Freeview/recording boxes

[tiddles]

I am looking at stopping virgin and replacing with a freeview/recording box and Orange/EE broadband internet for a significantly lower monthly cost. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations? many thanks

(admin please move if wrong section)

[Dodo1]

i did the same but with sky. I bought a freesat box which was rubbish. Went to Virgin and we have no problems at present.

[borderpaul]

I'd recommend a HUMAX recorder which I got from John Lewis. I have 2, one 6 years old and the other is three. The more recent one gives you series links allowing you to record a whole series rather than recording each episode manually using an Electronic Programme guide. The old one which all the kids can use is easy to use, the newer one has more functionality but probably a steeper learning curve. I have Virgin without the TV option as I felt it wasn't worth the monthly subscription unless you have got bad TV reception.

[stellabella]

I second the Humax boxes - spoke to John Lewis at length about this - their opinion is that Humax are the best. Mine works great!

[spooniferous]

Humax are very good in my opinion. My current one is the Humax YouView DTR T1010 500Gb. Very easy to use. You can use a iphone or android app to send it recordings. It also has access to iplayer and many other catchup services. Only restriction on this though is that it does not have built in WIFI and has to connect directly to your router or use PowerLine sockets which is an extra cost.

In all everything cost about ?260.

Overall very happy with it

[the-e-dealer]

HUMAX HUMAX HUMAX - did I mention HUMAX ? - They are lovely - and free from Talk Talk and BT !

[catma]

http://www.toshiba.co.uk/dvd-blu-ray/dvd-hdd-recorders/ Got an older version of this - works fine. Plays everything and records straight from the tele. Works off an indoor digital aerial without too much problem (just haven't got round to getting a proper roof aerial!)

[Blackcurrant]

Lots of modern TVs (eg panasonic, samsung, sony) can record directly onto a ?50 portable hard disc drive. These are about the size of a pack of cards and don't need a power supply, so fewer boxes under the tv and fewer cables. Set recordings straight from the freeview guide. Works brilliantly.

But.. if you want to watch one channel while recording a different one, Humax is the best choice.

[ed_pete]

I'm another Humax fan.

Best deals are from Humax Direct http://www1.humaxdirect.co.uk/Direct/ProdCat/freeview?sc=hd&ck=factory - check out the Manangers Specials. You can get a 500GB box for ?139, or a 1TB box for ?159. If you pay a bit more you can get a YouView compatible box that includes iPlayer/4OD/ITV Player etc with 7 day catch up (presuming you have a decent broadband connection and are able to use a wired connection).

[Sue]

Make sure you get one with more storage than you think you'll need.

I have an old Topfield (got it free from my daughter when she moved somewhere she had to have a satellite) and it's brilliant and easy to use, and will record whilst watching something else (or record two things at once) but I keep having to delete things I haven't watched because I've got too much on it that I never get round to watching :))

[the-e-dealer]

Most - if not all humaxs have a usb socket now. you can plug any storage you like in a move stuff of the main disk.

So theres no size limit ! Its Great

Signed Hugh Big.

[araucaria]

+1 for humax

[copleston_charlie]

Have got EE broadband - seems to work fine most of the time, can be a bit jittery on iplayer at peak times, but as an eisting mobile customer it's very cheap. Just got one of these as it combines all the hard drive gubbins with a dvd player

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BYUGNCY/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[James D]

Was thinking of ditching Virgin too. I have a HD TV with Freeview and Freesat built in. I've just had an ariel (not a dish) installed on the roof. It's only picking up DVB channels and not Freeview or Freesat, and I've got no HD channels. Do I need a dish for this or is DVB actually Freesat. I don't know!

Can anyone advise?

[ed_pete]

If you have an aerial and not a dish then you'll be picking up Freeview not Freesat. DVB channels are Freeview as I understand it.

[ianr]

> It's only picking up DVB channels and not Freeview or Freesat, and I've

> got no HD channels. Do I need a dish for this or is DVB actually Freesat.

DVB is just Digital Video Broadcasting. It can be eg DVB-T (terrestrial, ie Freeview, signal from an aerial), DVB-S (satellite), DVB-C (cable) ... You mention Virgin, so perhaps you are using their cable service. I gather that some of their older or cheaper set top boxes don't provide HD. The same goes for Freeview boxes.

Your TV may be "HD ready" rather than full HD; ie its built-in tuner doesn't pick up HD signals, though the set will presumably be capable of displaying in HD an HD signal input from an external source.