Ok, this is the reply I received from the TS+ technical support, after calling with the regular helpline of TS a customer executive directed me regarding the above query to TS+ technical support executive. She said & explained that the only difference between Humax & Thompson STBs are with their power supply types. Humax STB has an in-built power supply (transformer & regulated power regulator section inside STB unit) with a direct 230V mains 2pin power cord comming from the back of STB to be plugged into the wall mains inlet. Whereas the Thomson STB has a external DC power supply adapter like the normal
Tata Sky Digicomp, here the only plus point is if (over the years) the power supply adapter gets faulty / damaged we can get just easily dispose off the old one & buy a new one (do it ourself job) as compared to the internal power supply unit of the HUmax STB. Here we need to call the TS technical support to get an TS engineer to come at our place & get it fixed (at an additional charge). Apart from this there is no technical difference in built & construction and output picture quality of both the STBs. Even HDD capacity & type & make (WD's 160GB SATA-II) is same in both the STBs.
Now some important observation that I made, I recently got to visit my friends house who had scheduled a TS+ installation. When I reached there I noticed a kind & helpfull TS+ engineer who was installing the new TS+ system. The TS+ box that my friend had purchased from a nearby local electronic retail outlet was a HUMAX make. I didn't say a word to my friend or that engg. until he did all the dish antenna & cables layout on my friends terrace. When we came back to his house, that engg. opened the STB box & did a very skillful installation. Meanwhile I whispered in my friends ears to ask him my above query to the engineer coz it does not look good if I asked him directly (bad manners I think). My friend nicely asked him my querys as if it were his own, to that the engg. replied that until now to his experience & well as to his collegues experiences that they share HUMAX STB is far more superior when it comes to picture quality & the TS+ features like Recording, Live
TV Pause - Rewind, Record Playback & Forwarding etc... and he also added that If he had to get a TS+ system for his home he would definately try for getting a Humax STB rather than A Thompson one. I was really shocked by these comments but not for long. After connecting the STB to TV and re-authorisation of the old TS Smartcard we finally got to view the picture & sound output on his TV, man that was so crystal clear &
sharp with vibrant colors & details as compared to the old TS one. Even the recorded & Rewind playbacks are equally good (No visible quality loss while MPEG4 encoding). Audio was also much louder & crystal clear with options for PCM (analog) or AC3 (digital) output. We selected PCM one still it was much better than the previous one. The engg. also said that the only difference in these 2 STBs is regarding the nature of power supply unit & the formfactor of STB (didn't give any more tech. details however). So my conclusion - guys go for the Humax one if you get a option to choose one.
TataSky+ technology Rocks :thumb: I am going to get one soon.
Don't feel like doing this ...but can't resist
"I told u so" and I am happy that u found the truth
🙂