Humax HDR-Fox T2 Freeview HD DVR

The telly addicts' new best friend?

The EPG is clear and easy to use, and there’s also a search option which lets you browse by genre, or even enter a keyword. If you experience problems with the keyword search – it made the box stop responding to the remote in my initial tests – Humax has recently released a firmware update that I can report fixes this issue.

The programme guide is easy to use, with a genre and keyword search function

Recording conflicts are handled simply, with clear on-screen messages

Still, some interface niggles remain. It looks very slick and friendly, but the thumbnail previews of recordings take up lots of space on-screen, so you can only see five items listed at a time; I’d prefer at least the option to see more, especially as the hard disk fills up. It also takes a while to delete recordings.

And, if you’re playing a current recording from the media list and use the skip function to catch up with live TV, then the box returns to the media list, and the channel you were watching beforehand – which might not be the one you’re recording.

Set a recording, and you’ll often be prompted to record other recommended programmes

The media list is clear, but you can only see five items at a time

Those quibbles aside, I had no problems with missed recordings, as starts and stops were accurate and timely. Also, conflict handling is handled clearly, without confusing the user. Besides the planned TV portal, Humax says the box will be capable of streaming video to other Humax boxes later this year – much as the Panasonic DMR XW-380 can – and eventually, that may include other equipment too.