Humax HDR-1100S 500 GB Freesat with Freetime HD TV Recorder - White

Purchased this after ditching Sky and being told to keep the recording facility is not free. I've had a Humax basic receiver before but after checking out reviews I decided on this model. It comes with all cables and the receiver itself is very neat and compact. Not bulky like the Sky box. The set up was so easy and straight forward I was amazed how quickly it scanned the channels once I put in my post code. The HD picture quality is better than Sky I would say. Some people complained about the remote clicking but it's not an issue with me. Or the fact the light is on the bottom of the unit. I can see it clearly. I did have a problem finding the right code to operate my Samsung tv which I had to google as it's not shown on the Humax web site or if it is I could not find it. I'm not sure it's still right as there are so many different codes and you have to go through them all but again it's not difficult. It pauses live tv which is a great plus. The recording facility is easy. I downloaded the App so I could record programmes from my iPhone which I do first thing in the morning before work. Plus you can also use it to operate your tv. I paid a fortune to Sky not realising that minority of the channels I was watching were all on freeview 😡😡 how naive we all become with complacency. Take your cards out and see just what your paying for?? Ditch Sky folks and save yourselves loads of money. This unit is a highly recommended piece of kit. I would say with all it's added facilities it out does the Sky box. The 500gb storage is ideal for me but the added bonus of the larger storage recording capacity would be ideal for a larger family. It's a no brainer folks 👍👍👍

I am still getting used to the Humaz set up and everything is working effectively.I wish there was an instruction booklet or website to help with the functions on the remote control!Otherwise, just what I wanted.

Finally got around to giving Sky the boot and moving to Freesat. The Humax appeared to be the best brand on the market and this was the latest model available. The box is smaller than the Sky unit and although I didn't like the round lines initially once its under the TV it looks fine. Setup process was an interesting proposition as the unit crashed on setup, I restarted it and it crashed again. I thought this was going to be a DOA unit, however I found the issue. I was using wired Ethernet connection to the device, when the cable was connected from power up the setup would crash. If I waited until I got to the network setup screen and then plugged the cabled it worked. So I think there is a bug there in the firmware, to be fair I suspect most users would use WiFi to connect it so this might be because I am still a wired man.Once setup the unit found all the channels straight away, and to be honest I was surprised at the picture quality. The SD channels, I've been used to living in HD land with Sky, were a lot better than I was expecting to the point that I don't really miss HD. There are a few HD channels on Freesat and they are very good as well. The on demand channels work efficiently as do the pay-per-view options like movies.The unit has been pretty reliable, I've had to reboot it once as the guide went wonky. However this is nothing new as the Sky box used to have it's moments. The guide is pretty easy to use and it does everything a PVR should do. A couple of things I miss from the Sky box, like the ability to scan through favourites with a press button and on a recording there is no function to start viewing it from a time other than the start.The only negative of the box is the hard disk is quite noisy, not a typical chattering but a low volume hum this is pretty easy to tune into. I guess the box doesn't have much in the way of sound insulation and it is sat on a glass shelf so the noise is getting reflected out.Overall I am happy with my purchase, it does everything I need and more to the point I am not missing my Sky box.

Finally ditched Sky and chose this as my replacement. It arrived today. Took out of the box, looks quite good but felt nervous at the lightness compared to my old Sky box. It came with everything needed (including remote batteries). Switched satellite & HDMI cables out of the Sky box in the easy defined new locations. Connected power and hoped the wireless connection would work. All very easy and only took a couple of minutes. Turned on and followed a simple step by step process that came up on the screen. Entered postcode to get channels, it auto checks the signal strength and auto connected to my Wi-fi just needed to add my security code. All set up and ready to go.Quick and responsive with normal TV. Guide - easy to navigate and record, series link etc. 'On Demand' only had a couple of channels, so I went to the settings menu and checked for an update (which installed in about 3 minutes). Re-booted and the when accessed 'On Demand', much more available, including YouTube and Netflix (with 1 month free trial and packages starting from £5.99 after that).The picture quality is very good and the unit is quite responsive. I live in a rural location with very low internet speed and had no problem streaming BBC I Player and Netflix.Has a nice little feature that if you watch a channel and there is an HD version, a little prompt pops up and you can push 'OK' to take you there immediately. Also, if a new programme taster clip appears between programmes a pop up gives you an option to set up recording without moving away from your programme or into other menus.Not very keen on the remote - clicking noise when you press the buttons. That said, the layout is good with all the main buttons in the middle and the icons easy to follow.Obviously, only day one for me, so cannot comment on reliability. I've had no problems and am pleasantly surprised by the product. The performance and features are much better that I was expecting. Also, comes with a 2 year warranty. Very happy with the purchase and think it is good value for the money. With this and my 'Now TV box' can save loads compared to my old Sky package and still watch much the same!