Humax YouView DTR-T1000 review
Simply the best EPG of any Freeview HD PVR, a responsive box and neatly integrated on-demand TV
THE FUTURE
One of the main things about YouView is that it’s not just designed to work with the big broadcasters, but with a mind to extending the service in future. Click on the Players link to view on the on-demand apps and you can see that there’s plenty of room on this screen for new content to be added.
One of the first services to be added will be Sky’s Now TV. Offering movies to start with, this IP TV service will later add sport and entertainment, including Sky Atlantic and Sky 1. It will cost £15-per-month for unlimited access or from 99p to £3.49 on pay-as-you-go. Other companies and services can pay to have their content added to YouView, meaning that the platform can only get better in the future.
YouView has plenty of scope for being expanded in the future, with Sky’s Now TV due to be added soon
In the meantime, we think that the current offering could be improved slightly, by making sure that every company provides an HD stream. It would be good to provide a consistent interface for each of their individual Players, too.
WORTH BUYING?
The big question is whether the YouView DTR-T1000 is worth buying or not. Our simple answer is, yes. YouView gives you all of the free catch-up TV services and lets you watch content in a way that’s considerably easier than using any Smart TV or connected laptop. We love the YouView interface and the way it treats live and on-demand programming in the same way. With more services due to be added, YouView will only get better. We can also see the technology being the de facto standard for PVRs, set-top boxes and, hopefully, even TVs.
There’s not quite enough reason to upgrade, but the Humax YouView DTR-T1000 is the best if you need a new PVR
That all said, if you’ve got a Freeview HD PVR that you’re perfectly happy with, the Humax YouView DTR-T1000 is a little expensive for an upgrade and we can’t see many people swapping. However, if you’re looking for a new PVR, this is the one to buy and well worth the relatively small premium over existing Freeview HD boxes. As for YouView in general, provided it’s in it for the long-haul, it has a bright future ahead. After all, who doesn’t want on-demand TV integrated into the same neat EPG?
Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating | ***** |
| Award | Best Buy |
Features | |
| Analogue tuners | 0 |
| Digital tuners | 2 |
| Hybrid tuners | 0 |
| Radio | Freeview |
| EPG days | 7 |
| Dual-channel recording | yes |
| Series link | yes |
| Video recording format | Freeview HD |
| Teletext (analogue/digital) | N/A |
| Viewing card slot | none |
| Certified Freeview Playback | yes |
| Picture in Picture | no |
| Interactive content support | yes |
Connections | |
| Analogue tuner RF inputs | 0 |
| Digital tuner RF inputs | 1 |
| Hybrid tuner RF inputs | 0 |
| RF passthrough sockets | 1 |
| HDMI outputs | 1 |
| Component outputs | 1 |
| Output resolutions | 1080i, 720p, 576p |
| Total SCART sockets | 1 |
| S-Video input | 0 |
| S-video output | 0 |
| Composite inputs | 0 |
| Composite outputs | 1 |
| Stereo phono inputs | 0 |
| Stereo phono outputs | 1 |
| Coaxial S/PDIF outputs | 0 |
| Optical S/PDIF outputs | 1 |
| Surround sound formats | Dolby Plus |
| Other ports | USB |
Storage | |
| Capacity | 500GB |
| Optical drive | no |
| Optical drive type | N/A |
| Audio playback formats | N/A |
| Video playback formats | N/A |
| Image viewing formats | N/A |
General | |
| Power consumption standby | 0W |
| Power consumption on | 18W |
| Extras | remote control, HDMI cable, Ethernet cable |
| Size | 380x246x55mm |
Buying Information | |
| Price | £299 |
| Warranty | one year RTB |
| Supplier | http://humaxdirect.co.uk |
| Details | http://humaxdirect.co.uk |