Humax PVR-9300T Freeview+ Recorder, 320GB Hard Drive, Twin Tuner HDMI+ REMOTE

I spent a long time looking for a video recorder (PVR) that would be reliable, easy to use, and give good quality results. The Humax ticks all the boxes. Build quality is excellent and it inspires confidence. The instruction book is not perfect but pretty good and the menus, including the programme guide, are easy to use. It happily records two programmes at once and allows playback of recordings. It will even allow you to watch a third station when recording two (though for some technical reason not all stations are available under that circumstance). Another reviewer has said that this is not the case, but, I assure you mine does! Software upgrade perhaps?? The channels that are not available are "greyed out". If you select one of these you will get the message "restricted due to recording". However many other channels do work (on my machine). Unlike some PVRs it constantly makes a temporary recording of any programme that you are watching. If, half way through, you decide you wish you had recorded it, the Humax will allow this right back to the programme start. Pause and rewind, are, of course, also available. With an HDMI connection to my Sony TV the playback quality is excellent. I had originally wanted a PVR that would record in HD, and had settled on a Sagemcom. It was the only one I could find (at the time) without major drawbacks. Soon after delivery, I realised my mistake. Build quality and reliability were immediate issues. So the Humax was a second attempt and, of course, it does NOT record HD channels (50 etc). However recording in HD is very memory hungry on HD recorders and, because the playback on the Humax is so good, I have not found this to be an issue. If broadcasters start to put programmes on HD channels which are not available on non HD ones then this would change. For a non-HD recorder, it is hard to fault the Humax, which is now virtually silent when in use or on standby. After several weeks of use, the only slight irritation arises because the recording list does not mark programmes to show when a they have been watched. Whilst this is not normally a problem as one deletes after watching, it can be a slight issue especially when keeping a series and watching one episode at a time. A small gripe - not a real issue.

(Please read my comment below I was happy with this item at first) I have now received my Humax and after a quick delivery I was disappointed to find Amazon had used no packaging other than the original product box. The box isn't designed for or strong enough to take the knocks and drops of our postal system. The box was all bashed in on the corners and ripped at the bottom where the box had split. It made an ominous rattle and you could put your hand into the box. Fortunately the Humax has survived intact and I got it set up last night. It's early days so I'll just report my experience so far. Remote feels cheap and over big but the unit looks quite smart. Very intuitive to set up and I found myself not really having to refer to the setup guide for more than a few seconds. I set some series links and a few films to record, all very easy. I can't report on any of the negatives other users had mentioned ie noisy fan, guide loaded up at an okay rate. It is a bit budget and the graphics menus look a bit poor but it is functional and for the price it seems good value. It took me a long, long time to decide to go for this item but you don't have many options. The Sky box is clearly a better piece of kit but if you don't want sky all the other items by Sony, Panasonic etc. seem flawed. I read so many reviews slating other systems which cost a lot more. I was worried about the negative reviews of the Humax but I think most issues have been sorted by the software upgrades. Overall so far I'd highly recommend this although I'm not happy with how it arrived.

Overall I can not really find any fault worth mentioning with this product. Although it is obviously not quite perfect, it comes pretty close and far exceeded all my expectations. This product is incredibly high quality. Visually it is classy and understated, and the construction feels very solid. It has an attractive soft blue display, which has the bonus of displaying the channel name you are viewing. The quality is even echoed in the remote control, the buttons are soft to touch, but have a satisfying click when pressed. The operation of this product could not be simpler. The 'quick start guide' gets you up and running in no time. (For me the majority of my time was spent tidying cables up and re-organising my cabinet, not actually getting the machine going). Included is a SCART lead and a HDMI lead, and the guide gives clear pictorial instruction of how to set these up depending on what sockets your TV has. When it loads up (doesn't seem to take as long as some people imply) first time it clearly guides you through scanning for channels. I had previoulsy been using a cheap freeview box, with very poor signal quality which was prone to dropping sound, losing signal etc. This new machine, I am pleased to say, has none of that - I'd previously thought we lived in a black spot! It's obviously down to superior decoding (or whatever it is they do to interpret signal), plus the picture seems crisper to me too. The real reason you buy this though is to record TV programmes... and you'll have no trouble there. It has a couple of ways to do this. Either through the programme guide: find your programme, one click and you're set. If it's a series it prompts you to 'series-link' if you want. You can also record by the more traditional VCR-style approach where you manually programme a recording start time, end time and channel. Viewing recorded programmes is just as easy, they're held in a library with all the info you need to find your programme of choice. One click and you're away. It's also just as easy to delete them once you've watched them, so keeping your library tidy is no trouble. You can also record ad hoc whilst viewing a programme, which is simply done again with one click on the remote. This is worth knowing as if you were to get interrupted, you can quickly set it recording and not miss a thing when you come back. Also, once a programme is recording you can use the pause function to pop out of the room, or the re-wind function to catch a funny line or whatever! Another nice feature, which shows they have considered the user in designing the product, is the facility to use a split screen/inset window to keep tabs on one channel whilst watching another. Dedicated buttons on the remote make it really simple to switch between 2 channels. Finally, most of the menus and info is displayed as a 'ghost' on the screen so you can keep watching behind. The opacity is customisable too, so you can set it to suit you; another bit of user-orientated thinking. Of course some people will feel that the additional channels a subscription service such as Sky or Cable provides is worth £15 a month (or whatever it costs), but not everyone. For those that want a really decent alternative with only an intial outlay cost that is a fraction of a years Sky subscription you have got to consider this product. I am sure, like me, you'll no longer feel underequipped in the modern age of TV viewing, and wont be looking enviously at those you know with their Sky+ boxes underneath their TV, infact you'll probably be feeling smug at all the money you're saving!

I sent back a Goodmans box I had because it kept freezing. After reading reviews, I decided to invest almost twice the price of the Goodmans box in this. The Good: 1) It looks quite nice with a clear display on the front which also shows TV station. 2) It is virtually silent in operation. 3) The remote is very nice- a bit clunky but good quality with a good click on the buttons. There are more buttons under the sliding lid which is initially quite difficult to slide back- but it is there. 4) It has been generally reliable- much better than the Goodmans so far and so I am getting series actually recorded this time instead of missing them. However, see below. 5) The menus are generally quite easy to use, and it is easy to record a programme- just select it in the EPG and press select and it then asks you if you wish to record the whole series. Same, basically, as all Freeview + recorders. 6)The tuner picture quality is good. I would say there is a slight improvement in the picture on this when it is set to 720P when compared to the internal tuner on my Panasonic TX70 42" plasma. 7) The EPG has a search function which is brilliant. Make sure the EPG is all loaded up (see below) then use an on screen keyboard to type a bit of the programme name and it will hunt it down and bring it up- brilliant when you know something is on, but not when. Also you can have the EPG show you all the films, or all the drama etc, albeit this is only as good as the EPG Data tags put in by the broadcaster- Channel 5 insist on listing all Home and Away and Neighbours as Movies for some reason! I have found this very useful in looking at lists of movies to record the next week. The Bad: 1) In just over two weeks use, it locked up once. It would not switch on. Many others are complaining of this and it has to be turned off at the power switch to reboot it. Of course, it will have not recorded whilst in its locked up state. I have researched this and there is no clear answer as to what could be causing it. It may be corrupt data from the EPG data (or MPHEG?), it may be an issue with the auto set up entering rogue channels and there may be an overheating issue caused by the fact that the new firmware turns off the fan because it was too loud. I have not got to the bottom of it, but I moved it to a cooler bit of the shelf (not on top of my Sky box) and did a manual retune to clear out any rogue channels from other transmitters, but I do not think there were any. I have also deleted some of the channels I do not use, including 800. Since then (a week and a half ago) it has not locked up, although when I was watching it last night it did become unresponsive for about 30 secs but then came back. I will see how it goes. If it starts locking up again, I will send back. 2) The EPG takes ages to load each time it is switched on- however, it is quicker if it is set to BBC1 when it is switched on. 3) I cannot see where it tells you how much space you have on the hard disk. I am sure it must be there somewhere. 4) When you want to play a recording, you can either go into menu, then recording list and get it there and you get a preview of each programme recorded in a window as you select it. However, a bit long winded. Alternatively, there is a button under the flap which brings up a list of recorded programmes when you press it- the list has programme name, date and time. However, you may have a long list with loads of, say, Simpsons, and you want to know what each episode is about as you may have seen it. Pressing the "i" button when selected you would think would bring up the EPG info for that recorded programme, but it does not- instead it reverts back to the information for the programme currently showing live.So it is difficult to get the usual Freeview synopsis of the programme for a recorded programme- a little frustrating- something my old Goodmans box had no problems with. Overall it is a good box and probably one of the best. If it had not locked up I would probably have given it 5 stars despite its other faults. If it does lock up regularly it is only worthy of a 1 star, because my Goodmans did that and it makes to box pointless. Let us wait and see.......

This Humax PVR-9300T is a great machine for watching and recording Freeview digital television. However it does have one slight snag which shows itself when recording a 'series' of programmes. This snag is that it always misses the start of the programme including the opening title sequence. I have contacted the helpline who were very unhelpful saying that the problem is caused by a poor signal! I have had the aerial company out to check the installation and they say that the signal strength and quality are well within acceptable parameters. This problem will not deter me from keeping the recorder as the advantages far outweigh this one problem. Perhaps Humax could address this problem with a software update?

I've had this Humax PVR for two weeks now and everything is absolutely fine. I was wary of setting it up myself as I was extremely apprehensive about getting it to integrate with all my other devices. Some of the reviews here also put me off. But installation couldn't have been simpler. The picture quality is superb and on a par with that of SD pictures on Sky+. However, there are a few niggles I've discovered. For convenience, I've listed features under like and dislike headings. Many of the positive aspects need no clarification, but I've elaborated a little on the negatives. Please read on..... Likes: 1.Picture quality is fantastic both on live TV and recordings with vibrant colours and natural tones. Live and recorded programmes are indistinguishable 2.Large blue flourescent display for time and channel notification 3.Good, well-laid out EPG guide with picture-in-picture screen 4.Single touch button to record future programmes via EPG 5.Easy installation- searches very quickly for channels during set-up 6.Looks smart 7.Low noise 8.Quick start user guide as well as a thicker manual 9.Large sub-titles for hard of hearing 10. Can record two channels at the same time while watching a third. 11. Able to update its software when necessary 12. Many options accessed via the remote to customize a variety of settings for personal viewing 13. Huge storage capacity for recorded programmes Dislikes: 1.No colour controls- I haven't needed any, but some people may want to adjust picture colour to match their other devices e.g. DVD player 2.Limited volume control on remote- I've set this on maximum and have to use the TV's remote to adjust volume 3.Setting recording lists is more complicated than it needs to be via the menu system 4.No HD channels 5.The picture format ( e.g. 16:9) sometimes doesn't automatically resize correctly to my screen as Sky+ does, and I have to set it manually 6.The record button on the remote is in an awkward position, being next to the rewind button and I've often messed up a recording by pressing rewind instead. In fact, all the buttons could be bigger and be more spaced and better laid out 7.Some programmes I've recorded have had a few seconds of the beginning chopped off. Although you have the option of extending recording time to avoid this for a single recording, you can't do this for a whole series and you also lose other features too. 8. Cover of remote comes off easily 9. Takes a minute or so for box to switch on from standby compared to the instantaneous switch-on of Sky's set- top 10. Recording, stopping recording and deleting recorded programmes is not as simple as Sky+ and takes a bit of getting used to 11. No subtitles during playback on a recoding that's already started as you can on Sky+ I suspect many of the above dislikes are due to my unfamiliarity with the controls and will iron themselves out in time, but as far as the basics go and picking up your viewing where analogue left off, this box has more than lived up to my expectations and has integrated well with my other devices like my DVD recorder, Sky+ box, S-VHS recorder. So what should you do if you're thinking of making a purchase ? Well, the overwhelming number of reviewers here seem very happy. Take into account some of the less extreme, but helpful critical comments, as some of them may relate to you. But if you bite the bullet as I did and buy this from Amazon, you can rest assured if you end up with a lemon, you can return it for a full refund. I was all prepared to do this after reading so many negative comments. As it turned out, this has been my best purchase of the year so far and I have no qualms in recommending it.

It took some time to decide whether to buy this item, reading mixed reviews and having experienced some problems with freeview boxes. I was also waiting for a unit to appear on the market with twin freeview tuners, hard drive and dvd recorder but it became apparent that no maker was likely to produce one, so I took the plunge and bought a PVR9300T from Amazon. Connected to my television and vcr, in place of an existing freeview box, it was switched on and all stations were automatically installed without delay. Slight fan noise for a few seconds on starting up each time then silent running. Picture quality is excellent and recording could not be easier. Many useful features, such as instant recording, time lapse and pause. The response on BBC red button is also faster than any other freeview unit that I have used. If long-term recordings are needed, it is easy to copy from the hard disc to vcr and presumably could be done to a separate dvd recorder. As stated in some reviews, it took a few minutes for the EPG to be completed each time on starting up. Then yesterday, having been in use for two weeks, there was an automatic upgrade OTA and the EPG is now stored in standby. It seems strange that I had to wait for delivery, as Amazon had none in stock during late July, yet this was a software update issued in May. The update also advised visiting the Humax website for an updated manual but it is the same as the printed one that came with the unit, reasonably good but obviously written by someone in a far away land. So far, I am totally satisfied and time will tell on reliability. Having had a Humax television for a few years I am quite optimistic.

I spent two years suffering the various technical problems of a Thompson, TOP Up TV DTR which recently died and is little lamented. Both the service and the equipment were rubbish. Given the Thompson's demise I was looking forward to upgrading my equipment and the Humax seemed like the ideal unit. I had spent a lot of time reading the various reviews and noticed its high star ratings; it seemed just what I was looking for; something simple, straightforward and reliable. Order and dispatch were up to the usual Amazon standard and the unit arrived within a few days; first problem; no printed manual, just a quick start guide, manual later found on CD-Rom; second problem; when printed off, manual looks like a badly edited revamp of a previous modal, none of the tech terms in the manual are explained. Not being a TV Engineer, a bit more help would have been nice. I can't judge the tech support on the Humax Website as every time I tried to use it the answers I received didn't seem to relate to the questions that I had asked in any way shape or form. Once hooked up, the set up was really simple, just press the on button and it tunes in the channels for you in about 5 - 10 mins. Unfortuanatly this was the only simple part. We soon found that if the recorder is not tuned to BBC1 when turned on the programme guide would take up to an hour to load. The product would turn itself on and off at random intervals , regardless of recording schedule, and cause our TV Screen to go blank; usually in the middle of Neighbours, or any other programme that you really wish to watch, CSI, etc. The unit would become completely unresponsive to both the remote control and the main controls under the front panel; the only solution being to turn off the power at the main plug, wait five mins, then turn it back on and start again. Having suffered these problems with the Thompson Box I was disappointed but these where things I could live with if they only happened once or twice a day. The final straw came when I discovered that the ITV Channels were subject to jumping and heavy pixalation; the same feed provides a perfect picture on my new Panasonic TV AND AN OLD FREEVIEW BOX that the Humax was bought in part to replace. I can't order a replacement because Amazon are out of stock, so have opted for a refund. It has not put me off Amazon but I think it has put me off DTR's.