So I’ve been offred a ‘free’ YouView box by my ISP, and it all looks very stylish and fancy, but its it actually worth getting? bearing in mind it’s not actually ‘free’, as there is a £50 ‘installation’ fee (a bloke comes round and pugs it in, because of course no mere mortal could manage that, oh no).

How will this thing change my life? From what I understand, it streams content from the internet just like iplayer an TV on demand services (so buffery at peak evening times), and has a built-in hd to save recorded programmes. Does it act as a media server type device, and can Istream content from it to other devices? Will it allow the streaming of content on other devices to play through my screen and hi-fi? Strangely it doesn’t seem to be equipped with wi-fi.

Basicall, is it actually worth £50?

Anyone got one? Any thoughts on it?

Do they say what YouView box it is?

The Humax T1000 box seems okay. Was kind of thinking about buying one myself.

Does seem to have a few flaws though, mainly due to dumbing down of features to suit the YouView target audience IMHO.

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/08/02/review_humax_youview_dtr_t1000_iptv_freeview_pvr/

The cool thing is that you access the various catch-up bits (iplayer, ITV player, 4oD, Demand Five) by just scrolling back a bit in the TV Guide and hitting play.

I was reading quite a good review about this last night and for £50 I’d snap it up if you don’t already have a PVR or on-demand TV. It’s normally £250. I don’t think it can act as a media streamer for content on your PC/Mac though, which is a shame.

As Graham says, it is designed for a certain audience so is supposed to be very simple to use and well integrated, if lacking the functionality of a full media centre PC hobby.

I don’t know what box it is, there appears to be two; that Humax one and a Huwaie one. I don’t know what the differences are.

Seems more like the kind of thing my girlfriend would like actually. Are they usable anwhere, or only at the address the account is?

I’m thinking of holding out for the BT bundle version, HD Freeview box with BT Infinity with BT Vision seems like a good combo. BT have sports rights now too.

that Humax one and a Huwaie one

I thought the Huwaie was just a special version of the Humax made for Geordies?

Are they usable anwhere, or only at the address the account is?

If it is the Humax box then anywhere – it is just pulling data off the web.

I thought the Huwaie was just a special version of the Humax made for Geordies?

ha ha! Wouldn’t that be the ‘Huwayaye’?

I’ll discuss it with my girlfriend see if she would like it. Can’t really see it being worth £50 even for me really. The Lovefilm/Netflic subscription option is something I think she can get with her ISP, I think she had it before. That adds another dimension to it.

Does it pull the HD streams from iplayer, etc?

TurnerGuy – yes

We’ve had it for abouta month or so – we like it:) Although hoping Netfix/Lovefilm comes on board soon.

Regarding buffering, my connection is pretty standard at about 8mbs, we use the players / ondemand stuff all the time, during peak times I suppose and never had it buffer on me – I think I’ve heard somewhere that it employs some fancy trick so that doesnt happen.

It pretty foolproof and wouldnt hesitate in recommending it.