Freesat/PVR
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Freesat/PVR
Looking at going Freesat with HD tuner/H Drive and the only model out at the moment is from Humax. Sony KDL series TV with 'Smartlink'. Anyone any experience of the Humax and Smartlink? Do they recognise and talk to each other? Any other kit out there?
PS I believe Smartlink is also known as Qlink
PS I believe Smartlink is also known as Qlink
Last edited by BOAC; 26th Jun 2009 at 11:50.
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only model out at the moment is from Humax
Freesat HD on Vista - Hauppauge UK Forum
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I should clarify that. If you intend to use Windows media centre, only 7 has native h.264 support for hidef imaging upto 1080p.
Any version of media centre prior to 7 will only process standard def with the exception of Vista tvpack plus a downloadable hack. Too much hassle imho.
Outside of that, you will have to go with vendor software. Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all, except it may leave you with a disjointed media solution on the pc. It's horses for courses in the end. Goiod luck.
Any version of media centre prior to 7 will only process standard def with the exception of Vista tvpack plus a downloadable hack. Too much hassle imho.
Outside of that, you will have to go with vendor software. Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all, except it may leave you with a disjointed media solution on the pc. It's horses for courses in the end. Goiod luck.
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Humax works well as a bit of hardware. On my early version the USB support is "how could they get it that wrong?" bad. Maybe things are better now if you want to get stuff onto a computer or across a network.
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Sprogget - no PC within 50 yards of the setup! Standalone lounge stuff (Mrs B = big noise if I put a PC in there
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GG - which TV are you using? Does it have a 'smartlink' type thingy?
)GG - which TV are you using? Does it have a 'smartlink' type thingy?
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GG - which TV are you using? Does it have a 'smartlink' type thingy?
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Ah, I see. Another box collector
Bloody eck! £293 big ones for the top of the line model
I have to say the equivalent pc tuner would be about a quarter of that!
HUMAX UK Direct Sales Website
Bloody eck! £293 big ones for the top of the line model
I have to say the equivalent pc tuner would be about a quarter of that!HUMAX UK Direct Sales Website
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Bloody eck! £293 big ones for the top of the line model I have to say the equivalent pc tuner would be about a quarter of that!
Mine only cost £145 (non recording one) and since nowadays with programmes available from I-Player etc the need to record has virtually disappeared, you don't really need one with a built in HD
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But GG, think of all the things you could do with a pc - you could load windows 7 on & watch the desktop change all day, once you'd got bored bored of Ross Kemp on pirates in hd.
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Sorry Boac I've had to google smartlink to find out what it was.
The answer is that smartlink is a propriatry name for Sony systems, JVC appears to have the same thing but calls it TV-link, so yes it does.
Other companies call it by different names, Panasonic = Q-link, Grundig = Megalogic, Philips=Easy-link, Metz + Data-logic. All very confusing.
The answer is that smartlink is a propriatry name for Sony systems, JVC appears to have the same thing but calls it TV-link, so yes it does.
Other companies call it by different names, Panasonic = Q-link, Grundig = Megalogic, Philips=Easy-link, Metz + Data-logic. All very confusing.
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Yes, I knew about Qlink as per post #1 but not all the other aliases Can I take it your TV-Link works ok? I have emailed Humax but no reply. The main reason for concern is that I currently have a JVC DVD Recorder with TV-Link but that does not 'see' the Sony thingy.
Can I take it your TV-Link works ok? I have emailed Humax but no reply. The main reason for concern is that I currently have a JVC DVD Recorder with TV-Link but that does not 'see' the Sony thingy.
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Can I take it your TV-Link works ok?
edited to add: you could try asking here: Humax - Digital Spy Forums
Been running the Humax PVR for a few month now and very satisfied with it. Only thing to bite me in the ass was the realisation that to record one prog while watching another requires a dual LNB - cheap enough but the cabling will be a nightmare.
T
T
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Yes, Tone, I have seen that. Excuse my ignorance, but does this mean you need 2 aerial wall sockets or are the signals combined in the one lead? Which TV are you running it with?
or are the signals combined in the one lead?
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Humax FOXSATHDR and Sony Smartlink
BOAC,
I'm also interested in the Humax Foxsat HDR to use in junction with my Sony KDL TV. Today I contacted the Sony shop that supplied our TV and asked about your Humax Smartlink query. They also sell Humax equipment, and said that the Foxsats that they have sold so far do not have Smartlink functionality.
Going back to your JVC/Sony issue, for comparison it may be worth mentioning the following. I'm using a Sony DVD Recorder, and as expected its Smartlink features all work fine. However, the DVD and TV handbooks are very specific about connections and set-up. In my case the scart lead must connect line 1 (scart socket) on the DVD to scart socket 2 on the TV. The Scart lead itself must also have the full 21 pins (not all do) for the smartlink to work. There are also other set-up requirements but they may not be the same as your JVC T-V Link.
To be honest, the Smartlink features are all very clever, but I don't use them very often! In fact sometimes the technology is too "smart", and does what I don't want. For example, if I press instant record on the DVD, it records what's on the TV, and locks the TV to that channel, when I may prefer it to record from its own receiver, whilst I watch something else!
I'm also interested in the Humax Foxsat HDR to use in junction with my Sony KDL TV. Today I contacted the Sony shop that supplied our TV and asked about your Humax Smartlink query. They also sell Humax equipment, and said that the Foxsats that they have sold so far do not have Smartlink functionality.
Going back to your JVC/Sony issue, for comparison it may be worth mentioning the following. I'm using a Sony DVD Recorder, and as expected its Smartlink features all work fine. However, the DVD and TV handbooks are very specific about connections and set-up. In my case the scart lead must connect line 1 (scart socket) on the DVD to scart socket 2 on the TV. The Scart lead itself must also have the full 21 pins (not all do) for the smartlink to work. There are also other set-up requirements but they may not be the same as your JVC T-V Link.
To be honest, the Smartlink features are all very clever, but I don't use them very often! In fact sometimes the technology is too "smart", and does what I don't want. For example, if I press instant record on the DVD, it records what's on the TV, and locks the TV to that channel, when I may prefer it to record from its own receiver, whilst I watch something else!