Are Freeview Recording boxes becoming obsolete?

[tim jb]

Interested in buying a freeview recorder box but they're practically out of stock everywhere I've looked. You can still buy them if you're lucky but they're difficult to come by and expensive. A quick google search 'why are freeview recorder boxes out of stock uk' produced this link 'Freeview Recorders Are Vanishing In The UK: Here’s Why' (cordbusters.co.uk/freeview-recorders-vanishing-uk/)

Not sure what to think because other sources suggest Freeview will be available for at least another 10 years and that the Freeview replacement 'Freely' won't support recording. I don't want to spend £250 on a box that I won't be able to use in a few months.

Are they still worth buying?

[TikTak]

Will watch this with a mild interest.

Got to say I was considering sacking in Virgin, just getting internet from elsewhere and getting a freeview box. This may put a small spanner in the works.

[RAB2000]

We have a BT Youview box still connected up. It's only really used to record TV shows that have adverts, for example F1 on Channel 4. Handy as it has series link as well. Some shows are not always immediately available by catch-up and of course the main benefit being that you can fast forward the adverts.

[TonyRPH]

There's loads on Amazon.

Can't vouch for the quality though, but they are there. Both FreeView and FreeSat recorders.

[TheInternet]

Freeview will be around longer than any box you buy today, but many newer TVs also provide a recording functionality if you connect a hard disk. Is that a possibility for you?

[Truckosaurus]

I binned off Sky+ for a Freesat recorder, and to be honest I rarely use it. Pretty much everything on Freeview/Freesat is available via the Streaming services for each channel and that's easier to find and watch.

[tim jb]

TheInternet said:

Freeview will be around longer than any box you buy today, but many newer TVs also provide a recording functionality if you connect a hard disk. Is that a possibility for you?

I'd consider a telly if it could record multiple channels at once but I've not found one yet. I'll have another look at those

[DavidY]

Use ours a lot for commercial (non-BBC) channel programmes, as you can fast forward through the ads, unlike steamed services where you either have to pay to lose the ads or put up with them!

[Mr Pointy]

Truckosaurus said:

I binned off Sky+ for a Freesat recorder, and to be honest I rarely use it. Pretty much everything on Freeview/Freesat is available via the Streaming services for each channel and that's easier to find and watch.

That's simply not correct. The player interfaces for the streaming services are much slower & less interactive than those on a Freeview recorder.

[leef44]

I have a Freeview box, a Freesat box and now a Roku stick.

Binned Sky but with Sky Q they reset the dish for their receiver and now I would need to get a satellite dish guy in to reset. So can't use the Freesat box at the mo.

I have an aerial in the loft and TV sockets around the house but the old owner seems to have disconnected them so can't use Freeview box at the mo.

Got a Roku stick and it more or less does all I need from TV. I like watching old classics, recording them and skipping adverts. But now I can find them all on the channels available or Netflix (yes there is that ongoing subscription cost).

For adverts, I put it on mute and go on Pistonheads until the adverts finish.

[Mr Pointy]

This thread suggests a very bleak future for Freeview & recorders:

https://www.avforums.com/threads/manhattan-t3-t3-r...

[CharlesElliott]

Do you need recoriding? Pretty much anything can be streamed nowadays which is why recorders are dying out. Sky Q will likely go the same way shortly given they have Sky Stream.

[Mr Pointy]

CharlesElliott said:

Do you need recoriding? Pretty much anything can be streamed nowadays which is why recorders are dying out. Sky Q will likely go the same way shortly given they have Sky Stream.

Can you skip the adverts?

[wong]

tim jb said:

I'd consider a telly if it could record multiple channels at once but I've not found one yet. I'll have another look at those

Multiple channels at once?
How much TV do you consume?

[droopsnoot]

wong said:

Multiple channels at once?
How much TV do you consume?

I often need to record multiple channels, just because the planners decide to stick stuff on at the same time. Sometimes there's a +1 channel, but not always. I don't watch massive amounts of TV, just that most of what I watch seems to be on at the same time.

[tim jb]

wong said:

Multiple channels at once?
How much TV do you consume?

Honestly - not that much. I think most of the recordings would be speculative and watched on the off chance they're worth watching.

[superpp]

I bought one of these BT boxes off ebay a few years ago (£80 iirc).
They are intended for BT TV but work great without any subscription.

Works great but needs a ethernet connection (no wireless), there was quite a few for sale basically new.
You can also add things to the planner remotely via your mobile.

https://www.whathifi.com/bt/ultra-hd-youview-box/r...

Edited by superpp on Wednesday 17th January 11:17

[NerveAgent]

We had a Humax freeview recorder which would have been great if it wasn’t infuriatingly slow and laggy to use. Ended up binning it off and not replacing due to lack of options with good reviews.

The streaming options still aren’t as good for those moments you might suddenly want to pause (kids screaming or whatever) though they are getting better, particularly iPlayer with its stream live / from the start options.

Edited by NerveAgent on Wednesday 17th January 09:53

[Glosphil]

Humax website sells re-con Freeview recorders with a warrant.

[ARHarh]

droopsnoot said:

wong said:

Multiple channels at once?
How much TV do you consume?

I often need to record multiple channels, just because the planners decide to stick stuff on at the same time. Sometimes there's a +1 channel, but not always. I don't watch massive amounts of TV, just that most of what I watch seems to be on at the same time.

I need multi channel recording and often record 4 channels at once. I never watch live TV, I like to skip through adverts. and steaming just means I spend ages watching adverts. I use freesat though, as when we first moved here freeview was poor in this area.