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Why I hate the Foxsat — anything better out there?


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Old 11-09-2012, 21:58
Grand Dizzy
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Just remembered 4 more things I hate about the Foxsat…
[list][*]No recording from the EPG If I want to record something that’s currently on, I can’t record it from the EPG, instead I have to switch to that channel and press record while watching it.
[*]No “now and next” EPG mode Not something I use myself, but it seems strangely absent considering most PVRs have this.
[*]Channel numbers Every channel name is prefixed with stupid (and pointless) channel numbers before the channel name? Maybe some people use them to change channels, but I would have thought most people just use the EPG. Those number just waste space and add clutter and I find them really distracting.
[*]Bad LCD The LCD on the unit is terrible: if you look at it head-on, the background looks fairly black, but if you merely stand up, or sit to one side, the whole thing turns pale blue and looks really distracting.[/list]
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Old 11-09-2012, 23:36
Alan White
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Just remembered 4 more things I hate about the Foxsat…
For someone whose box doesn't actually work you have a remarkable memory for its failings .

No recording from the EPG
Yes, an odd and occasionally annoying omission.

No “now and next” EPG mode
I can't comment on "most PVRs". I've used three (see to the left) and none of them has this feature in the main EPG but all of them have it in what Humax calls the "i-plate". The custom firmware also has the feature which I find useful because it returns the data more quickly.

Channel numbers
I expect that most people - me included - just enter the number if they know which channel they want. If the number wasn't in the EPG then we wouldn't be able to learn it.

Bad LCD
It seems to be tailored to daylight and works well then; at night, in dim lighting, it's dazzling bright. Conversely, the 9300 is too dim to be seen in daylight but is nicely viisible in the evening .
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Old 12-09-2012, 08:53
standinman
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Can we start a Thread why we LOVE the FOXSAT HDR ??????
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Old 12-09-2012, 09:48
gomezz
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I would be up for thread called "Why I find the Foxsat HDR just about tolerable".
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Old 12-09-2012, 10:01
2Bdecided
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Getting fed up of pointing this out. HD/SD linking of content in the Freesat epg is part of the Freesat spec and is down to data provided by the broadcasters. Any Freesat+ certified box should support it. In fact if you look around you can find many posts bemoaning the fact that some broadcasters don't properly implement it.

If there are Freesat+ specified parts of the UI that you don't like posting these in a thread relating purely to Humax kit is totally pointless. Address your comments where they should be, to Freesat.
I think this thread is bizarre and extreme - but on this small point, I'm sure some Freesat STBs have menu options to let you modify this behaviour - for both SD/HD links and series link recording, there's an "always yes / always no / ask me everytime" option.

I do wonder how people manage to get so worked up over STBs that basically work. If they bought it within the last year, it's hardly a secret that it's the favourite box of many people here, but it can be a bit slow and is missing some features. They could have learnt all this before they bought it.

Cheers,
David.
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Old 12-09-2012, 11:09
Andrue
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at least the top right is occupied with a useful picture of the current channel (another feature missing from the Foxsat).
For which I'm very grateful. PiGs (Picture in Guide)s are like Marmite - you either love them or hate them. I hate them. I time shift everything so I have no interest in what's currently being broadcast. All they do is take up space that could be used more usefully for programme listing. If you want to see the kind of angst that can arise when a PVR manufacturer forces PIGs on people see here:

http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-HD/N.../452296#M24346

..it doesn't help that in the release blurb Sky keep saying how they've increased the number of channels visible

What might work for me would be an intelligent PiG. Visible during playback (showing the current recording), not visible when nothing is playing back. There are times when I might want to browse the guide without losing sight of what I'm playing back.
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Old 12-09-2012, 21:00
Grand Dizzy
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I would be up for thread called "Why I find the Foxsat HDR just about tolerable".
LOL!

I do wonder how people manage to get so worked up over STBs that basically work.
Hi 2B, I’d like to make three responses to the above comment:

1. First, my box basically doesn’t work. Half the time my favourite programme doesn’t record due to either an “Unknown error” or “Due to a conflict with a higher priority recording”. Many of my other complaints also refer to functions absent or not working, such as buffer recording. One of the things you expect as standard with a PVR is the ability to watch a programme, then hit record during the end credits if you want to keep it. The Foxsat can’t do this.

2. Second, if all people really wanted was a box that “basically worked” and no one cared much about specific features or design aspects, then the world would only need one STB, no one would release anything new, no one would ever have any inclination to improve their model or buy anything better. Likewise, if any anyone wanted from a car was that it started up, drove, and stopped again, then there would only need to be one model of car. As it happens though, people have tastes and preferences, and different things matter to different people. Some people don’t like to tweak, and some people do. Some people buy an electric piano that looks almost like a real piano, with very few controls. Then some people want a piano with lots and lots of buttons and features so they can play about and have more control over their instrument. Each to their own.

3. My final point following on from this. Everyone is different. Some people, like you, just don’t care about the specifics of a STB. I feel that way about shoes. If they fit, and they’re comfortable, great. I have no interest in shoes beyond that. I suspect this is your attitude towards PVRs. However, you have to understand that to some people, like me, these fine details really make a massive difference. I can’t tell you how different I feel inside when I sit and use the Topfield PVR to when I sit and use the Foxsat. The whole experience for me is radically different. It’s like the difference between sitting on a chair on a warm beach in Hawaii or sitting on a chair outside Warrington Sewage Works on a rainy day. Same chair, perhaps, but totally different experience. One makes me feel welcome, invited, comfortable, happy, in control; the other makes me feel empty, uninspired, handicapped, out of control and uncomfortable. When I watch TV I want to feel happy, and for me (and many like me) the box I’m using makes a big difference to that experience. The look of the interface; the feel of the remote; the responsiveness of the controls. It all adds up to a more enjoyable, or more frustrating expreince.

There is also another reason I posted my list of bugs/complaints about the PVR: just for the record. Maybe other people have similar problems and want to look it up, and they will read that other people have had the same trouble? Maybe the manufacturers will look through the forums for opinions in order to see what mistakes to put right next time round? And thirdly, there are some people out there who simply just enjoy reading other people’s opinions. I’m one of them! I would be very happy to read all about why people love the Foxsat. I find it all fascinating, both positive and negative.

Oh and don’t forget on top of all this I’m a professional graphic and interactive designer, so this stuff is particularly interesting to me! I get off on sifting through details perhaps many people wouldn’t care to waste time doing, but to me it’s fun!
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Old 12-09-2012, 21:17
grahamlthompson
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LOL!


Hi 2B, I’d like to make three responses to the above comment:

1. First, my box basically doesn’t work. Half the time my favourite programme doesn’t record due to either an “Unknown error” or “Due to a conflict with a higher priority recording”. Many of my other complaints also refer to functions absent or not working, such as buffer recording. One of the things you expect as standard with a PVR is the ability to watch a programme, then hit record during the end credits if you want to keep it. The Foxsat can’t do this.

2. Second, if all people really wanted was a box that “basically worked” and no one cared much about specific features or design aspects, then the world would only need one STB, no one would release anything new, no one would ever have any inclination to improve their model or buy anything better. Likewise, if any anyone wanted from a car was that it started up, drove, and stopped again, then there would only need to be one model of car. As it happens though, people have tastes and preferences, and different things matter to different people. Some people don’t like to tweak, and some people do. Some people buy an electric piano that looks almost like a real piano, with very few controls. Then some people want a piano with lots and lots of buttons and features so they can play about and have more control over their instrument. Each to their own.

3. My final point following on from this. Everyone is different. Some people, like you, just don’t care about the specifics of a STB. I feel that way about shoes. If they fit, and they’re comfortable, great. I have no interest in shoes beyond that. I suspect this is your attitude towards PVRs. However, you have to understand that to some people, like me, these fine details really make a massive difference. I can’t tell you how different I feel inside when I sit and use the Topfield PVR to when I sit and use the Foxsat. The whole experience for me is radically different. It’s like the difference between sitting on a chair on a warm beach in Hawaii or sitting on a chair outside Warrington Sewage Works on a rainy day. Same chair, perhaps, but totally different experience. One makes me feel welcome, invited, comfortable, happy, in control; the other makes me feel empty, uninspired, handicapped, out of control and uncomfortable. When I watch TV I want to feel happy, and for me (and many like me) the box I’m using makes a big difference to that experience. The look of the interface; the feel of the remote; the responsiveness of the controls. It all adds up to a more enjoyable, or more frustrating expreince.

There is also another reason I posted my list of bugs/complaints about the PVR: just for the record. Maybe other people have similar problems and want to look it up, and they will read that other people have had the same trouble? Maybe the manufacturers will look through the forums for opinions in order to see what mistakes to put right next time round? And thirdly, there are some people out there who simply just enjoy reading other people’s opinions. I’m one of them! I would be very happy to read all about why people love the Foxsat. I find it all fascinating, both positive and negative.

Oh and don’t forget on top of all this I’m a professional graphic and interactive designer, so this stuff is particularly interesting to me! I get off on sifting through details perhaps many people wouldn’t care to waste time doing, but to me it’s fun!
There is something wrong with your pvr, I forget the last time I lost a recording on my Foxsat-hdr. I also have a Topfield 5800, it gets little use. Basically I record pretty well anything on My Foxsat-hdr, on the rare occasion I run out of tuners I Use a single tuner Humax HD FOX T2 both of which have 1TB drives. I rarely record anything but HD content. The Topfield has not been used to record anything for weeks. Basically the 5800 will get replaced by a HDR-1000s once they become available. Don't you think if the Foxsat was really as bad as you say then the forums would be full of complaints. Instead there a handfull of the same posters which should look into what's wrong with their hdr.

Buffer recording it's true is not present, as a result it's possible to record HD content without encryption and stream HD content live to other TV's PC's in your home. The buffer can be recorded the same way. It's a trade off which I for one are happy with.

If you truly knew about pvrs you would understand what it's capabilities were compared to any other.

As to your other post about not caring about a pvr, I refer to my opinion as to the Youview pvr (it's lamentable).

I could produce a long list of what the Foxsat is capable of that no other current Freesat+ box can match but frankly I would be wasting my time.

As to your frequent recording clashes can I ask if you use Accurate Recording or have changed the on time/off time settings from other than the defaults ?
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Old 13-09-2012, 00:18
richard_g_uk
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There is something wrong with your pvr, I forget the last time I lost a recording on my Foxsat-hdr.
The only recordings I have lost lately are the F1 when they are split between BBC 1, BBC 2 and BBC 3.

I don't know whether this has always been dodgy (or has been broken in a firmware update) but series links across channels do not work correctly. They appear to work for the first 7 days after they have been setup recording all new episodes across all channels but after 7 days only the epsiodes on the channel the series link was setup on get recorded.

More info here:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1725409

I am sure I spotted this briefly on one of the other Humax forums (which I am not a member of) and they put it down to the BBC changing the Series CRID however my investigative nature confirmed that this was not the case and the series CRID codes remained the same.

Graham, I am sure you are a member of the other Humax forums and I believe Barry likes to test these things so I would be interested to see if he can replicate the issue. Be aware that this is quite difficult to replicate - the F1 is your best shot and it may take several weeks to prove.
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Old 13-09-2012, 10:02
Grand Dizzy
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I could produce a long list of what the Foxsat is capable of that no other current Freesat+ box can match but frankly I would be wasting my time.
I would find that very interesting indeed, if you or anyone else can list just a few of the features that are either unique to the Foxsat or things that the Foxsat does particularly well. I haven’t really noticed any myself but I would like to know exactly why this PVR is seen as superior by many people.
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Old 13-09-2012, 10:04
grahamlthompson
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The only recordings I have lost lately are the F1 when they are split between BBC 1, BBC 2 and BBC 3.

I don't know whether this has always been dodgy (or has been broken in a firmware update) but series links across channels do not work correctly. They appear to work for the first 7 days after they have been setup recording all new episodes across all channels but after 7 days only the epsiodes on the channel the series link was setup on get recorded.

More info here:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1725409

I am sure I spotted this briefly on one of the other Humax forums (which I am not a member of) and they put it down to the BBC changing the Series CRID however my investigative nature confirmed that this was not the case and the series CRID codes remained the same.

Graham, I am sure you are a member of the other Humax forums and I believe Barry likes to test these things so I would be interested to see if he can replicate the issue. Be aware that this is quite difficult to replicate - the F1 is your best shot and it may take several weeks to prove.
Interesting, I do know that Channel 5 will record series across channels, annoyingly the lunchtime edition of Home and Away and the new episode on 5* aired at 18:30 have the same series crid. As a result you can't set a series recording for the lunch time edition because after the first recording it switches to the 5* airings at 18:30 the same day, generating a clash if you are already recording two at the same time. Try it for yourself.
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Old 13-09-2012, 18:26
2Bdecided
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@Grand Dizzy,

I'm not as much of a fan of the box as Graham, but you could certainly have discovered its shortcomings before buying it. If you'd spent half the time reading DS before buying it as you've spent complaining on DS since buying it, you may have chosen differently and been happier!

It does sound like your box has something wrong with it, or is set up incorrectly. Try a factory reset, and if that doesn't work, get it exchanged - or just get your money back (sale of goods act - it's clearly not working as described at the moment) and buy something else.

Finally, please believe me when I say that I'm a picky b****r when it comes to STBs, video quality, music, hi-fi, food and women.

Cheers,
David.
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Old 21-09-2012, 22:11
davebav50
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Have read this thread with interest.
I have an SD and an HD Sky plus, a Humax Satellite recorder, two Tivo boxes and an Alba Freeview plus box. I did have a Digihome box till recently as well.

Putting hardware to one side, the Humax has the worst software of any of the boxes. Its GUI and remote are awful, its use is clunky. And any box that costs 250 quid but requires me to play with its firmware is a joke.
The Alba has really really good software functionality and a friendly GUI, although its hardware and firmware are terribly unreliable. But its simple enough for my 80 year father to use out of the box.
The Tivo box has incredible functionality but is horrendously complicated to use, and requires a Cable sub.
The SKY+HD box with latest on demand is probably the best compromise between good HW, SW and Firmware.

If you can, the best satellite recording option is the SKY+ box with the £10 month recording subscription.
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Old 22-09-2012, 07:54
REPASSAC
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................. And any box that costs 250 quid but requires me to play with its firmware is a joke.
...........
Where did you get that idea? Firmware updates are broadcast OTA and will automatically update if you leave your Foxsat in standby.
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Old 23-09-2012, 18:15
davebav50
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Where did you get that idea? Firmware updates are broadcast OTA and will automatically update if you leave your Foxsat in standby.
Sorry, I meant Software - as in having to tweak the Linux(?) based OS in order to get the most out it.
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Old 23-09-2012, 18:33
grahamlthompson
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Sorry, I meant Software - as in having to tweak the Linux(?) based OS in order to get the most out it.
Much of the extra functionality wouldn't be allowed on a Freesat+ box straight from the makers. Which is why a lot of it other Freesat+ boxes can't match.
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