Freeview Recorder Advice
Author
Discussion

Aaron ADI

Original Poster:

705 posts

169 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
Guys and Gals,

I'm looking to buy a Freeview Recorder, I don't want to spend loads on it as they have come down a bit in price now.

I'm looking to spend £100-£140.

What I've noticed though, is that it's not very clear what the box will do, namely that they all say 'pause live tv', but after reading a bit more carefully, it appears most won't rewind live tv. This is a function that I found really useful on my old Sky Plus, and something I want on the Freeview Recorder.

Are any of you guys using one? If so which one and are you happy with it?

Why won't they rewind live tv if it's essentially recording it anyway? Or have I got that wrong?

Advice welcomed...

Edited by Aaron ADI on Tuesday 17th January 20:54

Jamirecluse

465 posts

173 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
You can pause whatever you are watching and from that point on it records.But you can't actually rewind LIVE TV as it says it will.


Aaron ADI

Original Poster:

705 posts

169 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
Jamirecluse said:
You can pause whatever you are watching and from that point on it records.But you can't actually rewind LIVE TV as it says it will.
The Logic one on Currys Website says

"With the ability to pause and rewind live TV, you should never miss a minute of your viewing, but if you find yourself wanting to watch two programmes at the same time then why not record one for later.

The L250STB11 includes a 250GB hard drive that's perfect for recording everything you want to watch! With up to 114 hours recording, you can be sure that you can fit plenty on there; then you just have to find time to watch it!"

So this one can rewind live tv? Or it says it can but it can't?

Is there a difference between Freeview recorder and Freeview+ recorder?

randlemarcus

13,645 posts

253 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
You can pause live TV, you can pause and rewind live TV. You can't rewind where you have been watching something else, and have just switched over.

Is there a Humax box in your price range? Buy that.

-Pete-

2,914 posts

198 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
I'm pretty sure most Freeview PVR's have a user-selectable recording buffer, my ancient Thomson allows 30mins or 60mins. So as long as you stay on the same channel, you can rewind that far.

Anyway, the answer is Humax according to most threads on PH.

defblade

7,957 posts

235 months

Tuesday 17th January 2012
quotequote all
-Pete- said:
Anyway, the answer is Humax
yes

Simpo Two

91,063 posts

287 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Not HD then?

Rugbyman

1,625 posts

225 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Not HD then?
Humax do a Freeview HD box that you can add a USB external HD to .....or they do a freeview HD+ box with the hard disc internal

Will be investing in one before digi HD goes live in my area on Feb 22nd.... good timing for F1 starting 3 weeks later bounce

igiveup

2,875 posts

304 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Rugbyman said:
Humax do a Freeview HD box that you can add a USB external HD to .....or they do a freeview HD+ box with the hard disc internal

Will be investing in one before digi HD goes live in my area on Feb 22nd.... good timing for F1 starting 3 weeks later bounce
Unless you have Sky the only ones you will be watching will be

LIVE RACES ON THE BBC
Continue reading the main story
15 April: China
13 May: Spain
27 May: Monaco
24 June: Europe
8 July: Britain
2 September: Belgium
23 September: Singapore
14 October: Korea
4 November: Abu Dhabi
25 November: Brazil

With the rest as highlights.

Rugbyman

1,625 posts

225 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
igiveup said:
Rugbyman said:
Humax do a Freeview HD box that you can add a USB external HD to .....or they do a freeview HD+ box with the hard disc internal

Will be investing in one before digi HD goes live in my area on Feb 22nd.... good timing for F1 starting 3 weeks later bounce
Unless you have Sky the only ones you will be watching will be

LIVE RACES ON THE BBC
Continue reading the main story
15 April: China
13 May: Spain
27 May: Monaco
24 June: Europe
8 July: Britain
2 September: Belgium
23 September: Singapore
14 October: Korea
4 November: Abu Dhabi
25 November: Brazil

With the rest as highlights.
Yeah I realise that but I refuse to give that horrid little man any of my hard earned.......

Sorry off topic but will the highlights of the non live races be shown as HD on BBC ?

igiveup

2,875 posts

304 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
yep

24lemons

2,931 posts

207 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
defblade said:
yes
+1

I got a reconditioned Humax PVR9150T a couple of years ago from the Humax website and it's great. You can rewind live TV to the point where you started watching that channel.

Simpo Two

91,063 posts

287 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
I chose a Sony Freeview+ twin tuner jobbie because I hoped it would integrate with my Sony TV. Well it doesn't much, but otherwise gives superb results. Looks good too.

http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/product/freevi...

Pugster

452 posts

203 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Humax machines are as close to Sky+ as I've seen

tonyvid

9,889 posts

265 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
I've got BTVision but without the contract - brought the thing outright for something like £80 a couple of years ago and it does everything really well including rewinding for about an hour on live TV(or when you switched to that channel). The downside is you must be a BT Broadband customer but that makes no odds to me as all the providers give rubbish internet speeds to my village!

Deep within the settings, it appears to be a Pace box which used to be the same as the Sky ones...and could still be for all I know.

durbster

11,759 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Pugster said:
Humax machines are as close to Sky+ as I've seen
Better I think.

The only real rival to Humax is Topfield but I'm not sure what their HD offering is like.

bigd74

143 posts

169 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
Aaron ADI said:
Is there a difference between Freeview recorder and Freeview+ recorder?
I think Freeview+ is the term used for recordable Freeview

smile


Ultuous

2,278 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
+ gives the option to flag a programme for record during the trailer (and maybe other similar things) does it not?

On another note (I'm also in the market for a Freeview PVR) what would people say gives the Humax the edge over the other, often cheaper offerings?

durbster

11,759 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
I think the Humax's greatest strength is it's menu / interface. It's just very intuitive; when you press something, it does exactly what you expected it to. This may seem fairly innocuous but if you use it every day it makes a big difference (and I'm an interface designer so am naturally quite critical of these things smile )

By contrast I don't like the Sky guide at all, mainly because you can't continue watching your programme while you look at the guide.

The main problems we've had with our Humax PVR is the series link sometimes losing programmes and the odd show just not recording at all but my understanding is these are usually issues with Freeview+ generally than the box itself.

Oh, I should point add that ours is a PVR 9200 so a few years old. I haven't used their latest kit. They might all be st biggrin

Ultuous

2,278 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th January 2012
quotequote all
durbster said:
I think the Humax's greatest strength is it's menu / interface. It's just very intuitive; when you press something, it does exactly what you expected it to. This may seem fairly innocuous but if you use it every day it makes a big difference (and I'm an interface designer so am naturally quite critical of these things smile )

By contrast I don't like the Sky guide at all, mainly because you can't continue watching your programme while you look at the guide.
Cheers - exactly the info I was after and I see exactly where you're coming from (I don't like my parents' Sky+ for that reason - or the built in EPG on my telly for that matter)...

What worries me is when people say the EPG isn't that intuitive... Do they think this just because 'it doesn't work like Sky' or because there are other PVRs with better interfaces out there! confused