Ideal replacement for YouView Box

[Deleted User]

I have a horrible feeling my YouView box is on it’s last legs. But unless I want to subscribe to BT or Talk Talk, which I don’t, I can’t buy a new YouView box. My mum bought the Humax FVP5000T which sounded good and wasn’t too expensive. But it’s rubbish! It takes forever to switch on and even longer to load up her recordings. The only good thing I can see is it records up to 7 programs at the same time.
So my question is can anyone recommend a box that is similar to the YouView box? 

I think I’m a jink as years ago I had a Toppy, which was the best box I ever had. It got discontinued. I’ve had 2 YouView boxes which is definitely second best to the Toppy. It’s been discontinued. Really frustrating 😉

Rob P

Hi, Youview boxes can often be had from the likes of CEX and ebay, often unused or refurbished.

Or the Manhattan T3-R seems well-reviewed and from the screenshots looks to have a very similar appearance to Youview, at least in the TV Guide.

Visionman

You can still buy YouView boxes second hand off Amazon or Ebay that cost peanuts, many of them unused and unopened. Please let us know how you get on. Good hunting... 

Roy

Humax have just launched the Aura, a new model of PVR, into the rapidly shrinking market for any such.

It is ironic, perhaps, that its lack of the streaming service Netflix is putting off potential purchasers, and may kill it stone dead if this is not rectified, rather than any considerations about its capabilities as a PVR.

Tim C

The options are fairly limited these days.

I've a couple of Panasonic recorders which are rock solid, quick enough, offer padding and SD or HD recording. There's a remote app which works well enough in an emergency as it basically just sets a time for a recording not using the broadcasters signal for start & end but does allow you to set a timed recording spanning several programmes. Remotely set recordings are actioned immediately as the app connects directly to the unit.Software updates are minimal which can be both a good & bad thing.

The Manhattan T3-R will offer the best support as they'll email you when updates are due and response to queries is pretty prompt , pandemic allowing. There's no remote app yet as that has been delayed due to the pandemic. Can't comment on the interface or reliability as not had one.

The Humax FVP-5000 for me is a non-starter as I tried the 4000 variant with the current software and thought the interface horrible.

That only really leaves the Humax Aura which was probably rushed to market too soon.

I'm only running 1 Youview box now & that still requires the occasional power off to get it working again.

[Deleted User]

Does the Humax Aura have any Apps installed, like iplayer etc? Also, how many recordings can be set at the same time?

I’m not that technically minded hence why I like the YouView box and want something similar.

kodikid

It can record up to four programs at anyone time.
Some apps but no Netflix or Now TV.

Darren

I would miss the Youview box if I ever had to find a replacement for it.
I still at times find I need a PVR as I still record TV programmes at times.
I think any new PVR that comes out should at lest have all the main streaming apps.
I do find that I'm now using the Amazon Fire Sick HD 2020 version a little more since getting it over 4 weeks ago.
I agree streaming and IPTV services is on the increase but in my option there is still a need for a PVR.
I would if you got the money to spend avoid the cheaper Vestel made rebranded Freeview boxes.

Visionman

The Aura hasn't received very good reviews from the people that have bought them with a few even sending them back (internet posts across the internet back that up). The best box I've ever used is literally a YouView box. There are many still available second hand via Ebay and Amazon, some still unboxed.

Saven

Visionman said:

The Aura hasn't received very good reviews from the people that have bought them with a few even sending them back (internet posts across the internet back that up). The best box I've ever used is literally a YouView box. There are many still available second hand via Ebay and Amazon, some still unboxed.

Also, it’s very easy to couple up two Youview recorders and get the ability to record four tv programmes. Whether there will ever be four programmes on tv worth watching is another argument!

kodikid

If I was you I would seriously consider the manhattan T3R.
4k, wifi enabled and 2 tuners.
Comes with 2 year warranty and is widely available. 
You will need to use it in conjunction with a fire stick or similar to access all the App's though.

Saven

kodikid said:

If I was you I would seriously consider the manhattan T3R.
4k, wifi enabled and 2 tuners.
Comes with 2 year warranty and is widely available. 
You will need to use it in conjunction with a fire stick or similar to access all the App's though.

Am I right in thinking that there is no IOS app? This is something the old BT boxes do well and I wouldn’t want to be without it. I can’t find any reference to one.

Tim C

@Saven

There were plans for an App last year that were delayed because of the pandemic, not sure what the status is now though.

Saven

Also, you can’t search the epg for a programme which seems to be a strange omission. 

kodikid

Its not perfect but sadly the PVR market is hardly thriving. 

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone for replying. I’m just gonna keep my fingers crossed that my box isn’t on its last legs! 

redchiz

Just to add to the list of possibilities, Humax still sell YouView boxes on their own website. Although "refurbished" these do come with the benefit of their own warranty. Like you, despite all the advances elsewhere and criticisms of YouView, I would sorely miss my box if it expired. 

468743450

Roy said:

Humax have just launched the Aura, a new model of PVR, into the rapidly shrinking market for any such.

It is ironic, perhaps, that its lack of the streaming service Netflix is putting off potential purchasers, and may kill it stone dead if this is not rectified, rather than any considerations about its capabilities as a PVR.

When all streaming either doesn't have adverts or allows skipping them, then there might be a reason to get rid of my PVR. ITV, Channel 4 and the like are almost unbearable unless recorded.  Netflix is upsetting some of its audience, perhaps because they wanted a pre-defined button on the remote like some others have. 

kodikid

Think the major decline in pvr's is the way people now consume content. 
Gone are the water cooler discussions about last night's TV or the family gathering around the tv set.
Mobiles, tablets etc are the norm for many, downloading then watching whenever and wherever. 
How many of us watch terrestrial tv to the exclusion of Netflix or Prime. 

Roy

kodikid said:

Think the major decline in pvr's is the way people now consume content. 
Gone are the water cooler discussions about last night's TV or the family gathering around the tv set.
Mobiles, tablets etc are the norm for many, downloading then watching whenever and wherever. 
How many of us watch terrestrial tv to the exclusion of Netflix or Prime. 

It’s worth pointing out that it was PVRs that started this fragmentation process, and VCRs before them to a lesser extent, together with the rise of multiple channel availability, and the ubiquity of bedroom TVs.

Perhaps someone has figures for tablet and phone consumption of broadcast programmes, time shifted or not, but these must surely be small?

It certainly does not seem to have hit the sale of TVs, judging from the variety available.

Reversing your comment above, though, how many of us watch Netflix and Prime to the exclusion of terrestrial TV? It’s balance in all things.

What has changed in the last few years, though, is the amount of content available online, and its much longer retention periods. We’ve just moved house, not even set up our YouView boxes yet - and not missed them, because everything we’ve wanted to watch has been on catch-up or streaming. So far....

(But we’ve lost COM7, dammit, even with a communal terrestrial and satellite service to every house here, with outlets in all the principal rooms, and all wired for Ethernet too, for legacy devices that need that. So the new TV coming Saturday will have Freesat....)

Darren

I agree more content is now available online that was not a few years ago but 15%/20% of stuff that is broadcast is still not available to stream thats why the likes of me still use a pvr(Youview box).
Pvrs maybe in slow decline but they will still be around for a good few years yet.
Since my sister got her 2019 Samsung 4k smart TV she dont use her Youview T2000 1tb box in living room anymore and moved the box to her bedroom.
Shes put 6gb or maybe it was an 8gb I can't remember usb memory stick I think it is in her Samsung TV in living room for whenever she wants to record something on live broadcast and thats now not very often.
I do get COMS7 but find in very bad weather signal from COMS7 is not that great.
My town is on the border of two transmitters with 60% of people pointing there TV aerials towards Black Hill just over 19 miles west from me and the other 40% including me pointing the TV aerial towards Craigkelly 14miles east from me.
Before digital switchover Black Hill was the strongest transmitter for TV signal in my area. 

Rob P

My 2p... I will continue to use a PVR (Youview or other) to view terrestrial content, rather than catch-up streaming, for as long as possible for several reasons:
1. Skipping the ads, as mentioned above
2. Picture quality is pretty grim (or it was, last time I tried) certainly not HD quality (with the exeption of BBC iPlayer in particular when they have something in 4K eg His Dark Materials)
3. Skipping the ads.
4. Having a library of stuff available for me to watch, when I want, is far preferable to me than to have to seek out specifically what I feel like watching from a plethora of different catch up apps AND to get it watched before it vanishes from the service.
5. Skipping the ads.

But mostly the ads.

The catch-up apps are a good backup, but for me, only that. It annoys me slightly that there seems to be a trend of a whole series being available on catch-up after the first episode is broadcast, that's very much the opposite of a catch up.

And, oh, the ads.

Visionman

My bag is PVRs (YouView) and discs. Call me old fashioned. Do I have Netflix/Amazon/Now TV from time to time? Sure. Heck I've got all 5 at the moment. Which won't last for long.

kodikid

Me too, keep saying I'm going to cancel one or two but don't. Only 1 I have never been tempted by was britbox.

jonesh

I haven't got any of them. I pay the licence fee and that's it.

How much TV is it possible to watch? 

kodikid

Perhaps I'm more selective.
My heart despairs when I see the decline in quality on offer with freeview. 
Also joking apart some of the terrestrial channels are unwatchable due to the seemingly increasing repetitive ad breaks. 

jonesh

kodikid said:

Perhaps I'm more selective.
My heart despairs when I see the decline in quality on offer with freeview. 
Also joking apart some of the terrestrial channels are unwatchable due to the seemingly increasing repetitive ad breaks. 

Perhaps.

You've made a very good case for PVR ownership. The two models that have been released onto the market recently should ensure their survival for a while.

Visionman

Yeah... it seems to be shrinking.
Anyone know why Humax pulled out of the Freesat market?

redchiz

Because you used to need a separate box, but most TVs come with it built in now?

John L

I think the big problem is that if everyone keeps saying it's a dying market for Pvrs, then everyone starts copying their friends & family. It then becomes a dying market. Actually quite a few of my friends don't know what a pvr is, does, not interested in technology, no patience to find out more, but some of them have caught onto streaming idea. When I explain what pvrs do, the classic answer is: " didn't know that. Oh well John, you know your technology!" 

I personally prefer recording programmes. You can watch when you want before it expires in some cases. Always have done since the VHS was invented. It is a lot more convenient for my needs. I can fully understand the idea of streaming. I use Youtube a lot & tend to watch music videos + some subscribed DIY content. It is not perfect, broadband often crashes or tv picture quality in some cases not as good as pvr recordings. But if I want to record say QVC Channel 16/111 I can record a programme to watch later. Not sure if QVC streams the programmes? Really all streaming is an impulse method of watching content.  Sad that Humax are no longer making Freesat boxes, I expect it is consumer demand, rather than "On demand" as with streaming! I think you still need pvrs alongside the Catch up function. John L

jonesh

PVR usage might be in decline, but most homes must have at least one. As well as the Freeview and Freesat retail boxes, how many Sky, VM and BT ones are there?