Freeview HD is primed and ready to go, with Humax unleashing its two new hi-def boxes yesterday. So when can you lay your hands on one? And how exactly will it all work once you’ve got your precious new HD box under your TV? Read our complete guide now to find out.
You can’t get it just yet
While the Winter Hill transmitter up in the north west is already beaming out lovely Freeview HD signals, you can’t get it yet. That’s because there aren’t any Freeview HD boxes up for grabs at the moment, meaning if you want hi-def now, you still need Sky+HD or Freesat. But…
Humax Freeview HD boxes will land next year
Humax’s new boxes will be up for grabs in the first quarter of 2010 according to the set top sellers. the Humax HD-FOX T2 and DVB-T2 HD will both let you access the likes of BBC HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD without needing to pay a penny on top of the cost of the box.
Humax Freeview HD 2010 line up revealed
It’s 720p not Full HD
Freeview HD’s native resolution is 720p, HD Ready. That should sate your average Joe who wants to see Becks and co get dumped out of the World Cup on penalties in glorious HD. But those of you who want better definition on John Terry’s crocodile tears will be glad to know both the Humax HD-FOX T2 and DVB-T2 HD will upscale to 1080p, as long as you’re packing a Full HD TV.
It has an all new EPG
Humax has polished the EPG on its new HD boxes. When we went hands-on yesterday we were impressed at just how fast it was and also how good the layout looked compared to the one on the standard def offerings you can get right now.
Humax Freeview HD uses unPnP to access media over Wi-Fi
Rather than DLNA for media sharing, the Humax HD-FOX T2 and DVB-T2 HD use uPnP over Wi-Fi to snag other shows from wireless web enabled devices and sling them onto your 55-inch LCD. Eventually, Humax says its boxes will work as uPnP servers as well, so you can stream HD content to other TVs in your gaff. Neato!
Prices are still up in the air
Humax has yet to show its hand when it comes to how much its Freeview HD boxes will cost, although a spokesman says you’re looking at around £170 for the low end T2 model. The iPlayer friendly 3View model has also yet to be priced. Expect cheaper models to fly onto shelves as the World Cup approaches next summer.
