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BT Youview - v - Humax DTR 1000 retail
I have noticed a number of High Street stores now selling the BT Youview Box alongside the retail Humax branded equivalent. The BT Humax is cheaper than the Humax retail by some margin.
My question is why are High Street retailers selling a BT Youview product at all and which the consumer can get for free if they sign up to BT Broadband?
Is there a difference between the BT and Humax branded retail versions of this unit or are they the same hardware.
I must confess to being left confused.
My question is why are High Street retailers selling a BT Youview product at all and which the consumer can get for free if they sign up to BT Broadband?
Is there a difference between the BT and Humax branded retail versions of this unit or are they the same hardware.
I must confess to being left confused.
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I had a play with both in, of all places, Cash Converters. They had two Humax DTR1000s and one BT version.
I could honestly tell no difference apart from the logos.
If you're considering options for getting YouView my advice would be to look at the new DTR-T2110. This is more expensive (you can buy it from Argos) but performs much better - it's much faster.
Best option would be to wait for a short while until forums such as this are confirming that all new customers for BT are receiving the new box and then subscribe to their TV service (free box).
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I actually have a Second generation Hummy Freesat box but was also looking to replace an ageing Panny Freeview HDD recorder. I do find it odd though that stores are selling a product that BT gives free to it's customers. Given the statement by the BBC and ITV that they are looking to distance themselves from Youview and launch the new Connect service has made me reconsider my options.
As I'm sure you know there has always been two ways of getting a YouView box - buy one or subscribe to BT or TalkTalk.
As regards FreeView Connect there's no indication that it is going to happen anytime soon.
And even though there are many (unconfirmed) stories of YouView being pretty much taken over by BT and TalkTalk it is still worth considering. (IMO)
I'm currently with Plusnet an ISP I'm very happy with and who are currently testing Youview for their own platform. Given the amount of money BT among others has pumped into Youview I think one can consider it a takeover.
I also think that sooner or later the BBC will have to launch Connect or something similar in order to comply with their remit as a PSB committed to Freeview. It's a real shame as Youview has now become a hybrid pay TV platform in all but name.
I've got a retail YouView box and am currently with Plusnet too. As long as YouView continues to be developed I'm happy. My concerns are that few third-party content providers have joined except Sky and UKTV but this may come in time.
I think all YouView's shareholders have funded YouView equally so far so think it's too early to say it's a BT takeoever.
I've always thought it a bit confusing with Freesat, Freeview and YouView all covering similar ground but I guess shareholder conflicts would make it hard for them to merge. For example, Sky's shareholding in Freeview would make it hard for that company to merge with Freesat.
I think the market for retail HD DTT PVRs will probably be won by YouView due to Humax's involvement with YouView and the fact that so many former ISP boxes are being sold on eBay. However, once recording migrates to the cloud I can see people just using smart TVs for this. If Freeview signs a deal with key manufacturers whom it obviously has an existing relationship with then the market's theirs.
We just seem to be sleep walking into another monopoly. They monopolise the dish on your wall and they now want to monopolise the aerial too. I think BT would do well to keep them at arms length.
I agree with you about what you saying about Sky and that BT should keep Sky are arms length. I hope BT keep trying to compete with Sky.
Darren
You will still have, and continue to have, a PVR that can record Freeview and Freeview HD channels. You will still have a PVR with an advanced EPG that you can use to scroll back and access catchup content. The BBC and ITV aren't going to pull their catchup services off the platform anytime soon. You will still have a PVR that will receive future Freeview and Freeview HD terrestrial channels. If you are not a BT or Talk Talk subscriber then what those two ISPs add to their apps/sections still wont be accessible and will make no difference to your experience of YouView.
And you will still have a PVR that cannot access the growing range of IPTV channels that are being launched on Freeview via services like ConnectTV, as it isn't compatible with MHEG-IC.
I have a G2 Hummy Freesat box which also has the similar backwards EPG so perhaps I'm a little spoilt. I think on the terrestrial side of things one might be better served with something like the non Youview Hummy or the Panasonic DMR-HWT -130.
It depends on what a customer wants I guess.
The non Youview Humax is the better machine I think. It support DLNA for one which YouView does not.
But of course it doesn't support the scrollback EPG nor does it have access to the full range of catchup services.
Having said that my first impressions of the Humax YouView box isn't positive. OK I bought mine second hand, but in only a week of ownership it has locked up at least five times. I've had it in maintenance mode and it's downloaded the software and reapplied it, hoping that would cure it. No joy, still locks up at least once a day.
So it's going back tomorrow to Cash Converters. If they have another on the shelves I'll give that ago as I am willing to give it a chance, but if not or if the replacement behaves the same I'll be getting my money back and probably wont go near YouView again.
it had its software altered within a day of it being connected to my network, with a BT logo installed and BT services available on it. so doesn't really matter what the branding on the outside is! I've given up multiple times trying to navigate BT's complex website to get it to enable a TV subscription, which says I don't have infinity when i do.
i've had it for a year now and the box is too slow, when also used alongside a sky+ 1tb, which is very responsive in comparison. the humax dtr1000 takes several seconds to do anything, and not all the remote clicks are processed so you either under-press or over-press. shame, for such an expensive device.
the internet channels don't work. they have a 'blue dotted underline' in the epg, and cause the box to lock up - if you enter a proper channel number, after about a minute it'll tune to that channel and be back to its slow normal self! bt sport are internet channels so no point enabling a BT subscription as they won't display on the box anyway.
i'd go for the latest device if you can. although i don't know if the latest devices are any faster than the 1000.
The ondemand side of things works well - I can't comment on ITV player as it is not a channel that I watch.
I guess having Virgin Broadband stops the box getting itself confused when attached to BT ?
Again the box needed a full factory reset, but absolutely no problems this time. I too don't have BT as an ISP, so no BT on demand services etc. The box is fast and responsive, apart from a couple of minutes after starting up where it seems slightly sluggish (probably as a result of also downloading/updating the EPG info in the background).
The previous one had locked up three times within the first 24 hours, so I suspect it had a hardware fault.
All in all, at only £69 it's a bargain, even if it is second hand.