Humax 500GB PVR

The basics

The Humax PVR is a Freesat TV box that also lets you record high-definition TV to watch at a later date. The version we tried offered up to 500GB of storage space, with a 1TB model also on the market. Read on to find out if the Humax 500GB PVR is any good.

The good

The Humax 500GB PVR is a high-definition Freesat receiver, letting you access the latest digital channels, and also letting you record them for future viewing. We managed to get 132 channels, with different types grouped together for easy viewing.

The Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) is particularly easy to use, making this one of the better PVRs on the market. It's easy to search for programmes you want to watch, along with laying out current TV listings in a sensible and logical manner. We also found it very responsive, both when trying to record channels, and also when trying to play back content.

The Humax 500GB PVR also goes one further than its rivals, and connects to the internet. This is a particularly handy feature, as it means you'll be able to catch up with the latest online content, such as BBC iPlayer and 4OD.

The bad

We've occasionally had the Humax 500GB PVR freeze on us when watching a programme, having to restart it to solve the problem. It has only happened very occasionally, however, and not on a daily or weekly basis.

The bottom line

We really like the Humax 500GB PVR. The internet connectivity make it well worth buying, but it's the ease of use, sensible programming guides and responsiveness that make it a really pleasant device during day to day TV viewing.