New UEC DSR 4639 & Humax HDR‐1003S

[transit]

I notice with interest that the new Humax only uses <0.5W in standby mode which means that is doesn't leave the lnb powered up like the [old] UEC model does [not sure about the new twin tuner model]. The DSD 4121 uses about 14 watts in standby mode which is quite a lot. I am starting to think about getting the Humax -- just waiting for other people to get it to see if there are any problems.

Hang on, hang on. If the above is true then the box doesn't comply with VAST certification according to AEC. From :

25) Why is the DSR 4639 power rating 36 watts?

The 36 watt rating is the maximum current that the unit will draw, the nominal consumption is closer to 20 watts under normal usage conditions.
The rating in the standby mode is similar to the nominal value as the VAST certification requires the unit to always be addressable by the conditional access system. This is to ensure that the unit can always receive software upgrades and conditional access entitlement management messages. To do this the LNB, processor and other power drawing devices cannot be totally switched off and hence the specified rating.

A big black mark against the HUMAX IMHO is that it has a fan. I prefer not to listen to a fan running all/most of the time. If the HUMAX specs are just a typo and the unit does also draw a similar amount of power when it is in standby then the fan would have to run all the time. Or, is UEC fibbing in it's FAQ?

[gordon_s1942]

Someone needs to read the instructions regarding the power being left connected or not but I cannot see based on other STB's that use Smart Cards, it being totally turned off.
Most fans in computers run so quietly now you need to check to satisfy yourself it is indeed running.

[transit]

The DSR 4639 is now also being offered with a 320 GB hdd instead of a 500 GB hdd. Why would they do this?

[Smacca]

Good idea if it lowers the price.

[mtv]

I'm surprised you can even still buy 320GB drives..... even 500GB for that matter.

The price difference between 320 and 500 drives is negligible.

1TB will be the minimum you'll be able to buy pretty soon I would think.

[transit]

It's less storage, it's NOT any cheaper and it just confuses the market. I just wonder why they did this?

[hoe]

It's less storage, it's NOT any cheaper and it just confuses the market. I just wonder why they did this?

Maybe less current draw ?

[transit]

I think that the 4639 has hit a new low of $439 with free registered express Australia Post shipping. Starting to get tempting especially with my birthday coming up: . Anyone seen it cheaper?

[Smacca]

I'd be inclined to spend an extra hundred or so for a Humax. Just seems like a more robust box, and a reputable manufacturer too.

[transit]

I'd be inclined to spend an extra hundred or so for a Humax. Just seems like a more robust box, and a reputable manufacturer too.

The HUMAX costs $150 more which is significant for me.

Also, I don't like the idea of a fan especially, like the UEC models, when the unit is in standby it uses almost the same amount of power as when fully powered up. This means that if the HUMAX ever gets hot enough to trigger the fan when powered up it will probably keep running even when placed in standby as it will be almost as hot in standby as when fully powered up. This could be a problem for those who live in hot places or on really hot days in colder climes.

Has anyone heard anything bad about the 4639?

[viewer]

I think it is far too early to say one brand is better than the other, at this stage.

[oldace]

I have finally bitten the bullet and purchased a UEC DSR 4639 VAST Twin Tuner PVR. I admit to having some trepidation due to the amount of negative feedback of the original UEC models on this, and several other, forums. The main reasons for choosing the UEC over the Humax were price and the 12 Volt power supply. The receiver is to be used in a small pop-top caravan.

The installation and setup were straightforward but I was a bit surprised at the Loop-Through connector which stuck out the back by 70mm. This is a pain on the narrow shelf in the caravan so I put on a couple of F type right angle adapters to make it almost flush with the back of the unit and this is now much better. I am totally new to VAST, having only used the Aurora system before, so was a little surprised at the time taken to reboot and scan each time the power was disconnected. I assume this is normal for all VAST receivers.

Before trying it out in the caravan the initial setup was carried out inside the house on an 80cm Panasonic LCD TV. The picture and sound quality was very good. A lot better than I was expecting following some other reviews. Some members have had problems connecting VAST receivers to their TV’s via HDMI but I had no problems with the Panasonic TV or the little Palsonic in the caravan. Both worked “straight out of the box”.

I have been playing around with the Chain Recording and Timer settings and they seem to work as expected. A bit of a trap when I setup a chain recording of the 16:00 ABC News on ABC24. (Highlight the program in the EPG and press the Yellow Button). Yellow dot shows on the EPG and the program shows in the Scheduled List. The next day I found that it has recorded every program on ABC24 named “ABC News”. It simply did what I asked it to do. Hadn’t thought of that. No problem having the power disconnected all day. All programming is still intact and it just starts again from the current time.

Using my digital Volt / Amp meter, with the receiver recording two programs at once and playing back a recorded program at the same time, it showed a maximum power consumption of 1.07 Amps (12.84 Watts, I believe) and in Standby with nothing happening it was 0.99 Amps. This compares with 1.04 Amps while recording, and 0.58 Amps in standby on my Strong Aurora receiver. Not bad - higher than some others, but still OK for my requirements.

After several hours of dual channel recording and simultaneous playback the unit is only very slightly warm and the 3 Amp power supply is hardly warm at all. Cooler than my laptop power supply. Good news I believe..

Overall I am impressed with this unit and it fully meets my requirements. Couldn’t ask for more at this stage. Hopefully the external power supply will have eliminated the problems with earlier models.

Cheers,

Oldace.

[transit]

I have finally bitten the bullet and purchased a UEC DSR 4639 VAST Twin Tuner PVR. I admit to having some trepidation due to the amount of negative feedback of the original UEC
...

Cheers,

Oldace.

Great review. Could you try to record a radio program and let us all know what happens please.

[gordon_s1942]

If you use the 'Rule of Thumb' that it takes 4GB to record 1 hour of TV, 320 GB gives you 80 hours or 60 to 80 DVD's........
I guess some may consider using the HDD as a long term storage of recorded material but to me thats not a good idea because it would be easy to accidentally to either erase or record over the material or if the HDD was to 'Crash' and they do unfortunately, youve lost the recorded material.
I have the odd recorded programs on a stand alone HDD that I did 2 years ago and I still havent got around to seeing them so, basicaly if I find if I dont get to see it within 48 hours, god only knows when I will.....

[oldace]

Great review. Could you try to record a radio program and let us all know what happens please.

Tried That..!! Error Message - "It is not possible to record radio programs."

Tried every way I could think of but same result.

[Rodnic]

The Satking has a learning remote which can operate the TV, does the UEC DSR 4639 &/or Humax HDR‐1003S have this feature?

[transit]

The Satking has a learning remote which can operate the TV, does the UEC DSR 4639 &/or Humax HDR‐1003S have this feature?

That's a big no for the 4639.