Freesat recorder
Author
Discussion

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Friday 3rd April 2020
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Is it me or have all major retailers quietly dropped Freesat recorders? I need to replace a Sky+ box and am struggling. What's happened to Freesat?

adsk

100 posts

182 months

Friday 3rd April 2020
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If you are reasonably technically minded it's worth considering a Linux based box. There will be quite a bit of setting up involved but there are plenty of guides online. You won't have red button, streaming services such as iplayer etc if these are important to you but you will get all the FTA channels you would with Freesat plus easier access to Channel 4 HD which is no longer easily available on the platform.

I've had this box for a couple of years.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and... and you'd need to buy a hard drive,which are very cheap nowadays - internal or external.

It will operate as a twin tuner, you can watch on a PC/tablet/phone at home (or globally if you set up your router accordingly). With a LNB upgrade you could watch/record/stream 8 channels simultaneously. If upgrade you LNB it gives you the flexibility to run slave boxes across your LAN in a similar fashion to SkyQ.

There are cheaper twin tuner boxes available such as this but they won't do the 8 channels thing but can do everything else.

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and...

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Friday 3rd April 2020
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Absolutely no time or inclination to faff around with anything at the moment I'm afraid, thanks anyway.

Very much need a plug and play option.

sjg

7,645 posts

288 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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Last thread on this: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

tl;dr: Humax's contract ran out so they don't make them any more and retailers sold out of any remaining stock. New company (Arris) will be doing a fresh 4k Freesat recorder - but it's been "coming soon" for a while. Was supposed to be out in January, then by end of Feb, then end of March (before coronavirus hit)... so you might be able to get one very soon, you might be waiting months.

The only "plug and play" alternative right now is to pick up a secondhand Humax HDR-1100S but prices can be silly for quite an old unit.

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
quotequote all
sjg said:
Last thread on this: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

tl;dr: Humax's contract ran out so they don't make them any more and retailers sold out of any remaining stock. New company (Arris) will be doing a fresh 4k Freesat recorder - but it's been "coming soon" for a while. Was supposed to be out in January, then by end of Feb, then end of March (before coronavirus hit)... so you might be able to get one very soon, you might be waiting months.

The only "plug and play" alternative right now is to pick up a secondhand Humax HDR-1100S but prices can be silly for quite an old unit.
Thanks, that's helpful. I may have been too hasty cancelling the sky contract biggrin

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
quotequote all
goldieandblackie said:
Doesn't record unfortunately.

megaphone

11,482 posts

274 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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Can't you install an aerial and use Freeview/Youview?

evoivboy

984 posts

169 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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megaphone said:
Can't you install an aerial and use Freeview/Youview?
This, if you have usb on your TV you can put in a 256/512mb memory stick and record onto that, its what i have done, sky ends 13th April
Saving £80 per month!

bitchstewie

64,402 posts

233 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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phil_cardiff said:
goldieandblackie said:
Doesn't record unfortunately.
Their website says (said?) a recording version will be available soon.

fuzzymonkey

462 posts

248 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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Does anyone know if these boxes work with the Sky Q dish?

paulrockliffe

16,383 posts

250 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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megaphone said:
Can't you install an aerial and use Freeview/Youview?
I'm in the same boat, my aerial was in the loft, now the loft is a room. If I got an aerial it would be on the house looking hideous on my garden side. But I have satellite on the opposite side where no one can see it, so have been looking at Freesat on and off for a while.

Will wait for these new boxes, we don't watch much live TV these days though.

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
quotequote all
megaphone said:
Can't you install an aerial and use Freeview/Youview?
Reception is terrible here unfortunately.

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
quotequote all
bhstewie said:
phil_cardiff said:
goldieandblackie said:
Doesn't record unfortunately.
Their website says (said?) a recording version will be available soon.
I hope soon genuinely is soon. No RCA outputs though frown

phil_cardiff

Original Poster:

8,297 posts

231 months

Monday 20th April 2020
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4k Freesat recorders now available from Currys. Mine should be here on Tuesday.