Review: Humax Foxsat-HD Freesat receiver

A joint venture by the BBC and ITV, Freesat provides free-to-air TV, including HD channels, via satellite.

Various Freesat set-top boxes have appeared on the market, with the Foxsat-HD from Humax the first to arrive in our labs.

It’s a compact device and, after detecting our satellite signal, prompted to search for a software update. After a couple of minutes, the unit was busy searching for channels.

Scart and component outputs join HDMI-out at the rear of the box. We were initially excited to see an Ethernet port but this is not yet used – Humax plans to use it for new Freesat services in future.

The big appeal of Freesat is the prospect of free HD channels. However, at present all you get is BBC HD and ITV HD; more will undoubtedly arrive soon but many will be put off by the meagre selection.

Picture quality – both HD and standard definition – will ultimately depend on your TV. We were very impressed when testing on a Samsung 32in screen but on occasion we found the lip sync to be slightly out when watching BBC HD, which is something a reboot usually solved.

There’s a lip sync adjust tool but this will only place a delay on the audio, so if the problem is that the audio is already delayed, it won’t help.

The Foxsat-HD is well designed and benefits from clear on-screen menus but the occasional lip sync problem we encountered when viewing BBC HD is a concern. It may be sorted out in a future software update but at present it detracts from the HD experience. And whether two HD channels is enough to lure people into investing £149 in a receiver and installing a satellite dish (for about £80) remains to be seen.