Best HD Freeview box

[gregs656]

MiniMan64 said:

What’s the difference between Freeview and Youview?

Freeview is just the set of digital stations.

Youview is a freeview box with an excellent (maybe the best) user interface and extra features - some apps like Netflix, iPlayer etc

The boxes are made by Humax which has a good rep. I think the interface on the Youview boxes is superior to the generic Humax boxes personally.

[Timbuktu]

Question about Humax for anyone with one please!

I've got a sky dish from when I had Sky Q.

At the moment I don't watch TV as I don't have a proper aerial and just use the PS4 for Netflix/Amazon Prime.

Can these Humax satellite boxes show Amazon Prime films etc as Netflix is listed in the apps but Amazon isn't.

Is there a way to do this or will I have to use the PS4 if I want to watch a film on Amazon?

I do need to buy a new TV at some point and could get a smart TV but would still have to put up a digital aerial on the roof which I'd like to avoid if possible but I'm guessing you can't get smart TVs that run off a sky dish?

Thanks.

Edited by Timbuktu on Wednesday 14th August 21:30

[Timbuktu]

Ooops double post.

I just googled freesat TVs and it seems they do exist!

So I could buy something like this and plug it to my sky Q dish and router and have everything I need it seems?

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-home-entertai...

Edited by Timbuktu on Wednesday 14th August 21:31

[gareth_r]

gregs656 said:

MiniMan64 said:

What’s the difference between Freeview and Youview?

Freeview is just the set of digital stations.

Youview is a freeview box with an excellent (maybe the best) user interface and extra features - some apps like Netflix, iPlayer etc.

The boxes are made by Humax which has a good rep. I think the interface on the Youview boxes is superior to the generic Humax boxes personally.

I'd say very little, if you are talking about Freeview Play.

Youview has the advantage of cheap BT/Humax boxes.

[Sticks.]

Thread revival as I'm looking for a new one.

I'd thought I'd get a Panasonic to go with the replacement Panasonic TV - better interface and one remote etc. But the reviews mention it being slow, clunky, limited programme display. And they seem to come with a DVD/Blueray player which I don't need but make them £300+ but only 500gb HDD.

Given the comments above would a BT box be a good idea? All I need is catch-up, series record and pref a twin recorder, Prime, Netflix unlikely. but reasonable storage. Or would I get a lot more if I spent a bit more?

Advice welcome, thanks.

[Doofus]

Sticks. said:

Thread revival as I'm looking for a new one.

I'd thought I'd get a Panasonic to go with the replacement Panasonic TV - better interface and one remote etc. But the reviews mention it being slow, clunky, limited programme display. And they seem to come with a DVD/Blueray player which I don't need but make them £300+ but only 500gb HDD.

Given the comments above would a BT box be a good idea? All I need is catch-up, series record and pref a twin recorder, Prime, Netflix unlikely. but reasonable storage. Or would I get a lot more if I spent a bit more?

Advice welcome, thanks.

I had a Humax Fox 5000 for ages and it was great. HDD started playing up after a few years, so I bought another Humax (don't recall which one) which was uttter garbage. I recently bought a Humax Aura 2Tb and it's great again.

Streaming services are built-in (except Prime *), Freeview Play is seamless. Two tuners, so will record three things simultaneously (and you can still pause and rewind whatever you're watching live). Plus, there's a big online community dedicated to hacking Humax devices. I don't get involved with that, but if you have a technical issue, somebody will have identified the cause and fixed it.



ETA : * It's Netflix which isn't built-in. Prime is.

Edited by Doofus on Monday 17th October 20:51

[OutInTheShed]

We have Humax Freesat recorder box, because Terrestrial TV is a joke here. A hill in the way!
The satellite stuff seems OK quality, although a lot of what we watch is old stuff.
If it dies, I'll get another one.
Our TV does all the smart stuff, but the Humax can do it too, used to use it OK with our previous TV.

We basically don't watch any live broadcast TV ,we record everything and skip the adverts.

[12TS]

Our Humax freesat box packed up last week after about 5 years or so. We replaced it with a Humax Aura Freeview box as it seemed like the best out there (not a lot of choice). So far it's good

• Quieter than the last box
• Better integration with on line services
• Boots up quicker

It will also work on with an App so you can remotely set recordings. The jury is out on this at the moment, it's got a few bugs, but generally works OK.

[Doofus]

12TS said:

Our Humax freesat box packed up last week after about 5 years or so. We replaced it with a Humax Aura Freeview box as it seemed like the best out there (not a lot of choice). So far it's good

• Quieter than the last box
• Better integration with on line services
• Boots up quicker

It will also work on with an App so you can remotely set recordings. The jury is out on this at the moment, it's got a few bugs, but generally works OK.

I'm intrigued about it booting up quickly.

Because I don't really understand why you'd turn it off, given what it's designed to do.

[12TS]

It goes into sleep mode when it's not recording. The last one took a couple of minutes to boot, the new boots in about 20 secs

[Doofus]

12TS said:

It goes into sleep mode when it's not recording. The last one took a couple of minutes to boot, the new boots in about 20 secs

Ahh, ok. I turned off sleep mode.

[ajprice]

I have an old Humax Youview box (T1000, I think), it works as a plain recorder now as they dropped support for the remote scheduling mobile app a while ago. I was holding out for a UK release of the Amazon Fire TV Recast recorder box, but that stayed as a USA thing and it's discontinued now. I'd probably get a Humax again. Does the Freeview Play on the Aura take the place of the Youview 7 day guide and remote recording phone app?

[Doofus]

ajprice said:

I have an old Humax Youview box (T1000, I think), it works as a plain recorder now as they dropped support for the remote scheduling mobile app a while ago. I was holding out for a UK release of the Amazon Fire TV Recast recorder box, but that stayed as a USA thing and it's discontinued now. I'd probably get a Humax again. Does the Freeview Play on the Aura take the place of the Youview 7 day guide and remote recording phone app?

I don't know what the Youview 7 day guide is, but the Aura has a 7 day guide amd there's an Aura app which I've downloaded but never used.

Looking at the app now, it says I can stream live tv and recordings, download my recordings and schedule reminders and recordings.

[otherman]

Doofus said:

HDD started playing up after a few years, so I bought another Humax

They use regular hard drives and you can swap them out. I've done it a couple of times.

[Doofus]

otherman said:

Doofus said:

HDD started playing up after a few years, so I bought another Humax

They use regular hard drives and you can swap them out. I've done it a couple of times.

I know. But I wanted a new box.

[Sticks.]

Thanks for the replies. I'd forgotten about using an app, that might be useful. I agree, never watch live TV now with all the ad's.

I need to get a new TV as well, which will have lots more functions than my current one so I'll go from thee I think. That said 40-45" Panasonic TVs are all out of stock. I wonder if it's to do with the chip shortage affecting cars.

[anonymoususer]

Humax Aura
Manhattan T3R

I have a Humax FVP 5000T here going on my e bay listings and its quite fast(faster than I remember them) but the Manhattan is faster
Freesat wise I have a Arris Freesat 4K but I did like the older Humax freesats.
I only have it foir the +1 channels I cant get on the freeview telly

I have an Aura I bought a few days ago off someone and I might wire it up in the other lounge though my dauighters dropping big hints