Humax PVR-9300T Freeview PVR

We've recently upgraded from a cheap PVR (the one with the mirror finish) to the 9200T and while the extra recording capability is really nice I found the usability somewhat lower. While the cheap one's remote had big buttons for the recorded programs and programs scheduled to record the humax hides the list of recordings under the slidy bit and relegates the programs to be recorded to an option inside the menu.

Further with the humax although you can set up recordings using the EPG you trying to do so on a program that's already started just switches you to that program, very annoying!

And on the subject of the EPG the humax won't do a full height one, it only gives you five channels with an info pane at the top which doesn't seem to be toggleable (and doesn't show you any information about the selected program).

I did consider this model because of it's very low standby power consumption (0.6w compared to 6w for the 9200T and 15w(!) for the topfield 5810) but with reconditioned 9200Ts availible direct from Humax for £110 and the non-functional USB port on this the choice was made in favour of the older one.

p.s. There is also a very good comparison chart between various PVRs that helped tremendously here: http://www.pvrjunction.co.uk/compare/

Sounds like a lovely piece of kit - So glad Humax have got this out of their system - now roll on the FreeSat HD Version .... taps foot impatiently

"In fact the only operational flaws we could find were minor ones - to enter the list of recorded programmes, you have to enter the setup menu rather than simply hitting a button on the remote."
On the 9200T there is a button that loads the list of recorded programs as a pop-up and keeps the TV in the background. Drop the flap on the remote and its on the top row second from the right (little box with a few horizontal lines), I'd be surprised if they have removed that from the latest version.

Humax's are groaning under the weight of their own extensive functionality; complicated menus, options and button presses that get in the way of doing the basics: watch tv, record it, play it back. Whilst Sky+ may cost a minimum £10 / month and have a couple of annoyances that are way overdue a fix, watching TV, recording it and playing it back are lessons in simplicity. Having switched to a Humax from Sky+, we've all but stopped using live pause and recording of TV. Putting recordings and planned recordings in different screens is moronic. Not showing the day of the week, but the date it was recorded? Stupidity in design rarely seen outside Yugo's R&D* lab. There's Sky+ and there's everything else. Nothing comes close. And this from someone who loathes the Sky monopoly.

And TR, whilst I'm on my soapbox: any review of any PVR that doesn't show several screengrabs of the EPG: 0/10.

* Yes, yes, it was probably just some bloke in a corner office with some crayons.

Looks good, parents have the 9200T might look at getting this, however a shame Component video was missed out

Kimbie

I have a PVR-9200T and I must say that, although it's different to Sky+, it's every bit as easy to get through.

Having just 1 button to get to the TV guide or to your list of recorded programs beats the menus my dad has to drill into to get his recordings & viewing all sorted. Plus being able to see the TV while selecting what to record is brilliant. And as for not showing the day of the week it was recorded - I'd much prefer to have the date it was recorded personally so that when I'm listing my recordings by title I can see which order the programs were shown quickly & easily.

Sky+ is nice and easy enough my dad (who doesn't work these things out easily) likes it but I much prefer my PVR. Each to thier own and what they get used to first I guess.

The one thing that I did have to do with my PVR is remove the sliding bit at the bottom - there's 2-3 of those buttons I use all the time and having to slide that down was getting irritating.

Is the main difference with the other one the size of hard drive and the lack of HD?

Another person here who wouldn't mind some screenshots of the EPG, even if it is just to compare it with my V+ Box.

Pbryanw, its the same EPG as the PVR-9200t. Screenshots and video are uploaded on pvrjunction.co.uk/compare

'... a response to customer feedback said that a USB port wasn't a key feature'
What! That IMHO is absolute rubbish (both the fact & the reason)! How are you supposed to archive the stuff?! The reason I have delayed upgrading from my 8000T (or whatever its called :) was because I want a decent archive facility (i.e. not having to reply on recording off the SCART). A friend has the 9200T and says the bundled Humax SW is rubbish but that third party apps to the job well (slow speed but quality high) and I had hoped they may have improved things with the 9300T. I think this omission is more technical and/or political (i.e. I seem to remember that Humax have cited copyright issues in the past).

Bah! Another contender consigned to the `oh so nearly` bin.

Thanks for the link darkmavis. My last Humax was the 8000T. It looks like things have moved on a great deal since then (I hope the new Humax boxes allow padding now), but I'm happy with my V+ Box at the moment (plus I'm still in a 12 month contract with Virgin).

Peter complains that his HUMAX system is inferior to his old Sky box, and that he's stopped using features like live pause.

Why?

If you want live pause, press the 'Pause' button on the remote and you'll find it works the exact same way. And yes, while the HUMAX interface does have its idiosyncrasies (or, put another way, it's not the same as your Sky box), once you've gotten used to them you'll find the whole experience much faster than before.

For example, scheduling multiple programmes in the EPG no longer has you hopping endlessly between the guide and the upcoming recordings list. You select which one you want, and it's flagged live in the guide. You can also search for programmes by title, and aren't made to lean on the 'Page Down' button and scroll through a seemingly endless list of junk. And where a Sky box will often ask you to change what you're watching so that it can record two programmes simultaneously, it's seldom that you'll find yourself running into the same problem. As mentioned in the review, you can watch a show on the same multiplex as any other you're recording, and still have the headroom to record something else entirely.

I should say that I find the box slightly noiser than my old Sky HD box, and the fact the EPG doesn't appear to be saved when you switch the box off is my main annoyance (made worse by the fact the 9200 did it too). However, I chose the HUMAX over its rivals for two reasons: one, HUMAX support in this country seems superb (I've received a number of emails explaining that my box will be auto-upgraded, and that I just have to leave it on overnight), and two, the equivalent Topfield is not only £100 more expensive but also lacks a very crucial feature. You can't press 'Record' in the middle of a program and have it continue to the end. The TR review dismisses this as minor, but for me that's half the point in having a PVR. If the phone goes, someone raps on your front door, or one of the kids is sick, you'll want the programme you were watching recorded from where you left off all the way to the end. The fact the Topfield doesn't do that for you is just unbelievably stupid.

The Humax also has some other interesting things which the review fails to mention..

1) the Humax constantly buffers whatever channel you are watching for 2 hours (when it isn't actively recording something) meaning you can rewind back for up to 2 hours!

2) if you find yourself sitting partway through a film and think I wish I had recorded this... rewind the box to the beginning of the film and then press record - whatever has already been broadcast is stuck on the front of the recording and the box records to the end of the current program / film - end result - the entire program! Best function ever!

For Xiphias, On recording once a program has started. If you use the record button (the one with the red dot to the left of the pause button) while tuned to the channel you want to record it picks it up there, it does sometimes take a second or two but be patient....

These reviews are so informative - thanks all.
I've been in the mark for some time now lookat PVR's.
Decided on a Humax but not sure whether to go for the 9150T or the 9200 because of price.
Apart from upscaling to 720 with HDMI and the Freeview + function are there any other glaring differences?
Tx in advance!

I bought one of these but took it back after 2 Days. The Fan noise is totally unacceptable for use. I happen to be a specialist in noise & vibration problems and this problem has been widely investigated (and solved) in Disc drives.

Fan noise problem is (supposedly) due to be tackled (solved?) in new software update 1.00.12 available OTA at the end of the month.
http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/download_schedule.pl
We'll see if it makes any difference - personally, I'm waiting to see how this upgrade is received before I splash out!