# freesat



## stevec2x (Mar 24, 2012)

Hi Peeps

I currently have freesat through a community dish, and have been supplied with a GI-brand receiver. The receiver does not have the full freesat 8-day program guide. I have previous experience with a Humax-brand receiver (also in Spain, just 5 miles away, also through a community disk) and this receiver had no problems at all supplying the 8-day EPG for the six months I was renting that property.

I spoke to a satellite bloke here today who suggested that Humax are unreliable because they're designed for the much stronger signal that can be received in the UK, and that because the signal in Spain is so much weaker, the Humax boxes can 'burn out' fairly quickly. He told me of one bloke he knows who got through 5 successive Humax boxes pretty rapidly, before giving up on them.

Does anyone here have any further knowledge on the subject? I'm gonna be in the UK in two weeks time and am tempted to pick up a Humax box in Argos, but I'm not so sure now!

Cheers

Steve


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Hi Steve.
From all the Sat forums I have read the only thing that has burnt out is the "satellite Blokes" brain you spoke to as humax have a very good reputation.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

stevec2x said:


> Hi Peeps
> 
> I currently have freesat through a community dish, and have been supplied with a GI-brand receiver. The receiver does not have the full freesat 8-day program guide. I have previous experience with a Humax-brand receiver (also in Spain, just 5 miles away, also through a community disk) and this receiver had no problems at all supplying the 8-day EPG for the six months I was renting that property.
> 
> ...


Freesat and Sky provide 7/8 day programme guide data streams that only Freesta and Sky boxes can interpretate.

GI boxes do not have the software inside to be able to access this data - so they only show limited "now and next" data.

As for your satellite bloke saying "they're designed for the much stronger signal that can be received in the UK, and that because the signal in Spain is so much weaker, the Humax boxes can 'burn out' fairly quickly." - that is complete tosh, and if that is what he is saying he should not be in the business.

In fact, the Freesat Humax range of boxes are "generic humax boxes" with the additional "freesat software in them. 

I have never heard of a box "burning out" due to a low satellite signal. If someone got through 5 Humax boxes quickly, then I suggest there was a problem with his installation (short circuit in cabling) or power supply issues (ie power cuts damaging the boxes.)

If the dish is too small, then it will not get signals, so no matter which receiver you get, it will not make a difference if your dish is too small to receive the signals in the first place.

The Huamx range of Freesat boxes have a very good reputation, and so far (touch wood) I have had no issues with them.


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

I buy my boxes from carrefour and even though i cant get sky movies sport etc
They work well and alot cheaper 30 euros
But as sat said in a previous post the satelites have changed and so as the signel strengh so we have to wait and see


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