Icecrypt T2400 HD PVR review

When watching live TV, you can pause and rewind as normal, but there’s a configurable skip time so you can jump past adverts, for example with just two button presses. This also works when watching recorded programmes. Oddly, you can’t pause live radio, and there’s no option to save what’s in the time-shift buffer if you decide you want to record the programme you just watched.

You can watch a third channel while recording two other programmes, as long as the third is broadcast on the same multiplex as one of the two being recorded. Alternatively, it’s possible to watch a recorded show while both tuners are recording.

The T2400’s network capabilities are unlike any other PVR we’ve seen. Once connected to your LAN, you can establish an FTP connection to the box and view the media partition of the hard disk (you can choose how much space is allocated to media versus TV programme recordings). You can then transfer files to and from the T2400, but you can’t see the partition containing the TV shows.

If you connect a FAT32-formatted USB device to either USB port on the box you can play multimedia files directly, or copy standard definition TV recordings off the internal hard disk. It isn’t possible to copy HD programmes, sadly. As well as JPEG photos and MP3 audio tracks, we were able to play most files with .avi, .mkv and .divx extensions. Oddly, it isn’t possible to stream media via the network.

The biggest drawback, compared to the similarly priced Humax HDR-FOX T2, is the lack of internet services such as BBC iPlayer. The T2 may have only a 500GB hard disk, but it supports DLNA media streaming so you don’t need content to be stored locally. Factor in its better EPG, remote and interface and it’s a much better choice.