For use with Freesat and offers on-demand services such as i-Player as well as built-in Wi-Fi.

Any real world experiences? Good points/bad points, apart from the colour obviously!

Thanks. 🙂

Not that model, but as a family we have had 3 Humax boxes – all very good.

Thanks. It’s not been out that long, seems to have some useful features. Have your boxes ever needed repair?

Now, I dont know this 100% but I dont think that what you’re looking at is a actually a DVD recorder. Its probably a PVR / a hard disk that records-pauses TV.

It’s probably a Sky+ replacement. But there’s not likely to be a DVD you can remove / share.

Anyway, what “Which” say (dont tell them Im a member and said this):

<<<The Humax HDR-1010S is a Freesat+ PVR that has a huge 1TB hard drive. As well as the standard Freesat channels, this Humax PVR also offers Freetime, a system that lets you easily access free catch-up TV, such as the BBC iPlayer. We found this a fantastically easy PVR to set up and use, but what about the picture quality? Read our review for the full results.

It’s a similar set up to the latest YouView PVRs, but can it match them when it comes to performance and ease of use?

What is it?
It’s an updated version of the Humax HDR-1000S. There is a 1TB hard drive onboard, which Humax claim means you can record up to 600 hours of TV. The addition of built in wi-fi means you can access catch-up TV wirelessly, through Freetime, without having to buy a dongle.

It’s free to access the Freetime services and there’s no subscription. Though at the moment the only catch-up TV you can access using it is BBC iPlayer and ITV Player. Humax claim other channels such as 4oD and Demand 5 should be available by the end of the year.

What’s the picture and sound quality like?
The picture looks great on HD channels with a high resolution that will make your favourite film look fantastic. Standard-definition channels are not quite as clear but good nonetheless. For best results use an HDMI connection rather than Scart.

The sound quality leaves a little to be desired. It could do with more bass, particularly at the lower frequencies, but it’s no worse than many of its competitors.

What’s it like to use?
The step-by-step installation wizard makes setting this PVR up a breeze and the well laid out interface is pretty simple to navigate around. The catch-up TV section is particularly straightforward, with links to programmes in the main electronic programme guide (EPG).

The remote control is sensibly set out and a dedicated ‘Recordings’ button makes it easy to access the library on the PVR. There are lots of sorting options and a search feature that comes in handy once the hard drive starts filling up.

Is there anything I should watch for?
This PVR excels in most areas. It can record two programmes at the same time while playing back a third and has extra features such as series link and conflict resolution. However, we did notice some slow loading speeds when scrolling through the EPG.

Is there anything else I should know?
It supports DNLA so you can share data with it from compatible devices (such as a tablet) using a home network. Plus, there are two USB ports which can be used to display photos saved on a memory stick, although you can’t play TVs, films or other media from them.

Should I buy it?
Yes – it’s one of the best PVRs we’ve tested. The addition of Freetime is a bonus, though if you’re main priority is catch-up TV you should consider a YouView PVR which can already access 4oD and Demand 5.

Own this product?
Tell us about it to help members and improve our testing – click on the ‘Customer views’ tab at the top of this page.>>>

Thank you for that review, sounds pretty favourable. I didn’t realise that Which were still in existence!

The i-Player appeals to me, am always missing stuff on BBC4 and cba’d playing catch-up on the PC screen.

The only recorder I have takes tapes. 😯

In their order of 1= best – 10 =worst:

Humax HDR Fox T2 review
Humax HDR-1010S review
Sky Digital Sky+ HD 2TB review
Humax HDR-1000S review

5-10 are random.

All top 4 rated best buys (on different points). Which is kind of rare for which.

Geeks use Mythtv for this. Lots of features, but you need to get under the bonnet to maintain it.

Get over to AVforums and have a nosey round there,that’ll be the place to ask about these things.

Thanks. It’s not been out that long, seems to have some useful features. Have your boxes ever needed repair?

Nope, never a problem with them, the first was only retired as it was replaced with a box giving HD. My Foxsat HDR has been hacked – it has a 2tb disk and a non-standard firmware that allows it to do all sorts of clever things ( like stream content to PCs and tablets around the house ).