Freesat HDR

Ok,

I have been authorised to unofficially comment on the messages I have had of late. I have been asked many times about the Humax freesat DTR (the technical term that we are using to describe this product, not a product number), better known to you as the intended first freesat HD PVR. Unofficially because we will clarify things with the press in due course through the usual channels.

The complexity of freesat means that we have focused our efforts on developing our first product; the first product is what we refer to as the 'zapper' or a basic HD receiver. This receiver is based on a common platform we have developed which is known to many of you as the iCord and is an evolution beyond. However, because of both the complex requirements for freesat and the freesat extensions to the DTR it has always been intended that the DTR will follow the basic receiver once that is stable.

This means that the final stage of DTR software development will begin after launch of our receiver product and the DTR product will follow in a few months. I am sorry if some of our are disappointed with this, but our priority has always been to ensure we have as stable a product as we can to launch. It would not have been possible to run the two developments in parallel because so many of the DTR elements are dependent on the initial basic box working. We also could not launch a DTR box which just had the basic zapper function and basic DTR functions because this would not meet the required specification.

Resources are always an issue and as good as the UK market is we could not allocate our entire development group just to this one product line. We are now finalising the basic receiver firmware and the hardware is already being gathered into it's kit form (for final European assembly). We have the DTR hardware nailed down for our software team to work on and the team are already planning their next move.

I expect the accusations of being 'late' about a product which was never given a launch date, but I can live with that. This was how it was always planned, but seeing how many people are waiting for the PVR I thought it wise to give notice here. I hope those who have been listening have appreciated how tricky a situation we are in and understand how we must prioritise the work loads. The basic receiver is a good first step and the DTR will surely follow.

Regards,

Bob

Chief Technologist, Humax