Freeview PVR's - Recommendations, please?

[Molyfar]

I am going to ditch Virgin Media as it is so expensive in favour of a Utility Warehouse package - with a saving of £700 / year.

This means that I will lose my ability to record tv programmes.

Can anyone recommend a good Freeview PVR, please? At the moment I am looking at Humax PVRs.

My TV is a Panasonic Viera smart TV.

TIA.

 

[nivrip]

Humax seem to have a pretty good reputation.

Which Magazine seems to think so. I usually check Which before buying things and I find it reliable although not everyone thinks that it is unbiased.

 

[TriplexDread]

Your TV doesn't have record feature via thumbdrive?

Or do you want multi channel record?

 

[Molyfar]

Your TV doesn't have record feature via thumbdrive?

Or do you want multi channel record?

Not sure what that all means LoL :-D However there is a record button on the TV control.

 

[TriplexDread]

Read your manual?

 

[Abraham Andres Luna]

I remember that there are some video capture cards you can install into a PC tower and then use the software to record the shows. It's the same as DVR like TiVo.

 

[V_R]

If you can use your TV's internal EPG then you could use that with and external drive/USB stick etc.

However a standalone box will obviously be better. The Humax range are good.

 

[Abarbarian]

My Talk Talk TV Plus box works well if that is helpful and the fibre service works well too.

 

[Molyfar]

If you can use your TV's internal EPG then you could use that with an external drive/USB stick etc.

However, a standalone box will obviously be better. The Humax range is good.

Can you recommend any particular Freeview Humax model, please? Which Magazine list a few but most of the top rated are Freesat.

 

[V_R]

Depends on your budget I guess.

Something like this..

https://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic...r/p2257251?navAction=jump&_requestid=12813235

or

https://www.johnlewis.com/humax-fvp-5000t-500gb-smart-freeview-play-hd-tv-recorder-black/p3350755

...would be good, what features do you want/need? HD? Freview Play? Smart?

 

[nivrip]

My Talk Talk TV Plus box works well if that is helpful and the fibre service works well too.

Yes, and you can get another box for only £25 if you're already a client.

 

[Molyfar]

Depends on your budget I guess.

Something like this..

https://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic...r/p2257251?navAction=jump&_requestid=12813235

or

https://www.johnlewis.com/humax-fvp-5000t-500gb-smart-freeview-play-hd-tv-recorder-black/p3350755

...would be good, what features do you want/need? HD? Freview Play? Smart?

The works preferably - I already have a smart tv.

 

[PeterM42]

Humax seem to have a pretty good reputation.

Which Magazine seems to think so. I usually check Which before buying things and I find it reliable although not everyone thinks that it is unbiased.

I had a Humax which was so BAD (even Humax "Help" line admitted they had a problem), that I took it back for a refund. I won't list all the problems here (it would take too long!).
Also - DON'T get a YouView box - the YouView system is rubbish.

 

[PeterM42]

Depends on your budget I guess.

Something like this..

https://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic...r/p2257251?navAction=jump&_requestid=12813235

or

https://www.johnlewis.com/humax-fvp-5000t-500gb-smart-freeview-play-hd-tv-recorder-black/p3350755

...would be good, what features do you want/need? HD? Freview Play? Smart?

Have you read the reviews on the Panasonic?!?!?!?!?!?!??!
Also very wary of Humax after getting refund on my dreadful 4000 model.
It seems the TV recorder market has gone severely downhill in recent years in terms of both quality and user friendliness.
PS: Don't go YouView either. I wish I could make a recommendation for this, but EVERYTHING seems so bad.

 

[BigbillSD]

Look at SageTV. Google bought it many years back and a year of so ago allowed the original owners to put it into the public domain. It full featured PVR/DVR software, and has many plugins that extend its features. It runs on Windows and Linux. -Bill

 

[V_R]

Have you read the reviews on the Panasonic?!?!?!?!?!?!??!
Also very wary of Humax after getting refund on my dreadful 4000 model.
It seems the TV recorder market has gone severely downhill in recent years in terms of both quality and user friendliness.
PS: Don't go YouView either. I wish I could make a recommendation for this, but EVERYTHING seems so bad.

I have not no, maybe you could have actually provided a link or other source then I could take a look.

Look at SageTV. Google bought it many years back and a year of so ago allowed the original owners to put it into the public domain. It full featured PVR/DVR software, and has many plugins that extend its features. It runs on Windows and Linux. -Bill

Funnily enough I nearly mentioned Plex in an earlier post, but I wan't sure if the OP was looking at a solution of that nature.

 

[PeterM42]

;

Look at SageTV. Google bought it many years back and a year of so ago allowed the original owners to put it into the public domain. It full featured PVR/DVR software, and has many plugins that extend its features. It runs on Windows and Linux. -Bill

Problem with SageTV is I don't want a DIY solution. I would like an off-the-shelf solution which has:-

1) a good UI - rules out anything with YouView
2) WORKS!!! - NOT the Humax 4000
3) is reliable. - Apparently rules out Humax and Panasonic
4) Decent recording capacity - eliminates most of the cheaper possibilities.

On past experience I do not really want to risk Humax yet again.