Sky+ box replacement

Iconic

I am thinking of canceling Sky for the summer and getting either a Humax or a Digital Stream as a replacement recorder.

Prices range from less than £100 to over £300 depending on Freeview, Freesat, HD and hard drive size.

Would I regret buying this for £90 http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10069&cat=Factory rather than paying a few quid more for a model with more features?

steve1980

It's worth phoning Sky up and asking about reducing the bill as my mum halved her bill with no new contract.

macman

Iconic wrote: »

I am thinking of canceling Sky for the summer and getting either a Humax or a Digital Stream as a replacement recorder.

Prices range from less than £100 to over £300 depending on Freeview, Freestat, HD and hard drive size.

Would I regret buying this for £90 http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10069&cat=Factory rather than paying a few quid more for a model with more features?

That's a Freeview PVR, fine, but relatively small hard drive-the 9300T gives you twice the capacity.
Neither of these give you any HD channels.
Why not use your existing Sky dish with a Humax Foxsat-straight box swap, no need for an aerial, and 4 HD channels for free?

Iconic

steve1980 wrote: »

It's worth phoning Sky up and asking about reducing the bill as my mum halved her bill with no new contract.

Thanks but as I only watch the football I thought I could buy a box for the money saved.

Iconic

macman wrote: »

That's a Freeview PVR, fine, but relatively small hard drive-the 9300T gives you twice the capacity.
Neither of these give you any HD channels.
Why not use your existing Sky dish with a Humax Foxsat-straight box swap, no need for an aerial, and 4 HD channels for free?

Thanks I think the hard drive size will be ok unless I go for a HD recorder.

I am unsure about Freesat because the recorders appear to cost more. Isn't the straight box the one without the recorder?

macman

PVR or digibox, it's still a straight box swap for Freesat-no other work is necessary as long as you already have a twin feed from the LNB, which you will have if you have Sky+ now.

Iconic

macman wrote: »

PVR or digibox, it's still a straight box swap for Freesat-no other work is necessary as long as you already have a twin feed from the LNB, which you will have if you have Sky+ now.

I understand about swapping the LNB feed but if it's a digibox it will not have the recorder like Sky+

macman

Correct, but cancelling your Sky sub will cease the record/playback functions on your Sky box anyway.
If you want the PVR functions, then you need to buy a PVR-still a lot cheaper than a year's Sky sub.

Iconic

macman wrote: »

Correct, but cancelling your Sky sub will cease the record/playback functions on your Sky box anyway.
If you want the PVR functions, then you need to buy a PVR-still a lot cheaper than a year's Sky sub.

Yes the PVR option is a must...... it is just a case of getting the right one.

Spend a little and then find out there was something you need or spend a lot and don't use half the functions you have bought:(

macman

All the Humax boxes have essentially the same interface, the only differences are the platform (Freeview, Freeview HD, or Freesat, and the hard drive size.

Iconic

macman wrote: »

All the Humax boxes have essentially the same interface, the only differences are the platform (Freeview, Freeview HD, or Freesat, and the hard drive size.

I think I can do without HD and have worked out what hard drive I will need.

I don't know much about the advantages of Freesat over Freeview.

From what I can see it's just that Freesat has access to IPlayer and a few more channels that I doubt I will watch or is it more than that?