# Humax versus Panasonic



## harey (Nov 13, 2002)

Hi,

The 1st June will be a sad day, so I've been considering a Freesat PVR replacement, as I currently use Freesat with my Panasonic TV build-in tuner.

Does anyone know which of the Humax and Panasonic Freesat PVR's will get the closest to the TiVo in terms of functionality?

The main feature I am after is something close to the Season Passes.

Thanks
Chris


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## aleks (Mar 22, 2001)

My Humax has series links - which is effectively a season pass. If you record something it spots that it's a series and asks if you want to record the whole series. It's not as clever as the TiVo at picking up episodes from other channels (like the "+1" channels) if there is a conflict, but then there aren't many conflicts when you can record two programmes at the same time.

The Humax is pretty good actually, but the interface isn't a patch on the TiVo - it's like going back to Windows 3.1 after Windows 7 (or PC vs Mac if you prefer).


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

Telnet, FTP, Samaba and Twonky have now been hacked for the Humax FreeSat which means you can "archive" your recordings off the machine.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

I think the Panasonic one is quite expensive with BD player/writer built in.

EDIT: I see they also do some without now.

Automan.


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## roger_phillips (Aug 12, 2004)

I cannot comment on the Humax, but I would NEVER touch another Panasonic PVR. I have the HD/DVD/VCR model (cannot remember model no) and have to admit copying from HD to DVD is nice. It can also edit recordings so removing adverts before dumping to DVD is useful. 

Where it really falls down is that the only thing you can do when it is recording is watch something else. You cannot add new programs to record for instance, so if you want to record the program immediately following the one it is currently recording, you cannot. Only option is to stop the current recording, set up the extra one you want then restart the recording again. 

I tend to put BBC stuff on the Panasonic and anything with adverts onto the TIVO. Skipping adverts on the Panasonic is a pain.

Don't know if it happens with other PVRs but I cannot set up Mastermind on a series link without getting a load of BBC World Service programs recorded as well.

Lastly, I went on holiday for a week and on return, the Panasonic had got itself stuck on BBC World Service (which I hadn't tuned to) and I lost a couple of days recordings. Not sure I trust it at all now.


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## steford (Oct 9, 2002)

roger_phillips said:


> I cannot comment on the Humax, but I would NEVER touch another Panasonic PVR. I have the HD/DVD/VCR model (cannot remember model no) and have to admit copying from HD to DVD is nice. It can also edit recordings so removing adverts before dumping to DVD is useful.
> 
> Where it really falls down is that the only thing you can do when it is recording is watch something else. You cannot add new programs to record for instance, so if you want to record the program immediately following the one it is currently recording, you cannot. Only option is to stop the current recording, set up the extra one you want then restart the recording again.
> 
> ...


It's worrying isn't it that 10 years later other companies just still haven't got the technology sorted. The only time my Tivo setup ever really let me down was when the NTL or Sky box crashed (usually as I set off on holiday). Crazy that there's still nothing remotely close or as reliable.


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## djqster (Oct 22, 2010)

steford said:


> It's worrying isn't it that 10 years later other companies just still haven't got the technology sorted.


Tivo is a software company so that's what they're good at. Other PVRs are made by hardware companies and their focus just isn't on software.

Also Tivo hold a bunch of patents


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## cyril (Sep 5, 2001)

TiVo and replaytv were both more than 10 years ahead of everyone else in 1998. So competitors are still a fair bit behind.

Sadly Tivo hasn't been able to progress in the last decade as fast as their initial lead, and ReplayTv is no more.


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## spitfires (Dec 19, 2006)

djqster said:


> Tivo is a software company so that's what they're good at. Other PVRs are made by hardware companies and their focus just isn't on software.


Aye, that's it in a nutshell!


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Tivo aren't a just software company, they're a service company. You buy a subscription to a service (now that lifetime is no longer sold anywhere). If the service is good then they keep your custom - if not you won't. They make their money from the service not necessarily the hardware (look a the US pricing on some of their boxes - they must be sold under cost).

In comparison all the Freesat+ and Freeview+ manufacturers are 'fire and forget' hardware retailers. You get a limited opportunity to look at the usability in the shop/online before you make your purchase and you won't be back for a couple of years. Many people will make their decision based on the sales persons view, the price, size of the box, number of 'features', manufacturer of their TV etc.
In fact there is a disincentive to make the solution any more than 'just good enough' and 'just cheap enough' as they'd quite like you to come back in a couple of years and buy the new 3D capable one.
Can you imagine pitching to a board meeting at Panasonic a PVR that would still work, unmodified & unupgraded almost a decade later?


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

AMc said:


> Can you imagine pitching to a board meeting at Panasonic a PVR that would still work, unmodified & unupgraded almost a decade later?


Sadly that's the thinking that pervades the entire technology industry


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## johnscott99 (Sep 23, 2002)

When I got the 1st June message on my TiVo I started looking for alternatives. Topfield, Humax, Other brand PVRs etc. 
I spent three weeks researching options.

In the end I bought a HUMAX HDR FOX T2 - 500Gb. £250 from HUMAX (Grade A return). Fast delivery and they tell you the time they will deliver. They told me 10:31 and it arrived at 10:31.

What what I have found so far:
Pros
- series links
- suggestions (you set it to record Hugh Fernly Whittingstall and it says "This is a similar program do you want that also? - Jamie's Perfect School")
- If shows overlap (ie you are trying to record 3 shows at once) it'll suggest a different schedule that will get all three
- the skip forward button is set to 2 minutes. Adverts start skip-skip done. 
- archive to USB (then edit out adverts on PC  )
- as it's got a USB port front and back. My plan it to get a 2GB USB HDD hidden away at the back for old TV series. 
- FTP access (bit slow and .ts files are encrpted - whereas USB copies are decrypted as they are copied)
- Plays WMV files downloaded from BBC iPlayer site (beautifully)
- Plays media over the network from TVersity and Windows Media player (beautifully)
- the picture quality is amazing. I don't have HD and I can't see why I would want it when the picture is *this* good. 
- plays BBC iPlayer live over the internet, and internet radio, and (for some reason) has a wiki library on the internet. 
- advert appears for upcoming show on BBC or Channel 4 a green icon appears. Press the green button and it'll record that show when it's on. 
- HUMAX will add more features via over air updates or USB flashing
- The remote is a universal one, so will control TV, Audio, DVD. I believe you can also set it to turn on and off all your devices TV, AUDIO and HUMAX with a single keypress. 
- it's so quiet. Humax 9200 had fan issues. HDR T2 does not. Much quieter than TiVo.

Cons
- the remote is dreadful. In the dark it's almost impossible to use. The play, pause, rewind and fast forward are all in the middle left on small buttons. I picked up my TiVo remote on Monday for the first time since Thursday and it's like the TiVo was reading my thoughts. All the buttons are in the right place. Play, pause, up, down, left, right etc. all in the right place. 
- it has rebooted whilst recording and whilst I've been experimenting with the PC to Humax connection. The recording is cut in half while it reboots. 
- the TV guide is only 8 days 
- the TiVo features just aren't there (no searching for director/ actor etc. No auto recording of anything with Margaret Rutherford in)


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

johnscott99 said:


> Much quieter than TiVo.


My TiVos were always inaudible, short of actually pressing your ear against the box. One of their best features.


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## Nimbus (May 29, 2004)

interesting review of a humax here

I'd be very interested to know if they can stream content from a normal upnp, or dlna server, eg twonkymedia ? and if they do it 'nicely'...


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Thanks for the fulsome review; very useful. :up:

Regarding


johnscott99 said:


> - Plays media over the network from TVersity and Windows Media player


I stream media from my PC using XBMC on an XBox Classic.

Is Windows Media player actually involved (when using the Humax), and if so, how?

Or do you just mean streaming from a Windows OS?


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## scgf (Oct 24, 2000)

cyril said:


> Sadly Tivo hasn't been able to progress in the last decade as fast as their initial lead, and ReplayTv is no more.


Indeed. I had my new VM TiVo installed a couple of weeks ago and was seriously underwhelmed. IMHO Apple calls the shots now on the human interface and I for one am now used to the Apple UI - so experiencing a new TiVo just shows me how they have stood still in iterface terms. In fact, the new VM TiVo interface is not as nice as the originial series 1 TiVo.

VM is coming to collect my TiVo this morning and replacing it with a Samsung V+ box. I am very unhappy with the SD picture quality (my series 1 TiVo with mode 0 looked better) and the UI is dreadful.

When the first TiVo came out there really weren't any other PVRs out there. The idea of a series link was revolutionary and wishlists were amazing. Now, other PVRs have caught up in several areas so the difference is not really that great. Depends which features you use, of course, but for me, wishlists, suggestions etc. are not that important.

The other thing we often do is diversify sources. I use a US account on Apple TV for all my movie viewing and this device offers me useful search featues.


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## roger_phillips (Aug 12, 2004)

I know Tivo has lots of bells and whistles, some of which I actually use, but the two that I find most user friendly are the instant replay and the "jump back" when fast forwarding to the position you want. When zapping adverts, you watch until the program comes back and hit play. Tivo jumps back to compensate for the user reaction time. I don't find any other PVR doing that. You have to then rewind and probably overshoot again. I've got so used to it that I tend not to record commercial channels on the Panasonic.

Apparently it is possible to do a replay with the Panasonic, but not by just pressing one button and while I did find out how to do it once, it is such a memorable sequence that I instantly forgot it.

The other thing the Panasonic does not do is to maintain a buffer like the Tivo's 30 minute buffer. When you find you are missing something you want to watch from the beginning, you can hit Record and Tivo will store the buffer part of the program as well as what is still to come (as long as Tivo is tuned into the correct channel of course).

I take the point about Tivo's software expertise being considered of lesser importance by companies like Panasonic. I find it arrogant for a company to produce a product without looking at what other companies have produced. Clearly they are not at all interested in giving their customers a well rounded product. Why do they insist on reinventing the wheel and then do it so badly?

I now avoid any product Panasonic produce. I know this sounds a bit like cutting off my nose to spite my face but I simply do not trust the company, however good someone claims a product is.


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## peterseventy (Sep 22, 2005)

johnscott99 said:


> In the end I bought a HUMAX HDR FOX T2 - 500Gb ...
> Pros ...
> Cons - the remote is dreadful. In the dark it's almost impossible to use. The play, pause, rewind and fast forward are all in the middle left on small buttons. I picked up my TiVo remote on Monday for the first time since Thursday and it's like the TiVo was reading my thoughts. All the buttons are in the right place. Play, pause, up, down, left, right etc. all in the right place.
> 
> The local B&O man attached small IR emitters to the Humax and other boxes and set up the system to control them from Beo4 and Beolink1000 controllers. Not all the Humax buttons are replicated but it makes a good fist of program change, record, play, stop etc. Delighted with the Humax but it's no TiVo S1.


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