[asprint]

I am looking to buy a Freesat recorder.

Was initially looking at the Humax Foxsat HDR but have just come across the Panasonic XS 350.

I can see that the Humax is just a pvr and the Panny has both recordable hard drive and dvd and costs about £150 more (currently about £400)

It would be appreciated to hear comments as to which is best to help me decide which to go for.

Apart from the fact that the Panny also has a recordable dvd and hence potentially more versatile which has the best overall performance and functions?

I understand that the Panny will only allow you to record two channels and you will have to watch one of thoses being recorded, but the Humax will allow two recordings and will allow you to watch another third channel?

Comments on either the Humax and Panny would be appreciated.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by asprint

I am looking to buy a Freesat recorder.

Was initially looking at the Humax Foxsat HDR but have just come across the Panasonic XS 350.

I can see that the Humax is just a pvr and the Panny has both recordable hard drive and dvd and costs about £150 more (currently about £400)

It would be appreciated to hear comments as to which is best to help me decide which to go for.

Apart from the fact that the Panny also has a recordable dvd and hence potentially more versatile which has the best overall performance and functions?

I understand that the Panny will only allow you to record two channels and you will have to watch one of thoses being recorded, but the Humax will allow two recordings and will allow you to watch another third channel?

Comments on either the Humax and Panny would be appreciated.

It really depends on how much the convenience of a built in DVD recorder is worth remembering that the hdr can transer SD recordings to a PC to make DVD backups anyway.

Not sure about the Panny but the hdr can archive most HD and all SD to an external USB drive and replay the recordings from there., effectively giving it unlimited archiving. I have a 1Tb WD sata drive permanently connected to the rear usb port in a slot in caddy that I transfer recordings to . When it's full I just have to slot in another drive.

£150.00 would buy you two 1Tb drives and a caddy and leave you change.

[Rebecca Kent]

Originally Posted by asprint

I am looking to buy a Freesat recorder.

Was initially looking at the Humax Foxsat HDR but have just come across the Panasonic XS 350.

I can see that the Humax is just a pvr and the Panny has both recordable hard drive and dvd and costs about £150 more (currently about £400)

It would be appreciated to hear comments as to which is best to help me decide which to go for.

Apart from the fact that the Panny also has a recordable dvd and hence potentially more versatile which has the best overall performance and functions?

I understand that the Panny will only allow you to record two channels and you will have to watch one of thoses being recorded, but the Humax will allow two recordings and will allow you to watch another third channel?

Comments on either the Humax and Panny would be appreciated.

Hi,
We are struggling with exactly the same question. Appreciating this was posted a few months ago, which did you decide to go for and how is it working out?
Many people seem to recommend the Humax but not so many the Panasonic, so we wondered if there's something wrong with it?!
Many thanks.

[sam909]

I own both of these units and to be honest the Panasonic is pants, you would not believe a company such as this would make product as bad as the XS350, anyway you can read my review on Amazon here, the Humax may not have the recordable DVD but its the more accomplished product by far

[Sorter]

I have the XS350 and have just read the Amazon review.

I guess I would agree with it. However it depends what you use the Panny for.
We hardly ever need to record anything to DVD, we record TV progs. and then watch them at our leisure. Used this way the machine is excellent, yes it is a little slow to respond but given the excellent recorded picture I can forgive that.

You can record two channels while watching playback of something you have previously recorded. I don't think any can record two and watch a third,would this not require three tuners?

It is connected to a Panasonic 37inch G10 Lcd TV and so has the link control,it can also connect via Broadband to Picassa and Youtube, iplayer will be available soon.
Can't comment on the Humax,not used one.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Sorter

You can record two channels while watching playback of something you have previously recorded. I don't think any can record two and watch a third,would this not require three tuners?

The freeview tuners used in Humax and Topfield pvrs and the ones used in the Freesat Humax Foxsat-hdr can demux two channels at the same time from the same multiplex/transponder

This gives the following capability

If both the recording channels share the same mux/transponder then only 1 tuner is required for both recordings. The second tuner is completely unused so can be used to view any other channel and even on the hdr buffer it to the hdd allowing time shifting as well

If both tuners are using different mux/transponders then 3rd channel viewing is available from any channel sharing a mux/transponder as either recording is from.

Add to this the capability of the hdr to use both tuners with only a single lnb means that recording/viewing wise it's a lot more flexible.

In theory (and in practice on the Humax Icord) two tuners can record up to 4 channels at the same time

Believe it or not a Topfield Freeview pvr tuner with the aid of a tap can record a whole mux at the same time - you do need a big hdd though

[Sorter]

"If both the recording channels share the same mux/transponder then only 1 tuner is required for both recordings. The second tuner is completely unused so can be used to view any other channel and even on the hdr buffer it to the hdd allowing time shifting as well

If both tuners are using different mux/transponders then 3rd channel viewing is available from any channel sharing a mux/transponder as either recording is from.

Add to this the capability of the hdr to use both tuners with only a single lnb means that recording/viewing wise it's a lot more flexible."

Thanks for that Graham, yet again I learn something new from this forum.
I'll give it a try!