Upgrading a Humax Freesat PVR to a Media Server

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

I've spent a few days playing with the newly "released" Media Server extension for Humax Freesat HD recordable satellite systems. It works remarkably well - it adds an extension to the Humax Freesat PVR which allows the installation of a TwonkyMedia DLNA Server and/or a Samba File Server for intranet media serving of UK domestic TV content to media clients.

 

In summary this software extension with installed servers allows access for multiple media devices in the home to recorded or "near-live" material that the Humax Freesat box has stored on its' harddrive or is tuned to (and in addition photos and audio recordings if you store them on the box). Access can be on a networked home computer (PC or Mac, e.g. using VLC, Windows Media or (my favourite) XBMC) or many other DLNA client such as iPad, IPhone, Android tablet and some gaming devices. In its' simplest form you can simply copy recorded material to your device to archive or watch later off-line or while travelling (you could always do this before using USB-stick, but this is MUCH easier), or you can simply stream recorded TV directly from the box. Up to 7 networked clients can connect without affecting the primary viewing or recording functions.

 

Although not for the faint hearted it's very easy to install with little or no risk to the Foxsat. There's even a Dummies Guide to installation

 

I've also taken this one step further and made router and firewall changes to allow external access to the media server. This means I can stream from my Humax box to anywhere that I have a decent internet connection. This also works very well (less so for HD content), but does need a good internet connection at home to get the upload capacity - VDSL25 (which has up to 5mbs upload) or better is preferred. The potential consequence of this is that anyone wanting access to UK TV material could modify the Freesat PVR system of a friend back in UK and have access to their (near) live TV or any recordings they have made and kept. What's missing here (at the moment) is the ability to control the system remotely to make programmed recordings or change channels (but I'm working on that - ironically I've succeeded in remote controlling a Sky system but can't serve the content ), which would then essentially emulate Slingbox functionality. The other issue is that media files on the Humax are not optimised for remote streaming - a one hour programme can be over a Gigabyte of data! - there are potential ways to postprocess these however.

 

If anyone has a networked Freesat PVR and wants to have a go at this and has problems, I'll be happy to offer any support that I can - if you are a bit of a technofreak it's an interesting extension...

 

YL6

 

 

 

 

[Goeters 11]

Thanks for the interesting info. This was my reason for buying a dreambox, it essentially has the functionality mentioned above but without cumbersome hacking of firmware.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

I think the Dreambox is an enthusiast system "out of the box" and of course, is not cheap. The Foxsat is a simple, domestic, easy to use (and cheap) system out of the box with the potential extension I am experimenting with as the "enthusiast" option. It's not really cumbersome hacking (I'd hesitate to call it a hack in the first place as the original firmware is not touched), at least not compared to the wealth of potential effort you can go to to get the most out of a Dreambox.

 

One of my reasons for posting this snippet here was also that ex-pats are more likely to know folks with Freesat systems back in Blighty who might oblige them by serving them UK TV content.

[Guest]

Wow YL6. Interesting.

 

I have a Sony Bravia HDTV, have networked it to the PC via a small 5 port hub, and presently through my TV can access Youtube videos via my Internet router.

 

I am using Serviio on my PC to access my MP3 collection and our digital photo collection.

 

My twin LNB satellite box is embedded in the TV, no need for an external set.

 

Is there any way I can access stuff like UK Gold through this system?

[Goeters 11]

Please don't take my post the wrong way.

 

I was not aware the Foxsat is a cheap system. I thought is was also around EUR 400 or so. I just wanted to mention the Dreambox as well as I thought it was a fairly easy system to set up and you can get full EPG with daily downloads from the net etc and can stream, record etc.

 

Just sharing my experiences with another option. :lol:

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

Is there any way I can access stuff like UK Gold through this system?

 

No

 

 

Please don't take my post the wrong way.

I was not aware the Foxsat is a cheap system.

 

Wrong way not taken - I understand your sentiments. The basic Foxsat HD with 320Gb disk starts at under £220 (so under €265) and they are pretty common for people home and abroad watching and recording UK free-to-air services.

[ovbg 724]

I must admit YorkshireLad6, you do constantly impress me with your abilities!

 

I will be in a situation soon, where we are moving to a new apartment which will have a satellite dish installation for all tenants, but only for German services.

 

As we are buying the apartment and need to furnish it out, we are completely out of cash and can't afford anything in the television area for many years so we are hoping to use what we have.

 

As we have a Humax box, I was hoping to continue using this under the new satellite for German services, but out of FreeSat mode. I am guessing here that it will act as a standard Satellite receiver and should be able to tune to the German channels, the free ones of course (if you know otherwise, please let me know)

 

Now, my plan then was to use the iPlayer functionality to be able to watch BBC shows (via VPN). But I think that will fall flat in non freeSat mode. So, I can assure you, if you ever hack the Humax to allow that, it would be a great benefit and you would have one quite grateful Frankfurter here.

 

But does your extension also allow the Humax to play back other material from a PC via Wifi that was not recorded on the Humax?

 

Essentially, I would like to still make the most of the Humax box whilst I have it. It is a good product afterall, and would be great if I could somehow get it to work with material downloaded or via a VPN the iPlayer.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

But does your extension also allow the Humax to play back other material from a PC via Wifi that was not recorded on the Humax?

 

No problem at all. The media server extension simply gives you access to the contents of the harddrive. How you access/view/hear/watch them is a function of your client and what media content it can interpret. Where they come from is up to you. Either they are recorded by the box directly off air, or you load or connect them directly to the system from a remote source. I can bring YouTube videos to the box on a USB stick or download off-air iPLayer recordings via FTP. Of course, whether any of these recordings can be viewed on a TV attached to the box is a different story. To use the FoxSat as simply a media server is a bit of an overkill of course - you can buy much cheaper units to do this. The main point of the media server extension is to access satellite recordings or near-live satellite TV. It's purely added convenience that that FoxSat allows you to load/store other material to it.

 

The Foxsat works fine in none-Freesat mode, but it's a bit of a kludge. The EPG of non-Freesat content is useless, the channel sorting is terrible and you can only make timed recordings, not automated ones. I have German satellite TV access on the system through an LNB switch but I rarely use it, and would not want to use it frequently - better buy a dedicated free-to-air PVR for that. I'd have to check iPlayer access in non-Freesat mode - officially it will NOT work as red-button services are not available in that mode, but there are other ways to reach iPlayer rather than going through the red-button and as the iPlayer functionality is embedded in the firmware rather than dependent on the satellite signal it might be accessible through an alternative route.

 

I presume that to to use an proxy/VPN to access UK services you need to set this up via a relay in your LAN - you can't add proxy access to the network settings of the Freesat system. For this reason I prefer to use a Wii for iPlayer as it does allow direct proxy setup.

[ovbg 724]

Hi YorkshireLad6,

 

Thanks for your reply. It does indeed seem to be a good system if I can also play back non Humax recordings. But I thought they needed the two extra files attached, does your extension negate the need for this?

 

Also, I agree that the Humax will be a pretty lame system for German satellite and a poor EPG, but we just can't afford another device at the moment, and I don't know of any German receivers that would have the iPlayer functionality built in. I keep hearing good things about devices like the Xbox or Wii as you mentioned, but it is the cost factor for us.

 

But yes, I would set up a VPN through maybe an old laptop, or even try and modify one of my old T-online routers if I can find instructions somewhere. I tested the Humax with the iPlayer via our newer laptop with the VPN set up, and it worked great.

 

We are quite limited for options as well, as our TV is still an old wide screen CRT without only SCART and Composite inputs. This limits us from many other cheap options such as a Netbox as most devices use HDMI these days (

 

So year, we are looking for a sofa friendly solution with the minimal of costs. I don't expect it to be great, but if it can give us UK TV on the sofa for a couple of years until we finish furnishing the apartment and save up a bit, that would be good enough )

 

At the end of it all, I would probably go the way of a modern HD TV, and a Boxee box with iPlayer, or a Netbox with Boxee and VPN. But that would definitely be a few years away.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

It does indeed seem to be a good system if I can also play back non Humax recordings. But I thought they needed the two extra files attached, does your extension negate the need for this?

 

Maybe I didn't make this quite clear - in general you can't drop other media data on the Humax box and watch it directly on TV (as the extra files are needed for indexing, snapshots and programme data). You CAN drop other media data on the Humax box and watch them over your home network on a media client (such as XBMC). In essence the Humax (with the added extension) becomes simply a NAS box on your network to which other clients (not even necessarilly on your own LAN) have direct network access.

[blacklab 2]

A cheap alternative is setting yourself up with a uk VPN to access all uk tv via your browser. I use a mac mini with Plex server (open source and free) installed. This allows me to access all my movies, music and pictures via one interface. Plex also comes with a huge range of plugins from youtube to CNN to BBC, meaning you never actually have to use your browser - you can remain in the Plex UI for all your tv and media pleasures. OK a mac mini isn't cheap, but if you currently have a laptop or similar, you can also hook this up to your tv.

 

One other advantage of Plex is streaming all your content to any device in the home and also allows for outside connection. So far it's served my purposes perfectly.

 

btw, I do this as I'm not allowed to erect a satellite on our building.

[ovbg 724]

@YorkshireLad6, thanks for the confirmation. I did indeed understand it incorrectly. What you have created sounds fantastic, though not quite what I am looking for at the moment. But if the Humax does indeed allow the iPlayer app to work within the non-FreeSat mode, I may try your extension for the extra services it offers. I must say, brilliant work still, and thanks for offering your hard work to others! )

 

@blacklab, yes, your setup is exactly what I have considered myself, but for a later stage. We just don't have the funds now to buy another computer and a modern TV - our TV is still a wide screen CRT and everything these days seems to need HDMI to connect. Just one question, what remote do you use to control everything? Does the standard Apple remote also work within Plex? This would be important of course for full sofa enjoyment.

[mezzingtonsmythe 45]

Crikey! Look at that for a post.

 

The lengths some people go to to ensure that they don't miss an episode of Cash In The Attic astound me.

[mezzingtonsmythe 45]

The lack of sense of humour on here sometimes beggards belief.

 

Is it Eastenders? Cos if it is, theres an omnibus edition of Sunday afternoons.

 

Anyway, what do you do if your freesat foxsat box is on a completely different floor (ie level of your house) to your wifi router?

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

Of course the Freesat box clearly has to be on the internet, otherwise how would you use BBC iPLayer or ITV Player?

If a cable connection to the router is not convenient then use power-LAN adapters to send the internet over your domestic power.

[blacklab 2]

@OBVG - I use the plex remote on both an iphone and iPad. You can also use a wireless keyboard, works well but must get used to the shortcuts. So for iPhone/iPad you'd have to pay for the Plex app, however there is a free alternative called Snatch - allows you to set up your own custom remote and also gives you a trackpad that allows you to move around your screen and open/close/jump between apps - really geeky but good fun.

 

To answer your question, Apple remote will also work. Can set it to sofa mode to jump/open/close apps as well as navigate within the Plex UI. Also like I mentioned even if you have a laptop kicking around, you don't need a HDMI connection for the type of tv you have. Just install Plex, connect laptop to tv with monitor cable, get a UK vpn for £20 quarterly (I use http://www.watchuktv.co.uk/order/) and you're set to go. So your only cost at this stage would be your VPN at £80 for the year.

 

Hope this helps. Let me know what you do in the end.

[ovbg 724]

 

I'd have to check iPlayer access in non-Freesat mode - officially it will NOT work as red-button services are not available in that mode, but there are other ways to reach iPlayer rather than going through the red-button and as the iPlayer functionality is embedded in the firmware rather than dependent on the satellite signal it might be accessible through an alternative route.

 

Hi YorkshireLad6, I've been testing out the non-freesat mode myself recently, but I can't see any way to access the iPlayer from there. You mentioned there were other ways other than the red button. Anything I could try?

 

All the best.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

Which receiver? If it's the Humax then since a recent firmware upgrade the back door is no longer available (it used to be a key sequence to access the Beta iPlayer that got leaked out on to the public domain, but since iPLayer went native has been removed)

[ovbg 724]

Thanks. Yeap, the Humax. What a pity.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

The latest Media and File Server extension for the Humax Freesat system (V4.0.6) in combination with the add-on Web Interface now permits full browser based access to the content of this Freesat PVR, including access to the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), and most importantly the ability to set up, review or modify recording and schedules, even remotely.