GOODMANS GFSAT100SD BBC iPLAYER.

This graphic shows a glimpse of the present and also the future of Freesat television.
Multimedia here we come!

GOODMANS GFSAT100SD REVIEW EXCLUSIVE.

GOODMANS GFSAT100SD EXCLUSIVE.

The Goodmans GFSAT100SD is a smart silver box with one little blue switch which is striking and non-obtrusive. The light is showing blue means the box is on standby, the light is off and the box is switched on.
The box in action is superb, and although we were at first unsure about the asking price of £69-99 it all makes sense now. The retailers have priced it about right.
The EPG is in our opinion superb for non techie heads if you compare it with the Humax Foxsat and the Grundig Gufsat. The menu's are really user friendly and very intuitive with unmistakeable lay outs and information. Unlike the other two we have tested the full menu can be read clearly on each page so there is little chance of getting confused(very handy for those non-technical senior citizens).
Although we tested a non-HD receiver the GOODMANS GFSAT100SD has an excellent picture and it is streets ahead of Freeview or terrestrial TV.
On the rear we tested this box with connection to other satellite receivers and we are glad to report this box is suitable for ALL satellite receiver connection, the loop through is a bonus for those who already have satellite equipment.
We wanted to test an SD Freesat box and we have been pleasantly surprised how good the Goodmans GFSAT100SD has been, we expected a simple cut down version of an HD box, but this is not the case. The GOODMANS GFSAT 100SD has tested as something special and far beyond our expectations.
We are split with this box 4 to 3 and it is hard to choose between this one and the others so we have to say personal opinion must come into this.
Conclusion;
We love the excellent picture quality and the excellent EPG which is the best yet.
prospective viewers will love the clear crisp picture this one gives but like the Grundig Gufsat this is designed to set up and forget it.
It is NOT for the technical person who likes to get inside the box.
A winner for the British public.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

HAUPPAUGE CRACK CHANNEL 4 HD.

HAUPPAUGE CRACK CHANNEL 4 HD.

We reported in an earlier snippet that the PC card maker Hauppauge had brought out a new card with an advert saying it would be suitable for PC as is normal for Hauppauge.
The BBC were quick to condemn the card saying it was not official Freesat equipment but Hauppauge undetered have moved on and produced a card that lets PC users watch Freesat channel4 HD An interesting developement which we will watch with great interest.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DIRECTIVE ON TV ADS.

European directive noted here concerns the big bad word "Advertising".
Just when you settle down for a comfy nights TV on comes the never ending ads. showing everything from Chocolate bars to Home insurance and reading the hard facts wakes you up on how much time you have already wasted and how much time in the futre you are likely to waste watching ads which are not relevant to you. Little wonder the advertisers are trying to fit our ads to our profiles.
One good point here is BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, BBC 4 and BBC HD advertise nothing but themselves and watching a movie on BBC HD is similar to a visit to the "Cinema", except you don't feel awkward wearing your carpet slippers at home.
Part of the "Directives", are as follows;
The transmission of films made for television(excluding series, serials and documentaries), cinematographic works and news programmes may be interrupted by television advertising and/or teleshopping once for each scheduled period of at least thirty minutes.
The transmission of children's programmes may be interrupted by television advertising and/or teleshopping once for each scheduled period of at least 30 minutes, provided that the scheduled duration of the programme is greater than 30 minutes. No television advertising or teleshopping shall be inserted during religious services.
The proportion of television advertising spots and teleshopping spots within a given clock hour shall not exceed 20%.
This may not seem a lot to some and sometimes it's a great time to get the kettle on for a cuppa, but it also means 12 minutes out of every hour or worse still just under 5 hours of adverts every 24 hours. On a yearly basis this means we get adverts for a minimum of 73 days or two and a half months.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

SCOTLANDS TASTY CLAIM.

SNIPPET!

Scotland lays claim to conceiving Britain's most popular dish.

And no, its not fish and chips....read full story!

FREESAT AND BT.

FREESAT AND BT are going to be very much part of our future Freesat TV platform.

BBC and ITV have already strongly hinted that multimedia is the future of television but there will be no multimedia as long as we are stuck in time with old and outdated telephone systems.
BT are doing what they can by working hard to bring into fruition better quality and updated communication systems to cope with the future demand of platforms like Freesat but BT are not expected to have the work completed for years and the original 2011 may well turn into 2012 or later before the 21st Century Network is completed.
It is strongly rumoured that some will even lose speed, although we think this is rather alarmist as there simply would be no point in updating for multimedia projects and platforms if the speed was not up to standards for using it. Speeds of 100mbs as standard seem logical with no time delay or lag when phoning a friend overseas.
Although the updating will cost big bucks BT will be the winner in the long run and share holders have no worries about profits or dividends. The monies saved will make it all worthwhile for BT with ADSL-2 likely and ADSL-3 a possibility.
With so many ISP's dishing out misleading speed ads it is very difficult to get a clear picture of a majority true internet speed.
My friends ISP boasts speeds up to 8mbs and he gets 2mbs max, the answer is in the advert with the magic words "UP TO", being the culprit and magnet for internet users which works out that those users who are getting that same 2 mbs when the advert says "UP TO" 8 mbs are subsidising those few users who actually do get 8mbs.
Maybe the BT 21st Century Network scheme will cure the uncertainty of internet speed and with luck (but unlikely) remove the ridiculous situation of a different speed depending on where in the United Kindom you live.
Multimedia gamers are likely to be the hotspot for maximum speed and we are quite sure Freesat will deliver this, now whether the cost will be met by paying your ISP rather than extra on your TV time will dictate this, we think your ISP will wring more cash out of us if they can, as rumours suggest different prices for internet tier access is a near certainty and what better excuse than updating of BT. Once again shopping around will be the best bet for everybody.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

FREESAT DIGITAL TELEVISION RECORDERS.

DIGITAL TELEVISION RECORDERS OR TVR's will soon be with us for Freesat TV.

The TVR's will be something special with respect to Freesat as these particular TVR's are the only PVR types that can handle the Freesat metadata. Many will try different connections and it will be interesting to read what people have discovered.
If it is likely they may well use eventually PUSH VOD and if Freesat actually decide to use PUSH VOD then external PVR's have no chance of being used.
To explain;
the method of PUSH VOD is not new but a market has to be made for the product and like all good ideas it has taken a long time to smooth out the wrinkles.
The way it works with pay TV is "Content" (ie; News,Music,Sport,Comedy etc...) is transferred to the DTR hard drive and the content is encoded and offered for rent or to buy. If the viewer wants to view it they simply push a button after they purchase and it is already there in their TVR, at any time Freesat can download "Content", into your DTR. BBC tests were using one hundred hours per week which is more than enough for any couch potato.
The transfer stream does not have to be encrypted but the Freesat metadata will make it unique to Freesat equipment which will make all other satellite receivers obsolete with respect to PUSH VOD.
Only time will tell if this Service will be introduced into Freesat although we think the chances are very high.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

FREESAT PVR TECHNOLOGY.

FREESAT PVR TECHNOLOGY.

FREESAT PVR TECHNOLOGY what does it mean to us the consumer.
The idea of Freesat being free for all is something worth waiting for but why should PVR systems make it any better.
Most of us have Video recorders or DVD recorders and some have new but soon to be outdated by new type PVR recorders, that is if you buy a Freesat PVR.
I won't go into the details about PVR's (personal video recorders) which are used by viewers that watch and store everything from Sport to Movies.
The PVR's we should be taking note of are PVR's of the future, for example Freesat PVR's inbuilt inside a Freesat box and called a Freesat digital PVR box or similar. The idea that these PVR's will be different is 100% correct as these PVR's are going to be your own personal library so it would be prudent for all Freesat PVR's to make their Freesat PVR hard disks as large as possible and in time we are talking terabytes of storage capacity. So if you have been saving all your Manchester United football games and movies this is what you will be looking for and certainly want in the future and that future is now going to be a lot closer than first thought. Because we are now streaking towards HD (high definition) the demand for larger and larger storge capacity is inevitable as HD takes up much more space than normal SD programming.
The idea that HD will be captured for posterity sits well with lots of TV enthusiasts and you can expect copy management protection to be a matter of course in these PVR's.
What we have to keep in mind when we are choosing our Freesat PVR is that existing stand alone PVR's will not be compatable with Freesat HD boxes unless someone comes up with a method which will get them locked up, therefore a whole new framework will be started.
The idea that a terabyte or two seems ridiculous until you consider your home PC which has grown so many tentacles from the old Spectrum Sinclair and it's now common practice for some PC's to have terabytes of space for all types of storage.
Why would we need terabytes of space;
Freesat intend to make multimedia a prominent part of Freesat and it will probably take over one day. If they intend to do a type of free VOD(video on demand) and they send out a restart lets say every 30minutes they will need 4 transponders if it's a two hour programme which will make it awkward by their own success, so what better way than to inform Freesat viewers the exact time they can switch on their PVR's to watch it any time...problem solved! The program is stored, the advertiser knows his audience and Freesat have no transponder problems.
The American market is being encouraged into a thing called PUSH VOD which is an interactive marketing strategy aimed at you and me the consumer, only time will tell if this will be a success.
The end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007 saw BBC test the PUSH VOD technology and in the trials 100 hours per week were automatically recorded and stored.
The whole idea was to allow the viewer to create their own personal packet of for example;
News, Music, Movies, Sport etc...now that's choice!
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!

WHILE WAITING FOR FREESAT.

Snippet;
WHILE WAITING FOR FREESAT the pond gnome was deep in thought watching the Heron.
Nothing to do with satellite, this is the murderer of my whole pond of fish and frogs.
As a nature lover I attempted to have all kinds of fish and frogs co-existing in the pond at a small corner of the garden and this was happening until this beautiful Heron came and scoofed the lot including my two huge Ghost fish. It was a wonder it could fly afterwards as it scoffed a dozen big fish.
The next day it cam again and this time scoffed all the frogs, what a glutton and such a beauty of a bird. It waited until I removed the net for the summer.
To others; if you have a pond make sure it's covered.

FREESAT TV UPDATE.

FREESAT TV FROM THE BBC & ITV update is to answer many questions we are being asked.
The BBC have said that the Freesat would be coming our way in Spring, and although very low key a statement was made from the BBC and ITV on the 6th of May.
It is obvious that Freesat cannot be in full swing as the retailers although stocked are unable to sell all versions of the Freesat set top box.
There have been some strange comments about lack of advertising and it would not be prudent to advertise something which is not yet fully ready.
As the Freesat metadata is a completely new concept it can be expected that there will be small bugs that need to be ironed out and tweaked and the BBC and ITV are being constantly pressured to deliver a Freesat platform that will certainly deliver irrational public scrutiny.
We should all be happy that the new Freesat service will be free and likely to remain so for a very long time.
The BBC/ITV timeframe of Spring could be construed in two different ways, so playing with semantics;
Spring is in the Northern Hemisphere comprises of March, April and May....so Spring really ends on the last day of May.
unless;
You use it astronomically;
lasting from Vernal Equinox, 20th/21st March to Summer Solstice 21st/22nd June....so astronomically Spring ends on the 22nd June.
Is it news to you ? then you read it here first!