Freesat HD + Diseqc + under €100

watty

Anyone recommend a new or refurbished actual "Freesat HD" box (genuine BBC Interactive, red button/MHEG5 support, not a fudged EPG) under €100

That will allow "other channels" (ideally adding to Favourites) in any fashion with 4 port Diseqc control switching support. Full USALS (GotoX motor Control) would be nice, but not essential.

So "mandatory" is

• DVB-S2
• MHEG5 (i.e. BBC red button works), i.e. Probably real Freesat HD
• HD via HDMI
• Diseqc at least to level of 4 way switch
• Freesat and non-28.2 channels
• under €100 including VAT and shipping

"Optional" but nice is

• "other channels" integrated in Favourites
• Motor control
• Recording via USB
• Ethernet

Suggestions which box to order and where to buy?

Apogee

AFAIK only the Humax (1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3) and Technisat (1.0, 1.2) boxes support Diseqc. From what I've read, the non-Freesat mode in the Technisat is superior to that of the Humax and the Technisat supports USB recording. Neither are available new under €100.

I suspect that MHEG-5 functionality may be an issue in non-freesat mode.

Technisat:
http://issuu.com/whatsatellitedigitaltv/docs/technisat_hdfs
http://www.technisat-daun-fs.de/downloads/man/man_manual_hdfs_6869.pdf

Humax:
http://foxsat-hdr.wikispaces.com/DiSEqC
http://issuu.com/whatsatellitedigitaltv/docs/foxsathdr_271

Attachment - wotsat article on using Foxsat in non-freesat mode.

watty

I was thinking the price was ambitious for "new" hence mentioning "Refurbished". I've seen £70 Tesco Freeview HD box at £36 for Refurbished.

Tesco Direct:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.2000191/Nr.99.aspx

Amazon About £120 Humax and £132 Technisat
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humax-Digital-Satellite-Set-Top/dp/B00264GX40/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1295214258&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Technisat-HDFS-Freesat-HD-Receiver/dp/B002DPVMXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295214258&sr=8-1

I'd guess the Grundig is bad idea compared to Humax or Technisat?

I'd heard the HD Technisat's not so well polished & supported SW wise as the earlier SD ones, but maybe no basis?

Certainly the Humax sounds like the Sky box in respect of other channels, except actually does do Diseqc.
Any box could easily do Diseqc of course as it's not very hard SW and the CPU controls the 22kHz anyway. USALS is good bit harder, but only in sense of the sums. The actual GotoX isn't much harder than Diseqc AA, AB, BA, BB

Badgermonkey

Info on the Humax DiSEqC set up / spec here.

http://foxsat.wikispaces.com/

I picked up that box used for £43.00 plus postage on ebay.co.uk but got very lucky.

They usually go for circa £80 used.