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Humax launch HB-1000S <Freetime> (USB PVR) |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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Humax launch HB-1000S <Freetime> (USB PVR)
Just had an email come through from Humax about their latest Freest box.
A standard <freetime> box offering for just under £100 that doesn't contain a hard drive, but like it's freeview counterpart can have a USB drive added for PVR support. http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10114 Definitely adding one of these to my collection.
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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Readers with long memories may remember in Autumn 2009 Humax announced two boxes at a press launch. The first was what became the HD Fox T2 - a Freeview HD single tuner box and a second version of the Foxsat HD. Both were trailed as having PVR capabilities and shared similar cases with the silver ring button that's a feature of many of their boxes. It also appears to have the networking capabilities built into the HD Fox T2. The "Foxsat II" never appeared and the original was discontinued so it is good to see them with a base single tuner "zapper" in their range again. This box does not have the silver ring and of course adds the < free time > EPG and the catchup sevices etc.
The recording function was only added to the HD Fox T2 as a beta download in December 2010 and their YouView boxes do not have properly functioning USB sockets more than a year after they hit the market (blame YV not Humax). So I hope this one has PVR functionality from the get go. Note that like the Freeview equivalent, you will likely have to have a hard drive larger than 120Gb so only the very largest USB chip based memory units will work (almost certainly HD playback will be restricted to the original box so you cannot transfer to a PC until somebody cracks the encoding). Personally I would wait until stocks reach Richer Sounds and take up their 5 year warranty. I nearly got burned (financially) by the problems the Foxsat HD had with the capacitors in their power supplies. It looks like there are some rogue ones in their YouView boxes as there are reports of some of those sticking on loading the firmware, a similar symptom to the "chasing snakes" display sticking on the Foxsat HDs. That symptom did not crash my YV box but I am on my second since July 2012 due to (probably) a hard drive with bad sectors. Even if their build quality is up to the usual standard their component quality control may be not what it is usually known for. This may account for Humax slipping down "Which?"'s reliability ratings. If you do buy one from Humaxdirect or another outlet besides Richer Sounds, make sure you take a photocopy and an electronic copy of your receipt in case you need to make a warranty claim. A scan or photo of the receipt speeds up making a claim as you do not have to post it in. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
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Any information about streaming recordings over the network from the HDR models?
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#4 |
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Not a lot of information about them at all yet. I imagine they do have usb recording from the get go as that's being advertised as a feature and not something to come in a future update..
I know they have two usb sockets on the back which will be useful for having a hard drive for recording and flash drive for viewing other media. Personally still not really bothered about the <freetime> stuff, although it'll be good to have it anyway just in case. This finally looks like the box I've been waiting for to replace my old Fox T2. ![]() I'll likely be ordering one this weekend or early next week from Humax as it comes with a two year warranty.
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#5 |
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#6 |
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The spec sheet is incorrect as it states that there is a USB port on the front panel, when the image clearly shows that they are both at the rear.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
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Quote:
I'll likely be ordering one this weekend or early next week from Humax as it comes with a two year warranty.
![]() See: http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/support/ and click on 'Warranty Registration'. |
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#8 |
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Quote:
The spec sheet is incorrect as it states that there is a USB port on the front panel, when the image clearly shows that they are both at the rear.
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#9 |
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Quote:
I can only see one (below the ethernet socket).
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#10 |
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Strange that there is no USB on front panel as it would make using a USB pen drive more convenient.
With it only at the rear you would probably use an external HDD, which you would probably leave connected permanently. In which case why not just buy one of the existing boxes with inbuilt HDD? |
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#11 |
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Quote:
The spec sheet is incorrect as it states that there is a USB port on the front panel, when the image clearly shows that they are both at the rear.
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#12 |
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Quote:
In which case why not just buy one of the existing boxes with inbuilt HDD?
Running a short usb cable from one of the back ports would make it easy to use with a usb flash drive for viewing other media too. That's something I already do with my HD Fox T2 box.
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#13 |
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Quote:
For me it primarily comes down to cost. At under a hundred quid, they make a very cheap PVR if you've already got a usb hard drive going spare.
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#14 |
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Quote:
Except it's not a proper PVR, just a crude recorder.
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#15 |
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Quote:
The spec sheet is incorrect as it states that there is a USB port on the front panel, when the image clearly shows that they are both at the rear.
Quote:
It also repeats 'USB Port Yes' twice for the front panel list, so someone didn't do their proof reading.
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#16 |
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Quote:
Any information about streaming recordings over the network from the HDR models?
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#17 |
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No-one is saying it is a 'proper' PVR?
So it looks to me like YOU are claiming it's a PVR?. I had the same email yesterday, which simply calls it a 'receiver'. Certainly shouldn't be in this forum anyway, as it's not Freesat+. |
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#18 |
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Apparently the 2 year warranty is applicable to all (new) Humax models no matter where they are bought - you get the basic 1 year guarantee and this can be extended to 2 years providing you register it with Humax within 30 days of purchase.
See: http://www.humaxdigital.com/uk/support/ and click on 'Warranty Registration'. I learned that lesson when Humax refused to replace my Foxsat HD without a copy (the original had faded to invisible) until I pointed out that they had not been available for 2 years. Otherwise they would charge me their "standard repair fee" of £99 to replace two resistors costing about £1. PS, join Richer Sound's VIP club and they'll give you a voucher for £10 off if you spend £100. A spare set of batteries should take care of the minimum |
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#19 |
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According to the guy from Humax at IBC the software is more-or-less ready and they are busy working flat out testing it. They hope to have it released by early November so roughly 2 months max. He promised (as much as he was able) that it wouldn't turn into a 'Demand5' timeline.
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#20 |
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Quote:
Certainly shouldn't be in this forum anyway, as it's not Freesat+.
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#21 |
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Quote:
Except you've referred to it as a PVR multiple times, including the thread title, and even posted it in the Freesat+ Recorders forum.
So it looks to me like YOU are claiming it's a PVR?. I had the same email yesterday, which simply calls it a 'receiver'. Certainly shouldn't be in this forum anyway, as it's not Freesat+. It's as much a pvr as the HD FOX T2 is. Where else do you suggest it ought to be ?
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#22 |
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Quote:
Where else do you suggest it ought to be ?
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#23 |
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In the Freesat forum where it belongs, Humax themselves call it a 'receiver'.
![]() Many postings will be equally applicable to all the current <freetime> boxes. Why duplicate a considerable number of queries. Setup is near identical, actually identical if only 1 cable is used on 1000series box , UI is identical. |
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#24 |
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Quote:
To quote somebody "There'll be pork in the treetops by morning"
![]() Quote:
Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams. ~S.A. Sachs
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#25 |
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Quote:
Except you've referred to it as a PVR multiple times, including the thread title, and even posted it in the Freesat+ Recorders forum.
So it looks to me like YOU are claiming it's a PVR?. I had the same email yesterday, which simply calls it a 'receiver'. Certainly shouldn't be in this forum anyway, as it's not Freesat+. ![]() It's sold as a receiver, we all know that, but is Freesat+ capable with a third party drive added. Where I've mentioned the word PVR I've also mentioned it needs a USB Hard Drive for the function to work so I'm not misleading anyone. I put it in brackets in the thread title for that reason. I've mentioned the Freesat+ capability (with usb drive ) because it's a feature that many people would be interested in, and one that would sway me into buying the box as it did with the HD Fox T2.You don't like that but hey....
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