How many channels at a time?

guygrand

New Member
Reading the blurbs for the hummy freesat recorder they all say that you can record 2 channels at the same time and watch 1 channel whilst recording another. I have owned a Humax 9200 for several years & that allows me to watch 1 channel while recording 2 others (subject to compatibility).

Freeview reception is now so sporadic as to be unacceptable so I'm thinking of getting freesat instead, but would like to clear this point up.

Cheers everyone, John
 
The Foxsat-hdr works the same way as a 9200.

Recording two from the same transponder - you can watch and use time shifting on any 3rd channel

Recording two from different transponders - you can watch any channel sharing a transponder with either recording.

3rd channel is more restricted than Freeview because there are less channels on a transponder than a Freeview Mux.
 
The Foxsat-hdr works the same way as a 9200.

Recording two from the same transponder - you can watch and use time shifting on any 3rd channel

Recording two from different transponders - you can watch any channel sharing a transponder with either recording.

3rd channel is more restricted than Freeview because there are less channels on a transponder than a Freeview Mux.
Thanks for the prompt reply graham. Sorry to appear dim, but what is a transponder?
 
It is the satellite equivalent of a Freeview multiplex (or MUX) which is a group of channels which only needs one tuner decode.
 
Excellent gomezz, many thanks. So without a freesat enabled tv set I could not guarantee recording 2 whilst watching a 3rd, as I can with a free view enabled set. That really shouldn't be a problem. A bit off the subject I am truly amazed that for the 3rd week running the freeview signals in the S.E corner have been unwatchable. I think our switchover is due in June and if things don't shape up after that it will be clear that we've been well & truly taken for a ride and time to get a dish. Thanks again, there was me thinking a transponder was one of those things that they used on Startrek to beam people around.
 
Excellent gomezz, many thanks. So without a freesat enabled tv set I could not guarantee recording 2 whilst watching a 3rd, as I can with a free view enabled set. That really shouldn't be a problem. A bit off the subject I am truly amazed that for the 3rd week running the freeview signals in the S.E corner have been unwatchable. I think our switchover is due in June and if things don't shape up after that it will be clear that we've been well & truly taken for a ride and time to get a dish. Thanks again, there was me thinking a transponder was one of those things that they used on Startrek to beam people around.

You can't guarantee recording two and watching a 3rd on your 9200 what you can watch depends entirely on which channels you are recording. Try Recording BBC1, ITV1 and watching ITV3.

Digital TV multiplexes multiple channels onto a single carrier frequency (The same single carrier with Analogue carries a single channel). On Freeview these are known as MUX. Post DSO on a transmitter with full Freeview service there are 5 SD MUX and 1 HD one. Satellite is the same except that the single carrier is known as a Transponder, there are dozens of these instead of only 6 so each one has less channels than Freeview.

Because Humax tuners can demux two channels at the same time from a Transponder/Mux the following determines what you can do

Recording two from the same transponder/Mux - you can watch and use time shifting on any 3rd channel

Recording two from different transponders/Muxes - you can watch any channel sharing a transponder with either recording.

Open this file in your browswer.

http://humaxgoodies.weebly.com/freesat-channels-by-transponder.html

Look at the coloured blocks in cols 1-4, these show you which channels are on which transponder, using this and the above rules it's easy to work out what 3rd channels will be viewable.

For instance recording BBC1-HD and BBC-HD you can watch any other channel and even pause it live. Recording BBC1-HD and BBC-HD only uses 1 tuner.
 
Excellent gomezz, many thanks. So without a freesat enabled tv set I could not guarantee recording 2 whilst watching a 3rd, as I can with a free view enabled set.
Even with with a Freesat TV you could not guarantee that unless you ran a third feed from the satellite dish direct to the TV. Whereas the feed from a terrestrial aerial feed carries all the Freeview MUXes and can be daisy-chained through the PVR to the TV you need one feed for each bundle of channels handled by the LNB bolted to your satellite dish. These days a normal domestic installation will have a quad LNB fitted which means it can handle up to four feeds. It is a simple DIY job to replace an older single LNB with a quad and larger installations can fit an octo LNB and multi-occupancy installations like flats is a whole new ball game.
 
I generally record 2 on the hummy, which is tuned to my av channel, while watching third on the TV sets tuner. You should give it a try.
 
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