Humax PVR9300T
The basics
This Freeview PVR from Humax has two digital tuners and can store up to 200 hours of recordings on its integrated 320GB hard drive. There's also one-touch record scheduling in the EPG, a pause-and-play live TV function and Picture in Picture.
The good
Upscaling blocky Freeview channels may be akin to slapping lipstick on pig, but this porker looks almost good enough to kiss. The Humax does a great job of cleaning up the more pixellated programmes, and has a huge hard drive with room for 200 hours of telly. A Picture in Picture function lets you watch two channels simultaneously (great when the ads come on) and there’s HDMI output for your Hi-Def flatscreen.
The bad
Is that a police helicopter hovering outside your window? Or perhaps a tsunami thundering down your street? Nope, it’s just the Humax’s cooling fan – although it does get quieter when you update the firmware over-the-air. Another annoyance is an electronic programme guide that feels slower than pulling on your shoes, wandering down to the corner shop and buying a Radio Times. But at least without the temptation to buy a Twix, too.
The bottom line
Immensely powerful and flexible digital video recorder than polishes up Freeview nicely. Just watch out for that noisy fan and sluggish EPG.
User comments (7)
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TONY TAYLOLR05 November 2009
Getting one of these for me and one for my son they look good and have all the bits needed.I use a Panasonic 77 at the moment but only one tunner not good I do have sky plus but for some reason on the sky sometime only can record one program trouble with Fiver sky one and sci-fi channel the importent ones Tony
Report as inappropriateCraig Tonge07 November 2009
I have read many reviews on this product and the biggest critisism was the noisy fan. This almost swayed my decision not to buy one but after hearing that a software update almost resolves this issue, i bit the bullet and bought one today. Well, what can i say, its the quiet as a mouse! Not a whisper and i did not even need to do an update. I suppose Humax have wisely dealt with the problem which means there is very little anyone can say to put this product down. I am very pleased with it so far and quite surpised how much i do like it. A verygood buy indeed. Get one. Craig
Report as inappropriateMike10 November 2009
I bought one of these about 6 months ago, having switched from Sky. Today I'm throwing out the Humax and going back to Sky. The Humax is the most unreliable piece of electronic kit since the Sinclair Spectrum. Programmes in the recording schedule often do not record. Sometimes they record for a few minutes then stop so when you watch all you get is the titles. Even more infuriating, the last few minutes of a programme are very often missing so you don't get to find out who dunnit. I contacted Humax and they told me to retune the box, which I did, but it made no difference. Mike
Report as inappropriateNigel05 January 2010
Bought a Humax PVR-9300T last December. Fairly happy with performance but would like to create some sort of folder structure for the 200 hours of programmes possible. I can do this by putting a simple code at the beginning of the recorded programme name but have not discovered a text insert facility so I have to re-enter the entire programme name every time. Any constructive ideas out there?
Report as inappropriateJames D G Dunn30 January 2010
We bought a Humax PVR9300T DTR at the end of November, together with a new Sharp HD TV from Currys Chichester. Every day, at one time or another, it froze. We had it replaced and had a new digital TV aerial installed. It continued to freeze every so often. We had it replaced, and an aerial filter/booster fitted. It froze - and the third one's fan was noisy. In every case the Humax froze, usually in the middle of the night, but also when we were absent from the house and trying to record something - so recording did not happen. It even froze in the middle of recording. We have replaced it with a less pleasing DVD recorder, which is less easy to use, but at least does not FREEZE!
Report as inappropriateCatherine Abbott02 February 2010
I've had this model for just over a year and up til now its been great. OK occasionally I had the freezing same as James but I loved being able to record and watch different things at the same time. But now its decided to give up the ghost turns itself on and then off and goes round in a loop. It said on the screen that my aerial was short circuiting so I got a new aerial fitted (£140) waste of money coz its not a problem with the aerial at all. Its the box. Such a shame. I'm in two minds now as to whether to risk getting a new one or just a DVD recorder. I dont want to go to Sky. I object to paying for rubbish I'll never watch but then it might end up being cheaper if the Humax only lasts until the warrantee runs out.
Report as inappropriatejames16 March 2010
this product is not very good the box crashed when i was away for a week, not recording f1 and 6 nations,I am going to trash it and get a topfield.
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