hi there,

thinking of getting one of these boxes.

as we dont have FREEVIEW HD will this box work on SD till HD is in this area??

if no HD signal here at mo, will i lose BBC1HD,ITVHD ect??

Yes.

Yes; they are only broadcast on the HD Mux.

Does this meani wont be able to get bbc1 and itv at all?

No, you will still be able to get the SD versions of BBC1 and ITV.

Great.
Maybe tempted to get this box then.

May go and look up some reviews.

Cheers for your help.

BBC1-HD, CH4-HD and ITV1-HD are simulcasts of the SD channels with SD content upscaled (your TV does this anyway) so apart from picture quality you are not missing any programme content.

BBC-HD is seperate channel transmitting it's own schedule but pretty well all it's content is available on BBC1 or BBC2 SD so again apart from picture quality you won't have programmes you can't watch.

Have a good read of this forum too, plenty user experiences and opinions available!!

It should be remembered when analogue shuts down next year HD power will increase greatly,I understand Crystal Palace for example increases 7 fold,so don't worry about poor reception now

There is one issue that you might stumble over though - OTA updates (when they happen) take place on the HD mux, so in order for you to get the latest firmware, you would have to download it from the Humax website and update via USB (an easy process as long as you hit upon a USB stick that the box seems to like)

Good point, BUT I'm pretty sure the updates will be re-transmitted as well as DSO happens and the HD muxes become available in different areas (at least for the 'better' manufacturers).

Not everyone will be expected (or able) to update these boxes via the internet and USB.

Well, to my knowledge, this has not happened thus far (for any post-DSO area), they are only transmitted on the HD mux (pre or post DSO).
We don't switch here until this September, but we can receive the low-power HD mux from Sutton Coldfield (Lichfield). It seems that, as the box is a Freeview HD box, then as with any other Freeview HD box the updates are only transmitted via the HD mux. If you are in an area where you cannot receive the HD mux or it is not being transmitted, then as it stands you have to use the USB update method (although one box, the 3view box, does update over the internet I believe)

Updating via the internet *might* one day be possible via the Humax TV portal, but I wouldn't hold your breath

Don't hold your breath for which? Updating via yja the Portal, or the Portal itself?

I think you misread the OP's comment. He was suggesting that in areas which currently don't get Freeview HD the OTA software updates will be repeated after DSO (on the HD mux) for those who have been unable to update any other way.

I do agree about updating directly via the internet though. Why can't Humax provide a 'software update' option which simply needs a network connection? My Sony Blu-Ray player does that, and even automatically checks for updates being available if you want it to.

Yes, it appears that I did misread it. Sorry.

I think it was proposed as part of the Portal functionality so I assume it is a matter of waiting until Humax think it is reliable. I am sure no one wants an unreliable software update facility.