Recommend a recorder for Freeview.

Andysat

New Member
I have the HDR2000T, it is just about the most perfect recorder made. Quick & easy.

I also have the FVP 4000T, possibly the worst recorder made. Slow & slower, hard to do simple things & cluncky.

My HDR2000T was bought when they came out, I may even have been the first person on here to have one. Unfortunately sometimes three or four programmes came on that we wanted to record at the same time, so we bought the FVP 4000T. We try to avoid it as much as possible because it is so slow & clunky.

So are any of the new Humax as quick & slick as the HDR2000T. Flip through the menu in just a few seconds, find the programme in just a few seconds, even FF the adverts with a simple one touch jump. Or are they still like FVP 4000T dinosaurs. :)
 
So are any of the new Humax as quick & slick as the HDR2000T. Flip through the menu in just a few seconds, find the programme in just a few seconds, even FF the adverts with a simple one touch jump.
The new Humax Aura is reportedly very responsive and has three tuners so you can always record three channels at once. Being new there do seem to be a few quirks but Humax have already released two software updates to fix a lot of the issues.
 
Thank you, I'll check it out. Edit.... I just looked on Amazon & many bad reviews, at £250-00 upwards I'll wait, unless there is another better make. It's a shame as I have used Humax when they were satellite boxes & they were very good back then.
 
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I just looked on Amazon & many bad reviews, at £250-00 upwards I'll wait, unless there is another better make.
Post in the Aura section of this Forum asking for views; quite a few of the problems people were complaining about have been resolved.
 
Yes, I might have problem with the remotes. I believe you can change the code, problem buying a second one is they are no longer made, otherwise I would. Not keen on second hand. I may go down the Manhattan route for the second one as the Aura is quite a bit more expensive.
 
Hi Guys,

As a Newbie looking to get my first Freeview box (coming from Sky Q and Freesat) I'm definitely confused at to which recorder to buy, especially as there are 8 different refurbished models to choose from on the Humax Refurbished web page Humax Refurbished.

I'm not sure I even know the difference between Freeview and Youview.

Obviously the Sky Q box was right up do date with Apps, multiple recordings etc and I assume the Aura is the only box to compete on the same grounds, but I can't really afford one of those.

How do I decide?

Regards,

Paul
 
Hi Guys,

As a Newbie looking to get my first Freeview box (coming from Sky Q and Freesat) I'm definitely confused at to which recorder to buy, especially as there are 8 different refurbished models to choose from on the Humax Refurbished web page Humax Refurbished.

I'm not sure I even know the difference between Freeview and Youview.

Obviously the Sky Q box was right up do date with Apps, multiple recordings etc and I assume the Aura is the only box to compete on the same grounds, but I can't really afford one of those.

How do I decide?

Regards,

Paul
Youview is basically Freeview, with the additional availability of IP based extra subscription channels, and a different user interface. A Youview box can be used as a Freeview box without subscribing to a Youview package.

The aura would be your best bet to replace Sky Q, but I am rather surprised that you say that you can't afford one. Even with the cheapest Sky Q package, you would have paid the same amount as the aura costs, in around one year.
 
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the info regarding Freeview/Youview.
We took out our Sky Subscription "pre-covid" and managed to get it dramatically reduced when covid hit us in the pocket (down to "just" £25.00).
"Post-covid" we are not in a position to pay for Sky Q, so at the end of the contract it's got to go.
Ignoring the Aura, what do you think the is most versatile Humax Freeview/Youview box.
Regards,
Paul
 
looking to get my first Freeview box... How do I decide?

Aura: Humax's flagship entry to the Android TV market, and being based on Android (rather than their own proprietary build of Linux) "has legs" (as it were) with a route for adding facilities (such as new Internet TV services) without relying on Humax to provide it from scratch (Humax would likely still have to approve new apps before they could be installed, unless the Aura gets "jailbroken"). Very limited or impossible to "extract" recordings for unlimited use elsewhere (presuming you are interested in doing that), although recordings can be exported in LoDef for portable use.

FVP-5000T: Triple-tuner PVR with Freeview Play (7-day forward and backward EPG for seamless scheduling of recordings or access to catchup TV via an Internet connection). No (or limited) export.

HDR-2000T: Dual-tuner PVR, catchup limited to BBC iPlayer. StDef export only (as standard); HiDef trickery available IIRC.

HDR-FOX T2: Dual-tuner PVR, catchup limited to BBC iPlayer. Generally regarded as having the best user interface. Fully exploitable for StDef and HiDef export, and many other facilities including remote recording set-up, by installation of custom firmware (as per this forum: Quick Guide to Custom Firmware). The only Humax Freeview PVR for which there is a "hack", and therefore very popular with us, and IMO equalled only by the Aura. Only available on second-hand market, good examples available for about £50.

Forget the rest (YouView etc).
 
FVP-5000T: Triple-tuner PVR with Freeview Play (7-day forward and backward EPG for seamless scheduling of recordings or access to catchup TV via an Internet connection). No (or limited) export.
I think the FVP-5000T sounds like the one for us. We don't do file exporting but we do have a TV in the bedroom. Is there an "output" facility to hardwire to a second TV.

By the way, via the link in your Signature, I've read the Newbies' Guide and I won't be saying Hi or Bye on future posts.
 
I think the FVP-5000T sounds like the one for us. We don't do file exporting but we do have a TV in the bedroom. Is there an "output" facility to hardwire to a second TV.
I would suggest you go somewhere that will allow you to test an FVP-5000T. Its worst feature is that the user interface is the slowest of all the Humax boxes and also, to my thinking, rather inconsistent. Some people simply can't live with it. I can because the sub-titles work properly but it is frustrating at times. You could also consider a Manhattan T3-R which seems to be well liked by most users.
 
FVP-5000T: Triple-tuner PVR with Freeview Play (7-day forward and backward EPG for seamless scheduling of recordings or access to catchup TV via an Internet connection). No (or limited) export.
Sort of. StdDef can be exported to a USB drive -in theory. There seems to be a speed problem which can render export unworkable. I used to find the rear port worked properly. My last attempt failed. I use DLNA to extract StdDef programmes. I can get HiDef exports at a pinch. It is a real faff. (You really do need to know what you’re doing and need plenty of time and patience. I must get around to documenting the method.)
 
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