Samsung SMT - S7800 Freesat PVR 1080P

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nickdenker

06-07-2011

Originally Posted by Automan:
“So either no programs at the moment or it does not work.”

It definitely used to work and has now stopped - some programs weren't available but I guess it was beta. Maybe ITV have shut it down and the beta has finished. Freesat did twitter me that it was imminent to launch...

That was about 2 weeks ago...

stegeo

06-07-2011

Originally Posted by Automan:
“It does sound very sick

Question - do you have both LNB's feeds connected to a dish?

As a test to see if you can stop the rebooting I would unplug it from the mains, disconnected the LNB feeds and power up again.

Perhaps then it would work long enough to perform a reset?”

Yes I did have both LNBs connected and I had already tried disconnecting both of them in case one had gone faulty and caused the rebooting but the rebooting still happened so there is no way I can get through the menu to perform a factory reset in time as it is on for literally 5 seconds. Perhaps I should have done a factory reset immediately after the latest software upgrade and this may have been avoided. Oh well, back to Curry's!

Automan

06-07-2011

I noticed tonight my one gave me an on-screen warning of low disk space.

It seems to popup with such an alert when free space drops below 15% and displays the message after it says "hard drive ready".

Automan.

Automan

06-07-2011

I see at Amazon it is now £214.08 which is pretty cheap!

Automan.

bigash

07-07-2011

Automan,
Which box are you using the most now? The Samsung or the humax?
I am on the brink of purchasing the samsung but need to know if the product is now really worth £215.

Cheers
Ash

Media bodkin

07-07-2011

Sorry I couldn't reply earlier been in Syria sorting a feed for S?Y, As you now know the next firmware upgrade is slated for 20th September,

I have been privileged to see the beta testing of the new software and am well impressed, however still think manual timer recordings and multiple satellite use should of been made available from day one

However I am still confident that by October this will be the best freesat PVR available,

And that's even before new enhancements are added.in the Decmber update, to coincide With the Christmas period lol,

Prob said to much

grahamlthompson

07-07-2011

Originally Posted by Media bodkin:
“Sorry I couldn't reply earlier been in Syria sorting a feed for S?Y, As you now know the next firmware upgrade is slated for 20th September,

I have been privileged to see the beta testing of the new software and am well impressed, however still think manual timer recordings and multiple satellite use should of been made available from day one

However I am still confident that by October this will be the best freesat PVR available,

And that's even before new enhancements are added.in the Decmber update, to coincide With the Christmas period lol,

Prob said to much”

Sounds good but at least for me it would need usb archiving to achieve that exalted place

. Not too bothered about diseqc/usals capability.

Automan

07-07-2011

Originally Posted by bigash:
“Automan,
Which box are you using the most now? The Samsung or the humax?
I am on the brink of purchasing the samsung but need to know if the product is now really worth £215.

Cheers
Ash”

I use the Samsung mainly but the Humax is still needed to save recordings long term.

Automan.

Automan

07-07-2011

Originally Posted by Media bodkin:
“ I have been privileged to see the beta testing of the new software and am well impressed, however still think manual timer recordings and multiple satellite use should of been made available from day one”

Beta testing, what that?

I don't think the unit has the CPU power or memory to support more functions without making it unreliable.

It is a little sluggish already...

Automan.

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

Hi

Purchased the Samsung yesterday, although if I'd read this thread first, I may have been tempted to plump for the Humax instead! Having said that, I have to say that I'm very pleased with the box, so far. When I did the initial install, it identified that the firmware needed updating, and did it over the air. Took absolutely ages - probably half an hour. It was only just before coming to bed that I noticed the firmware it updated to wasn't the latest one that's on the website, so I did the much quicker USB install. Here are my initial observations / questions;
[LIST][*]Living in Scotland, I was disappointed to discover that I don't ITV1HD, instead just getting stv in SD. I believe that I could mess around with postcodes to try and overcome that, but would most likely then bugger up stuff like local news, etc. True?[*]Remote control volume - on my SkyHD remote, I had it set to do volume punch through, to control the volume on my Onkyo AV amp, as the TV volume is permanently muted. Can anything similar be done here, or do I need to buy a Harmony remote?[*]Non-Freesat mode - is there a site somewhere that has some sort of ready reckoner to let me know what sort of channels I can pick up and how?[/LIST]
Automan - thank you for the work you've done to identify the bugs, thisfar. I'm sure I remember you from my Tivo days, years ago. You were a leading light there, too!

Doug

Automan

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by hairlessheart:
“Hi

Purchased the Samsung yesterday, although if I'd read this thread first, I may have been tempted to plump for the Humax instead! Having said that, I have to say that I'm very pleased with the box, so far. When I did the initial install, it identified that the firmware needed updating, and did it over the air. Took absolutely ages - probably half an hour. It was only just before coming to bed that I noticed the firmware it updated to wasn't the latest one that's on the website, so I did the much quicker USB install. Here are my initial observations / questions;
[LIST][*]Living in Scotland, I was disappointed to discover that I don't ITV1HD, instead just getting stv in SD. I believe that I could mess around with postcodes to try and overcome that, but would most likely then bugger up stuff like local news, etc. True?[*]Remote control volume - on my SkyHD remote, I had it set to do volume punch through, to control the volume on my Onkyo AV amp, as the TV volume is permanently muted. Can anything similar be done here, or do I need to buy a Harmony remote?[*]Non-Freesat mode - is there a site somewhere that has some sort of ready reckoner to let me know what sort of channels I can pick up and how?[/LIST]
Automan - thank you for the work you've done to identify the bugs, thisfar. I'm sure I remember you from my Tivo days, years ago. You were a leading light there, too!

Doug”

Hi, you can use the wrong postcode to get ITV1 HD and then your regional BBC in the channel 900 range.

But not alas your regional ITV (from what I can recall).

No remote punch-thru option and they only give you codes for TV sets (still it may have amp codes and punch-thru but not documented).

NonFreeSat - never really used that but I bet someone has a list of channels...

And yes, been playing with digital TV recorders since October 2000 when I was still young

Automan.

grahamlthompson

08-07-2011

Full list of fta Radio/TV from 28.2/28.5E

http://en.kingofsat.net/freqs.php?&p...q&filtre=Clear

Don't get too excited there's not much worth watching/listening that's not already on the Freesat epg

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

Thanks Automan

I will give that postcode thing a try. I assume I need to kick off the install phase again, somehow? When I was tinkering with it last night, I noticed it was only the two BBC channels that were able to be customised. The annoying thing is that my regional ITV channel, stv, does broadcast an HD channel, but not on Sky or Freesat! Grrrr.

I can almost manage without the punchthrough, but it means I have to activate the digital on screen volume and accept the stereo downmix, which defeats the purpose, really.

Lastly, when does powersave mode kick in? I put the unit into standby before bed, but hadn't realised how long it takes to fire up again. Obviously I'd rather not leave it not in standby, as the display is ever so bright.

Doug

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“Full list of fta Radio/TV from 28.2/28.5E

http://en.kingofsat.net/freqs.php?&p...q&filtre=Clear

Don't get too excited there's not much worth watching/listening that's not already on the Freesat epg ”

Many thanks. Is it only that 28.2 one that carries any content?

davemurgatroyd

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by hairlessheart:
“Many thanks. Is it only that 28.2 one that carries any content?”

Yes without either realigning your dish (and losing all your present channels), fitting additional dish/lnbs or motorising your present dish (not sure if your box supports multiple lnbs or motorised dishes)

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by davemurgatroyd:
“Yes without either realigning your dish (and losing all your present channels), fitting additional dish/lnbs or motorising your present dish (not sure if your box supports multiple lnbs or motorised dishes)”

Ahh, yes. That makes perfect sense now.

I meant to ask about the ITV player too. I tried the channel 999 thing mentioned a couple of days ago, but no success. Has it been changed?

I have to say I'm very impressed with the Samsung. Pic quality on both SD and HD channels appear sharper than on my SkyHD system. I guess I'll miss having channels like Dave and Discovery, for example, but I'll survive.

Automan

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by hairlessheart:
“Lastly, when does powersave mode kick in? I put the unit into standby before bed, but hadn't realised how long it takes to fire up again. Obviously I'd rather not leave it not in standby, as the display is ever so bright.

Doug”

Powersave cuts in five minutes after you put the unit into standby.

My Humax in the bedroom has a piece of cardboard in front of the display.

The display information IMHO is not really required and I don't why they bother upping the product cost fitting a alpha numeric display (and power consumption).

The slow startup is the price one has to pay for the 0.7w standby power consumption and with the price of electric on the rise again this I suspect is a good thing.

Most Sky boxes eat nearly 20 watts even when in standby.

Automan.

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

0.7 vs 20?? Wow! I'll definitely use standby and accept the slowish start up! I may discretely tape something over the incredibly bright display, too. Thanks

Automan

08-07-2011

I see the box has some new reviews on their website and someone gave it 5 stars.

Also I see I have a response from my last query...

Quote:
“Thank you for contacting Samsung about the FreeSat product.
We are disappointed to learn that you are still experiencing some issues
with the product, after the latest firmware upgrade version 4.0.296. Our
engineers are aware that there are some issues around recording (series
link for example), which they are currently working on. We expect that a
new firmware update will be released in the near future that should
correct these problems.
We are awaiting a response from our engineers as to when the firmware
will be available for public release, as we understand that they are
testing this new version at present. Once they have completed testing,
the release will be published on the support page for the FreeSat
product, on the main Samsung website.
We appreciate your patience and understanding with this matter. If you
would like to discuss this or any other question, you can contact us
between the hours of 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
Please provide your customer reference number and serial number of the
product when calling to speed up your call.
Phone: 0330 7267864 – option 1 followed by option 1.
If you require any further assistance, please contact Samsung again and
we will be more than happy to help.
Kind regards

Online Support Team
Samsung Customer Support Centre”

Automan.

grahamlthompson

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by Automan:
“Powersave cuts in five minutes after you put the unit into standby.

My Humax in the bedroom has a piece of cardboard in front of the display.

The display information IMHO is not really required and I don't why they bother upping the product cost fitting a alpha numeric display (and power consumption).

The slow startup is the price one has to pay for the 0.7w standby power consumption and with the price of electric on the rise again this I suspect is a good thing.

Most Sky boxes eat nearly 20 watts even when in standby.

Current pvrs regardless of make are required to have a sub 1W sby mode (Hence low power sby modes). New regulation is set to reduce this even further. I thought the figure was 22W for Sky boxes in sby.

Automan.”

Some Sky+/Sky HD boxes have low power sby. It's a joke as the pvr won't wake up to record from this mode, It's a sop to the EEC power consumption in sby regs.

All new pvrs have to have a sub 1W sby mode, EEC regs are set to reduce this even further. I thought Sky boxes were about 22W in sby. The only thing not powered is the video outputs.

Amarok

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by Automan:
“I see the box has some new reviews on their website and someone gave it 5 stars.
Automan.”

And another one 3 stars. Moreover, Samsung replied

This is the most mature and honest answer I've ever seen regarding support of this STB.

[[[ EDIT ]]] There is also new firmware available!

Quote:
“Release Notes of SMT-S7800 Software V5.0.300
8th July, 2011
√ Resolved the issue of missing some timers of individual recordings after the STB has been low-power standby.
√ Resolved the issue with small duplicate recordings.
√ Resolved the issue of cutting short recordings.
√ Resolved the issue of not being able to stop recording a programme of a series recording in some cases.
√ Improved the compatibility with HDMI audio AMP.
Note 1: Some users may experience schedule conflicts when recording some regional programmes in series because of broadcast information. Samsung is working with Freesat to resolve this issue.
Note 2: This includes the major fixes or improvements, compared with V3.0.273.
Note 3: You can find the latest software from the menu “Support > Downloads” of the website www.samsung.com/uk or http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/de...name=SMT-S7800
Tips for users:
√ You can use the SMT-S7800 remote to control most TVs. Refer to the pages 12 or 13 of the User Guide (Ed.01) uploaded on the same website as in Note 3.
√ You can use the HDD auto-eraser feature by turning on the option and by unprotecting recordings with the button . Refer to the pages 41 and 57 of the User Guide.
√ You can use the “Seek Modes” to seek fast a recording by pressing or without release while the play banner is displayed. Refer to the pages 32 and 40 of the User Guide.
√ You can add the time-shifted and watched contents to your instant recording. Refer to the page 32 of the User Guide.”

hairlessheart

08-07-2011

Another question springs to mind - has anyone managed to play media over the network from a Mac, rather than a PC? I have my two Macbooks on the same network as the Samsung, with all the Mac sharing settings correctly configured.

Thanks

Automan

08-07-2011

Originally Posted by Amarok:
“And another one 3 stars. Moreover, Samsung replied

This is the most mature and honest answer I've ever seen regarding support of this STB.

[[[ EDIT ]]] There is also new firmware available!”

New version installed OK.

The readme information seems the same issued for the last release...

No apparent changes so I guess just a fix for back to back episodes and maybe recording names for series which sometimes were not numerically incremented.

Automan.

bampsam

09-07-2011

Could an owner of the S7800 please answer the following-
Can you view a small tv screen whilst in the guide.
Is the guide instantly usable,unlike the Humax.
Is the HD/SD picture quality better than the Humax.
Is the RC better than the Humax.
Is start up quicker than the Humax.
Thanks for any help.

Thunderquaker

09-07-2011

Can you view a small tv screen whilst in the guide. - Yes
Is the guide instantly usable,unlike the Humax. - Yes
Is the HD/SD picture quality better than the Humax. - The same
Is the RC better than the Humax. - Sorry, what is RC?
Is start up quicker than the Humax - Yes

I still use both machines, but the Humax has been retired to my bedroom. The Samsung is the better machine since the latest patches. The remote is so more responsive, loads quicker to use iplayer and bbc red button options and I thoroughly recommend it.

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