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Echostar debuts Freesat Slingbox


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Old 22-03-2011, 18:39
blueplatinum
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New Freesat PVR with built in SlingBox. It's "SlingLoaded". See
LINK.
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Old 22-03-2011, 18:51
Dan the Van
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More information here

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Old 22-03-2011, 22:11
jwball
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What a great idea.
Will be interesting to see what price they launch at.
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Old 22-03-2011, 23:08
Night Watchman
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Talk about retro - it looks like a Sinclair ZX80 prototype
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Old 23-03-2011, 07:40
moggyminor1966
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Talk about retro - it looks like a Sinclair ZX80 prototype
You can pre-order today at A**zon at £349.99 so not exactly cheap!
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Old 23-03-2011, 09:41
Badvok
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Talk about retro - it looks like a Sinclair ZX80 prototype
LOL, that's the way all SlingBoxes are styled. I guess they just want something that stands out from the crowd.
You can pre-order today at A**zon at £349.99 so not exactly cheap!
Sounds reasonable to me Foxsat HDR (£240) + Slingbox (£125) = £365. I just hope it has at least all the same functionality as the Foxsat on the PVR side, can't wait to see some reviews.
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Old 23-03-2011, 09:52
Automan
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£299.99 would be a better price I would have thought...

Search Amazon for HDS-600RS to home-in on the product.

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Old 23-03-2011, 10:04
terrykl
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LOL, that's the way all SlingBoxes are styled. I guess they just want something that stands out from the crowd.
Sounds reasonable to me Foxsat HDR (£240) + Slingbox (£125) = £365. I just hope it has at least all the same functionality as the Foxsat on the PVR side, can't wait to see some reviews.
It seems that it is back to record ONE channel while watching another though.If this is true then it will be retrospective in more than just looks!!
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Old 23-03-2011, 10:18
bryhhh
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On a semi-related note, it's worth mentioning that if you plan on accessing the 'sling' capabilities on your iPhone or iPad, then you have to buy additional software to do this.

I have a slingbox at home, and when I bought an iPad, I thought it would be great to install the slingplayer on it, so that I could watch (freeview) TV anywhere in the house. However, the app costs £18 for the iPad, which is *very* expensive for the App Store. I might have been tempted were it not for the fact that people who have bought it are leaving very critical reviews.
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Old 23-03-2011, 13:05
Badvok
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It seems that it is back to record ONE channel while watching another though.If this is true then it will be retrospective in more than just looks!!
Yes I saw that in the press release but since press releases are seldom very accurate I didn't want to jump to any conclusions too soon. That's why I'll wait for a few reviews before dumping my hated HDR..
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Old 23-03-2011, 18:15
swedish cook
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Yes I saw that in the press release but since press releases are seldom very accurate I didn't want to jump to any conclusions too soon. That's why I'll wait for a few reviews before dumping my hated HDR..
From what little we know it sounds like its a step towards the kind of network functionality that we want to see but perhaps not a giant stride.

We know you've had issues with your box, in our household its pretty well loved, and now we can stream recordings over the network with the hooky firmware, I for one am going to hold firm until something clearly streets ahead comes along.

From a quality standpoint I'd be happy to go Humax again, although I have to say that their attitude towards more advanced functionality hasn't been great thus far, so a manufacturer with a more open attitude is where I'm likely to go.

This years gadget spend is going on a camera instead, hooky firmware has added 18 months to the life of the product.
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Old 23-03-2011, 18:19
ian-d
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It seems that it is back to record ONE channel while watching another though.If this is true then it will be retrospective in more than just looks!!
Does have two tuners though, so should in theory allow recording of two channels.
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Old 24-03-2011, 11:16
youddiph
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http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv...rs-first-look/

obvious limitations:
no usb export
"view anywhere" only one tuner is available. so if someone is viewing the box at home and another on the net, then you will view what is being out putted to the TV.

Plus points: remote record and view anywhere. That for me outweighs the limitations. Miles ahead of the humax. J
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Old 24-03-2011, 12:07
swedish cook
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... Miles ahead of the humax. J
Well the HDR does have quite an old chipset now. I wonder if echostar have incorporated transcoding in hardware - else it must have a speedy CPU to transcode in real time (hence power and heat .... and possibly the dreaded fan noise too).

But is most certainly a gauntlet put down for the whole industry.
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Old 02-04-2011, 23:54
scarlet
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Yes I saw that in the press release but since press releases are seldom very accurate I didn't want to jump to any conclusions too soon. That's why I'll wait for a few reviews before dumping my hated HDR..
Copied from the user manual:

"Record two channels simultaneously or watch one channel while recording another."

You can download the manual, and see a lot more information at:

http://www.myechostar.com/
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Old 03-04-2011, 11:56
Z3man
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thanks scarlet, been looking for that manual for days. im looking forward to reading some reviews on this lets hope its less buggy than the new samsung box, im not that bothered about the slingbox features but if its a good pvr i will buy it anyway.
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Old 04-04-2011, 18:35
Z3man
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anyone out there got one of these yet or planning on getting one, im just wondering if were likely to get any owner reviews in the near future. now that the new samsung box is proving to be such a disaster im really hoping this one isn't.
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Old 04-04-2011, 19:34
rozet
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Echostar have given me the following answers:

1. Is DiSEqC available and if so which versions?
At this point in time the HDS-600RS does not support DiSEqC.
2. Is timer or epg driven recording available in non-FreeSat mode.
The timer is FreeSat EPG driven. Non-FreeSat channels have a different format of EPG or no EPG at all. If, on such Non-FreeSat channel, the receiver does not show EPG. this channel does not have EPG or the EPG is based on non-FreeSat format.
3. If timers can be set in both freesat and non-freesat mode to record at the same time will both recordings succeed or will one mode be prioritised over the other or will some form of auto-switching between modes take place?
If you have managed to install both timers, than the FreeSat timer will be preferred above the non-FreeSat channels.
4. Can different sets of satellites be connected and set up to each of the 2 lnb inputs, for example 28.2E and 19.2E to lnb1 and 13E and 28.2E(second feed from dual/quad lnb) to lnb2 input?
As explained above the DHS-600 does not support DiSEqC support at this time.
5. Is there any advanced menu / manual for the above operations as they are not decribed at all in the standard manual?
There is no advance menu. Please visit the FAQ and troubleshooting section for additional information. I expect you will find some of the answers there.
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Old 05-04-2011, 08:50
2Bdecided
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This is the nearest thing I can find to a review...
http://www.techradar.com/news/televi...-review-938291
...it's just a "first look", though it does show it in action on an iPad.

No reviews on Amazon yet...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004S9OT92

Cheers,
David.
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Old 05-04-2011, 14:23
waynejac
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My box has arrived but Im not back until Thursday night,
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Old 05-04-2011, 21:49
Z3man
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thats great, hopefully you will be able to give us a mini review by the weekend. i mainly just want to know if it is reliable and does what its supposed to, unlike the new samsung box which i notice you have as well, you're a brave man buying all these boxes as soon as the are released.
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Old 05-04-2011, 23:05
scarlet
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So far, does exactly what it says on the tin (as far as recording is concerned).

Can record two channels simultaneously. You CAN'T switch to any channel other than the two being recorded (Humax will let you switch to anything on the same transponder as a recording).

Recording the current broadcast will save from the start of the live buffer.

Very limited testing of recordings tonight seems reliable. Not tested behaviour when power is removed.

Put up warning when watching a channel, and second recording was about to start. Waited a while for it to auto-switch - looks like it did a fraction before I pressed OK, but I can't swear to it.

Faster than the Humax (much faster to come out of standby, enter guide, etc.)

Setting a recording on an SD programme will prompt for the HD alternative, but recording the HD won't offer the option of SD.

Can locate alternative broadcasts of a programme, but not as intuitive as the Humax.

No screensaver (ie. when pausing recording), could be an issue for plasmas.

After using a Humax, I would say it's not quite as intuitive, although that may just be because the operation is slightly different to what I'm used to.

Sling functionality works across the local network, but I was unable to get it working using VPN into the office network. This may be due to restrictions on the machine I was using, will try again tomorrow with different systems.
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Old 05-04-2011, 23:35
Z3man
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thanks for that, its looking good so far, will be interesting to know what its like at stacking and finding recordings.

what is your opinion on the overall quality of the box and the remote, the look of the box is quite unusual but i think it will work as long as it is of high quality and not cheap and nasty looking, its unlikely i will be able to see one before i buy it. also what is the remote like does it have a good feel to it and is it easy to use all the buttons in the right places, and lastly something which is important to me is it quiet in operation, no hard drive or power supply noise.

Thanks
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Old 06-04-2011, 07:18
waynejac
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If you have a John Lewis nearby, they should be stocking the unit. It was listed from the 1st April.
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Old 06-04-2011, 09:37
GaseousClay
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So far, does exactly what it says on the tin (as far as recording is concerned).
<snip>
Thanks for this.
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