Humax PVR-8000T PVR
- Reviewer
- Stuart Miles
- Review Date
- 16 February 2004
- Manufacturer
- Humax
- Price as reviewed
- £200
- Latest price
- compare
Reader review
User: Chris Short, Bristol, UK
Date Posted: 1 December 2005
Review: I’ve had my Humax (80Gb) for around 6 months and I think its fantastic. The freeview tuner has excellent picture quality and outshines my Panasonic plasma's DVB tuner by miles and has been crash free. I use the S-video output on the scart and this gives a massive improvement over the composite signal quality, RGB is available on the scart too. The 80Gb hard disk is more than sufficient, after 6 months I have only just filled it up, and if you’re vigilant you can keep on top of the recordings you don’t need any more. Menu and User interfaces couldn’t be simpler; the TV guide is concise and easy to programme recordings with. Sound quality is very good when connected through a decent surround amp. What more could you ask for? VHS is definitely dead...I’m going to get the twin tuner 9200T as soon as, I’m confident this device will be as well engineered as the last. Pausing/rewinding live TV is so good you'll wonder how you managed without it... EMBRACE DIGITAL RECORDING - THROW THE VHS AWAY, THERE REALLY IS NO EXCUSE! :o)
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Bryan Fretwell, Somerset, UK
Date Posted: 5 November 2005
Review: Hi, I have two of these and I’m shortly going to get a third. I am quite fussy on quality and although the fan can make a noise at times it certainly is still a far better unit than others I have tried. I’m a bit hacked off that Humax would not reply to an email I sent regarding the PVR9100 which I bought on eBay and is rubbish (satellite only no freeview). But I very happy with this unit.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: PS, London
Date Posted: 24 October 2005
Review: After a lot of research (twin tuner or not etc, etc..) I went for the Humax, and quite honestly it is brilliant. The picture quality is very good, although at first we thought the colours were very saturated compared to our previous Freeview box - we've got used to this now. The unit is so easy to set up and use with the seven day EPG. I've not got the remote to control the TV (a Sony) as it claims it can with "most" models. However, this is a minor niggle. All-in-all, a great buy at 130 quid. 9/10. Incidentally, your reviewer Guy from London states that he bought from John Lewis on account of the two-year guarantee. This is a con since the Humax already comes with a manufacturers 2-year guarantee regardless of where you buy it. Like their "free 5-year" guarantees on TV's, John Lewis just take the price that everybody else is selling it for and add the cost of an extended warranty and that is the price you then pay.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Ol' Square eyes, Ruislip, Middx
Date Posted: 15 July 2005
Review: I have had one of these devices for a year and I am still really pleased with it. It has completely changed my family's viewing habits as there’s always something interesting now to watch on the box. Super picture and sound quality plus the advantage of an optical digital sound output for the home cinema system. <br>Disadvantages are: <br>1. Needs a good signal. Rather ready to drop out if the signal is just a little suspect. We live in a heavily wooded area and our TV reception is poor. <br>2. Cannot record from an external source (depends on the mPeg encoding of the incoming signal).<br>3. Cannot view a previously recorded programme whilst recording another.<br>4. Really easy to programme from the epg but the programming is by time slots rather than the actual start and stop of the programmes you want to record. It is possible though bothersome to add a few minutes to the beginning and end of recording schedules for anything you do not want to 'clip'.<br>5. Does not have a card slot for conditional access channels such as 'top up TV'.<br>6. It’s so popular that the whole family fill it up with their stuff and when you want to record something interesting, you find that even an 80 gig drive is full of Live 8, Glastonbury and Wimbledon. Only joking - honest!<br>7. Like many other household gadgets, you have to buy a second gadget to go with it. For example, when you buy a washing machine, you then have to buy a tumble dryer. When you buy a deep freeze, you then go out and buy a microwave. Since buying the Humax, I have had to get a DVD recorder to dump down some of the better stuff I have recorded and want to keep. I bought a Philips DVDR75 because it can take an RGB input from the scart, but that is another story.<br>8. After you have switched it on, the hard drive works noisily for a couple of minutes, making a ticking sound. I do not see this as a significant problem.<br>All in all, it is one of the better 140 squids that I have spent. It is well made and 'does what it says on the box'. If you are thinking of buying one, then my advice would be 'for the price- go for it!' Recommended at 9.5 out of 10.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Dozzer, Cheltenham, UK
Date Posted: 14 June 2005
Review: I had mine for ages with 80GB as standard. I don't think my unit has a fan, but HDD is a little obtrusive for the first minute or so (rhythmic clicking), but then it shuts up! EPG (7days) is a piece of cake to use, and set for recording. Recorded picture quality is indistinguishable from the original. Another reviewer states it records radio... but I can't get mine to, but then I might be doing it wrong. Chuffed to monkeys with my purchase.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Guy, London
Date Posted: 30 April 2005
Review: Just bought the 80GB version for £169.99 from John Lewis on account of the two year guarantee and an easy life if it goes wrong. As a Freeview tuner alone it completely aces my Nokia Freeview/On Digital box. The EPG offers between three and seven days information and recording couldn't be simpler. I hate VCRs and have been without a recorder for about five years. With this device catching the programmes you want is very easy and the image quality excellent. The ability to freeze and rewind live TV is a bonus. If you don't fancy paying a subscription for your TV and still want to get the most out of your box then I can't think of a better way for the money. A great device.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: AG, West Midlands
Date Posted: 1 April 2005
Review: Bought mine a few months ago for around 130 quid. Seems a perfectly good system (good picture, menus and facilities, etc). The remote feels a bit cheaply made, and the software has a few amusing quirks in language. No problems with noise, apart from during the first minute after boot up. I would recommend it without hesitation. If you don't buy this one make sure you do buy some sort of PVR - once you've paused/rewound live TV you wonder how you previously lived without it!
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: JE, London UK
Date Posted: 23 December 2004
Review: Bought this PVR for my parents, but had a little play with it myself. Out of all the units (without DVD recorders) this is the best reviewed and I did do tons of research. My unit was so easy to set up - plug it in and it auto seeks channels. Hard disk noise is not noticeable - all units come with a 80Gb drive as standard since this review was written. They also allow to record radio, and show a seven-day Electronic guide. Overall its very easy to use and is quite well supported and can upgrade the internal HD to 240Mb (but will void warranty). Downside is there is no card slot for TOPUP tv channels (if you want them) and single tuner (not really an issue). A sound buy in my opinion.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Colin, Reading UK
Date Posted: 15 October 2004
Review: The fan on mine is only just noticeable. Great machine. We borrowed a DVD/HD Recorder for a while From my brother. It was great but too expensive. This does what we want and with the 7 day EPG has changed our viewing habits. Kept our old freeview box to watch the otherside! Sometimes (once a week) re-boots itself when you use the remote too much.
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
Reader review
User: Angoose, Midlands
Date Posted: 15 September 2004
Review: Great machine for the money, but I'm about to take mine back to the shop because of the noisy hard drive/fan or whatever it is. It is just so annoying unless you have a cabinet under the TV - which I don't!
Rating:
1 person has rated this review helpful
>> Sign up or Log in to write a reader review
Compare prices
Humax PVR-8000T (40 GB) 20-Hours Video Recorder
(Video Recorder, Max Record time: 20 Hrs, Hard Drive Size: 40 GB, Features: One Touch Recording)
-
HOMECINEMA
BDA predicts Blu Christmas
-
HOMECINEMA
BBC iPlayer Launches For PMPs
-
GAMING
Xbox To Get Blu-Ray Drive - Again
