Humax Freesat PVR has some serious failings (my opinion)

[Alsone]

According to the latest reports on the Humax PVR box (rumoured to be due November) the PVR is not going to be able to record anything other than Freesat. I see this as a serious failing.

Having to buy this then yet another PVR for Freeview because it won’t record a Freeview input from a set top box or integrated tv is ridiculous. I can understand the lack of a Freeview decoder but no record input?

Thats £300 for this (rumoured price), then another £150 for another PVR to cover its inability to record Freeview, and finishing up with 2 boxes instead of one on the tv stand cluttering the place up.

Simply not a worthwhile option in my opinion.

Why would you buy something that integrates the PVR only to then have to buy another seperate PVR for everything else anyway?

Might as well get a ordinary Freesat decoder, and then wait on and buy a seperate PVR that records everything and save £150. Poor economic and practicable sense in my opinion.

What do you think?

 

[John Duncan]

I don't get it. My Humax FreeVIEW PVR only records Freeview and doesn't accept another input, and this hasn't caused me an issue, why would it with Freesat? What is there on Freeview that isn't on Freesat that you'd want to record?

 

[professorhat]

Alsone:Might as well get a ordinary Freesat decoder, and then wait on and buy a seperate PVR that records everything and save £150.
Surely you still end up with two boxes this way though? I think if it was never going to have a Freeview decoder in it (and I can see why it wouldn't) then I would still want two boxes anyway since I can't stand the whole setting up one box to switch on and at a certain time, switch itself to a certain channel, then setting the other to switch on and record the external input at a certain time rigamarole. Just leads to trouble in my experience as you inevitably forget something and record the wrong programme or nothing at all!

 

[Alsone]

professorhat:Alsone:Might as well get a ordinary Freesat decoder, and then wait on and buy a seperate PVR that records everything and save £150. Surely you still end up with two boxes this way though? I think if it was never going to have a Freeview decoder in it (and I can see why it wouldn't) then I would still want two boxes anyway since I can't stand the whole setting up one box to switch on and at a certain time, switch itself to a certain channel, then setting the other to switch on and record the external input at a certain time rigamarole. Just leads to trouble in my experience as you inevitably forget something and record the wrong programme or nothing at all!

Yes, in the absence of a universal integrated PVR, you are still going to have 2 boxes just the same, but you're going to save £150 approx compared to the Humax Integrated option.

There's little doubt that if you're going to have to have a seperate PVR there will be one that can record from more than one source before too long which makes it pointless paying for a box with an integrated PVR that records Freesat only.

If Humax were to put an ability to record via an input, then the integrated box would make a lot of sense.

As for an integrated Freeview decoder, I'm not against it, but I think what Humax would point out is the cost factor in putting 2 decoders in the same box whereas an ability to record from an external source is much cheaper and more in line with what an external PVR will probably be offering before too long.

 

[John Duncan]

Though they've been around three years and it hasn't happened yet.........

 

[professorhat]

Also still doesn't get round the whole having to set up boxes to start and change channel rigamarole either. I'd rather spend an £150 and have an easy life with Series Link and all the other features inbuilt PVRs give than consistently miss programmes I want to record because I either get the setup wrong or, as happens quite often, I don't have time to set the whole thing up as above as I want to quickly set something to record before I leave the house.
Just my opinion though I guess, the option would have been nice I agree.

 

[daveh75]

personally i think your expecting too much, since afaik you cant get a freeview pvr with an input nor sky+, why should humax be any different with there freesat pvr, if this is such an issue then just get a stand alone pvr and a standard freesat box and have the hassle of not having series linking and such

 

[Alsone]

professorhat:Also still doesn't get round the whole having to set up boxes to start and change channel rigamarole either. I'd rather spend an £150 and have an easy life with Series Link and all the other features inbuilt PVRs give than consistently miss programmes I want to record because I either get the setup wrong or, as happens quite often, I don't have time to set the whole thing up as above as I want to quickly set something to record before I leave the house.

Just my opinion though I guess, the option would have been nice I agree.

I fail to see how it could be anymore hard than setting up a video recorder to record. Surely you choose the inout source, then the channel and set the times. Is that really that hard?

Also, to answer the poster who said that there isn't currently a box produced that does record from different sources, there is the Dreambox DM-8000 coming out soon. I've heard this is likely to be a very expensive option as its high end with twin tuners on board, but it shows at least one manufacturer is already about to put a multi-source PVR into production: http://www.dreambox.org.uk/dreambox-8000.html .

There's little doubt others will follow with reasonably priced options.

 

[professorhat]

Alsone:I fail to see how it could be anymore hard than setting up a video recorder to record. Surely you choose the inout source, then the channel and set the times. Is that really that hard?
It isn't but I haven't used a video to record something for about 5 years. That was kind of the point with PVRs - everything was so much easier i.e. go to Guide, highlight the program you want to record, press record, job done. If you want to record the whole series, set the Series Link button. The new Freeview features mean if the programme time is changed, your recording is automatically updated so you don't miss it.
After using that for 5 years, I can't even imagine going back to have to setting up timers like you did in the old days! And if I'm running out the door and suddenly think, "Oh, Grand Prix's on today", I can set it to record in less than a minute and not miss my train. With the old method, it would likely take 5 minutes or so to check the time it's on, set up the Freeview box to turn on and off and set to the right channel (not to forget to allow an extra 30-40 minutes in case rain delays things), then set up my PVR to record at the same time. That's done - oh damn, missed my train!
As I say, it's my personal preference - the option would be nice I guess but I for one would never use it for the reasons above.

 

[PJPro]

I have a Humax 9200T and have found it to be an absolutely brilliant bit of kit. Infact, a fair few poeple at work and most of my family also have one.

I am intending to upgrade to the Freesat version when it's available. Have to say that I wasn't expecting to use my freeview PVR anymore. As JD pointed out, what would be on Freview that wasn't on Freesat?

The only reason I can see for keeping my old PVR would be that I could record 4 channels at once and watch another (on the same multiplex) or view a recording. That might be handy I suppose.

However, I was hoping that the new PVR was going to have network capability (GB wired) and (let's go mad) be DLNA compliant with flac support. Will it?

 

[Anonymous]

I've also had 9200t since it's release and have been very happy with it, i'll be replacing it with the freesat pvr as soon as it comes out and the 9200t will go upstairs to replace the standard freeview box in our bedroom, and there you have it, one freeview box to record freeview, one freesat box to record freesat, 2 rooms, job done.

 

[Alsone]

PJPro: As JD pointed out, what would be on Freview that wasn't on Freesat?

Quite a lot actually. Freesat doesn't mirror Freeview.

Channels not currently on Freesat but on Freeview to my knowledge include:

1. Channel 5

There's no Channel 5, although its coming. But 5 US, FIVER and some other channels have no current plans to be added.

So that means some of the most popular 5 Network Programs such as House, Lost, CSI, NCIS etc are not available unless shown on 5 itself - often there are series of these on 5 but they're on the other channels more often and sooner.

2. 5 US

3. Fiver

4. Dave

5. Film 4

6. Virgin 1

7. Sky 3

8. Nuts TV

9. Sky News

10. Sky Sports News

11. 4 Music

12. TMF

13. Smile TV

14. UK TV History

 

[John Duncan]

Ah but if we keep this thread going till October, Five will be on Freesat (in HD, possibly)......

 

[Clare Newsome]

JohnDuncan:Ah but if we keep this thread going till October, Five will be on Freesat (in HD, possibly)......

And lo it came to pass - well, not in HD, but Five is now on Freesat (since November 18th).

And for anyone coming to this thread via its incredibly high Google-ranking, you may be interested in our hands-on preview of the Freesat PVR

 

[Alsone]

Surprised this has rumbled on with such a high rating. Obviously shows the interest in this box.

We know now from 2nd hand reports that the HDR allegedly has DISEQC control implying mutlisat capabilities. However, there are reports of problems switching to non Astra satellites (from the digitalspy forums) and the question of recording from these still seems open therefore.

I too recommend anyone coming to this thread to read Clare's hands on preview linked in the post above as hopefully over time this will answer the outstanding questions and in the meantime, should answer many others about the box and its operation.

 

[Anonymous]

This is the second time ive read that film 4 isnt on freesat. Its on my freesat box and i also get film 4 +1.

 

[Alsone]

Yep FIlm 4 was posted in error.