• Looking for a smarter way to manage your heating this winter? We’ve been testing the new Aqara Radiator Thermostat W600 to see how quiet, accurate and easy it is to use around the home. Click here read our review.

Best TV recorder box?

V

vincentianpinner

Joined
24 Jul 2023
Messages
92
Reaction score
8
Country
United Kingdom
Our freeview box seems to have died. Looking for recommendations for something similar. And if anyone knows if the bt second hand ones need a bt contact at all. Cheers
 
Only currently made retail PVRs are:

Freeview: Humax Aura, Manhattan T4R

Freesat: freesat 4k recordable

BT, now EE, Pro box is in theory rented (like $ky Q and Virgin cable boxes) and should be returned at end of a Contract; but they appear on the second user market. No need for a BT/EE sub or broadband allegedly. Nothing to stop them from 'bricking' such non-returns in theory but no reports they have so far and people rave over them.

Other second user boxes are available: for Freeview the Humax HDR Fox-T2 with the custom firmware and for Freesat the Humax Foxsat-HDR with custom firmware (and encryption patch) are well supported in the Community.

The future is streaming / catchup via the internet. I've not found any TV with PVR features to be as user friendly as a dedicated PVR.

Non Freeview or Freesat alternatives exist - search for Enigma boxes or HDHomerun to find out more.
 
Rodders53 said:
Only currently made retail PVRs are:

Freeview: Humax Aura, Manhattan T4R

Freesat: freesat 4k recordable

BT, now EE, Pro box is in theory rented (like $ky Q and Virgin cable boxes) and should be returned at end of a Contract; but they appear on the second user market. No need for a BT/EE sub or broadband allegedly. Nothing to stop them from 'bricking' such non-returns in theory but no reports they have so far and people rave over them.

Other second user boxes are available: for Freeview the Humax HDR Fox-T2 with the custom firmware and for Freesat the Humax Foxsat-HDR with custom firmware (and encryption patch) are well supported in the Community.

The future is streaming / catchup via the internet. I've not found any TV with PVR features to be as user friendly as a dedicated PVR.

Non Freeview or Freesat alternatives exist - search for Enigma boxes or HDHomerun to find out more.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Humax looks a safe bet then. CEX have plenty of used ones with a warranty.
 
Also consider instead an Amazon Fire TV Stick, which would give you a lot of streaming channels and on demand content, but not recording I don't think, although you hardly need it. The HD one is only £39.99. Requires broadband.
 
foxhole said:
Most tv’s have record function , just need a memory stick .
Click to expand...
if you are used to freeveiw recorders like i am a memory stick serves no real purpose as a single tuner will only allow record or watch when in real life recording up to 2 channels and the ability to watch a recording at the same is crucial ;)
 
big-all said:
if you are used to freeveiw recorders like i am a memory stick serves no real purpose as a single tuner will only allow record or watch when in real life recording up to 2 channels and the ability to watch a recording at the same is crucial ;)
Click to expand...
^ This. USB stick recording doesn't even have the flexibility offered by VHS/Betamax in the analogue era. It's a nice idea, but very poorly implemented.
 
I could never get the Freely recording to work so gave up to the idea.

IMHO Freely is garbage, sky Q has a much better interface and recording facility etc. - It's just damned expensive.
 
Only tried my GT60 for recording... freesat and freeview tuners... Only allowed ONE to be used for recording at any time and then you couldn't access the other for live viewing (doh!). It did allow replay of a recording while making another recording via the tuner {which is more than any VHS could do.)

My current TV has twin Freeview and twin satellite tuners... so one would hope better features; but with a HDR-Fox-T2 plus a Foxsat-HDR I haven't tried a usb drive in it to date.

NB very few USB memory sticks are designed and therefore suitable for PVR recording (continuous read/writes for a live TV buffer in particular) and will then suffer early failure. (There will be exceptions to any rule of course). Many TVs manuals specify the use of spinning hard disks to cover that.
 
Last edited:
I use a raspberry Pi and TVHeadend software. Converts TV into IP TV and streams over local LAN . You can watch on any LAN connected TV and record to hard drive.
 

​

I like the

BT Ultra HD YouView Box UHD DTR-T4000/1TB Twin HD Freeview​

Box that you can get second hand on eBay.

Only issue I found with it is that it does not have the Disney app (it does have Netflix and prime.

You can also upgrade the hard disk if needed
ionicindustries.com

YouView Box Hard Drive Replacement - Ionic Industries

How to repair your YouView box by fitting a replacement hard disk drive. We show how to open up your BT YouView box & fit a new hard drive.
ionicindustries.com ionicindustries.com
 
Last edited:
pcaouolte said:
What tuner do you use with the pi?
Click to expand...
I use three tuners at the same time so I can record multiple channels at the same time. I use a Pi TV hat, plus two USB tuners. I'll have to check which I use and let you know.
 

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Tv signal probs
Replies
3
Views
1K
Lucid
Lucid
I
TV Recorder
Replies
6
Views
1K
big-all
B
Justin Passing
Easiest way to use TV & Catchup
2
Replies
17
Views
3K
Harry Bloomfield
Harry Bloomfield
J
BT Vision box compatible with Sky Box and Magic Eye???
Replies
1
Views
2K
ChrisFrost
C
D
freeview timer recording
Replies
3
Views
2K
ericmark
ericmark
Back
Top