The following link details the announcement of Freesat's intended "Lead manufacturer" as Sagemcom for the fothcoming G2 specifications of Freesat receivers.

http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.p...oin+Freesat%29

It also states that Humax will be introducing ( the relevant?)new boxes late in 2012 accordingly.......

This is the reason I went with the Samsung SMT-S7800, as it's been promised by Samsung to be G2 ready and will be firmware updatable when ready.

Has the technical hardware spec for G2 been published yet? The hardware requirements for YouView have been set down and include a minimum processor speed and memory size. What will Samsung do if the S7800 does not meet similar requirements in the G2 Freesat specs?

I doubt if the G2 specs will be published (where is G1?) - I would expect them to less hardware specific than YouView - The YouView specs need to provide processing capacity for unknown applications which I am not expecting that G2 will.

Next year is going to be most interesting with the Humax box said to be coming late 2012 - a timescale that would fit in with the probability of a G2/YouView offering.

That would be near miraculous, given that the G2 specs have been radically extended at some point in the last few months - i.e. after the Samsung box launched.

Cheers,
David.

from http://www.astra2d.com/news.html

Samsung Freesat PVR is G2-ready

Monday, August 8 2011


Samsung has confirmed that its SMT-7800 Freesat+ HD recorder can be upgraded to the forthcoming G2 spec.

Freesat G2 is the code name for a next-generation technical specification adding better peformance and features, particularly in the area of hybrid TV via broadband.

Warren Hampton, Samsung UK's general manager of home networks, told Wotsat that the SMT-7800 was built with Freesat G2 in mind.

The ST-7105 chipset is capable of meeting G2's processing needs, and there's a built-in CI+ conditional access slot for channels who want to add pay-TV services, he said. 'We could add G2 as a software download,' Hampton added.

He hinted that Freesat G2 might also allow Samsung to add its Smart TV Hub to Freesat products, which it's not currently able to do.

Dedicated Freesat G2 products are not expected to launch until the end of 2011 or early 2012, so Samsung could steal a lead on its competitors.

I suspect the important point is right there in your quote: "'We could add G2 as a software download".

Not "we will"
Not "we plan to"
Not "we intend to"
but "we could"

or maybe I'm just getting cynical in my near-middle-age!

Cheers,
David.

Perhaps, but given that the current Humax offering certainly WON'T support G2, and the fact the Samsung and the Humax are otherwise very similar in end-user experience except the Samsung is actually substantially cheaper, isn't a no-brainer?

I can't see why anyone would pick the Humax over the Samsung. The only mark-down point on the Samsung was the lack of manual record padding, otherwise the Samsung met or exceeded what the Humax was offering at a more expensive pricepoint.

You're making two assumptions:

1) Users will want G2 in place of what a current box offers
2) The way a user will choose between Samsung, Humax, Panasonic, Echostar, Grundig, Goodmans and Sagem (are there any others?) will be based on a feature check-list and price

That's not how I'd pick a PVR. I look at the actual user experience on the STB, and the history and reputation of the manufacturer in supporting their products.

Based on that, I've bought Humax and Echostar STBs, and a Sony TV. Apart from the _current_ Humax software (which I could hardly have predicted when I bought my Humax box two years ago), I've not been disappointed.

I guess Samsung must have improved - but their support for last year's products hasn't always been all that it could be. The same, sadly, has been true of Panasonic. As for the last three manufacturers

Cheers,
David.

I would have bought a Humax, but decided against it for a number of (usability) reasons and went for a Sagem.
Now before you say anything, they have recent started an in-house forum for Sagem product users and Sagem's response should be a lesson to the others (perhaps not Echostar..) being aware of "issues " and doing something about them.
I agree there doesn't seem to be a "one-for-all" box like Sky but you said it when Samsung & Panasonic (BIG names) have got it wrong sometimes as well, eh?
And I'm sure most PC users wouldn't have swapped their PC for a Mac just because Microsoft got Vista wrong.........

For Freesat G2 and Youview It will come down to VOD possibilities, apps have been mentioned but honestly without a keyboard/mouse or a touchscreen its not going to be big. On VOD they have a lot of competition building :
- Google TV
- Apple TV
- BluRay players
- Latest gen LCD's

VOD will become much more mainstream as BT Infinity (optical fibre broadband) rolls out accross the country in the next year or two - suddenly with circa 30 mbps download speeds, streaming HD in real time over the web becomes a real possibility.

LoveFilm I think may be decisive - especially in non sports households.

Exactly - and how many of the target audience will have a BluRay player this year that does LoveFilm nicely thank-you.

I think the market and devices for lovefilm have moved on: search for LoveFilm and Sonty.

Sonty Monakhisi ?

Typo "LoveFilm Sony".

I've had a Sagem PVR briefly but had to return it to Best Buy because it was constantly over heating and crashing therefor not fit for purpose, & on the day that I returned it the HDD temperature was 40C when I first plugged the PVR in last Thursday it was 33C, then on the Friday it had crept up to 38C & Saturday it was 40C. I know I had been doing some recording during the night like Family Guy, Big Brother and some stuff from Food Network, but surely it shouldn't get that hot, also the UI was totally un-usable compared to the Sagem Freeview+ box that I've got. I eventually settled on the 500GB Humax Foxsat-HDR as I already have a Humax Foxsat-HD and have never had any trouble with that, also it was cheaper than the Samsung as the HDR was £249.99 compared to the £257.99 price that the Samsung was marked up at (I didn't get the HDR from Best Buy as all the boxes were free to be opened and weren't security tagged) and I find the HDR very usable especially with the option to add raydon's Media and File Server Bundle for FoxsatHDR release 3c as you can add loads of third party addons such as a Channel Editor. I've already installed the modded Firmware that adds the ability to add third party addons, but I've not had time to install any addons yet. Apart from the EPG bug I'm more than happy with the HDR, & I'm not fussed that it's not compatable with the G2 Spec as this box does all that I want it to do.

Roland