Prospective new user of HD + HDR Fox T2

[Calum]

Hi

I'm thinking of ditching Virgin Media TV and moving to a Freeview solution. This is both to save money; and also for new features such as viewing recordings on different devices (which Virgin Media doesn't allow for).
I'm looking for advice as to whether a combination of HD and HDR would fit my needs. Of course, there's lots of great information on this forum; but it's not always easy to know the current status. So I'm hoping to take a shortcut with this post.

I'm thinking of getting an HDR for our main TV, and an HD for our secondary TV (possibly adding a small hard drive to the HD). The main reason for considering these is the additional flexibility which it opens up both with and without the custom firmware.
I've got Roku / Now TV boxes to deal with other streaming needs, so it's core Freeview recording and playback which I'm interested in with the HD/HDR.
Here are some of my questions.

How good are they as plain Freeview PVRs for family usage (parents + kids) - i.e. without applying custom firmware etc? I understand that it's over 4 years since they've been released, so I'm wondering if newer boxes (Humax or other) have better basic features now.
Out of the box, can I use the HD to watch recordings which made on the HDR (assuming I've got them both networked on the same network)? Does this include HiDef recordings?
Can I watching recordings on other devices such as tablets (Android + iOS) and Roku/Now TV boxes? Similarly for copying to a USB stick for offline viewing. Does this include HiDef? Does this need custom firmware?
For recordings which I want to store longer-term, can I use Handbrake (for example) to convert to a format such as MP4?
Can I remotely set recordings, whether when in my own network or when I'm not in the house?

Thanks very much for your advice.
Calum

 

[MartinLiddle]

How good are they as plain Freeview PVRs for family usage (parents + kids) - i.e. without applying custom firmware etc? I understand that it's over 4 years since they've been released, so I'm wondering if newer boxes (Humax or other) have better basic features now.

They are pretty satisfactory PVRs out of the box and easy to use (my technophobe partner has no problems). The only current issue is that scrolling through the guide is rather slow on the latest software; this can be worked around by using an earlier software version or by training users to use short cut keys. I can't speak for other manufacturers but the latest Humax Freevies models use the same user interface.

Out of the box, can I use the HD to watch recordings which made on the HDR (assuming I've got them both networked on the same network)? Does this include HiDef recordings?

Yes.

Can I watching recordings on other devices such as tablets (Android + iOS) and Roku/Now TV boxes?

SD yes, HD only with custom firmware.

Similarly for copying to a USB stick for offline viewing. Does this include HiDef?

SD yes, HD needs custom firmware.

Can I remotely set recordings, whether when in my own network or when I'm not in the house?

Only with custom firmware.

 

[HarveyB]

There is of course the issue of supply.
Neither of the boxes are manufactured anymore and are getting more and more difficult to source.
I doubt that you will get a new HD anywhere and any new HDRs out there seem to be increasing in price.
You can occasionally get a refurb direct from Humax but it's getting harder.

 

[Calum]

They are pretty satisfactory PVRs out of the box and easy to use (my technophobe partner has no problems). The only current issue is that scrolling through the guide is rather slow on the latest software; this can be worked around by using an earlier software version or by training users to use short cut keys. I can't speak for other manufacturers but the latest Humax Freevies models use the same user interface.

Yes.

SD yes, HD only with custom firmware.

SD yes, HD needs custom firmware.

Only with custom firmware.

Thanks for the quick and clear answers. That's probably sufficient information for me to proceed to actually getting the boxes. Only then will I be able to properly know how they meet my vague and evolving requirements.
Calum

 

[Calum]

There is of course the issue of supply.
Neither of the boxes are manufactured anymore and are getting more and more difficult to source.
I doubt that you will get a new HD anywhere and any new HDRs out there seem to be increasing in price.
You can occasionally get a refurb direct from Humax but it's getting harder.

Yes - I think that I'll be relying on getting them from eBay or similar, trying to be careful as to the condition and age of the specific items.
My Virgin Media contract is until January, so I've got some time to be keeping an eye out on eBay.
Calum

 

[Black Hole]

There have been successes reported recently. The links in my signature panel below will provide most of the information you need.