“This is our first Humax box after having had Sky for many years it was time for us to "break free". The box is neat and tidy and although slow to get going it does the job once it's up and running, very pleased with it so have now purchased another one for another room.”
“the way the Nero handles the sound is much better than my previous PVR. I can now separate the music from the voice.
I dislike the lack of a display and the fact that I cannot see the lights blue/purple or red. My previous PVR showed what and when a programme was being recorded”
“Very disappointed. The recorder will record and playback, and networks with my PC (eventually, after help from Tech Support). But the other functions - playing pictures, video music etc from my PC on my TV, and copying files to my PC to view them there does not work as Humax does not use standard file formats but their own which do not integrate. For example recordings produce TS files but not VID_TS files.
Having requested a refund I was refused as the unit is not faulty. What part of "it doesn't do what it says it does" is not faulty?
I won't be buying Humax again and my only recommendation is to avoid Humax.”
“This does the job of recording things of TV well with its biggest plus point being that it has three tuners and can record up to 4 programmes (depending on which muxes they are on, you may only be able to do three if the are all on different channels on different muxes).
It also supports "Freeview Play" which is basically integration into the catch up services of the major channels (iPlayer, ITV Hub, 4OD, Demand 5 and UKTV play). You can access these by either scrolling backwards in time through the guide (useful at times when you just missed something) or via versions of the apps through their own user interfaces. It is possible to load other apps too and there is a NETFLIX app shipped with the system too (with its own large button on the remote control). The other apps available though are very, very limited - no Amazon, no NOWTV (for Sky content), No other on demand services like Wuaki or Talk Talk TV, so if you want any of them you will need another set top or stick.
Now for the not so good stuff.
The remote control itself is large and clunky with layout putting the buttons in what feel like strange places compared to other remotes I own. It only supports infrared, not wireless like many other modern devices do now, so has to be line of sight to the box. The keys on it bounce and double click too easily (we got a second control and both do it, so not a one off).
The onscreen UI is also rather clunky, it works but is very slow to respond (made worse by the bouncing keys). There is not a "menu only" mode on the box, so whenever it is on, there will always be a TV channel playing - something I find annoying when all I want to do is fire it up and watch something recorded or on demand, I do not want to have Eastenders (or whatever) blasting out as I navigate to what I want to watch. Its basic interface to the guide works pretty well with intuitive use of select buttons and either single programme or series record (aka series link). Accessing recorded programmes is also pretty easy although some things are not well laid out (e.g. when multiple programmes are recorded it offers the last one recorded first, not the first/oldest episode first) and switching to older recording slightly less than obvious.
The box supports accessing things on network shares to play other videos, music or pictures as well as on USB devices you plug in. It works okay, but has a weak UI making it very hard to find things (it just shows filenames in what seems a random order) and then truncates long ones too so finding what you want is not easy.
It also allows its content to be access on your network, but again it has a pretty weak interface - you cannot change the workgroup name and the device name can only be changed for some network protocols but not file sharing. Recorded programmes can be copied off, but you can do nothing with them as they are in a format nothing recognises (I presume some sort of proprietary DRM), so the only use for that is as a back-up if the device fails, you cannot copy the recording to you phone/tablet/PC to watch on your commute for instance.
The device is advertised as supporting "CEC" which is a standard to allow one device to control another. IT does - but in a very minimal way i.e. it lets you turn your TV on and off when the device does. What it does not support, which is a huge annoyance, is pass through of remote control codes, so you have to use its own remote to control it, you cannot use your TV's remote to control it, as a result you end up switching remotes more often than out to be necessary.
All in all an okay device that does the job, but feels like it could be so much better with just a few improvements.”
“Slow interface-guide loads slowly sometimes but the main feature missing from remote is the programme info button. Before pressing info button for programme was quick but this version you need to select programme and wait for prog info to load. Don't like the recordings button too - slow startup, loading and selecting lagging, navigating slow, can't organise programmes actual date recorded. Remote has terrible buttons , sometimes pressing guide or recording button makes the menu inferface come on screen. Pervious humax freeview digi box T2 l has was great but chose this new model mainly for the 4 recording tuners and 2 terabyte drive”
