My Humax Forum » Freesat HD » HDR 1000, 1010, 1100S

Request for advice on Freesat vs Freeview etc

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    Piggins

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    Greetings

    I'm looking to replace an old Humax with a new Freeview model. However, the reviews of the FVP-4000T are poor, so I'm considering buying a Freesat model instead. As I'd need to have a satellite dish installed for this, I want to check the benefits first. Can anyone advise:

    a) Are the Freesat models significantly better than the Freeview / Youview models (I mean in terms of EPG, ease of use, reliability)?

    b) I'd like some French and Chinese language TV if possible. I spoke to a satellite installer today, who said that as he understood it, there are some French (TV5?) and Chinese channels available for free via a standard satellite dish, but that these channels are not accessible via the new Humax models, as these machines are restricted to the Freesat channels. Is this right?

    c) I'm also looking to install a DLNA NAS drive - am I right in thinking this should work ok with the Humax box?

    d) I don't need wifi (I use powerline) -- is the HDR-1000S the best of the models to buy?

    e) I understand the Humax box has access to Netflix -- does it also work with Amazon Prime?

    I'd be grateful for any advice on these topics -- many thanks in advance.

    | Wed 6 Jan 2016 22:44:16 #1 |
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    Bughtlin

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    Piggins - 11 hours ago  » 
    Greetings
    I'm looking to replace an old Humax with a new Freeview model. However, the reviews of the FVP-4000T are poor, so I'm considering buying a Freesat model instead. As I'd need to have a satellite dish installed for this, I want to check the benefits first. Can anyone advise:
    a) Are the Freesat models significantly better than the Freeview / Youview models (I mean in terms of EPG, ease of use, reliability)?

    -its all relative, there is one current freetime recording model, that is the equivalent of the you view freeview play boxes

    b) I'd like some French and Chinese language TV if possible. I spoke to a satellite installer today, who said that as he understood it, there are some French (TV5?) and Chinese channels available for free via a standard satellite dish, but that these channels are not accessible via the new Humax models, as these machines are restricted to the Freesat channels. Is this right?

    They are pay TV channels atm, but freesat do get France 24. However, Telefrance is or was available on freeview HD comparable devices through he internet. some connected TVs have the app as well.

    c) I'm also looking to install a DLNA NAS drive - am I right in thinking this should work ok with the Humax box?
    pass, very technical Barry!

    d) I don't need wifi (I use powerline) -- is the HDR-1000S the best of the models to buy?

    we are now on the 1100s models

    e) I understand the Humax box has access to Netflix -- does it also work with Amazon Prime?

    No, but Amazon Video (name of the app, prime is the name of the package) isn't on youview or review play either

    I'd be grateful for any advice on these topics -- many thanks in advance.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 9:59:11 #2 |
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    JamesB

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    Bear in mind there are three platforms in this comparison: Freeview, Youview, and Freesat.

    Youview retail boxes seem to be pretty reliable nowadays, have more catchup and VoD players (Netflix but not Amazon Prime), and have a backwards EPG. They lack DLNA, but are multicast-enabled (requires BT or TalkTalk connection and sub) which (with sub) gives access to more channels. Future development funded, and largely determined, by BT and TalkTalk.

    Freeview: You might want to include Panasonic boxes in your considerations. Though not exciting, they're quite stable, and are DLNA-capable. Netflix but no Amazon Prime.

    Freesat: essentially this now means the Freetime HDR and HB boxes. The HDR boxes are similar in firmware and (largely) in features. HB1000S is a single-tuner box with no HDD, which records to USB drive. All the Freetime boxes have DLNA, backwards EPG, and a very decent VoD offering (again, Netflix but no Amazon Prime). All the Freesat boxes can get non-Freesat channels - there's a list somewhere. Fiddly.

    Personally I wouldn't have bothered with Freesat if there hadn't been a pre-existing sat dish here, and if I moved I wouldn't replace it. I like Freetime, but not enough to use it instead of Freeview. I'm hoping the Freeview Play boxes will shape up.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 11:50:08 #3 |
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    Faust

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    JamesB -
    Personally I wouldn't have bothered with Freesat if there hadn't been a pre-existing sat dish here, and if I moved I wouldn't replace it. I like Freetime, but not enough to use it instead of Freeview. I'm hoping the Freeview Play boxes will shape up.

    Funnily enough I'm the opposite - I have the 2000T and the HDR 1000s and I always use my Freesat box first. I only go to the 2000T if I have too much to record and can't schedule everything on the Freesat box.

    I find the Freesat offering to be just a little slicker, especially the EPG. The 2000T has a kind of unfinished feeling about it and the latest FVP4000 is more of a work in progress rather than a finished article.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 12:35:50 #4 |
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    JamesB

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    I agree with you about the HDR-2000T. I bought it, but returned it in favour of the Panasonic. The 2000T seemed to me to be a box going nowhere - its future development neglected while the YouView wargames were being played out. (Speculation.)

    Too early to say if Freeview Play will be the future. We may not know until the next big spectrum shift sends Freeviewers back to the shops in their droves.

    I like Freetime, and I also like quite a lot of things about Youview, but if I were only going to have one of the three, I'd stick with Freeview.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 12:59:43 #5 |
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    Faust

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    Freesat definitely has the most potential. However, sadly it doesn't appear to receive the investment which could make it the PVR of choice - both corporate and government politics to blame I suspect.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 14:36:55 #6 |
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    Piggins

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    Many thanks to all of you for your advice--it's very hard to work this stuff out from the manufacturer webpages.

    Just to recap, I'm open to both system (freeview, freesat, youview), and manufacturer. I'm after a box that has:

    * DLNA
    * Reliable (well, not annoying) EPG
    * French and Chinese Language channels if available

    I don't need wifi, don't have a sat dish, but would install one if it was worth it.

    If I can summarize what I understand from your posts and some other web pages:

    Youview

    * reliable EPG
    * no DLNA
    * doesn't have French or Chinese channels

    Freeview

    * Panasonic models are stable and DLNA capable
    * Freeview Play may turn out to be great, but isn't yet
    * FVP-4000T gets poor reviews
    * HDR-2000T has Freeview HD, but isn't a great machine
    * FVP-4000T has DLNA
    * No freeview boxes have wifi
    * Chinese language TV is available in principle on Channel 226, but is an Internet TV service, which may be why some people have trouble accessing it on Humax boxes -- it may require a 'Freeview+ HD recorder' which the site lists as the HDR-200T and HDR-1800T
    * Telefrance is a subscription service available via Freeview HD, but not Freesat or Freesat HD. However, this may be no good for Humax or Panasonic as it seems to need a Roku / Now TV / EE / Samsung device

    Freesat
    * Good EPG
    * Channel 211 has Chinese language news
    * Humax HB-1000S will access such channels via "a standard Sky dish", but the "non-Freesat STB mode" is "pretty much unusable"
    * Freesat offers France 24, but it looks like this is the English-language version of the service.
    * The HB-1000S is DLNA certified. It is single tuner, and records to USB. The USB drive needs to be assigned to the box, so I assume it won't record to a NAS drive

    If I've got any of this wrong, or if you have anything to add, please say. Hopefully this will be useful to others too.

    For me, I think the Youview doesn't meet my requirements; Freesat doesn't seem worth the investment (i.e. dish) given that it only seems to add Chinese language news; so Freeview Play might be the best option, but on a Panasonic machine. Any suggestions for which model -- JamesB, I think you have one? Thanks again.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 22:10:34 #7 |
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    JamesB

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    * Freesat offers France 24, but it looks like this is the English-language version of the service.

    Correct.

    The USB drive needs to be assigned to the box, so I assume it won't record to a NAS drive.

    Correct.

    Freeview Play might be the best option, but on a Panasonic machine. Any suggestions for which model -- JamesB, I think you have one?

    I have a Panasonic BD/HDD Recorder - it's a vanilla Freeview HD box, not Freeview Play. Only Humax have brought out a Freeview Play pvr so far. I think Panasonic have some FVP TVs.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 22:29:12 #8 |
  9. Barry

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    Freeview

    * Panasonic models are stable and DLNA capable
    * Freeview Play may turn out to be great, but isn't yet
    * FVP-4000T gets poor reviews
    * HDR-2000T has Freeview HD, but isn't a great machine
    * FVP-4000T has DLNA
    * No freeview boxes have wifi
    * Chinese language TV is available in principle on Channel 226, but is an Internet TV service, which may be why some people have trouble accessing it on Humax boxes -- it may require a 'Freeview+ HD recorder' which the site lists as the HDR-200T and HDR-1800T
    * Telefrance is a subscription service available via Freeview HD, but not Freesat or Freesat HD. However, this may be no good for Humax or Panasonic as it seems to need a Roku / Now TV / EE / Samsung device

    Freeview:

    No sure re Panasonic, my freeview+ bluray/HDD recorder missed 50% of xmas recordings, no idea why, and to be honest not investigated as I have other Humax freesat freetime/freeview playback kit in same cabinet that recorded 100% of timers.

    I would not say the FVP is getting poor reviews, some users have had HDMI issues, but lots of good reviews as well. Biggest drawback for me is the sluggishness of the EPG when setting timers.

    The FVP 4000T has wifi on board.

    Chan 226 CCTV (IP Channel) works on the FVP 4000T - cannot comment further as never used it.

    Freesat freetime:

    The EPG is a joy to use in comparison to the above.

    HB 1000S will not record to NAS drive, no wifi
    HDR 1100S 2 tuners, wifi on board.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 22:38:22 #9 |
  10. Barry

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    James - Panny now have FVP recorders out as well.

    I think there are 2 HDD recorders and 2 BluRay/HDD recorders, though as this is a site for support of Humax products I'll leave it there.

    | Thu 7 Jan 2016 22:43:26 #10 |

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