Home > Consumer Reviews > Humax PVR9200TB Freeview

I've had the predecessor the (the single tuner Humax PVR8000T) to this model for over 2 years now and still love it. My neighbours were so impressed, all the family bought the PVR9200TB and adore theirs too.

Freeview PVRs (Personal Video Recorders) have been TV viewers best kept secret until fairly recently (Humax and Topfield being the pioneers ). I only heard about them from Which magazine; had I not done so I may have been tempted to buy a DVD recorder but having owned a "Hummie" for a while now, I consider DVD recorders to be a bit of a white elephant and have no plans to buy one. A PVR is basically a video recorder that records TV digitally to an internal hard disk, the same as you have in your PC. No tapes or DVDs required.

For those new to them, think of them as poor-mans Sky+ i.e. all the convenience and ease of use of Sky+ but without the monthly subscription (and of course the Sky channels). Just select a programme from the 7 day EPG (Electronic Programme Guide), hit OK and it will schedule that programme to record. Nature calls during the footie - hit pause and you won't miss a goal. Fast-forward back to real-time while Hansen and Lawro drone on...priceless! (FYI, you do not need to leave the box on if you have scheduled programmes to record when you're not there)

There are a few PVRs on the market now - I tried a Sagem first. Big mistake as it would not receive ITV or Channel 4 and went back to the shop the same day. Humax and Topfield have a dedicated following and consistently get top marks from Which, though having never owned a "Toppie" I can't give an informed opinion on them.

Be careful when buying a PVR as some may have a DVD recorder inbuilt but not a digital receiver so you'd still need another box and work out how to connect them together, which could be tricky.

Pros:
Ease of set-up and use (takes a week or 2 to get used to it)
Reliability - almost 3 years old and not a problem
No monthly subscription
No tapes or expensive DVDs required
Only one box needed for all your digital TV and recording needs
Functionality - more so than Sky+ according to my friends (e.g. easier schedule editing, bigger disk capacity and better programme finding)

Cons:
Can cut off the end of programmes sometimes. It is pretty easy to adjust the scheduler to add a couple of minutes though
EPG (TV guide) can be slow to come up after switching on

It changes the way you watch TV and I love it

Quite the most amazing piece of consumer electronics I've ever bought. Worked just as the manual said (unusual in this day and age) and blew me away with its picture quality and ease of use.

More features than you can shake a stick at and they all work! Here are some of its good points: can record two programmes at once, chase play (view the programme currently being recorded from an earlier point), pause and rewind live tv, reserve programmes direct from 8 day EPG, feature (similar to PDC on analogue) that amends the start/finish time of a recording if the reserved programme is delayed, search facility in EPG that allows you to use a keyword to find a programme you want to view/record and Picture in Picture.

Can't fault it and I'm pretty good at finding fault!

The HUMAX PVR is superb. I did have an old, cheap-as-you-like digital freeview box and a VCR that simply gathered dust as I never quite figured out how to record through the digital receiver. This has solved the whole problem. Not only is the image quality fantastic compared to my old freeview box, the ease with which you use the recording function is a major bonus. Well worth the expense.

Before purchasing this model I read through a number of reviews and on the whole the ratings were really positive. I'm therefore rather puzzled as to why so few people have commented on the dreadful humming noise that this model makes. Or is it just the one I have? Perhaps other buyers don't focus on such things. Admittedly I have a small lounge and an open TV unit but I have never experienced this "flaw" with other HDD manufacturers. On the plus side the Humax has some great features, is quite easy to operate and for the price the picture quality is excellent. Pity I can't live with the noisy wee beast and alas this will be winging it's way to my elderly parents who can't at the moment watch and record on their existing kit. They have a large lounge and are both going a bit deaf so I'm sure they will be delighted, whilst I rather disappointedly will be reverting back to my old but very quiet Panasonic HDD recorder with alas no twin tuner :-(

Have had this PVR for over 2 years - got one of the first ones to come out. Have upgraded the software as Humax have brought the patches out. A new unit would have all the relevant software changes - so no need to worry.
It has been very stable and reliable - no returns as yet. Easy to set up.
You can very easily select a program to record from the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) - just point and click. I chose the unit on this basis - anyone can use it with ease.
Skipping forward and back in chunks of around a minute - useful for skipping the adverts - as well as the usual fast forward/rewind type options. Pause the tv instead of waiting for the advert breaks.
Finding future programs is simple, as is playing and deleting recorded programs.
One useful patch gave the ability to view programs from the start (Chase play) while they are being recorded.
The two tuners are great - recording 2 programs simultaneously (you can watch a third). The tuners are very sensitive and give great reception.
The only 1 small negative point - the EPG takes a while to load up after you switch on.
Humax have released a patch (Dec 2007) that allows you to record a whole series (like Coronation Street) with one selection - like a Sky box.
Also if you want twice as much recording time, Humax have released a box with a bigger disc - available at the moment direct from Humax.
Definite recommendation - enjoy.