Question Need a Freeview recorder to use with TV Remote

Wahidul1989

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Hi, hoping for a bit advice here as the rest of the internet is drawing up a blank. I've got a 2019 LG smart TV and the built in tuner is painfully slow and the recorder is rubbish. Due to the layout of my TV, any Freeview box would not be on display and have no line of sight for infra-red and either way having multiple remotes is a pet hate of mine. I have an nVidia shield box which is fully controlled using my LG TV remote via HDMI CEC and I was hoping to extend this feature to a new Freeview box.

I tried to stick a usb tuner in the shield and although it works it's not as smooth or intuitive as I'd like.

I had a Logitech harmony remote previously and although it was good it wasn't perfect but failing to find a box with this functionality I guess I'll resort back to this.
 
There are only a few manufacturers still making Freeview PVRs, the newest of which are the Manhattan T3-R and the Humax Aura. I can't imagine either of those will allow full control from an LG TV remote, but it might be worth asking in the owner's threads.

Even your Logitech Harmony remote will still need line-of-sight to the PVR, so I suspect you might have to do some rearranging If you want to go down the PVR route.
 
From what I've read online the Manhattan or the aura doesn't do it. But good shout I'll ask in the owners threads.

I had the harmony ultimate which had ir blasters so you can get away with having just that on display
 
Btw I don't mind buying an old second hand box as long as it's fast, don't need apps and all the gimmicks as I have my trusty shield box and smart TV. Just need Freeview HD or even Freesat HD with recording functionality
 
I mentioned those two latest PVRs because they are likely to be the fastest around - some older models were notoriously slow and sluggish, so possibly no better than your TV.

There is a phone app due for the Aura apparently, but I'm not sure how much control that will give ?
 
I previously had the youview t2100, although that's a good few years old it was still better than my TV. You won't believe how bad the built in tuner is. You press guide, wait a few seconds for it to load, it's then blank and then loads the channel names, wait another few seconds the info populates. Change the page to see next set of channels and your waiting again!

Nah can't be relying on an app to watch TV. Thanks for the replies..
 
The Manhatten T3-R remote has limited learning abilities i.e. the vol =/- & three other buttons if that helps. You would still need line of sight. It is very fast, very quiet and good intuitative UI. Both these PVRs are very small BTW.

What about
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EPG data on Freeview takes time to be acquired from the relatively low bitrate data carousel transmitted on each multiplex.
No box can acquire that data faster than it is transmitted.

Some could, perhaps, store the last full set of data on disk and display that albeit it may well be incorrect, and then is slowly updated/corrected.

(Humax freesat boxes press guide and it goes to the home transponder where the EPG is transmitted much faster but still takes a considerable time for 7 days worth of all channels. But press <schedule> and <red> buttons and the stored EPG comes up quick. Probably have a similar feature on their Freeview boxes that you never found.)

Humax boxes are unlikely to work with hdmi CEC - they can barely do hdmi hdcp handshaking. Their latest Aura could be different though?

Panasonic Freeview PVR boxes with Panasonic TVs would have had a fair chance of it working? So might work on LG... but they have their own foibles, I understand.
 
The Manhattan T3-R is very fast and intuitive & the EPG is super-quick and responsive. I have a Harmony Elite remote & hub and it works brilliantly with it using the IR blasters - they're small enough to hide easily.
 

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