Freeview Box with functions Similar to Sky Q

[Hedz1]

I am looking for an alternative box with similar functions to the SkyQ box that would allow me to record, live paus and rewind. I am wanting to switch to Freeview which is already accesible on my JVC smart TV,

Can anyone advise which one I can purchase outright via Currys, Argos or another local store please?

Thank you.

[TimmyBGood]

@Hedz1 

There's not a huge amount of choice in that market: the obvious ones are the 4K-branded units from Freeview themselves, and the Manhattan range which is its major competitor.  Humax also makes such boxes.

Be careful to distinguish between Freeview and Freesat when looking for hardware.

[PandJ2020]

There aren't many options...

Manhattan T4 or Humax Aura

[Hedz1]

Thanks

What are my options for Freesat? Is it the same as Freeview just with the £15 monthly fee for the use of the SkyQ box?

[nigea99]

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@Hedz1 wrote:

Thanks

What are my options for Freesat? Is it the same as Freeview just with the £15 monthly fee for the use of the SkyQ box?

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Freeview is Terrestrial TV delivered via a TV aerial

Freesat is the name of the Free To Air Satellite channels (Received via a Satellite dish) in the UK and there are Freesat marketed boxes - the 4K boxes can use the LNB (the electronic bit on the dish)  that SKY Q uses (as well as the ones used by the older SKY +/HD boxes)

SKY offer an Essentials package (which I think is list price of £15) which is the loan of the SKY Q box with the ability to  watch & record & playback the Free To Air channels 

[TimmyBGood]

@Hedz1 

You might want to check the channels available on the two different platforms: Freesat has been losing stations as these seek to cut costs, but does at least have national coverage of a known signal strength.  Freeview, being broadcast from ground masts, can be significantly affected by geography: our local repeater only carries a small subset of the whole lineup (essentially just the PSBs)

[stereohaven]

@Hedz1 If you want a simple swap from Sky Q, then the Arris boxes from Freesat are the obvious choice, but they are pretty rubbish as a user experience.

They also have a number of software issues that have never been fixed, including forced HDR (it's always on, but you can mitigate it), and all 5.1 audio being presented as stereo. Whether this matters or not to you is personal, but certainly worth a good Google as there is lots of info on the box's shortcomings.

If you go ahead, I recommend saving a few quid and going for one of the refurbished boxes available via the link at the bottom of the Freesat homepage. 

If you don't fancy Freesat then I would add a second hand BT/EE TV Pro Box to your short list of Freeview boxes. Plenty available on auction sites and CeX, even though you are supposed to return them, BT/EE don't seem to care that much.

The Pro Box uses an aerial, records up to 4 channels, handles up to 4K UHD and has the usual catch up apps as well as NOW, which is very handy if you want to dip back into Sky content now and again. 

Note that none of the internet delivered channels will work without a BT/EE TV subscription, you will only be using it for Freeview via an aerial.