Home > Consumer Reviews > Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ 320GB HD PVR Digital Box- Installation Recommended

I have been after one of these for a long time and finally got it last week from another supplier. I love it. I also have a Humax Foxsat HD box also which will now be relegated to the bedroom tv.

It is so easy to use, i.e. plug in 2 sat feeds, connect HDMI, and then let the install wizard take care of the rest (other than entering my postcode).

The guide, menu structure etc is same as other Humax box so no surprises there, though it does seem to be quicker.

A total bonus which I was not expecting was the Universal controller supplied with the box.

Recording is easy and playback easier all in all a 5 star product.

I have had this product more nearly 6 months now and I have never had any problems with it and it works like a dream. It takes a minute or so to 'boot up', but once up and running its great. The quality of the picture is much improved from Freeview, (none of the Freeview hiccups and picture breakups), and the fact that you have the HD channel(s) as well is a real bonus, that is when ITV now and again decide to show something in HD. Hopefully Channel 4 and ITV will eventually have dedicated HD channels. There are some channels which you can't receive through Freesat, namely Fiver, Five USA, Dave and a few others but you do get extra channels which aren't on Freeview, so its swings and roundabouts really. I have yet to discover all the features of the box. I haven't yet tackled the 'favourites' options as I agree with another reviewer wrote that it can be complicated working out what the box does and how to manage the menus and features. Recording is a doddle, you can also record in HD, from an HD channel obviously, which is a great feature and the hard drive is big enough to cope with quite a few recordings lined up to be viewed. You can also export programmes onto a memory stick via the USB socket on the front of the box. You need to do this from the file manager menu, which did take me a while to find! Overall I have to say this box was a great investment, I just plugged mine in to an old sky connection and it worked straightaway. You need to be aware that although you can record two channels at the same time, it depends which two they are. If the two channels, (excuse me if I havn't got the science correct), are sharing the same frequency or bandwidth from the satelite, then you can't record them together. This is one downside which you eventually come to terms with and depending on which channels you want to record, there are usually ways round this such as useing a '+1' channel or an alternative BBC regional channel, yes you have the choice of any BBC region in the UK to watch!
Overall though I have to say it is a really good buy, works great and once you familiarise yourself with all the features and buttons, a doddle to use and a reliable bit of kit. The ONLY free alternative to watching Sky. Humax FOXSAT-HDR Freesat+ 320GB HD PVR Digital Box- Installation Recommended

I had high hopes for this product. It seemed to be just what I was looking for. Unfortunately it has not lived up to expectations. I have had two samples from Amazon and unfortunately both have had to be returned because the box keeps locking up, requiring a reboot to continue. When the box is frozen you can watch the program it is on but can't change channel and any recordings set up are not recorded. You just can't rely on it to record your programs. I am surprised that there are not more reviews like this on amazon as a search of the internet shows it not an uncommon problem.

Another less serious gripe is that although you can transfer recordings from the hard drive to an external USB hard drive it is incredibly slow. You can only transfer one program at a time and a one hour HD program (about 7GB) takes about 45 mins to transfer.

I will look out for version 2 of this product and maybe try again

I bought this to replace my ageing Sky+ SD box which failed. The FoxSat is a good product. Comparisons with the Sky+ box: - the FoxSat has better picture quality (even though decoding the same stream), but poorer EPG and general user interface. The ability to skip forward and back in pre-determined time chunks is a distinct advantage. So on balance I am very pleased with the purchase - I hope the user interface is improved as it is not intuitive and takes a while to get around. The remote is fine and stylish, if a little confusing in the dark.

Installation is very quick, literally plug and play. Top tips: check that you have installed the cables from the dish in the correct sockets -it can be confusing, and pull off BOTH protective films from the product front AND Infra Red window inside -this will improve the remote responsiveness.

I have not yet received my Humax Foxsat PVR, but just wanted to set the record straight regarding costs of installing an additional cable, which will be required in order to record and view at the same time.

All you need to do is replace your existing LNB (the receiver bit that the satellite dish points at) with one that has two or four cable outputs (twin or quad LNB), which are available on Amazon, then run a new co-axial cable into the house, following the route of your existing cable (or a new twon coax cable). This can be done on your own, or an independent digital installer could do it for a lot less than £410.

These links are an example of what you would need, but there are alternatives available on amazon.
Sky Quad LNB
Sky+ SkyHD 10m Black wf65 twin coax Wiring kit for Dish LNB to satellite receiver

BTW, if you went for a quad LNB with four cables (or two twin), you could run Sky+ and Freesat+ off one dish.