Humax adds BBC iPlayer to Freeview HD DVR
IPTV installation
Set-top box specialist Humax will this weekend begin adding its TV Portal IPTV interface to its HDR-Fox T2 Freeview HD DVR.
The Humax TV Portal will initial provide access to BBC iPlayer, Flickr and Wiki@TV, but Humax said it will be adding Sky Player for BSkyB customers in "a matter of weeks".
Despite its name, the Portal also links up to a host of internet radio stations. Just hook your box up to your broadband router - using powerline ethernet adaptors, perhaps - and you're ready to use the service, once it has been installed.
Humax will begin transmitting the DVR's software update over the air starting today. ®
COMMENTS
Faster
I've tested power line adaptors a speeds as fast as Cat5e on 100 Mbit NICs (high nineties). So no Cat5e isn't faster than power line adaptors, assuming the box (and your router) has a 100Mbit connector. But even so this would only matter if your internet connection was faster than 100Mbit/s *and* iPlayer actually needed more than 100Mbit/s. It isn't and it doesn't so your point is moot.
The only problem I have with power line ethernet adaptors is the RF interference some of them cause. As such I'd be more inclined to go wireless on this if the router was sitting a long way from the TV box. Most homes don't have the phone socket near the TV and routing cat5 is a major pain when it's much easier to use powerline adaptors or wireless.
How good?
That would depend on your broadband connection, and whether or not your ISP does any traffic shaping.
Please not PLT!
Cat5e cable is faster, no interference and easy to run like a phone flex around the room edge and under doors.
Why bother mentioning Power line ethernet?
WiFi will work too for iPlayer. It's not as if iPlayer is HD.
Great bit of kit
Each to their own but I think the picture quality of the iPlayer is very good (I have a 32 Samsung TV), I only get about 8meg in and run it through the power, ease of use is superb.
One thing I'd point out is that not everything is on there, we went to watch 'The Tudors' last week and it wasn't available on the Humax but was on the PS3 iPlayer, very odd, I've mailed Humax but not had a response.
Can't wait for the Sky player as we don't have cable and aren't aloud a dish so this is ideal for me.
Update looks available for download
Don't know about the OTA update (my box isn't picking it up either), but the update looks to be available for download from the Humax support site now:
http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/support/downloadcenter_model.aspx?category_seq=182
- note I haven't tried installing it myself yet as I wanted to see a few reports from people who had (just in case it rendered the box dangerously unstable, as has happened to me with the old PVR 9000).
