Freeview box with HDD

ktorient

I have a freeview box but never managed to record using the video, so I was thinking of buying a new freeview box with a HDD.

Can anyone recommend a model and also what is the cheapest available?

So far, the best I have found is:

this one at dixons

alanrowell

Presumably you are talking about the Humax PVR-8000T/80 for £169.99. It has mixed reviews and some people love it, others hate it. It does have an 80GB hard drive which is lovely but you won't be able to record freeview & watch a different freeview channel at the same time.

Hughes Direct has the 80Gb version for £142.99 but it's out of stock at the moment or you can get it from 247electrical for £147.99

If you want to save a few more quid Currys (on-line) have the 40GB version for £137.99.

jpieter

I bought the Humax 40 gb version fron Dixons instore at £137.99 about 6 weeks ago and I am very happy with the machine. I have heard that there are problems with the 80gb version,but if you just record every night and watch then delete programmes after watching them, the 40gb will be adequate. I have never reached the limit yet,that is 20 hours of programmes. So if you watch only occasionally then go for the 40 gb. If you are after a twin tuner version then Humax are bringing out a twin tuner version in a few months time.

malcolmord

Great info - never knew you can get one with a HD

alanrowell

Great info - never knew you can get one with a HD

Pace have had one on the market for a few years now and it has a twin tuner so you can watch freeview whilst recording another freeview channel.

Software is a bit flaky at times and the standard HD is a bit small (20gb & 10 hours recording) but it's easy to fit a larger hard drive up to about 80gb for under £100

scattycat_3

Hard drive recorders generic name is PVR.

the oldest one is a Pace which was around last year for £140, it is the same as the Sky + except that to save space they put a small laptop( 2.5") hard drive, which are expensive and are limited to 80g in size to update.

The cheapest around at the mo is the Humax 8000T(was £75) at QVC outlet shop (customer returns), New around £130 at Dixon Group, only has 1 tuner so you have to watch what you record.

The next and possibly best buy is the Fusion fvrt100 a 40g model with two tuners so similar features as Sky+ again available at around £170 again available at Dixons/Currys.( made by Beko for an offshoot of Pace)

There are a few others from £200 up, Thompson. Panasonic (reportedly the best) etc

New Higher capacity (80g) versions are beginning to arrive in the shops, and this year will see them appearing with DVD players and maybe recorders built-in.
So the end of VHS is nigh
Visit the manufacturers websites to see what is available

thefirs

Does anyone have experience of putting a Freeview PCI card to their PC in order to achieve the same effect? You could then easily burn to DVD where you want to archive a copy rather than time-shift.

I'm also interested in recording the digital radio broadcast over Freeview. I seem to recall that the Humax does not allow you to do this. Thoughts please, anyone.

scooter100_2

I bought a PVR just before christmas and it was a choice between the digifusion fvrt100 or the thomson dhd4000.Both had good reviews see
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=90
which seems a comprehensive forum for all makes of pvrs.
The thomson was slightly cheaper than the digifusion but i personally didnt like the look of it as it has no digital display and the digifusion looks a lot better (only my opinion)
At the time the digifusion was £180 but i think currys online now do it for £170.Even better though if you can stretch to £200 is the digifusion fvrt150 which has an 80Gb hard drive available in the argos sale
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=2501&langId=-1&searchTerms=digifusion.
Have now been using this box 2 weeks and it is a wonderful bit of kit eg pause/rewind live tv, record 2 different channels at the same time whilst watching something else from the hard drive library etc.
Reading the above forums all these pvrs have bugs or software problems (including mine, it has crashed once) but the different manufacturers update the software periodically. (there was a digifusion update in the last week upgrading the software from 1.6.3 to 1.6.4) so hopefully any problems will be ironed out with time.
The only gripe i have with the digifusion is the remote control which looks/feels cheap and has a slow response time.

System

Presumably you are talking about the Humax PVR-8000T/80 for £169.99.

John Lewis do the 80gb for £149.99 in their Watford store. Some of their other shops have it at £179.99, but you can get them to price match against Watford.

I bought the Humax 40 gb version fron Dixons instore at £137.99 about 6 weeks ago and I am very happy with the machine. I have heard that there are problems with the 80gb version,

The 80gb version is exactly the same as the 40gb version, just with a bigger drive, so operates in exactly the same way.

I'm also interested in recording the digital radio broadcast over Freeview. I seem to recall that the Humax does not allow you to do this. Thoughts please, anyone.

The Humax did not originaly let you record radio, but the last software upgrade changed this, and now you can.

I have a 40gb humax upgraded to 80gb, and for the price it is superb.

sspyrou

Has anyone used/got one of teh Sony GV??? 500

I believe this has a Hard Drive, DVD Recorder and Freeview - is this coorect ?

It seems a little expensive (£400 I think) compared with the other ones mentioned here but it does appear to do everything

quoia

............. but you won't be able to record freeview & watch a different freeview channel at the same time.

Not strictly true since ....

I have a freeview box but never managed to record using the video, so I was thinking of buying a new freeview box with a HDD.

...he already has a Freeview unit.

OK it is not a dual tuner within the same box but he WILL be able to record 1 freeview channel whilst watching another.


I do this all the time !!!

I've got an "old" Pioneer OnDigital receiver that cost me £10.

I also have the Humax 8000T (cost £122 - 40Gb model - used for about 6 months) which I use for Freeview and radio recordings.
If I want to watch a different Freeview channel when this is busy recording, I just select the OnDigital box.

Incidentally, I upgraded my Humax 8000T from the original 40Gb to 200 Gigabytes for just £73

From all the anecdotle evidence that I am aware of, the Humax is far superior to all the others with regards to reliability and performance. OK some of the others may have a few extra features (which you do have to pay for) but many previous users of other makes of PVRs have been exceptionally pleased with their "upgrade" to the Humax unit and their "ditching" of the "inferior product".

I'm very pleased with my Humax.
We've changed the way we actually watch TV.
This has been said by many others also.

Will probably change how you do it !