Freeview HD - anyone gonna make the jump?

[willp2003]

Apparently this month should see the release of the first Freeview HD set top boxes, so just wondering if anyone will be buying one?

I'm tempted to wait for the PVRs to hit the market, but if the 3View box ticks all the boxes I'll be getting one of those (questions whether it will do text and red button services)

3view: PVR, rumoured to be £299 http://www.3view.com/

Finlux STB, approx £130: http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/6098

Humax HDFOXT2 STB, approx £180: http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/6079
review of the humax here:
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/aud...view?artc_pg=1

edit:
Toshiba announce a PVR, approx £350 (available June):
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/3139...us-hd#comments

Philips/Pace PVR - available now (£300)
http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/d...&slg=en&scy=GB

[liveseytowers]

That'll be a no from me because the Freeview signal is bad enough as it is around my area so there is no way a HD signal would work.

I prefer Freesat because its easier to get a satellite signal that it is using an aerial.

[raelmadrid]

if i do i would then have HD sat, HD cable and HD freeview lmao

[Goldberg]

I will be.

Where I live I cannot have a Dish nor can Virgin dig up the street. So my only option at the moment is BT Vision, which to be honest is good enough for me.
I am hoping that they upgrade the box to a HD Tuner, they have just changed the boxes but they did not put a new tuner in.
So I will be grabbing one to play with as soon as they are out, especially for the World Cup.

Our transmitter is the Crystal Palace one so we should be good to go

*EDIT*

The Humax one has an Ethernet port to connect to home media servers! This could replace my Hisense box I have now if it deals with all the formats (Xvid, MKV etc...)

[willp2003]

i've never heard of finlux or 3view, so i'm leaning towards the Humax as it has a USB port for storage devices - but this won't be active from launch, and the PVR functionality is most important for me.
I'll probably go for the 3view though as it is a PVR, but will wait to see if it complies with all the HD stuff first. I suppose by the time the world cup comes round, they'll be plenty on the market, but me being impatient I won't wait that long

[cassy34]

I've got a toppy at the moment and love it, so I'll probably wait and see what they have to offer. Having said that, most of my viewing is downloaded in HD and watched when I'm ready, I only actually watch football as it happens, everything else is either D/L or recorded.

[koola2]

I am waiting for the Freeview HD TV to be released and then get one of them, as I am still on a CRT.
Did I read somewhere the PS3 can record terrestial HD TV?

[willp2003]

@ koola2: there's the playtv thing but that's only good for "normal" freeview - unless they bring another model out for the HD freeview.

edit:

...... So, in short, don’t buy a Sony PlayTV in the belief that it will allow you to view Freeview HD channels in the UK. However, if you need a Freeview recorder for the living room or bedroom (or wherever your PS3 is), then for around £50, the PlayTV is certainly worth a look

[Smurfo]

I want to get a humax STB before the world cup, not sure if it worth waiting for the PVR version with a hard drive. Their products aren't perfect but better than most PVR boxes on the market.

What I don't understand is whether Freeview HD/DVB-t2 is just a UK standard.
For example this TV seems to do MPEG-4 decoding, but doesn't mention DVB-t2 or Freeview HD:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/190353

would it work with the new freeview HD service? I guess not?

[sniper]

I'll be waiting for the pvr ... after having a pvr you don't want to be without one , I have the humax (non-pvr) freesat for HD football and a humax freeview pvr for the rest of my tv

[mitchb]

What I don't understand is whether Freeview HD/DVB-t2 is just a UK standard.
For example this TV seems to do MPEG-4 decoding, but doesn't mention DVB-t2 or Freeview HD:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/190353

would it work with the new freeview HD service? I guess not?

As i understand it, the uk will have a different standard from the rest of europe, apparentley play TV will work for HD in europe but not the UK.

I was looking into getting a ps3 and play tv for HD to replace my existing pvr but found it a no go.

[Smurfo]

yeah, and I think DVB-t2 implies a different tuner chip. I really hope the Humax PVR is out before the world cup.

[willp2003]

I think they'll try and rush everything out before the world cup - I've updated the first post with a Toshiba PVR, but that's not set to be released until may/june.

[ZEbbEDY]

i just got a freesat humax box its the only option here with no freeview

chuffed with it so far, was watching the HD footy on itv-hd (lol wtf its never on) also why did BBC hd reduce the quality of their feed by 40% or something?

also with the freeview HD theres only a set amount of channels it can possibly handle but the freesat can get loads more chans once some of skys are off to another satelite or another satelite is added?

[sniper]

I've just got an email from dixons , they have the humax hd freeview box in stock for £163 http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/humax-h...324&xtor=ES-77

think i'll hang on for pvr version

[DJH]

I am hoping to have the humax hd freeview box in time for the world cup!

[Goldberg]

I am hoping to have the humax hd freeview box in time for the world cup!

HD cannot make our shower of overrated shite look better mate...

Fucking hell, nothing in the world can make Walcott look like a footballer! Wenger only signed him to lure other little boys into the camp...
Clearly it was getting out of hand at Arsenal so Wenger had to employ the old 'Daddy' Sol Campbell

[DJH]

HD cannot make our shower of overrated shite look better mate...

Fucking hell, nothing in the world can make Walcott look like a footballer! Wenger only signed him to lure other little boys into the camp...
Clearly it was getting out of hand at Arsenal so Wenger had to employ the old 'Daddy' Sol Campbell

Thanks goldberg, now having second thoughts!

[eme]

have to say at the prices they whant for freeview hd, i would rather buy something like spiderbox and get full hd and recording for 20 quid more. sorry but the price for std hd box is a joke.

[willp2003]

Took delivery of my Philips/Pace HD PVR today. BBC HD looks great, ITV less so.

The EPG is missinga few basic features, and it's not that easy to navigate, but I'm hoping for an update that will a fix a few of the issues, and lack of features.

So far so good though