Catch Up TV the Easy Way With Freeview Play
Record your favourites, play content or stream seamlessly with this home entertainment hub. We tried out the Humax FVP-4000T 500 Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder to find out if it’s really all it’s cracked up to be.
Read on to discover our review of the Humax FVP-4000T 500 Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder, a really convenient way to catch up with all the programmes that you missed.
Setting Up
Setting up the Humax FVP-4000T 500 couldn’t be simpler. Simply remove the recorder from the box, and connect it to your TV using the supplied HDMI cable to enjoy impressive HD transmission of high definition sound and visuals.
The in-built Wi-Fi allows you to connect the box to your broadband router or, if you prefer, for even faster connection you can just use the inclusive ethernet cable. Several prompts to follow will appear on the screen, and after following the instructions, and updating the existing software, you’re good to go.
There is an operation manual and quick set-up guide supplied, so setting up the equipment will be a breeze, even for those who are not technically minded.
Using the Humax FVP-4000T 500 Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder
The Humax FVP-4000T is basically a Freeview Play box which not only allows you to use the classic TV catch up services like iPlayer and ITV Hub through their apps, but also enables you to scroll through a TV guide to watch any programmes you missed over the last week.
Marketed as “Catch Up Made Easy”, this box really lives up to the hype, and even those without an active internet connection in their home can select programmes from the list and arrange for future recordings to be scheduled.
You can record as many as 4 programmes at any one time, and watch another one simultaneously, and as the integrated hard drive boasts an impressive 500 GB of memory, you’ll have plenty of room for whole series of your favourites.
Apart from enabling you to record and catch up with anything you’ve missed, the Humax FVP-4000T can also play content such as music, photograph slide shows or video via a USB or any storage device like a hard drive that is connected to the home broadband network.
Also, thanks to the Humax live streaming app, you can even stream content wirelessly through your tablet or phone. It’s easy to see how this box represents a perfect home entertainment hub solution, and it even benefits from Dolby Digital Plus if you have a surround sound system.
This is a very stylish product, coming in two colours – mocha or cappuccino, Both are attractive and complement any room. Even the supplied remote control has an appealing appearance, and it is lightweight to handle while still offering well-proportioned buttons that allow for easy and convenient control of the system from the comfort of your armchair.
Alternatively, you could opt to control the Humax box from your tablet or mobile phone, as the intuitive Humax apps allow you to both use your device as a remote control and as a way of setting remote recordings as well as for streaming live content.
Picture quality is very good, with lots of details and vibrant colour while sound quality offers fine expression and good musicality which can rival the best systems on the market.
The Humax navigation interface is also extremely accessible and simple to get to grips with, as the remote’s Home button brings everything within easy reach, and the handy tab allowing you to quickly get back to your most recently watched channels. Whether you want to record a show, watch it back or access one of the apps, you’ll find everything to be reactive and speedy with the Humax FVP-4000T.
Humax FVP-4000T 500 Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder review: Main features
- Simple set up
- Supplied HDMI cable and Ethernet cable
- 500 GB memory
- Ability to record up to 4 programmes simultaneously while watching a 5th
- Available in 2 colours and designs
- Connects with the Humax apps
- Remote control supplied
- Can be controlled from your mobile device
- Streams live content from internet enabled devices
- Plays content through USB connection
- HD capabilities
- Subscription free TV
- Watch catch up TV through apps or TV guide
- Pause, record and rewind live TV
- Pre-set scheduled recordings
- Dolby Digital Plus sound
Humax FVP-4000T 500 Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder Specifications
- Manufacturer: Humax Corporation Ltd
- Dimensions: 28 cm x 20 cm x 4.8 cm
- Weight: 1.03 kg
- Image formats: JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
- Hard Drive: 500 GB
- Video formats: MPEG-2, MPEG, ISO
Conclusion
The Humax FVP-4000T Smart Freeview Play HD TV Recorder is a convenient solution to catching up on favourite TV programmes that you’ve missed and recording others so that you can watch them at a later time. There’s 300 hours of TV storage time, and you can access over 60 Freeview channels completely for free without any need for a monthly subscription.
There’s no need to wait for a professional to come and fit your system as you can easily set it up yourself with the supplied HDMI and Ethernet cables, and the recorder is so user friendly that you won’t have any trouble in getting started. One of the best features of this TV box is that it allows you to watch streamed content through the Humax app direct from your mobile device, or recorded content from a USB.
With its excellent sound quality and high definition visuals, there’s certainly a lot to recommend this TV recorder. On the other hand, there are a few shortcomings to bear in mind. Not every programme is available to watch on catch up through the scroll-back TV guide and using the supplied remote control to search for programmes can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming.