Need to buy a new PVR/HDD Recorder - best options? Humax?

[Buck]

Our Panasonic DVD HDD recorder has served us well but is now old technology. We use the HDD a lot to record TV programmes and then watch later.

I've been looking at the Humax DTR 2000 (c.£175) and the Humax HDR-1800T (c.£140). Both look good machines with the former having a 500GB HDD and offers Youview+.

We don't have Sky and are not looking to get it. What are your thoughts on the above machines and being a numpty, I'm assuming I need to connect them to the internet to get the best out of them rather than just using the Freeview aspect?

Thanks

 

[srichards]

I had a youview humax and it was utter rubbish. Constant failed recordings and the iplayer didn't work half the time.

The normal non you view one was slightly better but it needs a ridiculously strong digital signal or it whines there is no signal. I've had mine just over a year and there a few issues with it and a few quirks. It does seem ok though now. They did introduce a few bugs in new firmware which they had fixed in their you view version so they don't learn from basic errors.

Buy from richer sounds and get their extra warranty then you are protected. Humax's own after care is rubbish. They won't admit faults even when everyone finds the same failing. They also use cheap and nasty components in power supplies quite often so they tend to be what fails, closely followed by the HDD. With extended warranty you won't need to worry for several years

 

[dejongj]

I don't know those particular models, I've got two Humax models one of them an HDR but with freesat and it has been fine. My alternative I've used as well is a receiver from Topfield, they are superb but I don't know whether they do a youview compatible one as their own UI used to be miles better.

 

[srichards]

Topfield are long gone. They were replaced by Icecrypt. I bought one as it was supposed to basically be an HD toppy. It was the most godawful useless bit of junk! HD recording failed all the time, it used to reset and wipe all the channels and the people doing it never updated the software. Sound would stutter, it couldn't chase play properly. It would record on SD ok without spontaneously killing itself though and I had to use it like that so it was a total waste of money. The HDD failed in mine as well and it had endless other issues. I had to send it back for a warranty repair to get the HDD replaced as that died at about 18 months.

The toppy I had had a tuner fail at 18 months. Had to pay to get that replaced as there were literally no other freeview recorders where you could record two channels and watch a third. The humax now is one of the few HD freeview recorders that can do this. All are capable but none of the manufacturers enable this. I didn't get a panasonic for this reason as it is frustrating to not be able to watch any channel on any of the two recording MUXes if it is recording two programmes. You can watch just the two channels it is recording which is &**(( pointless!