Freeview recording box for elderly parents

michele-p · 18 October 2017 at 10:45PM

Hi, I'm new to this area of the forum.

My elderly parents (technophobe!) have a Goodmans freeview box, which can record 2 things at once, has series link, but seems to glitch quite often. They have very patchy internet - only around 5mb, so we wouldn't want to rely on internet service.

I want to buy them something new, that's easy to use, and doesn't cost the earth.

I've been looking at a Humax box, https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/freeview/hdr-1800t-320gb.html does this look like it would fit the bill? I realise we'll have to buy a wifi dongle or home plug to have catch up TV, which they don't have at the moment anyway.

If my limit is £150 (under £100 would be even better) - is there anything else recommended? I did think about getting them a very basic sky package - but don't think my dad would go for it.

Any thoughts?

Tom99 · 19 October 2017 at 4:59AM

Have a look at the Humax refurbished models, I have one and it is as good as new. £89

https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished/hdr-1800t-320gb-5547ad.html

[Deleted User] · 19 October 2017 at 8:56AM

You might want to look at their internet while you're doing this to make sure that they're getting at least what they should be and to see if you can't get faster. They're on the minimum if they're going to start using catch-up. Using WiFi usually lowers what you'd get at the box compared to hard wired.

michele-p · 19 October 2017 at 3:44PM

Thanks for the replies. Without paying for fibre, they are on the standard speed internet for where they live. They've not sampled catch up TV before, so possibly won't need it anyway, but to make life easier I could use homeplugs for them, and wire into the box.

So would you rate the Humax ones above anything else on the market? there was a 20% off new boxes popped up last night when I was on the site, not sure if that makes them any better than a refurb one to be honest though.

Their current box keeps dropping off recordings in their list, and the picture glitches quite a bit. So hoping a new box will fix this.

michele-p · 19 October 2017 at 8:21PM

Also, just to double check, the refurbished box: https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished/hdr-1800t-320gb-5547ad.html does that work from their areal, as they don't have a satellite dish at all.

Tom99 · 20 October 2017 at 1:09AM

michele-p wrote: »

Also, just to double check, the refurbished box: https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished/hdr-1800t-320gb-5547ad.html does that work from their areal, as they don't have a satellite dish at all.

If its freeview it work with your coax aerial then you usually have an HDMI lead to the TV plus a coax from the Humax box to the TV as well in case the Humax in not on and you just want to watch live TV

Enterprise_1701C · 20 October 2017 at 7:58AM

michele-p wrote: »

Also, just to double check, the refurbished box: https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/refurbished/hdr-1800t-320gb-5547ad.html does that work from their areal, as they don't have a satellite dish at all.

Freeview (which this box is if you look at the tech specs) works with the aerial, Freesat works with satellite.

dunroving · 20 October 2017 at 12:22PM

I have a Humax Freesat box, which gives far more channel choices than Freeview. If I recall correctly, you can get a satellite dish installed at a fixed price, which is subsidised by the government. It's several years since I did his so I can't recall the details exactly.

As suggested, you might get a good deal on a refurbished unit, otherwise they are not cheap (about £200 for a dual-input unit that allows recording on two channels at the same time).

It's very easy to use, even for a technophobe.

[later edit: I found the Freesat page with information on dish installation: https://www.freesat.co.uk/help/arranging-freesat-installation/

The text on costs says, "A standard dish installation with two feeds to your box, (which allows you to record one channel while watching another), is normally £94.99. Installing a dish with a single satellite feed (for basic Freesat boxes that don't record) is usually £79.99. If you already have a dish and simply wish to install cables to another room, this is normally £64.99."]

teddysmum · 20 October 2017 at 6:27PM

We have a smart Panasonic tv and in the period we unsubscribed to Sky,our then poor Plusnet speed of 4.5 Mbps (it's been tweaked to 5.8,now) was enough for catchup.

Goodman could be any old cheapie machine, as it's a store chain's own brand,but having had 4 Freeview recorders,the current two Humax have out performed and lasted the two previous brands (Pace and Digihome,the latter being a cheapie .)

The stock of Humax overruns or refurbs is constantly changing and as the couple already have Freeview (via the aerial) I wouldn't go to the expense of having a dish fro Freesat.

The latter boast more channels, but most of these are extra music , sales or + (ie later repeat)channels. There is very little difference in the regular channels.

michele-p · 20 October 2017 at 6:31PM

Thanks all for the help, I think I've decided on the refurb Humax box. if there's still glitches I'll consider getting them a dish. It will be their Christmas pressie, so I may just wait a while and see if there are any offers, but now I have a plan.

Just the complete meltdown when I have to teach them a new system on Christmas day then... :eek:

teddysmum · 20 October 2017 at 6:50PM

michele-p wrote: »

Thanks all for the help, I think I've decided on the refurb Humax box. if there's still glitches I'll consider getting them a dish. It will be their Christmas pressie, so I may just wait a while and see if there are any offers, but now I have a plan.

Just the complete meltdown when I have to teach them a new system on Christmas day then... :eek:

The main differences between the boxes we've had were in having/or not having HDMI input, speed choices for fast (the highest being faster than on a Sky box), having a choice of very slow (some frame by frame) and the ability to delete pars of a programme(eg first hour of a long film) to release space (but no longer needed with larger storage, nowadays). The basic usage was very similar.

Freeview recording box for elderly parents

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