We’re going to bin off Sky, cos we basically only ever watch stuff on channels you can get on Freesat.

Can anyone recommend a decent recorder box, or should I just buy this:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-home-entertainment/digital-and-smart-tv/set-top-boxes/freesat-uhd-4x-smart-4k-ultra-hd-digital-tv-recorder-500-gb-10207036-pdt.html

(and I know recording is a bit passé, but we want the ability to watch stuff, like say the Tour, say 15 minutes after it’s started, which you can’t generally do on streaming/catch-up sites)

Just buy that. It’s the only official freesat one and it’s only recently available after several months with no stock of the old Humax box. Early reports are it’s a bit buggy but they seem to be fixing stuff.

If you have an aerial for freeview there’s some more options. The only alternatives for satellite are much geekier and harder work.

Slight thread revival. Is it worth looking at any of the second hand options on eBay?

We’ve had a few freesat boxes. A couple without pvr and one with, the hard drive failed on that and I got a refurb one from humax direct for £55. It works but we never record anything nowadays. Just steam it. The interface is slow and clunky especially when compared to a firestick.
I’d think about whether you need the recorder bit. If you really do then get that but if not just get the basic box (and a firestick as well!)
I’m not sure I’d buy second hand given the propensity for hard drive failure.

Humax HDR-1100S if you’re going secondhand but after several months where you couldn’t buy a brand new freesat recorder, used prices went mental.

used prices went mental.

Blimey, they have a bit, haven’t they? I might as well buy new, I can get it for £187 through work.

I’d think about whether you need the recorder bit.

Yeah, I get what you’re saying, but we either watch stuff from last week, so could stream it, or that started 20 minutes ago and is still on (like, I dunno, Countryfile on a Sunday evening after we finished washing up, or various bits of Friday night telly like HIGNFW/QI/WILTY) so streaming doesn’t really work, and it’s about a 50/50 split between the two.

If the TV has Freesat built in, you may be able to plug on a USB stick/hard drive. Then record onto that.

Or if the TV has iPlayer app, that usually lets you watch current programmes from the start. Think the All 4 app can as well. Don’t know about other channels.