Humax Foxsat-HDR Review

Overall Rating

So easy to set up - a joy to use.
This Freesat+ High Definition Receiver/PVR is packed full of great features: pause, fast-forward and rewind live TV; record two programs at once; see the broadcast resolution of the program you are watching; upscales standard definition to high definition really well.
Resolution formats: 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i.

Not very many. The manual does not describe setting up a recording very clearly - but having said that, once you figure it out (it's quite different from recording with Sky+ HD), it really is quite intuitive and actually a much better way of storing your recordings.
Maybe that makes this 'bad point' a good point!!

I should first point out that the Humax FOXSAT-HDR is not a DVD player (contrary to the category that this website has listed it in). It is in fact a Freesat+ PVR Digital Receiver.

The Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ High Definition Receiver is the first Freesat PVR twin tuner 320GB hard drive receiver from Humax, for use on the Freesat satellite television platform.

I installed the FOXSAT-HDR after I had four Sky+ HD boxes that consistently failed one after the other. If you have an existing dual LNB satellite dish, this box is so easy to set up. All you do is connect it to your existing satellite cables, then connect it to your HD TV via HDMI and then follow the on-screen set-up wizard to tune all the TV channels. It really is that easy.

Note: If you don't have an existing satellite dish, you can have one installed by your local Freesat retailer.

This box is much slimmer than the Sky+ HD box and it is packed with a lot more useful functions too. It has a tinted perspex front panel, which discretely hides the navigation buttons and within it is the very latest PVR technology with 320GB hard drive, allowing for approx 160 hours of standard-definition recordings; 80 hours in high-definition.

Dual tuners allow for very similar functionality as Sky+, minus the subscription costs. You can record one channel whilst watching/recording another, or even record two channels whilst playing back a previously recorded programme. Couple this with the high resolution EPG, and setting up to record couldn ' t be easier.

This is a very good quality piece of kit (take note Sky - this how it should be done) and I don't regret ditching Sky and moving to Freesat at all. Granted, Sky has a lot more HD channels, but I think Freesat will catch up and the great thing about the Humax FOXSAT-HDR box is that it actually makes watching and recording digital HD TV a joy (not a frustration like Sky+ HD).

I wholeheartedly recommend the Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ High Definition Receiver/PVR - really is an excellent piece of equipment.