channels derive substantial funds from advertising.

It is EU policy to allow, even encourage, overspill viewing. This is just an example of this. The people who receive terrestial overspill are in the same position. Freesat viewers here pay (or should pay) a licence fee to the Irish government.

excollier

Sam Russell wrote: »

There is no cost to anyone if people here in Ireland use Freesat. The signal is there already provided for use by those UK licence payers who otherwise could not receive British television. Freesat is provided to save the BBC money.

Only the BBC is subsidised by the licence fee. All other channels derive substantial funds from advertising.

It is EU policy to allow, even encourage, overspill viewing. This is just an example of this. The people who receive terrestial overspill are in the same position. Freesat viewers here pay (or should pay) a licence fee to the Irish government.

Which takes me back to my point.
This country gets free tv from the UK, but the UK gets almost nothing in return.
Not that they care, or even know, generally.

Laphroaig52

Going back on topic, does anyone find navigating the Humax EPG a bit sluggish compared to the Sky box?

Also, when I enable the Humax input on the (Sony) television, I initially get a green screen with audio. It usually takes a channel change to get the video back.

I've ony started using it recently....trying to wean the family off Sky.

Trevord

Flyer28 wrote: »

Going back on topic, does anyone find navigating the Humax EPG a bit sluggish compared to the Sky box?

Also, when I enable the Humax input on the (Sony) television, I initially get a green screen with audio. It usually takes a channel change to get the video back.

I've ony started using it recently....trying to wean the family off Sky.

Yes it would be nice to get back on topic !!! (MODS - can the off topic posts be deleted?)

On the sluggish navigation issue is your hard drive almost full eg at say 95%?

The remote does need to be pointed fairly directly at the box. Also try leaving the door at the front in the open position (so that you can see the buttons and usb port). Does that improve things ?

As far as I know - the green screen issue is a problem relating to the way different TV manufacturers deal with HDMI. Have no direct experience of the problem you refer to but others on boards with sonys may have some better info on that.

Sam Russell

There is a plastic film on both the door and the sreen behind the door. These affect the remote and should be removed.

I get the green screen you refer to, but I am used to it.

frankie2shoes

i've just started looking into breaking away from sky and their monthly ripoff. the technomate is bleedin expensive!! over 400 sterling and that doesnt include the hard drive!!
the Humax looks a more realistic option at around 260 euro from richer sounds.
can anybody confirm that the main difference between these two is that the technomate can show rte1,2, tv3 and tg4 and with the humax ya gotta have rabbit ears and watch these channels on a seperate input.
also what ever happenned to humours that rte were going digital?
thanks for all the posts guys. a few short minutes trawling through boards and beginning to get my head round a sky free life.
thinking of going with the humax in conjunction with apple tv for my hd movies

watty

Without Sky sub you need a TV aerial and Digital TV or DTT setbox for Irish TV

www.saortv.info
also http://www.saortv.info/about/faq/

Or a "Combo" box that has Dish and Aerial Connections. Humax don't make a "Combo" and are unlikely to make one in the future.

Apple TV is pointless, a Nvidia Ion netbook with HDMI is more use. A Bluray player is better for HD movies.

KELTICKNIGHTT

would i be correct in saying this box wont get the new digital service rte is currently finishing and would still need a dtt box if ones tv doesnt support rte digital and second question
is there a hd recorder box with twin tuner that does,any links
thanks in advance
p.s
was looking at this box,any thoughts
http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/h/hdt8520_05/hdt8520_05_pss_eng.pdf

NIMAN

I see a lot of chat about RTE2 HD.

Could someone shed some light on this please.

Is this currently transmitting, or is it only in tests?

Mr McBoatface

NIMAN wrote: »

I see a lot of chat about RTE2 HD.

Could someone shed some light on this please.

Is this currently transmitting, or is it only in tests?

It's broadcasting In HD resolution on Saorview with excellent PQ since December. At the moment it appears to be all upscalled (but very well done) , some true HD material should be coming sometime this year. RTE1 HD, TV3 HD to come too

See the Terrestrial TV Forum - http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056107911

frankie2shoes

watty wrote: »

Without Sky sub you need a TV aerial and Digital TV or DTT setbox for Irish TV

www.saortv.info
also http://www.saortv.info/about/faq/

Or a "Combo" box that has Dish and Aerial Connections. Humax don't make a "Combo" and are unlikely to make one in the future.

Apple TV is pointless, a Nvidia Ion netbook with HDMI is more use. A Bluray player is better for HD movies.

thanks for your help Watty.
I'm aware of apple tv's shortcomings but i love its ease of use. although its not 1080i it does wirelessly link up with my iphone and mac and will stream from both with out patches or fiddly messing . which is nice!
anyway back on topic.
the big problem the family will have with switching to freeview is the fact that all channels can't be accessed in a handy sky+ styley.
does anyone have a simple, affordable solution that the average joe/josephene could install/use?