Freesat Box?

[smokeysmoo]

If you had Sky Q

Never had Sky Q, it was a good few years ago and it was Sky+, so the dish has a twin LNB.

I know I'd have to upgrade it to a 4 x LNB to record 4 programs, but I'm not sure that would be necessary TBH, and even if it was it's simple enough to do that myself

 

[fossyant]

Freeview offers 7 days catchup, but you need an aerial, unfortunately Freesat does not offer the same, but you still have to suffer the adverts

We use the apps on our main older SMART TV - it works via t'internet - the other TV has Freeview plus that lets you rewind and stuff. If OP has internet and a smart TV, he won't need a record option now, unless is't a licensed show that isn't allowed to be on 'catch up' - e.g. US series for example.

Our PVR that has all freeview is unused due to the options on the internet - and we still watch lots of the standard TV programmes.

 

[DaveReading]

The picture quality on the HD channels is excellent. Unfortunately, Freesat and Channel 4 fell out so Ch4 reverted to SD! I can get it in HD by bypassing the Freesat TV guide, but that means I have to watch it live, which I never do because...


... so (like Phaeton) I record everything and skip the ads! I have my box set up so I can skip replaying recordings forwards 1 minute at a time or back 15 seconds. Many ad breaks are 4 minutes so SKIP-SKIP-SKIP-SKIP usually gets straight through a break. Sometimes another couple of SKIPS might be needed. If I overshoot, a few dabs on the reverse skip button does the trick.

We've had a Humax for the last 10 years since ditching Virgin - I love it. I recently added custom third-party software to it which adds, amongst other things, the following functionality:

a) can record Channel 4 HD (or any other non-Freesat channels)
b) can control the box via a web interface over my home network
c) can watch recorded programmes from any device (PC/tablet/phone) on the network - a boon when the wife is viewing something on the TV that I don't want to watch
d) can copy recordings (SD or HD) onto other media to watch away from home

I agree that recording is infinitely preferable to watching on catch-up, because of the ability to skip the ads.

 

[Proto]

Living in a location where normal freeview tv reception is very poor, forcing me down the Freesat route.

My tv then (Samsung) didn’t have a Freesat tuner so I bought a Manhattan Freesat box (£30?) and all worked well, although I did finding the extra remote controller very annoying.

We used to own a Humax recorder but after not using it for several years decided we could live withoutso gave it away.

Recently bought a new tv, and only considered TVs that had Freesat tuner built in. Lots to choose from, mine is LG, fwiw.

 

[ColinJ]

We've had a Humax for the last 10 years since ditching Virgin - I love it. I recently added custom third-party software to it which adds, amongst other things, the following functionality:

a) can record Channel 4 HD (or any other non-Freesat channels)
...

Ooh - tell us more about that! I was really peeved when Channel 4 and Freesat had their tiff. I was really enjoying watching Homeland in HD and then - zap - back to SD again.

 

[Mike_P]

There are plenty of second hand Humax Freesat PVRs on eBay as a cheaper option to the new box.

 

[DaveReading]

Ooh - tell us more about that! I was really peeved when Channel 4 and Freesat had their tiff. I was really enjoying watching Homeland in HD and then - zap - back to SD again.

Details here:

https://www.avforums.com/threads/raydons-custom-firmware-for-humax-foxsat-hdr.2320116/

 

[Mike_P]

The one issue with that third party custom software is that on a Windows 10 pc you have to activate an outdated communication setting which is a potential security/privacy loophole.

 

[DaveReading]

The one issue with that third party custom software is that on a Windows 10 pc you have to activate an outdated communication setting which is a potential security/privacy loophole.

Only if you want to treat the Humax HDD as a mapped drive. You don't need to do that to use the web interface, or to watch recordings over the network.

Come to that, you don't need a Windows PC at all, W10 or otherwise - works fine with an Android tablet or phone.

 

[ColinJ]

Details here:

https://www.avforums.com/threads/raydons-custom-firmware-for-humax-foxsat-hdr.2320116/

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, my machine is an HDR-1010S and according to THIS it seems unlikely that custom firmware would have been produced for it.

 

[Archie_tect]

Had a Freesat box for about a year since ditching Sky [they still write every month]... very happy with it and saving £53 a month... we went for a 1Tb one which was £229.

 

[Bazzer]

Freeview offers 7 days catchup, but you need an aerial, unfortunately Freesat does not offer the same, but you still have to suffer the adverts

I don't think 7 day catch up applies to all channels. Sky Arts for example appears on the guide, but doesn't play.

Edited to add: I only discovered this about Sky Arts because we had a Humax Freesat/PVR box which started to play up last year and programmes I thought I had recorded, were not, which p**sed me off. So I went on catch up only to get really p**sed off when they wouldn't play from there either.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I don't think 7 day catch up applies to all channels. Sky Arts for example appears on the guide, but doesn't play.

I don't know I don't have an aerial, but was considering putting one up to use it.

 

[Bazzer]

I don't know I don't have an aerial, but was considering putting one up to use it.

Just be aware then 7 day catch up doesn't apply to all channels on Freeview.

 

[Mike_P]

Freeview offers 7 days catchup

Only if you have a Freeview Play box