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What we Know so Far . . .

I know at least one person who is not aware that iPlayer covers only BBC ...

Humax 2000T blurb "Through the Humax TV Portal you can even get the BBC iPlayer directly to your TV screen, meaning you can catch up on programmes you might have missed over the last few days and weeks."
But if I have only missed programmes on ITV "over the last few days and weeks" how does getting BBC iPlayer mean I can catch up on the programmes I have missed over the last few days and weeks?
 
If you don't know that BBC iPlayer only covers BBC programs after all this time, then there is no hope for you lol

I know it will always be confusing to some people, but that's not humax's fault, and nor is it the bbc's fault.
There will always be people that say they watched coronation street on bbc 1.
 
If I am only aware of two things then they would be:
  • BBC iPlayer only covers BBC programmes
  • There is no hope for me
Why are Humax appearing to claim that iPlayer covers all broadcasters' programmes?
 
Looks almost identical to the T2, except the display.

I was hoping for an improvement to the hopeless software and EPG but this looks no different.

Disappointed :(
 
page3 said:
Looks almost identical to the T2, except the display.

I was hoping for an improvement to the hopeless software and EPG but this looks no different.

Disappointed :(
Click to expand...
:disagree: It doesn't look even remotely similar.:disagree:
 
Physically it looks different, but operationally and functionally it looks almost identical.

I was hoping that after all this time some work would have been done on the EPG and general functionality, which are both severely lacking.

Luckily the competition also gets it wrong, and at least the Custom Firmware is fantastic and raises the Humax above its rivals.

As a vanilla device though, it's poor. Comparing it to a 12 year old TiVo clearly demonstrates its faults.
 
Have you actually used one then? If so, you're the first. If not, you are only judging the published specs and I would say that is no indication.

However, that said, would you care to enlarge on in what way you find the EPG and general functionality inadequate (the HDR-FOX seems pretty damn good to me)?
 
I've heard excellent things about the TiVo box but you have to remember that the freeview PVRs are limited by the freeview service and the free to air broadcasters.
I'm surprised how close the freeview experience is to the premium services. Definitely don't see that much extra functionality on the sky boxes.
Freeview is far better value for me than TiVo/cable or Sky.

Posted on the move
 
Hi

I'm going by the details on the Humax site and the screenshots, which look almost identical to that of the T2. Of course, I'd love to be proved wrong :)

I'll happily expand on my reasoning, but it'll have to wait until later to give a proper thoughtful reply as at work right now.

I *do* like the T2. It is by far and away the best of its peers. However, I strive for perfection and in this it falls far short. I would liken the PVR market to "smart" phones pre-iPhone. Yes, they worked but usability was lacking. Whatever you might think of Apple, they really did raise the standard. I feel the Freeview market still needs such a device. TiVo (original UK version) could have been that product, but wasn't.

If you are familiar with AppleTV, XBMC, Plex, Windows Media Server and other similar products you will get a flavour of where I'm heading. They all have their faults and limitations, but get a lot right.

A really quick summary for the T2:

* Menu's are inappropriate size and format for HDTV's and badly implemented.
* Navigation is inconsistent and confusing.
* EPG is far too basic and lacks information and customisation
* Programme views are limited, slow and laid out poorly
* Search is badly implemented. Slow. Feature poor. Removes old searches. Results contain duplicate programmes.
* Search categories are poor, badly managed and inaccurate.
* 'live' view and sound cannot be turned off when in menu's.
* Channel name being flagged up when watching a recording is intrusive, cannot be switched off and uninformative.
* Season passes cannot be set for programmes already started.
* Cross-pollination of meta data poor and interface lacking. ie: what else is on with a particular Actor.
* iPlayer implementation is shockingly poor.
* No on-line / web / iPhone / Android App to remote record (without custom firmware)
* season passes give inadequate detail of what and when they are recording.
* EPG is channel centric not programme centric (see TiVo)
* Chase play implementation is poor.
* FF / REV implementation is poor (again see TiVo)
* inability to quickly see what the box is doing re. recordings
* No multi-user mode or parental controls
* Remote streaming is poorly implemented
* on-screen icons are confusing

Right, back to work... :)
 
Kev_w said:
I've heard excellent things about the TiVo box but you have to remember that the freeview PVRs are limited by the freeview service and the free to air broadcasters.
I'm surprised how close the freeview experience is to the premium services. Definitely don't see that much extra functionality on the sky boxes.
Freeview is far better value for me than TiVo/cable or Sky.

Posted on the move
Click to expand...

Hey, don't get me started on Sky :D My list of what's wrong with Sky+ is even longer!

I understand Freeview is limited by the standard, but that doesn't make it right :)

God I sound preachy today! Ha - don't mean to be!! I'm passionate about software (I'm a developer) and hate it when what's out there falls so short in my eyes.
 
page3 said:
I would liken the PVR market to "smart" phones pre-iPhone
Click to expand...
I take it you have never used a fully customised Toppy then? Sadly SD only and so yesterday's model but still the gold standard for functionality, flexibility and usability.
 
gomezz said:
I take it you have never used a fully customised Toppy then? Sadly SD only and so yesterday's model but still the gold standard for functionality, flexibility and usability.
Click to expand...

Yes, its in the loft :cool:

Great product once customised, although still not quite there in interface terms and showing its age.

However, this is after third-party customisation. I'm talking end-user products without needing to be hacked - ie: the AppleTV is a great product once hacked, but without it is fine for its target market, but limited for everyone else.
 
page3 said:
* Menu's are inappropriate size and format for HDTV's and badly implemented. - disagree
* Navigation is inconsistent and confusing. - disagree
* EPG is far too basic and lacks information and customisation - agree in part
* Programme views are limited, slow and laid out poorly - don't understand
* Search is badly implemented. Slow. Feature poor. Removes old searches. Results contain duplicate programmes. - disinterested
* Search categories are poor, badly managed and inaccurate. - disinterested
* 'live' view and sound cannot be turned off when in menu's. - so?
* Channel name being flagged up when watching a recording is intrusive, cannot be switched off and uninformative. - this is to inform you of a recording start/stop
* Season passes cannot be set for programmes already started. - agree
* Cross-pollination of meta data poor and interface lacking. ie: what else is on with a particular Actor. - not the Humax's fault
* iPlayer implementation is shockingly poor. - not the Humax's fault
* No on-line / web / iPhone / Android App to remote record (without custom firmware) - not in that era!
* season passes give inadequate detail of what and when they are recording. - agree
* EPG is channel centric not programme centric (see TiVo) - agree, but seems reasonable
* Chase play implementation is poor. - disagree
* FF / REV implementation is poor (again see TiVo) - disagree
* inability to quickly see what the box is doing re. recordings - Guide >> Schedule (yellow)
* No multi-user mode or parental controls - it's a PVR, not mission control
* Remote streaming is poorly implemented - disagree
* on-screen icons are confusing - disagree
Click to expand...
 
Of course the HDR-FOX or HD-FOX CF doesn't run on the 2000T! We don't even know what the firmware update process is yet, and I'll bet my shirt on it being more locked down than HD/HDR-FOX.
 
Black Hole, quite happy not to agree 100% (that would be boring!) but let me expand on a few items briefly to try to explain why. Not in any particular order I'm afraid.

BTW, I still like the product, I just want perfection and see no reason not to strive for it. :)


FF / REV implementation is poor (again see TiVo) - disagree

When scanning forward (say, to skip adverts) when you see your programme come back on and press play, you often are a few seconds in to the programme you wanted to watch. You then need to scan backwards slower to get to where you want to be. TiVo (for example) will automatically do that skip, based on the speed and direction you are scanning in. A real time saver and well thought out feature.

Chase play implementation is poor. - disagree

If you catch up to what is being recorded you get dumped back into the menu, not seamlessly allowed to carry on watching.

No multi-user mode or parental controls - it's a PVR, not mission control

Not very personal if it cannot be tailored to individual members in a family.


Remote streaming is poorly implemented - disagree

See PLEX to see how to do it correctly.

EPG is channel centric not programme centric (see TiVo) - agree, but seems reasonable

This makes it a DVR, not a PVR (although the term has been hijacked). I want intelligence to help me seek out programming of my tastes, not have to battle the listing guides.

Channel name being flagged up when watching a recording is intrusive, cannot be switched off and uninformative. - this is to inform you of a recording start/stop

But it doesn't actually tell me anything, as I have no idea what's on that channel. Now displaying the programme title I could understand. I'd still want to have an option to switch it off - if I'm immersed in a good drama I don't want to see BBC1 pop up and draw me away.

Menu's are inappropriate size and format for HDTV's and badly implemented. - disagree

Five lines without scrolling, even on my 86" TV.

* Navigation is inconsistent and confusing. - disagree

Again, see TiVo or AppleTV or Windows Media Server to see how to do it.

Programme views are limited, slow and laid out poorly - don't understand

See something like OnAir (iPhone/Android) App on how to do a grid view, list view, programme view, and others. TiVo also mostly gets it right.
Screen space is wasted, number of hours you an see is limited (even on a huge TV) as is the amount of information on each programme.
Basically I find myself using alternative Apps or Web to find what I want and then set via Web interface of extended firmware. I'm sure I'm not along.


* Search categories are poor, badly managed and inaccurate. - disinterested

This is one of the most important things for me. I don't care about channels - I care about programmes. I want to easily see what's on that I might be interested in and record it. I don't care when it is on, or what channel. I also care about similar programmes, and decent suggestions based on my habits. Even when I do use the limited search on the Humax, it presents me with millions of duplicates as every instance of a programme is shown - pointless.

'live' view and sound cannot be turned off when in menu's. - so?

So we sat down the other night, and saw the end of a programme we were about to watch before we managed to switch over. I want to choose what I watch. I want nothing until I have done so. You might not, but I want the option - again see TiVo.



Hope that helps explain myself a bit better :)
 
Ps. I've probably waffled on far to long on this thread. Sorry all!

I am looking forward to seeing this new version and for (hopefully) the wonderful custom firmware in time.
 
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