What Sky Plus "Type" recorder?

[A2Z]

Hi Everyone,

After my elderly father banging on about how good Sky Plus HD is, how easy it is to record etc. I’m after something similar.

I don’t want to subscribe to Sky as I don’t watch enough to warrant the subscription but my existing Philips DVD recorder is dire. It’s a pain to use and a lottery if the player or disc will record.

I, on a brief browse of John Lewis’ electronics department, seem to need a PVR recorder.

I don’t need to record lots of programmes, but would like series record and also, mainly, for it to be easy to use. Having a DVD recorder built in would be useful to enable me to copy recordings to discs so I can watch them in the kitchen when the “all hail” Coronation Street is on in the living room.

I have a TV with Freeview built in. Is Freeview HD worth it? If it is then I need a unit with that as well.

I’m comfortable spending about £200 (ish). I saw a Humax (fox??) (without the DVD) in John Lewis for £240 which seemed good.

I'm ignorant on Home Cinema etc. So I throw myself at the mercy of the PH collective wisdom.

Thanks.

[cjs]

There are not actually that many out there to choose from, the Humax gets lots of thumbs up although the EPG (electronic program guide) and menu structure is not that great. I bought my mother a Humax a few years back and she just about get around it (she's 81 and not tech savy at all). There is more choice of channels on Freeview so I would go with that, and yes get an HD receiver to future proof it.

[VEX]

Agree, the Humax is supposed to be the best, but IMO it is still quite a way behind that of the Sky boxes.

If you have never used one before though, you would not know the difference!

V.

[eps]

I disagree (!)

Humax EPG is excellent. A lot better than Sky+ if I want to view the EPG I can also view the current programme at the same time, something Sky+ can't do (or certainly the variant I've seen)

[_dobbo_]

eps said:

I disagree (!)

Humax EPG is excellent. A lot better than Sky+ if I want to view the EPG I can also view the current programme at the same time, something Sky+ can't do (or certainly the variant I've seen)

Sky HD has been able to do this for absolutely ages.

I've used both and for me Sky beats Humax hands down, but they are still very very good bits of kit if you don't want Sky.

[A2Z]

Thanks Guys,

Looks like it will be a Humax. The Sky Plus box is pretty slick I'll agree.

Can get the HDR Fox T2 for £200 direct from Humax (graded).

[page3]

A2Z said:

Thanks Guys,

Looks like it will be a Humax. The Sky Plus box is pretty slick I'll agree.

Can get the HDR Fox T2 for £200 direct from Humax (graded).

I got a graded HDR-FoxT2 from Humax direct - looked like new and arrived very quickly. Recommend them.

Like the Humax and find it far better than Sky+, although both look rather primitive compared to my 10 year old TiVo!

[vladcjelli]

Our Foxsat-HDR did sterling service and only a defection to Sky due to broadband issues put paid to it.

It does lots of things better than sky, and a few things not as well, but some of the advanced features like being able to archive your recordings to an external USB drive make it worth having.

Still trying to decide whether to wire it in elsewhere in the house or flog it on ebay.