Humax to FreeSat branded recorder/receiver: worthwhile upgrade?

[AlanX]

Tempted by the newest FreeSat brand 2TB STB offer, I have a perfectly working Humax HDR-1000S, but wonder what important features I might be missing. I don't think the Humax handles 4K, and of course it is just 1TB. I guess recording 4 channels on the FreeSat brand STB requires a wideband LNB, but presume that upgrade is optional.
Any downsides to switching? Any nasties in usability or reliability? Any thoughts from anyone who's done this? Thanks as always.

 

[Rodders53]

Read the long thread on the freesat 4k PVR (aka Arris)... New generation Freesat STB - Arris
it's all in there: warts and foibles and a High Dynamic Range 'permanently on' issue that really should never have existed.

freesat 4k box allegedly can't receive the 4k broadcasts on Astra (and going to/from non-freesat mode is allegedly a pita anyway).

So it's just a 4k streaming box... and other devices will do that (your 4k TV perhaps), probably better?

Swapping a quad lnb to a wideband is (if dish accessible) a diy job and would be essential imho.

My Foxsat-HDR with 1TB is 45-50% full (some stuff we'll likely neve watch) and I'd really not expect to ever need 2TB - life's too short to watch that much TV.

 

[AlanX]

Thanks Rodders53 for the link, and for your comments. I looked for a thread but couldn't find what I was looking for. To save me from scanning all 57 pages, do I take it that the FreeSat branded PVR is actually by Arris? If so, that makes the thread wortth digesting.
I do get the feeling that FreeSat is unlikely to get much investment now that most stuff is Internet-streamed. If only I had more than 20Mb/s download!

 

[Rodders53]

Yes freesat 4k boxes are made for freesat by Arris (formerly Pace).

Don't read from the very start and try using search terms like "Arris freesat problems" to get some relevant stuff.

Remembering for every 1000 satisfied customers you'll have a few dissatisfied that post about problems.

DigitalSpy may be worth skim-reading for threads on the box also.

AIUI The 4k HDR issue can be stopped by outputting in 1080p; but negates 4k streaming use. It may not be a problem for your setup - but you need to do the due diligence before committing £259

 

[AlanX]

Thanks again. I've been browsing around, and it seems the Arris has a lot of problems (but, as you say, their many satified cutomers don't shout about it!).
I think I'll go by the principle of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it', and stick with my Humax. By the time it gives up the ghost, I'll probably be streaming everything anyway.
Much appreciate your guidance on this.

 

[Clem_Dye]

I'm waiting for Arris to finally fix the audio mess with 5.1 audio, which is promised for next month. The forced HDR I think is locked in hardware and will never be fixed, but simply connecting the device to a port that doesn't support HDR (or support can be disabled) gets round that. I'd never use the box for streaming. I've never used the apps on my Humax 1100S either. Horses for courses.

 

[Mel_P]

Can somebody explain this -

I'm waiting for Arris to finally fix the audio mess with 5.1 audio.

The sound output via HDMI seems only stereo. Not sure the optical output works properly?

 

[Clem_Dye]

It’s only 2.0 until the software is sorted,