Freesat with Red Button service abroad

A

avisualfx

Member
My Satellite Setup
Humax DVR HD
My Location
UK
Hi, this is my first post.
I would like to know if it's possible to receive Freesat channels as well as the Red Button service in Portugal by using Humax Foxsat HDR 320GB?
Does the receiver need to be connected to Internet in order to receive channels via Red Button service?

Thanks
 
Yes you can get Freesats Red Button service in Portugal - a 80cm dish should suffice for the red button channels...
For other other channels reception and dish size will vary depending exactly where you are - but you would be looking at a dish of over 1m for the main UK TV channels.
You only need the internet (and VPN / proxy) if you want to use the iplayer options abroad. Everything else comes via satellite.
 
Unless you feed the Internet connection on the HDR through a proxy in the UK there's no point in even connecting it up as all the iPlayer stuff on the red button is geolocked to the UK.
 
woborny said:
Yes you can get Freesats Red Button service in Portugal - a 80cm dish should suffice for the red button channels...
For other other channels reception and dish size will vary depending exactly where you are - but you would be looking at a dish of over 1m for the main UK TV channels.
You only need the internet (and VPN / proxy) if you want to use the iplayer options abroad. Everything else comes via satellite.
Click to expand...
Presumably this needs to be UK Proxy, how do I get one on an Internet connection let's say at a hotel?
 
If I sign up to a UK proxy provider for a day, is it possible to confirgure Humax Dvr to connect through it?
Assume I get the "red button" through a UK proxy, is there a way to record a program shown via Red button for later viewing, all I need it for is to record the USA game which is shown via Red button only? :-(
 
Although I've not done it myself I believe that you would have to connect the Foxsat to a device that can connect to the proxy in the UK. Simply connecting the Foxsat to the Internet won't do as the Foxsat can't be set to look for the proxy. I would think that laptop with wifi and 10base100 connection could be set up for this and I think I've seen that an X-box can do it.
 
Thanks PaulR, That's what I was afraid of. Do you have more details on how to setup via laptop please?
Any other suggestion? Basically I need to be able to record the USA-Algeria game (shown on BBC via red button only) to watch it later on a big plasma / projector screen, would Slingbox be an option?
 
That's what I was afraid of. Do you possibly have more info around the setup through a laptop?
Any other suggestion?
Basically all I need is to be able to record USA v Algeria match on 23rd June (shown via Red button only) and to view it later on large plasma/projector.
Is a Slingbox an option to consider?
 
woborny said:
Yes you can get Freesats Red Button service in Portugal - a 80cm dish should suffice for the red button channels...
For other other channels reception and dish size will vary depending exactly where you are - but you would be looking at a dish of over 1m for the main UK TV channels.
You only need the internet (and VPN / proxy) if you want to use the iplayer options abroad. Everything else comes via satellite.
Click to expand...
Not quite true now - some of the video options on the present World Cup are being delivered via iplayer and NOT satellite. This will also happen with the Glastonbury coverage and will probably increase in the future. So although most of the red button interactive screens will be available via Satellite you will NOT be able to get all the "red button" options.
 
You obviously can't set a timer because there isn't a channel number. I've just tried to record something while viewing an alternative steam on the red button without success also.

Looks like bad news, I'm afraid.
 
How about recording it live or to an external dvd recorder i.e. via outs? Have you tried red button in the UK or you are based abroad?
 
As the My System box on the left says, the Foxsat moves with me between the UK and France. The red button works wherever you are if you have a strong enough signal from the dish. It has to - the box won't know where in the world it is!

What doesn't work abroad, as has been said above, is anything to do with iPlayer that is now available on the red button - unless you use a proxy somehow.

You could certainly use the phono outputs to a DVD recorder. I haven't done this with the Foxsat but I've done EXACTLY this with my Freeview box in the UK. Don't forget that a standard DVD lasts for 2 hours in normal quality mode; you'll have to use a lower quality for recording to be sure of getting everything in case the match runs to extra time.
 
Thanks again, some good tips there! Well I tried to watch some World Cup highlights on my TV which has built in Freesat by first unplugging the Internet connection and this worked OK.
Now the USA match is advertised as showing via BBC RED Button only, however it does not say whether Iplayer is used / required, I wish BBC was clearer about this! Really not interested in the iplayer, but just need to be able to record this particular match..:confused:
 
Whenever the Beeb say red button they mean just that. The iPlayer is something seperate that they offer to the UK over the Internet. The built-in iPlayer capability of the Foxsat is something that the iPlayer arm of the Beeb has co-ordinated with the Freesat group and is allowed within the Freesat specification. Humax was the first to implement this but other Freesat receiver manufacturers are now coming on board.
 
Thanks, so is it possible to record Red Button transmitted programs at all either to internal hdd or externally to a dvd recorder etc..?
 
Using an HDR, no you can't record anything to the internal hard disc (or at least I couldn't on mine).

You can record to any external device from the phono outputs of the HDR.
 
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