|
||||||||
First Impressions |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Co. Mayo
Posts: 6
|
First Impressions
I received my Humax Foxsast HDR at last and after
a few days of experimenting I can definitely recommend it as a wonderful receiver. It only took me ten minutes to get it up and running without any hitches or problems. Here are some of my main impressions so far. The EPG is outstanding; it's pleasing to the eye and packed with useful and intuitive features that are miles ahead of Sky's EPG. IMO. A full seven days guide for radio stations (including Irish stations, RTE1, 2FM, Lyric and Radio na Gaeltachta) is another nice feature. I am using a loop through cable which gives me limited dual tuner functionality and again this is another big advantage over Sky boxes. Recording to the hard drive is easy and the stored recordings offer a wonderful array of helpful features. The HD pictures on my Panasonic Viera LXD700 from BBC are absolutely stunning - looking forward to the rugby in HD this afternoon. And now for the downside. As many posters have already mentioned the SD picture quality is disappointing I also have a German-made TechniSat Digicorder S1 (six years old!) and its SD pictures on all channels are far superior. Humax are definitely going to have to do something about this as it is a blot on an otherwise superior receiver. In the meantime, well done Humax and Freesat. All I need now is for RTE to live up to its public service obligations and add its TV services to Freesat. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,324
|
Quote:
As many posters have already mentioned the SD picture quality is disappointing I also have a German-made TechniSat Digicorder S1 (six years old!) and its SD pictures on all channels are far superior.
Have Humax commented on this? |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
And now for the downside. As many posters have already mentioned the SD picture quality is disappointing I also have a German-made TechniSat Digicorder S1 (six years old!) and its SD pictures on all channels are far superior.
Humax are definitely going to have to do something about this as it is a blot on an otherwise superior receiver. In the meantime, well done Humax and Freesat. All I need now is for RTE to live up to its public service obligations and add its TV services to Freesat. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Co. Mayo
Posts: 6
|
Thanks for that advice. I'll try the scart and some finessing of the settings. The TechniSat was connected with a scart so that might make a difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hants (New Forest)
Posts: 1,665
|
Quote:
Try using a rgb scart for sd (if you are not already), many report that this works best with their TV.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Set the output of the Humax to original. The inbuilt upscaler isnt very good. Use the TV upscaler to improve the picture.
I assume this is why people say use the scart although Im not sure if you have to do that or just do it my way to get a better picture. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
Set the output of the Humax to original. The inbuilt upscaler isnt very good. Use the TV upscaler to improve the picture.
I assume this is why people say use the scart although Im not sure if you have to do that or just do it my way to get a better picture. Best advice is to try it and use whatever you prefer. As it happens SD on my Sony TV looks best to me over scart but as I use freeview for SD it's pretty academic in my case. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
My TV accepts it fine so this is what I do and only need 1 cable and one input and the hassle of switch back and forth if you switch HD/SD channels.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
My TV accepts it fine so this is what I do and only need 1 cable and one input and the hassle of switch back and forth if you switch HD/SD channels.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/8853486-post723.html It's not any help to the OP is it, he still needs to make up his own mind |
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Quote:
Can't see the point of this you obviously prefer the picture over hdmi others don't.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/8853486-post723.html It's not any help to the OP is it, he still needs to make up his own mind You can achieve the using of the TV upscaler to improve the picture over HDMI. |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,460
|
Quote:
Can't see the point of this you obviously prefer the picture over hdmi others don't.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/8853486-post723.html It's not any help to the OP is it, he still needs to make up his own mind |
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
You dont get it, its the fact that its the upscalers that are the big difference, not what lead you use.
You can achieve the using of the TV upscaler to improve the picture over HDMI. |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Quote:
I think it's you who does not get it. I already explained that some tv's don't work with a 576i signal over hdmi. Even those that do will sometimes produce better results from RGB analogue from the scart rather than rgb digital from the hdmi. Most TV's have scalers not upscalers they have to work both ways. The only way to tell is to actually try it not slavishly stick to your own theories. I guess you are one of the misguided many who think because it's digital it's got to be better.
Changing the output to original is a lot easier than setting up different inputs for HD and SD. The analogue wont be better than the digital, the TV upscaler when using the analogue will be better than the cheap Humax when using the digital. You are still missing that. Of course using the TV upscaler on the digital is the best option. |
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
Calm down sparky.
The analogue wont be better than the digital, the TV upscaler when using the analogue will be better than the cheap Humax when using the digital. You are still missing that. Analogue is often better than digital, SD analogue TV still has more picture information than digital due to the compression and bit rate comprimises required. The foxsat-hd outputting analogue HD 1080i50 over component has a much better picture than the same transmission connected by hdmi. See here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...7&postcount=39 Last edited by grahamlthompson : 15-02-2009 at 14:57. Reason: extra link |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,460
|
Quote:
The analogue wont be better than the digital, the TV upscaler when using the analogue will be better than the cheap Humax when using the digital. You are still missing that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
See my post above- it looks like the Humax is forcing NR on 576i output over HDMI, Humax should be allowing users to turn NR off....
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Quote:
I may be thick but I have not a clue what this means.
You think its purely because of the scart, I think its purely because of the upscaler. I also think digital is better then analogue for cables. After all, the best audio cables are optical or digital coaxial. TV broadcasts dont even come into it when comparing analogue v digital connections. |
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
You think its purely because of the scart, I think its purely because of the upscaler. I also think digital is better then analogue for cables. After all, the best audio cables are optical or digital coaxial. |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
I use optical on my connections, I only said it was digital coax to distinguish it from the optical.
I believe all the high price cables are a con. Anyway, if the OP cant tell the difference between original HDMI and scart, hes better off using original HDMI as it negates the input switching on the TV every time you change to or from an HD channel. |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
I use optical on my connections, I only said it was digital coax to distinguish it from the optical.
I believe all the high price cables are a con. Anyway, if the OP cant tell the difference between original HDMI and scart, hes better off using original HDMI as it negates the input switching on the TV every time you change to or from an HD channel. |
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Were talking SD here via scart or HDMI, of course it has to upscale it to the HD screen size.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
Were talking SD here via scart or HDMI, of course it has to upscale it to the HD screen size.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,556
|
Call it want you want if you want to be pedantic but my TV does not down scale anything. It only upscales.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Redditch Worcs
Posts: 17,289
|
I can't be bothered with this anymore, once again you equate your own experiences to those of others and assume yours are right. You clearly have a full HD TV, by far the majority of HD capable TV owners do not. Your responce once again reveals because that's what happens on your TV it must apply to everyone. Others in this thread have tried in the kindest possible way to indicate the flaws in your argument which basically is "THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE IT MUST BE RIGHT". A forum exists to give a balanced view, how more balanced can a view that says make up your own mind can be. I leave it up to the forum readers to decide who has the right attitude. Some will decide your view is right, personally I don't have any view as it entirely depends on whatever equipment you use and your personal preferences. All this stems from a simple statement try both and make up your own mind, how can this be bad advice ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 648
|
We got our PVR this weekend, and we love it. I've never seen our Bravia's pictures look so good in both SD and HD, even better than the inbuilt tuner. The colours look rich and natural. Everything looks gorgeous.
We are so happy that we won't have to use our awful Topfield PVR anymore, and will be using the Humax from now on. The only thing we miss from the Topfield is the skip buttons with different skip times for each button (and one skip back button), but the Humax is so good, we can live with that. The recorded programmes start right at the beginning, whereas we had to pad with the Topfield. The series link works perfectly too. The unit is very quiet. We live in a very quiet house and even the clock ticking can be blooming annoying, but we can barely hear the Humax. It does everything it should do and we are very happy with it, although it's probably a little overpriced. |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 09:00.


