back to article Sagem DSI86HD

“Just because you have an HD Ready TV, it does not mean you are watching HD TV.” Well whaddya know? Still, that’s the advice that Sagem gives in the manual for its new DSI86HD Freesat HD receiver. Sagem DSI86HD Sagem's DSI86HD: the antidote to satellite subscription services Sure it sounds obvious to technophile Register …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. David O'Rourke
    Stop

    Poor customer support

    I'm afraid that I couldn't recommend a Sagem set top box to anyone because of their atrocious customer support.

    My PVR bricked yesterday (not entirely unexpected) because of shoddy firmware. But this problem has been known about for two years or so and, calls to customer support during that time have received blatant lies about an imminent fix.

    My advice, don't buy Sagem. (and I think you'll find plenty of other users of the same PVRs feel the same way)

  2. richard 69
    WTF?

    looks like...

    my old alarm clock from 1983! what a heap of junk, and no way to record is unforgiveable...next!

  3. The elephant in the room
    FAIL

    Inept graphic design

    The physical shape of the box isnt bad, and the 8-segment display is dated but not offensive; but those big ugly white logos have been specified by someone bereft of visual taste & style, and it cheapens the unit to the extent I wouldnt give it houseroom next to my beautifully styled Pioneer HDTV.

    You'd never see design of this low quality from competing brands like Sony / Samsung / / Humax.

    Sagem need to pay attention to the details and realise that good design costs the same to manufacture as bad design if they want to sell products that are prominently displayed in the living room.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    target market ?

    "DSI86HD is aimed at more casual viewers who’d not want an expensive subscription."

    How about the people with a sky dish and sub who would like HD in their bedrooms without the expense of a multiroom (and probably wouldn't want a hard disk spinning all the while too)

  5. Greg J Preece

    Foxsat?

    Didn't the Foxsat kinda beat them to the game by a long way? When I had Freesat installed, the Foxsat was the only receiver worth buying. Plus, they already have a version that will record, have done for some time, and this receiver offers little or nothing above Humax's offering.

    Fail. Though they would get kudos from me if they could code the Ethernet stuff properly. My Foxsat constantly pisses me off by forgetting its static IP settings every time I turn it on.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    LCD?!

    That's no LCD display - that's a seven segment LED display - the kind you get in GCSE electronics and Maplins DIY kits!

    That thing is f-ugly... I'd want that in a cupboard, not next to my TV.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    USB input on front - recording to USB memory? What a tease.

    This would be really handy so that recordings could be watched on a computer, e.g. a notebook on a train or handheld device, if a USB card reader is used and the card is placed in the handheld device afterwards.

    There is already a standalone consumer Freeview USB set-top box recorder (DV-DTR1 USB) - which was reviewed by TheReg:

    http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/07/24/review_digital_video_recorder_digital_vision_gigo_dv_dtr1/

    And is on sale as the Grundig GDB20USB3 USB Recorder

    http://direct.tesco.com/product/default.aspx?r=206-1980

    http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=267161&C=AffilWin71959&U=1252417551z0c3wwk0wge6kda48zh4u8

    Will we see a FreeSat version of this recorder?

    If that USB is just destined to be a repair-centre "servicing" port then why put it on the front?

  8. Gordon 10
    WTF?

    Its NOT a DVR!

    Its not a DVR and make no claims to be. Why dwell on this in the review when you know full well thats completely different product niche.

    Dwell on its general fuglyness by all means (which you didnt btw) but the DVR criticisms are about as valid as criticising any other "player only" device for lack of recording capability. Pointless and idiotic.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    The 80's called...

    ..they want their Amstrad SRX200 back.

    http://www.your-book.co.uk/srx200.htm

  10. Llanfair
    Flame

    Sagem are rubbish

    I got a Sagem Freeview box for £15 from Woolies when it was about to close. It has been atrocious, crashes every few hours. I now tell everyone to avoid Sagem like the plague.

  11. MJI Silver badge

    Humax fan

    I am now so glad I bought an HDR last year. These non record boxes look like a silly idea, and that looks like not a very good example of one.

    75% though the HDR only got 80% and that is the best Freesat receiver available.

  12. Nicholas Wright
    Thumb Down

    Airs above their station

    Adding ~£80 to the price of a standard freeview just to watch HD? Most TVs these days come with built in Freeview.

    The only reason Sagem exists is to make Thomson boxes look good.... er... or not alone.

  13. richard 69
    Thumb Up

    humax

    yep, got the 9200, great piece of kit

  14. mr mcgiver
    Thumb Up

    have you bought one?

    I see a lot of criticisms from people who have not bought this box.

    Keep to the point!!

    I have bought it and it works absoutely fine.

    Picture is good, sound is fine. No problems.

    I didn't want to pay Sky any more money and plugged this in the other day. Straight up and running. EASY .

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    @Greg J Preece

    "My Foxsat constantly pisses me off by forgetting its static IP settings every time I turn it on."

    Can your dhcp server (router/nas?) assign an ip by MAC? this would fix your problem!

  16. Parax
    Boffin

    FreeSat & Ethernet and iPlayer

    Isn't the ethernet port part of the Freesat Standard?

    Isn't it on all Freesat boxes?

    IIRC the beeb was working on an iplayer interface for freesat boxes. Whereby freesat boxes with internet could view iPlayer.. using the Tuner remote only.

    And additionally arn't the new Panansonic freesat tuners capable of viewing youtube via the Ethernet port already?

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    a Title

    The Humax Foxsat HD recorder kicks four colours of shit out of this box!

    Twin HD Freesat Tuner And HD Recorder.. & No Murdoch Tax

    Yes it costs a fraction more than this box (less than £100!), but its a HD recorder! why is this so expensive? most view only boxes are £30-£60

    @mr mcgiver: Bitter?

  18. mr mcgiver
    Go

    sagem box

    I cannot believe the moron that is Anonymous coward- comparing a non recording box to a HD recorder? Get a grip, get a life. Nothing wrong with the Sagem box, still working just fine for me watching Watchdog in HD just now !

This topic is closed for new posts.