Bye Bye Sky Need Freeview Recorder - Suggestions please

The Grandfather

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As the title says I need a suggestions as to a Freeview recorder so that my wife can still satisfy her addiction to the soaps!! Our Sky contract is finished in about one months time. I should add that my wife likes her Sky HD+ Box but is more than willing to try something else.
I would have just bought the latest Humax FVP-5000T. However all the reviews I read talk of this problem and that problem.
Mainly the sluggish response to the remote control. Given the fairly high price of this recorder I don't want to waste my money.

I would welcome any suggestions even if it is just to say that the Humax FVP-5000T is really pretty good and that I should just cough up and get on with it.
Any Freeview recorder box suggested would need to have catchup facilities via Wi-Fi. However I have a pair of Netgear Powerline adaptors in use already and could add a third if any suggestions were cable only internet access.

Thank you in advance as this subject a recurring theme!!

Nick
 
Do you have an aerial in place or are you going to need a Freesat device to use the existing dish?
 
Hi, Thanks for the reply. I have an aerial in place and it is distributed around the house.
Since I posted my post I have also read the Digital Spy post on the Humax.


All that this Digital Spy thread has done is further muddy the waters - damn it!

Cheers. Nick
 
Your choices are down to Humax, Panasonic and Manhattan, pretty much, and the features that they offer. The Manhattan is currently a no-go for me (I'm looking to replace my existing PVR at some point) due to the inability to set manual timers or add padding, something that Humax and Panasonc do. The Humax boxes are sluggish, but the 5000T does have 3 tuners. My recent experiences trying a new Panasonic PVR with in-built BR player were disappointing though -- faulty recordings on both samples that I tried, but having used Humax kit in the past will probably spring for a 5000T at some point. I suggest downloading some manuals from all of the major players, take a good look and decide based on what you find. For every good review you'll find a bad one, so it is, IMHO, down to personal choice.
 
Clem_Dye Thank you for the reply. I had, sort of, come to the same thoughts as you but without your experience - thank you for it. I shall take your advice and RTFM. In polite company it’s Read The Flaming Manual. Easy these days thanks to the internet. I have no doubt that I shall end up with a Humax. I would have gone with Freesat but it would appear that the Arris box is bit new and raw etc.
As you say the reviews are about 50/50 good and bad. I would have expected that by now that the Humax would be generating FAR fewer negative reviews but perhaps people’s expectations keep on rising.
The great shame in all this is that the Sky box is so good but now that our viewing habits have changed so much (Netflix, Prime etc) I don’t really want to carry on paying so much to Sky for just the blessed soaps.
Anyway thanks again.

Nick
 
Have you got a recent TV? Most tvs allow you to add a USB hard drive to allow recording. However most shows that are on Freeview are accessible via on demand.
 
I won't bother, with all the catchup services and DPlay you probably won't use it
 
Been through exactly the same process as you, I have the BT DTR2100 and it's never given me a moments trouble. Remote buttons are a bit fiddly, but that's about all.
 
Thank you for the replies. The box would be for my wife's TV which although fairly modern is not smart. Funny how it's just about impossible to buy a small tv with all the smart features and gizmos. She uses it for soaps and cookery programs and I know that catch up is, for her, a last resort.
I shall have a look at the BT DTR2100. Thanks philai3.

I have just had an email from Sky about my end of contract so I shall phone them and see what they say. Not a lot I expect BUT they could sell me Fibre at the right price. Could be an interesting call!!

Thanks again.

Nick
 
I suspect I am misunderstanding your needs, but I have an 'old' TV and so need a box to connect to my aerial for Freeview. I pay monthly to TalkTalk for broadband, TV and phone, all in. I can access on-demand services and can record anything I wish. And it is simple to do. Contrary to popular belief, I have found TalkTalk to be helpful in the event of problems (free replacement of the box a few weeks ago). If this sort of package is available from my supplier and others, why are you looking for a Humax or 'other' box? I suspect I am missing something here...!
 
Been through exactly the same process as you, I have the BT DTR2100 and it's never given me a moments trouble. Remote buttons are a bit fiddly, but that's about all.

Agree with this. They are top notch, though you may have to buy second hand. Slick and quick and also smart as well. All the major catch up services are on there. Powerlines required. Solid as a rock.
 
I find I’m using my humax Freesat box less and less for recordings.. there’s just not much to record nowadays that you can’t get with a Roku stick and a bbciplayer/Netflix /amazon /apple etc account.

If we manage to find something that is new and needs recording... as it’s great to miss out the ads... then we might set a series recording up... but haven’t done this in a while as there’s so much out there to watch.

Good luck dropping sky.. I was on the phone for nearly an hour trying to leave...just kept being put through to another department on hold for 10 mins each time. Missed sky at first but now very happy with what we have and the money saved each year pays towards holiday... or used to before you know what...
 
Thank you for your replies.
I used to be with TalkTalk. I fact I was with them for ages and was happy but then they sold my details to some toe rags in India and ever since I have had a problem with spam and fraud etc so NO to them. Wretched company.

Flynch191: For my use I have an excellent Sony smart TV and we use it mainly on Netflix, Prime and catchup services. I have found a BT DTR 2100 that has been recommended so to those who recommended it thank you. Plus thanks for the warning about leaving Sky. Sounds like the trouble I had leaving a mobile phone supplier years ago.

Cheers. Nick
 
One of our friends used to be with talk talk.. I heard nothing but problems about their internet and tv package. I went with BT after sky.. I make sure they price match my original offer every year or so and have had zero problems. Very surprising after reading all the horror stories about them. I’ve not used their tv package yet but our friends that moved from talk talk don’t have any more problems with their tv.. so I guess our area is pretty stable.

I believe BT’s new routers are pretty good.
They also offer some home mesh system. Whether you will need another power line adapter depends on router placement in the house and how good a signal gets through the walls to the tv box..
 
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Basically any router that’s given away with sky or by etc is cheap as chips. I dumped sky and use a Manhattan satellite box costing £65. Catchup rather than record anything. So it’s all free.
Extras Netflix and amazon. And a decent router.
 
Sky will keep hounding you with offers once you cancel, but they give up eventually. I ditched them last year and went with a TV service from Plusnet, as my broadband's with them. They also use the BT DTR 2100 and it's fine, but like others say we rarely record these days as most we watch is streamed now. I'm only paying them £5 pcm because the kids apparently couldn't live without Nickelodeon, which is pumped in over the internet from Plusnet.

When I upgrade my lounge TV to something decent I'll just use the built-in Freeview and add a hard drive. I have a Sammy in the bedroom using this set up and the EPG is nice and snappy.
 
when I upgrade my lounge TV to something decent I'll just use the built-in Freeview and add a hard drive

That would be a mistake. Your best option, and by far the superior one would be to use a recorder box. Cheap as chips.
 
Only if you want to record stuff. If all you want to do is pause live TV, it's the ideal answer unless you get a Samsung TV with which you have to jump through hoops to get it to work like you think it should.
LG have it spot on. Anytime you want to pause, you press the 'Pause' button and don't have to answer any stpifd ion screen questions and then suffer even more later. My Samsung is a pain in the butt.
Neither of them have any sort of sensible file handling methods for any recordings you make. The Sammy can record one and watch another, but can't record in standby. The LG will only record what you are watching and has no record from standby. As DVRs they are both absolutely useless.

Having said that, you may have gathered that I'm 100% with VM, if you want to record stuff, DON'T try to use a TV and a HDD or you will be very disappointed.
 

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