Freeview+ HD PVR group test by What Satellite & Digital TV

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Group test: Freeview+ HD PVRs JUNE 2011

Humax HDR-Fox T2

Technika SmartBox 8320HD

Icecrypt T2400 HDPVR

TVonics DTR-HD500

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Test freeview+ HD PVRs Technika SmartBox 8320HD

Icecrypt T2400 HDPVR

TVonics DTR-HD500

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Freeview+ HD PVRs

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Humax HDR-Fox T2

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With some offering bonus features such as network media streaming and BBC iPlayer, not all Freeview HD recorders are built the same More than a year after it launched, Freeview HD’s profile has steadily risen as the switchover process gathers pace. The number of HD channels available on Freeview is comparatively small – BBC HD, BBC One HD, ITV1 HD and 4HD – and current terrestrial bandwidth limitations mean that compared with satellite (Freesat, for example) it is unlikely to grow in the near future. If you are shopping around for a recorder most come with two tuners (usually allowing you to record two channels at once while playing a recording) and Freeview+ HD certification. The latter denotes support for features such as the ability to schedule automatic series recordings, track schedule changes and adjust accordingly. You can also pause live TV and often rewind as you go. Hard disc sizes typically range around 500GB, which is enough to cram in around 250 hours of HD.

If you want ‘bonus features’ above and beyond TV recording the Humax and Technika boxes particularly go ‘the extra mile’. Humax recently added TV Portal as a free update to its box – a suite of net-enabled apps that includes BBC iPlayer and, shortly, Sky Player. The Technika also has iPlayer, Sky Player and YouTube plus a raft of pay-TV options including on-demand channels, films and shows, some of which is in HD. iPlayer streaming via broadband will soon be introduced as a standard feature on all compatible Freeview HD boxes. Before you buy, consult the Freeview online postcode checker to see channel availability: www.freeview.co.uk/ availability. Ensure that your aerial installation is in good working order (most set-top antennas aren’t up the task) and remember that Freeview HD signals may be weaker in areas where analogue switch-off hasn’t yet occurred.

Buying tips n:BBC HD uses the HE-AAC codec to broadcast select shows in surround sound but most amps don’t support it. If you want surround sound, buy a box that can transcode this signal into Dolby Digital for playback on a surround system n:A PVR with a common interface (CI) slot can currently be used to watch the ESPN channel with a CAM and viewing card n:Need a new TV? Most new sets come with Freeview HD tuners built in. A few from the likes of Panasonic and Samsung can record programmes to external drives via USB, though only one at a time

n www.humaxdirect.co.uk n £299 (500GB) £349 (1TB)

Humax HDR-Fox T2

Ratings PLUS

n Classy build quality n Reliable, flexible recording n Plenty of multimedia extras

Minus

n TV Portal needs work n Need to buy dongle for WiFi n No YouTube or Sky Player yet

Build Setup Performance Features Value

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85%

Available with 500GB or 1TB drives, the HDR-Fox T2 has two tuners but you can record two SD or HD channels while you watch a third live channel if two are located on the same multiplex. Build-wise, it’s the best on test, its TV-complementing shiny black finish topped off with an illuminated central power button and a row of operating buttons lurking on the right. The remote keeps up the good work, being classy in appearance and logically organised with good use of coloured buttons for menu navigation. On the subject of which, appropriately for an HD box the menus have a pleasing hi-res feel about them and lots of options, especially in the EPG. You can view data for seven channels at a time as a timeline grid with synopses and the live selected channel shown at the top. Channels can be organised by genre and you can search for shows or information using a virtual keyboard or SMS-style with the remote. An iPlate info bar also shows seven-day data and both can be used to set recordings. Recordings can be fast-forwarded or rewound at up to 32x normal speed and there are skip and replay options

for which duration can be set, plus slow-mo and bookmarking options. Recordings can be exported to other drives but only played back on the receiver. You can play media including DivX files from USB or DLNA/uPnP networked storage, though you’ll need to attach a Humax WLAN stick (£29) to a USB port (there’s one up front and one on the rear) for WiFi. Files including recordings can be organised into nameable folders. Humax recently added broadband-enabled ‘TV Portal’ functionality introducing iPlayer streaming (HD included), Flickr, Wikipedia and internet radio stations. The main interface appears basic (as does the Flickr app) and all feels a bit ‘homebrew’ at present, but iPlayer works well enough. Picture quality is excellent with the ability to effectively upscale both of SD and HD video to 1080p and audio is crisp via the digital and analogue outputs (HE-AAC transcoding is supported). It’s not perfect, but with TV Portal set to expand this remains one of the best recorders on the market.

n www.icecrypt.com n £330 (1TB) £380 (2TB)

Ratings PLUS

n Good price n Large hard discs available n Generally impressive PVR

functionality

Minus

n Slow fast-forwarding/

rewinding n Some menus ugly n Scant networking functionality Build Setup Performance Features Value

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81%

Icecrypt T2400 HD PVR Currently the only Freeview HD PVR on the market to come with a 2TB drive option (and still for under £400), the T2400 looks better at a distance than close up, sporting a striking multi-colour, 16-character VFD display and multi-functional silverringed jog wheel. Connections include two Scarts, composite video, an optical S/PDIF and stereo phonos. A concealed CI slot is blanked off so unusable, but you do get front and rear USB ports plus Ethernet. The remote (which can operate numerous brands of TV) is large with logical button labelling, though buttons such as Play could be more centrally placed. The box is straightforward to operate, though the interface is a little clunky in places – a recording clashes menu, for example, looks a little crude. You can have up to eight favourites lists and view EPG data for five channels at a time in three-quarter screen grid form with synopses or a list of shows for one channel. Recordings

and reminders can be set from here (there’s also a manual timer) with series links and shows sorted by genre and searched for by keyword. Recordings can be placed in folders and SD recordings exported (in TRP format) to USB drives. You can watch in-progress recordings from the start, fast-forward and rewind up to a relatively slow 16x speed (or slow down to ½ or ¼), or ‘drag and drop’ to a point or skip to a desired percentage plus a jump button. Glitches were rare, though we often experienced minor audio drop-outs at the very start during playback of recordings. The T2400 can play MP3, JPEG, DivX and MKV files (it handled all ours with aplomb) from USB drives but network functionality currently stops at copying files via FTP from a PC to the hard drive. Picture quality is decent including upscaling of SD pictures to 1080p, and sound is clear from all sources.

Test freeview+ HD PVRs n www.fetchtv.co.uk n £200

Ratings

Technika SmartBox 8320HD This Tesco-sold exclusive is part of FetchTV’s SmartBox family. These Netgem-made boxes act not only as Freeview recorders, but offer VoD (free and pay) and networkable media playback too. Design-wise, it’s rather bland, lacking a display but is still compact and a good match for most modern TVs. Connections include HDMI, a DIN socket that connects to Scart inputs using a supplied cable, Ethernet, USB and an optical S/PDIF. The remote feels a little cheap too, but buttons are sensibly arranged. One favourites list can be created and seven-day EPG data viewed as a six-channel grid from which recordings can be scheduled with series links (you can also do this remotely via the net). Across the top is a nav bar showing the FetchTV options, though selecting them currently takes you to a different interface entirely (a superior, more integrated GUI is coming soon).

It sports twin tuners and a 320GB drive, so you can record two channels while watching a recording or stream. Recordings can be fast-forwarded or rewound at 100x normal speed or an impressive 600x when timeshifting and you can watch a show from the start while still being recorded. You can also export them to USB drives from which it’s possible to play media including photos, MP3, AVI and MOV files. The latter can also be achieved over a network including wirelessly (WiFi is built in). That VoD functionality not only includes iPlayer and Sky Player but movies (some in HD for £5 a night) and TV shows (from 99p a night) some in HD. These are progressively downloaded using your broadband connection but can be watched while this is in progress. Picture quality is excellent, though some downloads err on the bland side. The box occasionally froze and lost sound when watching downloads, recordings or streams.

PLUS

n Good PVR functions n Huge range of features n Great price

Minus

n Current interface lacks

finesse n A few playback glitches n VoD offerings could be improved Build Setup Performance Features Value

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87%

n www.tvonics.co.uk n £250

TVonics DTR-hd500 Looking like a concept design for a new Olympic stadium or PlayStation 4, perhaps, the DTRHD500 continues this UK manufacturer’s B&O-like commitment to making little black TV boxes visual talking points rather than mere TV providers. It’s not especially large but while we admire the oval-ish fascia (peer past the TVonics logo and you can see the electronics within) the form factor may be problematic for those with slim shelves under their TV. A fetching blue VFD display shows channel and programme name or the time or can be switched off altogether. A USB port lurks on the right-hand side (there’s one on the rear too) but functionality is limited to playback of JPEG files from USB drives only. Three HDMI connectors – two in, one out – enables you to connect other kit and use the HD500 as an HDMI hub, provided that you’re prepared to leave it on and there’s an RGB Scart and optical S/PDIF. The remote is serviceable, though some buttons such

as record could be more prominent. TVonic’s now-familiar green-and-black menus remain accessible and easy to navigate but there’s no favourites option. EPG data can be displayed in nine-channel grid form overlaid on the current broadcast, skippable in 24-hour jumps with synopses included. Seven-day data for all channels can also be browsed from the programme information bar without needing to switch to them. You can record direct from either or using a manual timer with series linking and two channels can be recorded at once to the 500GB HDD. The PVR keeps a four-hour cache of what you watch so you can rewind as you go and you can fast-forward and rewind at three speeds up to 128x aided by a progress bar, although we experienced the odd bout of brief jerkiness and audio drop-out. Picture quality is crisp yet natural-looking, especially when upscaling SD to 1080p or viewing native HD and audio sounds vibrant via both phonos and optical S/PDIF. Like the Humax, transcoding is supported.

Ratings PLUS

n Eye-catching design n Picture and sound n Easy to use

Minus

n Design may not suit your

system n A few performance issues n Few bonus multimedia features Build Setup Performance Features Value

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80%

And the winner is...

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Verdict It may be limited in the storage stakes (you can always add an external drive) and the build quality is on the average side, but the Technika box offers an incredible amount of functionality for the money, making it hard to ignore. We’ve had a sneak peek at the imminent new interface, which makes finding ‘content’ easier both on the eye and the brain and should cement the deal even further. If you find yourself in your local Tesco shopping for a Freeview HD recorder, this bargain hybrid PVR should be high on your shopping list. ‘Every little helps’. Indeed.

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All candidates in this group test perform to a high standard as dependable Freeview recorders, with good picture and sound performance across the board. But ultimately for us, picking a winner comes down to ‘how much bang do you get for your bucks’? The TVonics box isn’t as ‘eccentric’ to operate as the styling may suggest – although the comparatively slim feature set will endear it more to beginners/mainstream users than the hardcore enthusiast who perhaps demands a broader range of functionality on the multimedia side of things. Icecrypt’s PVR comes with an impressive spec (especially if you take up the larger hard drive option), though its networking capability is under-used. Its interface could be a little smoother in places too, but it’s still an excellent PVR and good value. Humax’s HDR-Fox T2 could overtake the Technika in the value stakes once TV Portal reaches its full potential (as well as Sky Player and YouTube, there are plans for box-to-box streaming and to allow it to operate it as a media server for other devices in the home). Its excellent build quality and slick HD menus with multiple configuration options will sate the appetite of most users and the storage-hungry will find the 1TB model a real temptation n Grant Rennell

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Make and model

Humax HDR-Fox T2

Icecrypt T2400 HD PVR

Technika SmartBox 8320HD

TVonics DTR-HD500

Price

£299-£349

£330-£380

£200

£250

Hard disc size

500GB-1TB

1TB-2TB

320GB

500GB

Common interface slot

EPG days

BBC iPlayer

Sky Player

Pay-TV on demand

Media playback via USB/HDD

Media streaming

USB recording exporting

Dolby transcoding

Upscaling

HDMI

Scarts

Digital audio output

Stereo phonos

Ethernet

Rating (%)