Humax PVR-8000T Reviews
Latest Reviews
“The Humax PVR-8000T hard drive recorder is a well...”
Written on: 15/05/2006 by steele2000 (3 reviews written)
The Humax PVR-8000T hard drive recorder is a well thought out unit. It only has a single tuner, but I did not find this a problem at the price. It also has a nice menu system. (read more)
“My brand new Humax PVR-8000T hard drive recorder could...”
Written on: 21/04/2006 by Angus12 (1 review written)
My brand new Humax PVR-8000T hard drive recorder could not record. Humax customer service acknowledged it was a software problem they had been aware of. The issue could have been fixed by transmitting the fix. However, as relatively few machines had the issue, they chose not to. Alternatively they could have sent the cable (with an ancient 9 pin plug) to enable it to connect to a PC to download the fix. They chose not to. You are then left with the choice of buying a cable or returning the... (read more)
“I bought the Humax because I was fed up with having to...”
Written on: 29/08/2005 by Rockeye (2 reviews written)
I bought the Humax because I was fed up with having to keep deleting the contents of the RAM disc (a time-consuming chore which my wife has never mastered!) on my Panasonic DVD recorder (pre-hard drive model) to allow me to record something else. I was also frustrated by the Panny's inability to get itself going for at least 60 seconds after switch on. Also, I did not feel justified in spending £400+ on a replacement DVD/HD recorder.
I had heard of Humax in Which? magazine reports where...
(read more)
“Although I live in a "non Freeview" area the Humax was...”
Written on: 29/07/2005 by 33rpm (7 reviews written)
Although I live in a "non Freeview" area the Humax was able to find all of the available free-to-air channels with good signal strength and picture quality.
Tuning in was a breeze and this was achieved with no problems in a matter of minutes. I didn't find the manual the easiest to follow, but luckily the on-screen menus were pretty well laid out, and I found that I was able to record and reserve a programme for recording at a later date, within 30 minutes of playing around with the set....
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“Just bought a Humax PVR-8000T for an 80year old whose...”
Written on: 24/07/2005 by PeterH9572 (1 review written)
Just bought a Humax PVR-8000T for an 80year old whose video broke. Really easy to set up out of the box and good picture quality for freeview. Has all the expected features of freeview except top-up tv.
As a recorder, the unit is easy to set a recording on - once the 7 day EPG has loaded just point to it on the Guide and press OK. This is where the confusion arose - the unit makes a "Reservation" it was unclear if this was to record the program or just to watch it. Trial and error proved...
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“The Humax PVR-8000T is a small attractive unit that is...”
Written on: 21/06/2005 by amtrakuk (2 reviews written)
The Humax PVR-8000T is a small attractive unit that is ready for use within minutes of turning it on for the first time. The software version I had has the ability to record both Radio or TV as well as being able to browse and reserve programmes using the 7 day EPG during this.
I like the ability to search for a programme on the EPG by entering in the title (or partial) as well as the Gant Chart EPG.
The remote control can be programmed to perform basic controls of the TV (Standby/Power...
(read more)
“My VHS recorder died and I was on the look out for a...”
Written on: 02/06/2005 by BigAde (4 reviews written)
My VHS recorder died and I was on the look out for a replacement. Bought a Humax PVR-8000T and never looked back. It did have a few software bugs early on but these are mostly ironed out. But the Humax support are great, mailed me an RS-232 and upgraded the firmware via my laptop.
It is so easy to use with the EPG, just highlight the programs you wish to watch and that's it.
There are a few more features I would like but for the price it's a bargain.
You can record all of the Freeview...
(read more)
“Very good low price HDD, perfect if you are fed up...”
Written on: 01/05/2005 by shorty123 (1 review written)
Very good low price HDD, perfect if you are fed up with analog VHS quality, very simple to use, optical SPDIF output is a bonus.
Had a few probs tuning certain channels namely ITV because signal is poor around my way (no troubles with other freeview units) however made sure to use a 75ohm co-ax and all came good... so no problems!
Great option to 'reserve' programs in the TV guide which automatically adds them to the record schedule.
Basically sky plus for freeview... which is nice.
(read more)
“I bought this unit due to its multiple magazine awards...”
Written on: 23/01/2005 by andyrawlins (2 reviews written)
I bought this unit due to its multiple magazine awards and good ratings on sites such as this. To be fair, it does what it says on the box - ie it records from TV and can provide 'pause live TV' functions etc. However, a number of features make it frustrating to use.
It only has one tuner so, unlike a VCR, you cannot watch one channel and record another: If you are making a recording to archive you are prevented from changing channel. If you are using it in continual recording mode, as...
(read more)
Andyrawlins's Response to andyrawlins's Review
Written on: 02/02/2005
On reflection, I think I was a bit harsh on my overall scoring. After all, it does what it says on the box. I'll up my rating to 7.
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<br>I still wouldn't recommend it because much greater things are just round the corner in the shape of the 9000T (or the Pace twin tuner unit), but if you can live with what it doesn't do, what it does it does well, and it's certainly very good value for money.
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<br>Looking forward to rating the 9000 10/10 :)
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Andyrawlins's Response to andyrawlins's Review
Written on: 02/02/2005
Yup, fair enough Peasemold, you are right about the number of tuners. What I should have said was that my the Humax isn't a complete replacement for my current, analogue, setup (TV tuner plus VCR) which allows me to watch one thing and tape another. The Humax, as my only digital tuner means that I cannot record one digital channel and watch another. I was not comparing like for like so fair do's.
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<br>re "Not true. It must, by definition, be exactly the same as live TV..." I think not. Digital processes are far from perfect, which is why digital error correction is needed. If it was perfect, all CD players, for example, would sound broadly the same. I can assure you that my £50 Sony Diskman played through my hifi sounds nothing like my Naim CD player through the same hifi.
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<br>The signal has to be correctly captured on to disk and re-presented in the analogue domain (sound and video). This process is never perfect. To be fair, its pretty good on the Humax and I think I said that.
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<br>re "Just press the stop button" Nope. What you watch is always off disk. If you press stop you watch the most recently recorded feed, but it is always off disk not off air. If this wasn't true, how would you be able to rewind up to 30mins before you started watching? It's because it is continually cashing to disk. This is why recordings appear to be 'perfect'. The recordings and 'live TV' are both exactly the same thing, i.e. off disk recordings.
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<br>"Buffers about 90 minutes". OK, I haven't tested this but it says 30mins on the Humax website.
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<br>As you will see from my own comments on my review, I had already reconsidered my overall score. More interestingly, if you look at the global Humax site http://www.humaxdigital.com/global/ you will see that they are already advertising a version of the twin tuner model, which has lots more juicy features. Hopefully the UK version won't be too far behind.
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<br>Cheers
<br>
<br>Andy
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Peasemold's Response to andyrawlins's Review
Written on: 04/02/2005
No problem Andy, I take on board what you say and it hadn't occurred to me that the video feed from the Humax might always be "off-disk", even when viewing "live".
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<br>There is evidently some digital pre-processing as the Humax handles signal glitches by freezing the picture. I actually prefer this to the Netgem's method (my other Freeview box) which creates areas of blocks and loud rasping noises on the sound.
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<br>I have to say that when I first got the box the improvement over VCR is so enormous that I might have got a bit carried away, and subsequently I have been made more aware of the limitations of the box.
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<br>Nevertheless, the box, with it's current software level is excellent in both ease of use and picture quality, and it is also good value as it remains the cheapest at the moment.
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<br>I'm also looking forward to the dual-tuner version, and the perfect device would also have a DVD recorder. This *will* eventually be available and at reasonable cost and when it does the PVR8000t will be consigned to the bedroom TV.
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“I liked almost everything about the machine, but had...”
Written on: 04/01/2005 by Adrian Korsner
I liked almost everything about the machine, but had to return it to the store as, more often than not, I got the on screen message that the signal was poor and no reception. On checking through the menu, I found 89% signal strength but 0% signal quality. This was extremely frustrating and could have been extremely expensive in fitting a new aerial had I not already had a Ferguson 2000T box which worked perfectly all the time. Dissapointing and frustrating. (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 18 Reviews
“Since buying the Humax PVR-8000T box I have not used...”
Written on: 23/12/2004 by bdash (3 reviews written)
Since buying the Humax PVR-8000T box I have not used my VCR. It is so easy and quick to record programmes and then access them. Definitely the future. Pretty easy to use, good picture and the presence of an RF modulator means in simple terms that you can have one TV plugged into the scart and an aerial lead running to a second TV in another room if you wish. (read more)
“Do not, in any circumestances, buy this product. It is...”
Written on: 14/11/2004 by adamsmith
Do not, in any circumestances, buy this product. It is dire.
(1) It has 40Gbyte of storage but you can only program 20 recordings. That makes two hours each program. That's hopeless.
(2) It has only one tuner, so you can't watch one program and record another. That's worse than a 20-year-old VCR
(3) It keeps asserting the scart signal that stops the TV looking at the UHF aerial. If you hit standy to stop this, does it break the recording? I have no idea. The recording light certainly goes...
(read more)
Marktaberham's Response to 176957_adamsmith's Review
Written on: 30/01/2005
I could not disagree more with this review. I find the Humax a great piece of kit. This is a set-top box that allows for recording of the channel being watched; no other set top box is used to watch 2 channels at the same time. The analogy with a VCR is incorrect - when recording onto a VCR, the 'other side' is watched on the TV - not through the VCR. This is the same with the Humax - normal TV can be watched whilst the Humax is recording. FF and Rewind are much faster than a VCR - read the manual! Press the >> or << 4 times and its hypersonic! (Various speeds - 1-4 speeds). All in all, if you haven't got Sky+ - this is the Freeview equivalent.
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Peasemold's Response to 176957_adamsmith's Review
Written on: 01/02/2005
Clearly this reviewer has a) Either not used this device or b) has mixed it up with something else.
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<br>Some of the things said are just not true. The rewind/fast forward is way faster than a VCR. The recordings are random access, unlike a VCR, and you can go quickly to any point in the recording. You can't, however, edit a recording.
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<br>And as for the 20 recording limit - I don't know where that comes from. AFAICA, there is no limit on the number of recordings, but a limit of about 20 hours of total recording.
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<br>It is a simple matter to upgrade the HDD to anything up to 300GB, giving practically a week's worth of perfect recordings.
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Amtrakuk's Response to 176957_adamsmith's Review
Written on: 21/06/2005
What is this reviewer expecting? The Humax 8000 very easy to use, has many features and is rock solid. You can edit reservations to make a single reservation a daily recording, ie. You can set a single reservation for 18:30 every day for The Simpsons! The fast forwarding is speedy and clear (unlike Microsoft media edition - I had problems with that if you press play from fast forward etc).
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“Humax, who are they? was my first reaction. But look...”
Written on: 01/11/2004 by JohnRit (1 review written)
Humax, who are they? was my first reaction. But look at what Skoda have done with their brand. I have had my PVR 8000T for about 6 months now and my mate bought one as well. No probs and you can get them for not much more than a standard Freeview decoder.
Basically this is like a Sky plus box for Freeview. I will buy Humax again they are very good. This product is the dogs dangly bits it really is.
(read more)
“The Humax PVR-8000T is quite a good unit with one...”
Written on: 20/09/2004 by jmcr (1 review written)
The Humax PVR-8000T is quite a good unit with one caveat. The inability to record from the scart socket is very limiting. It is an amazing price given that you can now but from currys for about £149. (read more)
Amtrakuk's Response to jmcr's Review
Written on: 21/06/2005
very true. But there are other hard disk recorders available on the market that allow scart recording. I believe most of the DVD recorders on the market record off scart due to the lack of a digital tuner. Ive often wondered why as you will have to double programme (external tuner and DVD recoder) - that all sounds abit pointless these days as even my old toshiba VCR had satillite control.
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“The Humax PVR-8000T is a great product at a good...”
Written on: 01/08/2004 by joanclarke (2 reviews written)
The Humax PVR-8000T is a great product at a good price. The unit was simple to set up and easy to use. The programme guide is handy and makes it so easy to record favourite programmes. As a previous user of TIVO I found this a great product at a competitive price. (read more)
Amtrakuk's Response to joanclarke's Review
Written on: 21/06/2005
Ditto - an ex TiVo user here. Am waiting to see when the 9200 shows, apparently according to Humax from a phone call a few months ago, the 9200 will have 2 tuners (record and watch) as well as TopUP TV support via a Cam. Its nice having everything all in one box ;)
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“For £169 I feel the Humax PVR-8000T is the ideal...”
Written on: 11/07/2004 by rover32
For £169 I feel the Humax PVR-8000T is the ideal alternative to a VCR provided (like me) you never actually keep your recordings.
I was disappointed at not being able to subscribe to Topup Tv due to the lack of a card slot.
The playback menu is cumbersome - it needs shortcuts using the remote's buttons.
Overall, worth the money as you're getting a hard disk recorder for about £100 more than a separate Freeview receiver.
(read more)
Converse's Response to 161850_rover32's Review
Written on: 06/06/2005
i don't need to enter any pin numbers on mine to delete recordings.
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<br>if you press play when unit is on, a sub menu appears ,then press ok and the list of recorded progams appear on screen - plus u can do other things with the sub menu
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<br>only major flaw with this unit was the never ending recording scenerio, but that seems ok with the new software
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Amtrakuk's Response to 161850_rover32's Review
Written on: 21/06/2005
With the latest firmware upgrade, you dont need to enter a PIN to delete a recording. The lack of a CAM for TUTV is a disapointment but since E4 has gone to freeview im not to bothered with TUTV
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“I did a fair amount of research before buying and I'm...”
Written on: 22/06/2004 by Dekker (5 reviews written)
I did a fair amount of research before buying and I'm very happy with the Humax PVR-8000T Digtial Video Recorder. I have had it 2 weeks and it's well worth the £138 delivered to the door. I have found the unit quiet to run, I was expecting more noise from the hard drive. Unit runs cool too. It comes with a standard 40 Gb drive and if you want to invalidate the guarantee, upgrading to a much larger 120-160Gb drive seems straight forward from what I've read. Well pleased. (read more)
“The Humax PVR-8000T is a great product, especially if...”
Written on: 19/12/2003 by Sony Fan (32 reviews written)
The Humax PVR-8000T is a great product, especially if you've got used to all the benefits of digital terrestrial television and are frustrated at the old analog technology in your VCR.
To briefly describe the PVR-8000T, it is a good quality freeview set-top box with a built-in 40GB hard disk and some clever software.
The digital decoder gives good picture and sound and the MHEG interactive operation is as fast as any modern Freeview box.
The recording side of it is very straight forward...
(read more)
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Peasemold's Response to andyrawlins's Review
Written on: 01/02/2005
"It only has one tuner so, unlike a VCR, you cannot watch one channel and record another"
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<br>Not entirely true - you can only do that with a VCR because your TV has a tuner. If your TV has a tuner you can watch one (analog) channel and record another (digital) one with the Humax, and unlike a VCR, the Humax produces a perfect digital copy.
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<br>If you already have a Freeview box, or a TV with a digital tuner (IDTV), you can watch one digtal channel whilst recording another digital channel.
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<br>"The way it works is this: The unit continually records the current channel and this is what you actually watch - the recording. The record quality is very good but not quite as good as 'live TV'"
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<br>Not true. It must, by definition, be exactly the same as live TV, as it makes a bit for bit recording of the incoming digital stream.
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<br>"There seems to be no way of switching to watch the live signal."
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<br>Just press the "stop" button.
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<br>The unit saves up to half an hour of this recorded TV so if you want to go back a few minutes to re-watch something you missed, you go to an earlier part of the recording. If you 'pause TV' the unit continues to record and when you press play, the recording carries on from where you left off. "
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<br>It actually buffers about 90 minutes.