Once PVRJunction broke with the news of a new Freesat+ PVR on the block last July, from French manufacturer Sagem, it went a bit quiet on that front. However, while everyones talking about the all new Humax software update over the last few days, What Satellite and Digital TV have today announced the news on their website of the first Sagem recorder release taking place next week. We’ve since spoken to Sagem who confirmed there will be a 250GB model release first and then a 500GB model will go on sale soon after.

This is good news for Freesat recorder customers, who at this time of the year are looking for a choice of PVRs to compare and buy. Before the feast of seasonal TV on the platform gets underway. Stay tuned as we’ll be getting our hands on the PVR and will give you all the details, together with our usual photos, screenshots and video of the unit in action.

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We managed to get hold of the latest Freesat+ recorder from the Harvard Group Plc. This a Goodmans branded machine with model number GFSDTR320HD  (watch out for Grundig variants) which we’ve taken home to see how the whole family gets on.

Our first impressions are pleasant from an ease of use point of view. It is a straightforward and easy to operate HD Freesat+ recorder. Alas our first unit suffered from one or two problems; and whilst we are sure this is down to bad luck, we are currently awaiting a properly working replacement. In the mean time here are our first photos and screen shots:

 Click to select image

Humax have confirmed to PVRJunction the release of a new updated version of the software for Foxsat-HDR Freesat+ PVR customers. It is now with the DTG, who organise the over the air software update timetables, to schedule.

The news clears up some of the uncertainly over when the software update, which has been mostly ready for some time, will be made available; the software release could not take place until the Freesat BBC iPlayer infrastructure could be tested under a wider audience. The software changes include the following items:

    • Support for BBC iPlayer service (service availability to be confirmed by freesat)

    • Auto Delete function included

    • Ability to Delete Recorded Programmes from the Media List while recording or playing back.

    • RGB output available on HD content (Live TV and Recordings)

    • Resolved ITV HD Schedules disappearing after a channel scan

    • Freesat schedules no longer removed after a Manual Tune.

    • Resolved issue with Subtitles appearing when use Time Shift Recording.

    • Resolved issues playing back encrypted HD content from an external device.

    • Diagnostic Menu now displays the signal levels for both tuners correctly.

    • NEW icon now appears in the Media List (Simple view) on Folders with new recordings.

    • Resolved issues with Series schedules failing to record.

    • EPG Genre screen now appears in two columns

    • Resolved Lip-Sync issue resetting after a power cycle.

    • Resolved incorrect character appearing on Postcode in the Diagnostic menu.

    • Resolved lockup issue when recordings 2 TV channels and changing to a Radio channel.

    • Resolved intermittent Lip-sync issue when accessing ITV-HD

    • Changes made to some on screen messages regarding conflicts

Most of the changes are included in the above list, which has one or two additions from our listing on PVRJunction last month. The current plan assumes the software filters out into the public domain from 10th November onwards, with release notes appearing on Humax’s website in due course.

The Humax Foxsat-HDR, the first Freesat+ PVR, was released late last year to high acclaim both from the AV press and customers alike. That’s not to say the digital TV recorder is totally free from a few bugs or in need of one or two usability tweaks here and there. However we do recognise its stability when compared to pretty much every other PVR launch we can remember.

We spoke to Humax yesterday to find out the purpose of the next software update for the FOXSAT-HDR and when it might be distributed other the air (OTA) across the whole customer base.

We are told the new software will include any of those bug fixes that are ready to release, though Humax note there will be some improvements that are being worked on which will not make it to customers until another software release altogether. Its no secret that Humax have been making extensive changes to the system in order to provide IPTV facilities. This will enable to FOXSAT-HDR to provide BBC iPlayer, thought to go live on Freesat this autumn. In terms of new features, this is the one Humax are committed to delivering.

Following feedback received at their service desk from customers, engineers still do work on improvements and changes and we discussed one or two particular items -however Humax advise it is often the case some or none of them make it into new software releases for one reason or another. Therefore, there are no particular public plans to add further new features in the forthcoming software release, but if there will be these will be communicated publically nearer the respective release date.

Humax have advised PVRJunction that the current plan is to distribute the current .03 software version over the air later this month to enable all machines to get up to date before the next all new software release. The new software is planned for September/October, however a firm date will be released nearer absolute completion of the work which may come sooner or later than planned.

PVRJunction hope to release details about the software update very soon so do stay tuned!

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Speaking to PVRJunction, Director of Communications at Harvard International PLC, John Edwards took the opportunity to discuss their plans for Freesat+ and FreeviewHD PVRs.

Last month PVRJunction broke the news of a new Goodmans branded 320GB Freesat+ PVR, the GFSDTR320HD and the 500GB Goodmans GFSDTR500HD. Argos followed soon after with live product listings, but as the new Freesat+ PVRs haven’t even been launched as yet we’re interested to know how development was progressing. John says

Yes this was a little premature, but what it did do is announce our intention to have a PVR. We do have a PVR; it’s in final testing with industry bodies at this time. So we are close to manufacture and close to release in the UK.

With the Humax exclusivity deal on the sale of Freesat+ PVRs effectively over since around the end of last year, one might have expected more PVR manufacturers unleashing a stockpile of Freesat+ recorders in the new year. But it’s been strangely quiet on PVR scene until recently. We asked Harvard if there is much longer to wait for affordable competition in the Freesat PVR market. John says

We will release ASAP. These particular hardware items are nothing if not complex. Then the testing is extremely laborious. This is done not only by ourselves but also by the DTG (Digital Television Group). When that testing is going to be finally complete I really couldn’t say but if I were to give PVRJunction some sort of steer on it, I would expect the product to be in the market by next month.

The industry is currently hard at work on the Freeview platform too; busy working towards the provision of high definition channels on DTT (digital terrestrial television). The working title is T2 (DVB-T2), and together with most other key hardware suppliers Harvard are watching developments extremely closely on T2. According to John Edwards there will be no significant announcement yet because this has got to come through Freeview, as its going to become FreeviewHD. The industry is looking to have some sort of start to HD broadcasting by the end of the year, with broadcasts happening both in the Granada region, and also in the metropolitan London region. The scope of those broadcasts hasn’t yet been defined and most of the industry is awaiting a fuller announcement by Freeview themselves. Hardware-wise John says

As far as hardware goes I think it’s probably unlikely in that timescale. Whilst you may have one or two token pieces of hardware by the end of the year, in terms of anything like a significant volume I think you’ve really got to have a look at Q1/ Q2 next year.

It seems too early to talk about the hardware and obtain some sort of scope but talking to manufacturers over the last few weeks its clear many of them are yet to get their hands on the silicon needed for DVB-T2, and probably will not do until the latter part of the year. Launch products will likely be thin on the ground – perhaps set top boxes rather than PVRs. We asked John if Harvard will be releasing a FreeviewHD PVR for early next year

Yes. I wouldn’t claim that we’re going to be right in the lead. I would claim that we are going to be close followers. I expect there is going to be hardware around by Easter; there should be broadcast coverage in HD up to 48% of the current DTT coverage before the world cup which is June next year.

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The sixth annual Communications Market Report has just been released by Ofcom, and reveals just how much the  appetite among consumers is growing for recording broadcast programmes for playback later. Nearly 9 million PVRs have been sold since 2000, helped in large part by the move to digital broadcasting. Here we set out key metrics on the take-up and use of PVR products and identify trends in consumer attitudes towards PVR use.

Key findings:

• More than a quarter of consumers (27%) claimed to use a PVR at the end of March 2009, equivalent to 7 million homes, according to Ofcom research. This rose to nearly a third of consumers (31%) in multichannel television homes.
• These figures are a little lower than those for operator and sales data, which suggest that nearly 9 million PVRs had been sold in the UK at the end of March 2009. The five million Sky+ boxes (launched in September 2001) made up the majority of the UK PVR universe at the end of Q1 2009, followed by Freeview+ and Freesat+ and Top Up TV devices, which together accounted for around 2.6 million devices.
• 15% of viewing across the five main PSB channels in 2008 was of programmes recorded using a PVR, according to data from BARB, the television industry’s audience measurement organisation. In Sky+ homes this rose to 19%.
• Adults aged 16-34 are the group most likely to watch programmes recorded on a PVR; 19% of viewing among this age group was on a recorded basis in 2008 according to BARB, compared to 11% for viewers aged 55 and over.
• High-definition programmes are among those most viewed after their initial broadcast in Sky+ homes, according to viewing data from the SkyView panel. A third of viewing of Drama serials and series in Sky+ homes is recorded.
• 42% of consumers said that they watched a greater variety of programmes since owning a PVR, although a third (33%) disagreed with this. Eighty per cent of consumers believe that they watch more programmes that they enjoy because they have a PVR.
• PVRs are becoming increasingly advanced, offering viewers search functionality and ‘push’ video-on-demand, where programmes are downloaded to the hard disk drive, for example. Hard drives are also increasing in size; some PVRs offer up to 250 hours of recording, up markedly from the 40 hours available on early generations of devices.
• The average retail price of PVRs for the Freeview market had fallen to £106 at the end of March 2009, down from £172 in March 2005, according to GfK sales data. Similarly, the costs of DVRs from the main pay-TV operators have fallen.
• Consumers are using a range of services to ‘catch up’ on television programmes including online catch-up TV and TV-based video-on-demand.

The report shows around a fifth (19 per cent) of viewing in Sky+ homes is timeshifted, more than for subscribers to Virgin Media’s V+ service who timeshifted 12 per cent of viewing; and some 9 per cent of viewing in Freeview PVR homes was time-shifted programmes. Ofcoms research also suggests that PVR owners enjoy a better TV experience, where 8 out of 10 TV viewers with a PVR say that they watched more programmes that they enjoy, and over 40 per cent said that they watched a greater variety of programmes since getting a PVR.

Source: Ofcom August 2009

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 Harvard PLC are set to launch the Goodmans GFSDTR320HD and GFSDTR500HD Freesat+ Digital TV Recorders. The machines will feature high definition twin tuners, which will enable the recording of up to two programmes at the same time, and a 320GB hard drive for the GFSDTR320HD PVR and a 500GB hard drive in the GFSDTR500HD PVR. The PVR chassis is very similar to the Zoran based Freeview+ version (see below), which we at PVR junction are very familiar with, therefore it wouldn’t suprise us to learn the the new Goodmans Freesat+ machine is based on the same platform.

Unfortunately there isn’t a confirmed release date or official press release as this information was obtained by PVR Junction unofficially with Harvard PLC. However we have been told release is expected during August 2009 with prices around the £300 mark for the GFSDTR320HD and £350 for the GFSDTR500HD. This should interest those in the market for a freesat+ PVR and our advice would be to wait another few weeks for these PVRs before deciding.

Sagem have confirmed the launch of a new PVR for the Freesat service, due for release around October 2009. The Sagem Freesat+ digital TV recorder will be released in two versions: the DTR94250S has a 250GB hard drive and the DTR94500S will ship with a 500GB hard drive.

The new Sagem Freesat+ PVRs will feature a USB port for transferring media and  an ethernet port to support forthcoming iplayer on demand services arriving on Freesat this autumn. With its twin tuners it is possible to record two different channels at the same time.

Prices will start at £250 for the 250GB version and £300 for the 500GB version.

Sagem have also released a Freesat HD set top box with model number DSI86HD, which should be available in shops during the week. In the photo received yesterday from Sagem, the DSI86HD Freesat box design is in keeping with current Sagem STBs and features a USB port on the front. Prices will be around £130.

Freesat+ owners can now record and watch The Bill in all its high definition glory from ITVHD.

Starting from tomorrow 1st July, The Bill will kick off a brand new 6 part storyline on in its usual slot of Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8PM.

Freesat+ PVR owners will now be given the option to choose the high definition version of  The Bill when selecting the programme to record in the EPG.

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Panasonic allow pricing information for its forthcoming freesat+ recorders to be released today.

As reported earlier on PVR Junction (LINK) there will be three variants of this twin tuner, dual recording, Freesat PVR. One with a DVD recorder complimenting the 250GB hard drive – its called the DMR-XS350. The flagship model, the DMR-BS850, has a 500GB hard drive and includes DVD and blu-ray (recordable) disk drive.

For our last report we thought it fair to prepare potential customers of the likely asking price, but today Panasonic have outlined the following price points: DMR-BS850 £999. There will be a 250B version available for £100 less, called the DMR-BS750. The DMR-XS350 will cost £699.

Release is currently estimated at June 2009, subject to satisfactory finalising of the firmware and final Freesat Approval.

A lorry driver asleep in his cab in a Northampton lay-by was tied up by raiders who stole thousands of pounds worth of Humax digital TV recorders.

Early on Monday the lorry was parked on the A45 at Collingtree. The Polish lorry driver was woken by the offenders who smashed their way into the cab and tied him up.

A spokesman from Northamptonshire Police said the lorry and its contents were then taken to the railway works access in Roade before being abandoned, although we are uncertain as to whether the entire contents of the vehicle were taken. He said:

We are appealing for information about a high-value robbery from a lorry which was transporting Humax digital video recorders.

The Polish lorry driver was asleep in his cab and was woken by the offenders, possibly three in total, who smashed their way into the cab, tied up the driver, and then drove the lorry towards Roade on the A508.

The lorry then turned right into Courteenhall Road before reaching Roade village and at the railway works access, in between Roade and Blisworth, the driver was off loaded from the lorry. Uninjured, he made his way back on foot to the Grange Park estate and raised the alarm.

It is believed the offenders moved the load, worth thousands of pounds, from the lorry to another vehicle. The lorry was found abandoned at the railway works.

During November, the Northamptonshire Police force had been issuing warning leaflets to lorry drivers which where distributed around lay-bys and other black spots where thefts, including this latest one, have been taking place this year.

This is a blow to some retailers, and customers alike, who have been struggling with high demand coupled with short supply. This week was supposed to see the start of significant increases in stock availability across retail outlets around the UK. We have been advised that many more shipments are planned including more later this week, however it is most unfortunate that after last weeks shortages, the product is likely to be just as scarce for a further week in many areas.

The Humax Foxsat-HDR went on sale at the end of last week with home deliveries already arriving at homes since early Monday morning. So what can you expect to find when opening the box? Thanks to our enthusiastic readers we have photos of the box contents.

As you can see it pretty much comes with everything you need this time, including batteries. We see from these pictures the Foxsat-HDR also comes with a 2 meter HDMI cable. Please remember this when buying the box, especially if ordering online as we have seen some etailers are still recommending buying such a cable at an additional £20; and in some cases even adding an additional HDMI cable automatically to your shopping basket which you have to un-tick yourself!

Its rather peculiar that product unboxing on the internet has become increasingly popular, especially for sought after products and eager beavers. All we can say is there must be some very bored office workers out there! If you are one of them – enjoy!

Photos

Rear

Remote Control

Batteries included

Composite, SCART and HDMI leads provided

Warranty Certificate

Quick Start Fold-out Guide

Customer Research leaflet

User Manual

Video: (Click here to watch in higher quality) 

[youtube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V2mFe5laXcU&fmt=18 480 360]

Thanks to the freesat team who are exhibiting at the Stuff Live exhibition in London, PVR Junction were treated to a hands on look at the new FOXSAT-HDR in action.

Just before the doors opened at the Excel Exhibition Centre we were invited to talk to both freesat and Humax together about the brand new satellite service, which includes free high definition TV from the likes of BBC and ITV, called freesat. And, just for you, the team offered to give our readers a walk through of the freesat service when used together with the nw Humax FOXSAT-HDR PVR.

So, with freesat ready and PVR Junction cameras running, without further ado sit back and enjoy their introduction to freesat+ …

Please note there are higher quality versions available on youtube which will show detail/onscreen words  clearer. Simply click on any video below once playback has started and you will be redirected to the onsite youtube version. Click on the small link below the video box “ watch in high quality”.

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[youtube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_SkMso0XOnY&fmt=6 480 320]

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Related articles: A Closer Look At Humax FOXSAT-HDR And Freesat+ Features

The FOXSAT-HDR remote control has had one or two recent adjustments to layout, and one of the first things to notice is the multifunction capabilities in the top part of controller. Earlier this week on PVR Junction we revealed the remote control accompanying the new Freesat+ recorder, minus close-up shots while one or two alterations were carried out to position of some functions.

The FOXSAT-HDR remote control will enable the owner to control not only the PVR, but also their TV and audio device. If it will help the user to put away the other remote controls that usually line the settees arm rest, this is great news.

Related Posts: A Closer Look At Humax FOXSAT-HDR And Freesat+ Features

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This week Humax and Freesat announced the first Freesat+ PVR in the UK, the FOXSAT-HDR. The first freesat+ PVR incorporates twin high definition tuners, with the ability to record two channels at the same time, a large 320GB capacity hard drive, and a host of advanced state of the art recording features.

Since publishing both the specifications of the FOXSAT-HDR on our Freesat PVR Comparison table in August, and a few development screen shots and photos, we’ve received a ton of emails from readers, and some publications, asking for more details. If our mailbox is anything to go by, the UK is going mad for Freesat+ / FOXSAT-HDR information; and the Humax/Freesat press release confirms some of the details, like the November release, and at the price of around £299. The main specifications were also outlined in the press release; namely, the ability to record TV programmes in high definition, easy series recording, and programme tracking. We’ll expand on some of these.

As mentioned above the FOXSAT-HDR can record two channels at the same time. You can start watching a programme that is being recorded from its beginning if you like, even though the rest of the programme is still being recorded (commonly called ‘chase play’). Whilst dual recording it is possible to watch any previously recorded programme on the hard drive too, while the current recordings continue in the background. Technically, it is possible for the FOXSAT-HDR to record up to four programmes at the same time; however this feature will not be enabled on the release version but could be a free feature upgrade in the future.

With the 320GB hard drive the FOXSAT-HDR will be capable of recording about 160 hours of standard definition programmes, or around 45 hours in high definition. The PVR can collect the whole freesat 7 day electronic programme guide (EPG) in around 30 seconds, which is an improvement on its Freeview PVRs. Of course, it’s the EPG on digital recorders that make setting and recording such a doddle, and both freesat and Humax have worked on a layout which should work well for most people. As well as the usual grid style layout showing multiple channels at the same time, there is an option to view the EPG by one channel at a time in list view.

There are features when using the guide on the FOXSAT-HDR which are very useful indeed. One example is when selecting a programme to record; if the programme is part of a series, the machine will ask if you would like the whole series to be recorded for you, or just that one programme. If you select to record a programme that happens to be in two parts – for example a film that is split by the news – the machine will see the later continuing part and record it for you. There is another cool feature where, if you are trying to select  programme to record, but it clashes with other timers already set, the machine will automatically search through the EPG to find an alternate instance of that programme, and offer to record it for you at the alternative slot available. The EPG comes with a search function which enables the user to search for programmes in the 7 day programme guide by keyword/s. You can also carry out a search by genre – for example you can search for all movies on this week and select from the results list which you would like to be recorded.

Another nice touch is the high definition recording suggestion. If a user selects a programme to record from the EPG, for example Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1, the machine can offer you the option to record the high definition version if that is available as well. The machine uses the alternate instance meta date in satellite broadcasts to achieve this, and this is how the option to record programmes on the freesat exclusive ITV HD channel will be achieved.

One of the main problems we face with recordings generally is when programmes to don’t stick to their scheduled broadcast time, even if this is only by a minute or two. How many times have you set to record a programme only to find its started earlier or ended later than it should have done – you miss some of the start, or the crucial ending of your recorded programme! Humax are providing two ways in which it can help customers here. One is the option for the machine to automatically add a little extra recording time to the beginning and ending of each scheduled recording. This is called autopadding. Perhaps its worth mentioning  that series recording and autopadding can work together on the FOXSAT-HDR – which is something that has not been possible on any of the Freeview PVRs (for some reason).

The other recording method attempting to capture the whole programme being recorded is called autotracking. What happens here is the machine will keep an eye on the broadcast stream in case a programme is starting earlier than the scheduled time. Also, if a programme does not finish at the scheduled time, the machine can continue to track its progress even after the scheduled ending time so that the recording will finish properly. This is partly dependant on the broadcaster supplying the relevant meta data during broadcasting hours. At the receiver end, the FOXSAT-HDR will start tracking a scheduled programme start time 15 minutes in advance, even if the machine has to be woken up in standby to do so. When it gets to 4 minutes before scheduled broadcast time the tracking polling interval is set right down to every 10 seconds, resulting in very accurate recording start times, for programmes that have moved out of schedule.

There are a couple of other usability features that are worth a mention. Within the list of recorded programmes there is an option for users to create folders in which to organise their recordings. This is great idea and one can easily set up a folder for a particular series, children’s programmes, movies etc. Indeed each member of the family can have their own folder. Another nice feature is the 4in1 universal remote control for PVR, TV, DVD and AMP. The relevant codes will be included in the manual. As well as the scart cable Humax are also providing a HDMI cable which is nice of them.

The PVR automatically buffers the channel you are watching to the hard drive in order to enable pause live TV and instant rewind functionally. One minor negative is you are not able to retrospectively go back into the buffer and record earlier programmes, as the instant recording button only works at the live point. If you press the record button when in the rewind buffer the machine will tell you the recording will start from the current live position in the programme. This is no big deal but its amazing how having this feature on the Topfield and Humax Freeview PVRs has come in handy.

As this is a freesat PVR the machine is not set up to manage non-freesat recordings therefore we feel this is something worth pointing out. If setting up timers for non-freesat channel recordings is a requirement, readers will probably need to invest in a FTA satellite PVR. Unfortunately they can cost a lot more for anything approaching the same specifications as the FOXSAT-HDR. Having said that, the machine can be set to ‘non-freesat mode’ for watching channels outside of the freesat service, including those on other satellites (motorised dish supported with DisEqC/USALS), and the instant recording button on the remote control will work for those non-freesat channels. The setting up of non-freesat ‘timers’ is not available to the FOXSAT-HDR on release, but could be added at some stage.

The Ethernet port will be used for archiving and iPlayer services at some point after the November release. The two USB host ports on the PVR (one at the front and one at the back) allow users to archive their recordings (which are the transport streams) to a USB hard drive or flash key. It is possible to play or move those recording back to the PVR also. However the PVR on release will not be able to play MP2 or MP4 media. Additionally, Humax have decided the development and licensing of Divx support is not for this particular product. It is worth mentioning that the archiving of recorded programmes to external sources is subject to freesat specifications, therefore if a broadcaster sets a flag to prohibit the archiving of their programme, the FOXSAT-HDR will comply. Other media playback and transfer options are for photos and MP3 music files. There is a 20GB partition created on the PVR for users to add their own photos or music. However you can set the size of the partition to your preference during the set up process.

With the cost of hard drive based satellite high definition recorders averaging around £400-£500, and taking into account Sky’s high definition PVR listing as £399 (with half the user recording capacity) we are on one hand surprised at the £299 price tag for the FOXSAT-HDR. This, given it is ready for IPTV with the forthcoming BBC iPlayer catch up TV application, its future remote network PC connectivity options, and possibly the most advanced UK EPG based recording capabilities we’ve seen. Volumes are not likely to be anywhere near that of the Freeview market, where Humax also provide a standard definition PVR first developed a few years ago for under £200; therefore one wonders how long it will actually take Humax to recover its trailblazing development costs on the high definition freesat PVR. The FOXSAT-HDR will have to be a popular device and fly off the shelves. Judging by comments on forums and retailers it seems the FOXSAT-HDR is set to fly off the shelves. The initial breakthrough price, no-doubt, will help.

Related Artcles: Video: Watch The FOXSAT-HDR Freesat PVR In Action