Freebox - Knowledgebase Articles

Using the Freebox in conjunction with a http proxy server

In EyeTV, using the Freebox in conjunction with a http proxy server leads to following problem: EyeTV hangs about 2 mn before opening live TV windows. In some cases, EyeTV may not open the live TV windows at all.

Use the following workaround to get rid of this problem: enter "mafreebox.freebox.fr" in the list of hosts and domains to bypass in "Proxies" settings of your network adapter.

Why is my Freebox not detected in EyeTV preferences?

Check first that your Freebox has been activated in EyeTV Setup Assistant. For details about activating the Freebox, see the article How to set up the Freebox in EyeTV Setup Assistant

How many channels can I view at the same time using the Freebox?

You can only view 2 channels at the same time, and this independently of how you view the channels. This means that you can view for example:
- two channels on EyeTV using the network connection
- two channels on EyeTV, one using the network connection and the other one using a TV receiver (using the Freebox's A/V outputs)
- one channel on EyeTV and one on VLC
- one channel on EyeTV and one on your TV (using the Freebox's A/V outputs)
- etc.

How to set up the Freebox in EyeTV Setup Assistant?

It depends if you use Elgato hardware or not, see for info Do I need Elgato hardware to view Free's IPTV?

Note: you can relaunch the EyeTV Setup Assistant at any time from the Help menu.

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1) Configuration without Elgato hardware
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On the "Choose Hardware" page, select "Network / IPTV" as manufacturer and then "Freebox" as product.
On the "Freebox Setup" page, be sure to check the "Enable Freebox" checkbox. Choose also how many streams you want to activate (some users with low Internet bandwidth can only receive one stream).

NOTE: you must activate the Freebox in the EyeTV Setup Assistant or you won't see it in the EyeTV Preferences nor in the list of Services in the Channels window.

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2) Configuration with Elgato hardware
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Proceed as for a connecting a set-top-box or another analog video source (see the FAQ section of your analog TV tuner).

Do I need Elgato hardware to view Free's IPTV?

It depends which TV channels you want to view and which Freebox configuration you use.

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1) Configuration without Elgato hardware

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For using this configuration, you first need to enable the "multiposte" mode of your Freebox if not already done. For details see http://adsl.free.fr/tv/multiposte/
Then connect your Freebox to your Mac via Ethernet cable or wireless network.

Important note: if you use your Freebox as a router, you must open the UDP ports 31500 to 31503. More info about the Freebox router mode can be found here: http://adsl.free.fr/admin/routeur.html
Here is an example of Freebox's ports configuration, replace the IP address by your Mac's one:

Advantages of this configuration:
- you can receive and record digital TV and radio shows without loss of quality. Free's SDTV, HDTV and radio streams are received and recorded unaltered.

Limitations of this configuration:
- you cannot view TV channels received via the internal DTT tuner of the Freebox.
- you cannot view encrypted channels (Pay TV).

More info about the Freebox and the limitations can be found here:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freebox_TV
http://www.journaldufreenaute.fr/23/01/2007/tf1-refuse-le-multiposte-de-free.html

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2) Configuration using Elgato hardware

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You don't need the "multiposte" mode for this configuration.
Connect the audio/video outputs of your Freebox to an analogue TV tuner (e.g. EyeTV 250 Plus or EyeTV Hybrid). With the current Freeboxes, you will need the break-out cable delivered with your Elgato hardware and a SCART adapter. Refer to the Quick Start Guide of your product for the possible connections: http://www.elgato.com/elgato/int/mainmenu/support/documentation.en.html

Important note: As Free's hardware may vary in the future, please check that it is possible to connect the outputs of your Freebox to your Elgato hardware before buying one.

Advantage of this configuration:
- you can view all channels of your Freebox (a subscription is of course required for Pay TV).

Limitations of this configuration:
- TV signals delivered by the SCART connector are SD only, HDTV will be viewed and recorded in SD mode.
- TV signals are converted from digital to analogue by the Freebox and then converted back from analogue to digital by your Elgato hardware (EyeTV 250 Plus) or software (EyeTV Hybrid). Using EyeTV Hybrid, the quality of the converted signal depends on your Mac capabilities (see What are the recording qualities for the EyeTV Hybrid?)

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3) Using both the network stream and an Elgato hardware

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This configuration is not fully supported, see for details I want to use multiple EyeTV units (or dual tuners) on the same Mac

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For help setting up the Freebox in EyeTV Setup Assistant see this faq: How to set up the Freebox in EyeTV Setup Assistant?

Please note that you can only view 2 channels of the Freebox at the same, independently of how you view the channels. For more info, see How many channels can I view at the same time using the Freebox?

How many channels can I view at the same time using the Freebox?

You can only view 2 channels at the same time, and this independently of how you view the channels. This means that you can view for example:

- two channels on EyeTV using the network connection
- one channel on EyeTV and one on VLC
- one channel on EyeTV and one on your TV (using the A/V outputs)
- etc.