Best Freesat HD receiver?

[Tastydirt]

Is the Humax worth the extra ~£50 over the rest? Seems to be the best but the Bush et al are all under £100 now.

[rwniel]

Some would say yes, others would say no - not much help I know. :) My feeling is that these first generation products are likely to be based on the same reference design, so are going to be broadly similar (given that they also have to be certified freesat compatible). So it then comes down to the perceived quality of the different manufacturers; Bush, Goodmans, Grundig compared to Humax for example.

Robert

[Tastydirt]

Heh, confusing! I think I might wait out these 1st gen products and hope some big brand electronics company makes a reliable one. Does Panasonic not have a separate receiver seeing as they've integrated it into their TVs already?

[Dick Long]

I owned the Goodmans HD receiver (Grundig and Bush versions are functionally identical, just different branding and box design - buy the cheapest) for 6 months before getting a Humax HD recorder last month.

I found the Goodmans an acceptably well made unit with excellent HD, but with noticeably 'soft' PQ on SD channels. This was also a complaint made about the first Humax receivers.

However my current Humax PVR displays the main SD channels to a comparable standard with Freeview and Virgin cable (both of which I have so can easily compare). The additional gonzo satellite channels are not great.

Technically I think this is down to the bit rate of the main channels being improved rather than the receivers themselves - but I'm no expert.

The Xmas HD programmes have been brilliant, and it's well worth splashing the cash on a receiver if you have an HD ready TV that's not earning its keep yet. :thumbs: