Excellent progress is being made adding features to the Humax HDR.

In addition to the work done so far, if 'they' make it so that you can edit the channel list details, and the changes don't get overwritten the Humax HDR will become a really good box.

I like the idea of just pressing '1' to get BBC1; getting rid of the 5.1 sound on BBC HD, and being able to easily switch to FTA French channels.

I think that Humax should help this work.

Michael Chare

I think the "Freesat" spec specifies certain items a box should do and should not do.

Thus if Humax such user friendly changes they may get in trouble.

Automan.

Why get rid of 5.1 on BBC HD ??

Just use a good quality FTA box instead -- this won't be constrained by the Freesat spec.


Clem

And where do I get the programme schedule EPG data from?

Because my hifi equipment is stereo and does not accept the 5.1 digital coding via S/PDIF.

Interestingly, Windows 7, Windows Media Player can be configured to output stereo LPCM for the BBC HD satellite channels.

Now why did I know that would be your answer?

So because your equipment isn't up to it,then nobody else should have it either!!
Selfish and childish!!

Apart from which there is already an option built in to the box to "get rid of" DD5.1 should you wish to.

Same with my equipment. There is NO option in the menu of the Freesat box to turn off DD5.1, so I just have to use the TV's own speakers when viewing BBC One HD or BBC HD. We get the Granada version of ITV1 HD, so no DD5.1 on there.
When I had a VM+ box at my last address, I was able to configure the box to output PCM. It's not possible with Freesat.

Chris.

The Humax Foxsat HDR? There certainly is such an option. Whether it works or not or does not do what I thought it does is another question as I have had no need to try turning it off. But of course you can connect your stereo amp up using the VCR SCART or phono out to avoid it or even use the phono out connections from your TV set.

On the Sagem box (apart from following your suggestions), the only way to stop DD5.1 on S/PDIF is by selecting Audio Description.

Chris.

Did you not spot that this is a thread about the Humax box? The TV phono out connection option should still work for you regardless.

In answering "machare", I noticed they were getting the same problem as me. I have a Humax Freesat box as well, so I'll check its menu tomorrow.
I should have read the title of this thread

Chris.

I have not suggested that you or anyone else should not be able to use 5.1 sound.

I just wish to configure my box to ouput normal LPCM stereo, that appears to be trasmitted on the UK HD channels.

Indeed it does. However as the DAC in my HiFi is most likely better, I would prefer to use that.

How do you imagine Humax would be able to extract LPCM stereo from the broadcast DD5.1 audio signal without doing any form of conversion would work then?

I have a s/pdif from my hdr and a second from my Sony TV to my AV amp

I have wireless headphones connected to zone 3 out on the AV amp. These only works when the s/pdif is getting lpcm and not DD. If I want to listen to a BBC-HD channel using headphones I simply switch to the TV audio input. (The TV downmixes DD on it's hdmi inputs to lpcm stereo on it's s/pdif output).

The menu option on the hdr does not appear to force lpcm on it's s/pdif output, maybe it only works on the hdmi connection for tv's unable to handle DD.

The BBC-HD channels have a mp2 track that you can select bit it's audio described. As the source isn't that brilliant I doubt you would notice any difference by simply using the hdr's analogue outputs. I certainly can't despite using decent Senhheiser phones and a £1000 plus AV amp.

It already decodes and downmixes the 5.1 track to output in stereo over SCART. It will feed the SCART output from a D>A converter (DAC) - the signal that's currently fed into the DAC just needs to be routed to the SPDIF output too.

It's pretty basic functionality. I bet it'll be there in the hardware. Just needs a menu option - as others have said, most DVD players can do this.

Cheers,
David.

But the OP's DAC/amp cannot handle DD5.1 input so they would need it to be downmixed (ie converted) prior to it being fed to the SPDIF output which is not what they want as they have spent a pretty penny on their DAC and do not want to see their money wasted by having the Humax do the job instead which they worry may not do the job as well. They would be just as unhappy with the DVD players you mention doing any audio signal processing before it reached their precious DAC.

?! The downmixing is entirely digital.

"they would need it to be downmixed (ie converted)" - no, downmixing and D>A conversion are entirely unrelated.

It makes perfect sense to keep the signal in the digital domain for as long as possible. It makes perfect sense to use a high quality DAC in an external device instead of the standard DAC in the SOC in the STB.

I'm not saying you can definitely hear a difference in quality, but the possibility is there.

Cheers,
David.

Downmixing is still a form of conversion even though it remains in the digital domain.

Yes I think the main Freesat HD channels (+ Channel 4) all have a stereo sound track. I would just like to be able to use this.

I tried to edit Mogie's .fcl file with debug so that I could try and change the BBC 1 HD APID but the file is to big for debug. I am looking for am editor I could do this with?

Whether I could hear the difference between S/PDIF and the analogue output is of course another matter!

My argument entirely. If a bog standard DVD player can have a menu option for "stereo", why can't Freesat boxes have this, for those of us who own high quality DACs?

Chris.

The option does appear to exist in the menus, but it does nothing.