Could you please answer the other questions in my last post.Thanks.

Can you view a small tv screen whilst in the guide.

Yes - http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n...7-09080113.jpg

Is the guide instantly usable,unlike the Humax.

Press guide, to get the "Channel Genre" selection screen (no option to skip) but sometimes takes up to 2 seconds to get to this if box has only just been powered up.
When you press OK it can then take a second or two to display the above picture.

Is the HD/SD picture quality better than the Humax.

Same IMHO

Is the RC better than the Humax.

Remote Control is a lot better in design and range of operation - Humax one is below average IMHO.

Is start up quicker than the Humax.
No
Humax Boot = 28 Seconds
Samsung Boot 44 seconds and another 15 seconds before it says the hard drive is ready.

Automan.

Thanks for your detailed response Automan. Based on your answers, I have just ordered the Samsung, for delivery tomorrow.

Well, so far I see no difference between the new software and the 296 one. It just works fine. Maybe it fix something I have not observed before.

In the release notes there only seems to be the one new item.

√ Resolved the issue of not being able to stop recording a programme of a series recording in some cases.

Only time will tell if this has been fixed properly...

Automan.

I did answer them, just next to your questions

Automan - Since the last update for my Humax the boot up time has slowed considerably, my Samsung boots up quicker?

I think it is safe to say that if you are in the market for a Freesat PVR then Samsung is the one to get. Especially at £219 bargain.

I checked two of my Humax boxes and both just took 28 seconds to boot to normal picture.

Automan.

Afternoon chaps

After a couple of days with the Samsung, I have to say that I'm really liking it. I have a couple of questions that may have been asked before, but I'm not sure that I know the answer to yet;

In the media section, is there a list of what file types and codecs that can be played? I've managed to play standard definition .avi files (xvid format) successfully. I've yet to try 720p or 1080p files in either avi or mkv format.

Still in the media section, is it possible to play media over a network if using Macs, not windows, PCs?

Lastly, is the ITV player beta still going? I'd like to give it a go.

Thanks all

Doug

I agree with Automan boot up time for the Humax HDR is 28 seconds,and that is with the recent update.

Just timed my samsung, 24 seconds to boot up.

Interesting...

I just tried my one again with the same results as this morning...

44 seconds to get a TV picture and then at 57 seconds from boot to the "HD Ready" message...

Can someone else please time their one?

Automan.

My neighbour has the Samsung.I have just asked him to reboot it and give me the boot up time.He has called me to say it took 56 seconds.

i was followimg this thread with interest, can someone please explain why the boot time from standby within a minute or two let alone a few seconds is signficant .

A while ago a poster told me he bought a Harvard freesat pvr because it booted may be 20 seconds or so faster than a Humax box. I doubt this poster will come back now and say this was a good decision.

[quote=grahamlthompson;51304525]i was followimg this thread with interest, can someone please explain why the boot time from standby within a minute or two let alone a few seconds is signficant .


i was thinking the same as well, maybe samsung have got it right this time and there are no faults to talk about anymore so attentions have been turned to lesser things like boot up times.

Sorry!

Didn't realise that you could so easily be confused Graham
The issue of boot times arose as one of a series of questions
asked by Bampsman.The answers to that question were conflicting.As he was considering which box to purchase he was entitled to an accurate answer.
Boot up times may not be significant to you but to many they are.

Indeed, not that bothered myself but curious why Thunderquakers one does it in half the time my one does...

I wonder if the Samsung during boot does update the guide data to avoid the later wait that the Humax suffers from loading the guide?

Automan.

Different people have different priorities. As someone who often switches on the TV for short periods throughout the day to catch up with news reports on the various news channels, speed of boot up and EPG navigation are more important than, for instance, whether broadcasts are in SD or HD.

I remember being impatient long ago with the slow start up of 405 line black and white televisions while the valves warmed up. Like lip synchronisation, old problems seem to reappear.

It would be interesting to know if the differences in boot up time are attributable to different hardware / software versions or user configurable settings or the way the equipment is used (eg time since last boot up or EPG population...?)

I just timed my Foxsat-hdr it took 25 seconds to boot from low power sby (1TB drive - latest firmware)

Surely you would just watch the TV for that and not bother turning on the PVR?

Turned my Foxsat off at the wall and rebooted and it now boots in 22 seconds, so faster than my Samsung. Could the huge variation in the Samsung be due to the amount of stuff on the hard drive? I have 80% free space on the Samsung hard drive, Automan you are down to about 15% are you not?

Be interesting to see if your Foxsat reboot time now slowly increases over time. This could point to a memory leak problem in the firmware which is only sorted out by a power cycle.

Technically there would be no problem watching TV, but Freeview on my TV doesn't compare with freesat for news channels.

Mine has not been powered down for at least 6 wks probably longer.

I have just given my one a HD format and factory reset.

Boot time is still the same at 42 seconds to picture and 52 seconds to when it says the hard drive is ready.

Mainly did this to see if episode numbering is fixed....

Sometimes episodes of a series were numerically incremented and other times not.

e.g.
Batman
Batman (1)
Batman
Batman (3)

Automan.