Fortec star HD receiver now in maplin

Llew

Diablo will do fine. Don't worry if it doesn't recognise the cam first time - I sometimes have to reboot the receiver to kick-start it, although other users don't seem to have the same annoyance.

Llew

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barrykap

I am interested in any new HD receiver as I have two at the moment and neither of them are exactly right for my needs.

The humax HDCI 2000 is pretty crap for Sat/channel updating as it won't retain anything you feed in manually. Also it seems to not want to lock onto BBC HD. Well it will initially, then after a few seconds it will blank and only way to get it back is to get the menu up as if doing a channel search, exit out again and there it is. Signal quality is 100% so nothing to do with the signal. All other HD channels work fine.

The Pace receiver is also pretty useless when it comes to Motorised Dishes as it seems very erratic, very little menu assistance (no real signal/quality metering to assist) and is prone to changing Sat positions whenever it feels like it, so I never use it on a motor dish. The quality of subtitles (if they happen to be receivable - some channels with subs are not displaying although they are on my other receivers) is very bad too, as is on the Humax.

In fact I have YET to find ANY 'non-Sky' receiver that will supply and display subtitles as good as Sky do. (this is said as a hardened anti-Sky person too)

The thing is, I am deaf so I rely on subtitles, but it seems most manufacturers just chuck a very basic facility in without even trying to do a decent job of them.

So I am looking at anything that will supply good HD reception, good Diseq 1.2 and good subtitles.

Anyone know of one? What is the Topfied like with subs? And the Passion?

Any info would be helpful thanks.

Barry.

danit

I'm testing Fortec Passion HD and I have to say first impressions are quite good

it's perfect for multifeed and motorised dish witch disecq 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 (USALS)

i tried subtitles on BBC and they work perfectly

tried every HD channel available (dvb-s and dvb-s2) form 45east to 30west and they all were sintonized perfeclty, BBC HD included

software support is actually excellent, as beta tester have been testing in last 45 days 3 releases (av 101, av 102 and latest av 103) and many updates

firmware updating is extermely simple and fast via USB memory stick

Fortec Europe say in a short time blinc scan will be available too

I dind't try Topfield but I read it works fine too

barrykap

Thanks Danit.

I may get one soon then as Maplins are running a £50 off offer until mid-August.

One thing though, I checked Fortec website for downloads and there are none for this receiver. Neither is there any manuals I could read in advance.

Where exactly do you get these Beta firmawares from?

Cheers.

Barry.

danit

there's a beta tester forum, I'll tell you in pm (as I don't know if it's allowed to link other forums here..)

Snuffer

Here to version 1.03 NO 4:2:2
Please can you send me that info about beta testers??

THX

danit

snuffer, the 422 is a quite unlikely development for the Fortec as the chipset doesn't support it, the only way to implement it is to "downscale" the chroma format fom 422 to 420 (as happened in the northamerican version) but it's not so simple

the blind scan is imminent and the support for the external hdd is likely but will take more time

Llew

You can now download the official 1.03 firmware for the Passion from www.Fortecstar.com.

Llew

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osbornewebspace

Llew
How do you upload firmware to the passion, also I am finding with mine when I place my USB stick into the Passion it turns off and resets.

Llew

Transfer your unzipped firmware to your USB stick. Click on your Fortec's Menu and go to Channel Edit. Select Software Transfer highlight Sysem Update and click on OK. Select USB option, then OK.

Plug in your loaded USB stick. The firmware to be loaded will be shown in the Transfer window. Click on OK. It will then start the transfer process, erase the flash and burn your firmware to your receiver.

When this has finished, you will need to restart your receiver to finalise the firmware process.

Don't know about your USB stick problem, has it any software on it?

Llew

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osbornewebspace

Not working when the usb key is placed into the passion it
shuts down.
All I have on my USB Key is the update.

CHONG SPARKS

does this have the blind scan yet ???

danit

not yet, developers had a week off but it's just a matter of (short) time, I'll tell when blind scan will be there

Llew

Echoing danit, No, a previous beta software version had a power scan facility, but it just used the Passion's existing TP database, didn't do a full range scan.

Software developers still working on this.

Llew

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danit

true, they just added the power scan menu to it but it didn't work at all

btw a beta software with "real" blind scan function seems to be almost ready

CHONG SPARKS

are these recievers patchable and does the tps have auto updates like technomate recievers ?????? or do you have to stick the keys in manually

Analoguesat

Unofficial support of Fortec is generally poor - support for older models is normally dropped very quickly.

If you want patches stick with the Technomates.

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CHONG SPARKS

cheers mate.
does anyone know when technomate are bringing an HD reciever out ????

tigertimtim

yes, end of september, proberly same specs as the clarke tech

Rd100

Time to update my fortec star as it has been in its box for a few weeks,

Llew

Wotsat have reviewed the Passion in the September issue. On the whole, well received (8.5 out of ten). Much made of the ongoing software upgrades - if we can trust Fortec to continue to act on the work of the beta testers

Not sure about Wotsat's reference to channel lists being available from Fortec's website; there isn't even a channel editor on there.

Llew

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danit

exact Llew, channels lists are not available on Fortec's website, they are on betatester forum

a channel editor doesn't exist at the moment

Llew

Yes, that forum is doing sterling work on behalf of Fortecstar.
Just waiting for the next beta version to test.

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Llew

This firmware adds power search (not power scan, which is Fortec's name for blind search). Can't find it in the menu, although in Settings, there is the facility to turn power search on or off

Llew

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Llew

From info received, apparently the power search when turned on, allows the receiver to automatically update TPs and channels using your DiseqC motor settings, even when on standby.

In other words, your dish will move to each satellite when updates are available while you're away from the receiver (or in the land of nod )

As far as I know, no other domestic STB on the market has this facility.

Llew

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