Freeview recorder recommendations?

gramps

gramps

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Anyone got any recommendations for a reliable Freeview recorder?
I recently bought a Goodmans GV102ZRH50 and it's complete and utter garbage, it can't seem to deal with programmed recordings (set to record an hour's programme and it records 3 minutes!) - set it to record another programme starting at 9pm and it starts recording at 7pm!!!

Is there anything that works out there?
 
Don't get a youview. I'm on my third in as many months. Useless junk! Recordings fail, it crashes, it's useless at resolving clashes.

Panasonic seem to make well regarded recorders.

Humax were good but they make these youview boxes and their new pvrs don't seem to be well regarded either.
 
I have a Panasonic. It works well. My only complaints about it are:

No way to get a list of all future scheduled recordings.
Re-detecting all the channels (the channel list changes quite frequently on freeview) appears to lose all the future scheduled recordings, series links etc. so they need to be re-entered.

Other than that it does exactly way it says. It also records from an AV input so I can potentially record from my other satellite decoder that's pointed at 13E for the Italian channels.
 
Two for Panasonic so that's positive - I don't mind having to re-schedule a series but it's really annoying when it just doesn't record a one-off!
 
My parents have a panasonic. There are a few things I don't like about it as when its recording two things you can't watch a third live programme. You can only watch the channels being recorded. Big limitation. It also cuts the audio when you bring up the guide but you have preview audio in the recorded programmes list. I find both annoying. I only want the audio from the currently watched channel.

The nags about channel changes are also annoying and it can keep interrupting you while you're watching a live program with a message. At one point it was bothering me with this every 20 minutes or so until it was retuned which then loses all the recordings set.

What is really annoying is that the youview when it works is very good. It has a backwards epg so you can go back and watch stuff via on demand easily and it rescheduled failed programmes a lot. Some it missed. It also has a remote record so you can add things while you're out. Recording and playback was good but latest firmware has screwed it up as it's gone choppy. Bits are skipped now like bad edits. It's infuriating.
 
I have a Humax YouView box and I think it's terrific. Record two channels and watch a third. Rewind live TV. Set up recordings remotely via the app. No problems whatsoever.
 
StewartR said:
I have a Humax YouView box and I think it's terrific. Record two channels and watch a third. Rewind live TV. Set up recordings remotely via the app. No problems whatsoever.
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Did you buy yours direct or get from BT/Talk Talk?
 
srichards said:
. There are a few things I don't like about it as when its recording two things you can't watch a third live programme. You can only watch the channels being recorded. Big limitation
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That's due to it having only two tuners. When I was looking for a freeview recorder I placed the ability to record from an external source (unlike the days of video tape, very few HDD freeview PVR devices can do this) as more important than the ability to tune three channels at once, but it is definitely a matter of personal preference.

I work around it by using the tuner in the telly if I want to watch a third freeview channel and feeding the TV audio line out into the amplifier.
 
onomatopoeia said:
That's due to it having only two tuners. When I was looking for a freeview recorder I placed the ability to record from an external source (unlike the days of video tape, very few HDD freeview PVR devices can do this) as more important than the ability to tune three channels at once, but it is definitely a matter of personal preference.

I work around it by using the tuner in the telly if I want to watch a third freeview channel and feeding the TV audio line out into the amplifier.
Click to expand...

You only need 2 tuners to be able to do this. My ancient topfield could record two and let me watch any third channel on either of the two muxes it had tuned into or any channel if the 2 recordings were on the same mux. It's a weirdness with just panasonics as they've chosen to limit this rather than allow it. Every other freeview box seem to allow it too.
 
I have a Humax Freeview Recorder and I've had it for years. It has been in constant use and is still going strong. Highly recommended.
 
Watching a third channel isn't an issue for us because the TV has Freeview so we can just switch to that in the unlikely event we will find two things we want to record at the same time!
Had a hassle-free return of the old one and picked up a Panasonic for a £20 discount as the display price was incorrect :D
 
Love our YouView box, works a treat, a bit slow to respond compared to our SKY Box.

We can now record 4 Channels at once, Play back from either whilst recording, watch Freeview on TV and do Catch up on SKY, YouView, Sony Blu-Ray Player and Samsung Smart TV.

OH and can record, watch, and replay and record to DVD on our LG DVD Recorder.

Plus TV and Catchup on PC and Laptop

And still sometimes cannot find any thing to watch!!!

Oh and left out Mobile Phone and Tablet
 
gramps said:
Watching a third channel isn't an issue for us because the TV has Freeview so we can just switch to that in the unlikely event we will find two things we want to record at the same time!
Had a hassle-free return of the old one and picked up a Panasonic for a £20 discount as the display price was incorrect :D
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Which panasonic model did you get? Does it let you watch a third channel when recording two?
 
DMR-HWT130EB - I records 2 channels simultaneously (as do most) but I don't think you can watch a 3rd ... as I said though our TV has Freeview so in the unlikely event we were recording two channels we would just flick to the TV :)
It's got remote recording, is expandable by external HDD, multiroom streaming and can do wired or wireless Internet connection ... not that I'm ever likely to use the first three.
 
Well recording seems to work a treat :)
Now how do I switch off the man who is doing the signing for the deaf ?
 
It's in the manual somewhere, I too had this with Panasonic but can't remember how I fixed it:confused:
 
Doesn't seem to be optional - irritating :(
 
SouthSideBlues said:
I have a Humax Freeview Recorder and I've had it for years. It has been in constant use and is still going strong. Highly recommended.
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I'll 2nd that(y) I've got a Humax HDR-FOX T2, does everything you want and never messes up series recordings etc. Only thing I don't like is the audio is muted on FF where-as on the old Sony HDD recorder you still got audio at 2x speed FF, but there again the Sony was pretty rubbishy and stopped working after 13 months GRRRR!
 
I've stuck with these Humax recorders for years, ease of use and always get good reviews. However I've been through quite a few, they do fail and the remotes are awful, I mean look where they stuck the frame advance button lol
 
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