Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box 500GB
Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box 500GB
Freesat’s Recordable 4K TV box is the smartest way to enjoy the telly you love, with no monthly bills. This nifty little box offers a world of great entertainment at your fingertips, with over 180 TV channels (including over 20 in HD) plus multiple radio channels and an excellent range of On Demand players, including BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, so you can watch your favourite shows at the click of a button. And if you’re after that little bit extra, you can also enjoy optional pay On Demand players such as Netflix. Available with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, the Recordable TV Box is capable of recording up to 4 programmes at the same time when connected to a wideband LNB satellite dish, so you’ll never miss the shows you love. Setting up couldn’t be easier; simply connect to your TV and UK satellite dish (and to broadband for TV On Demand and other features) and you’re good to go!
| Dimensions: | 18 x 12.3 x 3.5 cm; 371 Grams |
| Model: | UHD-4X-500 |
| Batteries Included: | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Arris |
| Dimensions: | 18 x 12.3 x 3.5 cm; 371 Grams |
At last a perfect picture! I was using Freeview but the reception in Jordanstown was often sketchy on the main channels and non-existent for the other channels. Now i can get all the freesat channels without picture/sound breaking up. Time to put the feet up.
Will pay for itself in 2 months over a sky subscription. fairly slick UI
Works with Sky Q (wideband) LNB, can play and pause live TV and also record multiple shows. Easy-to-understand UI, tactile remote control, excellent picture quality. Very happy with purchase.
Using the controller can be a bit tricky but easy to learn in time
I can fathom out how to use it and Hitler was bombing us when I was a child.
I have been usung this new PVR for just over a month now, with no problems. I had to get an antennae engineer to upgrade my LNB to a wideband hybrid model to be able to record more than 1 channel at a time and, touch wood, everything runs smoothly and ok. The box itself is relatively small and light. The On Demand buttons work fine for Netflix, ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer and there are other on demand apps like Amazon Prime, available, but no facilty for uploading others. I found I got a crisper picture by setting the screen resiolution awayy from 4k and to 1080p; I don’t know why that should be as my Samsung TV is 4k but I am happy with the display. I have recently set my Netflix Subscription to the basic SD to save money but my current account is for the Premium so until the start of the lower subs start I cannot compare the display there. Altogether I am happy with my purchase, though was slightly miffed to find within a couple of weeks to see Freesat are offering it with 30 off!
Very easy to set up.
Picture quality could be improved.
When recording sometimes the end is missing, there is now way of adjusting this.
It would ne nice if there was a light to show when a recording is taking place.
Not as good as sky box, but I am saving a fortune every month.
he box appeared to be very good ,it was easy to install and initially it was very good , after a little over a it year began switch off randomly and sometimes come back on after a short time and sometimes for a longer period . it has been checked and no fault found to justify the problem
Got a second one for another room perfect machine can record four channels at one time.
Changed from Sky brilliant money saving option but I don’t think the pic is as good
The first box I bought went faulty after a couple of months where it kept blowing up the ports of my 6 port lnb. I reported this to freesat customer service who refused to replace the unit and insisted my satellite instalation was the cause. This seemed illogical as I had 2 other satellite boxes connected and had been worked for several years without the lnb ports failing. Fortunately Amazon were happy to accept a return and refund.
After a few months I decided to purchase another unit as I was convinced the original was faulty and hoped the fault would not repeat. So far all is fine but found that it uses similar ir remote codes as my Humax pvr and when I am watching freesat the remote also starts doing things to the Humax freeview pvr in the background. So, for example, when I record a programme on the freesat box it also starts recording something on the Humax box and vica versa. The on/off codes are also the same so turning off the freesat box also turns off the Humax box. I can’t think of any cure for this so if you have Humax freeview and freesat box connected to the same TV be aware of this issue.
good value. The picture quality is good very easy to install.
everything g is controlled through the remote control.
Picture good, set up easy.
Another of faff to find if your currently recording. A simple l.e.d on the front of the unit would work
he box itself works great and I love the pause function, but my gripe is with the apps, no all4 and none of them support 4K which the one on my Samsung TV does why?
With the mixed reviews I put off leaving my sky contract. I previously had a Humax but did find the time delay changing channels annoying. Im very pleased with this freesat box however its quick to change channels, love the instant buttons for Netflix etc. Only snag is I havent figured out how to get it to come on yet on the 1st time yet. I press the button on the control to turn on the box so blue light or purple light comes on, switch on tv and press home, sometimes works sometimes need to turn tv on and off again but I may be doing something wrong ? Sometimes misses end or start of programme if running early or late but I just record either side to be sure. Great buy would definitely recommend it, just wish I had given up my sky contract years ago.
I have had a Freesat recorded for a number of years and have always found it very efficient, l bought this unit for my daughter’s Xmas and she and her husband are delighted with it, I particularly like the ability to record 4 channels at once, excellent value for money.
Not as good as an old Sky box but does the job. We gave up Sky because we mainly use streaming services now so bought this so we could still use the dish. The user interface is probably the biggest let down it”s usable but just isn’t as well planned out as a Sky box. I might be missing something but it appears you can’t add any extra Apps what is a shame. Default volume level is poor and doesn’t seem to be a way to alter it in settings. Build quality is pretty good seems solid.
It’s a nice bit of kit and has good picture quality. The remote is a little small thus making the markings for the buttons very small. Good eye site and a bright light are required until you get used to it. The program guide, for some reason, shows the current program or as you scroll across printed in white on light blue – not easy to read unless it’s because I’m knocking on a bit.
I had my doubts about the reviews this got,but there is no alternative for freesat,but after setting it up it is simply brilliant,I also fitted a larger sat dish and a humax octo lnb and now can record four programs at the same time all in 4k definition,really pleased.
Doesn’t come on straight away, frequently get message saying ‘no signal’. Have to reboot box when this happens
Easy set up and worked fine straight away . After a couple of days just got a blank screen but after unplugging power and starting again it has worked well with no issues.
I do find remote function a little slow to bring up the Home function but overall I am happy so far with this equipment.
So far so good. It was super easy to set up and the picture is very sharp. It’s perfect for me as I don’t get to sit and watch tv when I want so I record and watch later. It did not work once but I turned it all off, unplugged, plugged back in and it was fine again. Very happy.
Have no problems with the performance of this pvr which replaced an old Humax one, but have found that the remote seems to often give multiple entries if you hesitate at all on any key. In particular this made the wifi password entry a bit tricky, and often takes you a step further than expected.
The UI is longwinded – sometimes the doesn’t automatically connect to wifi, and it takes 17 clicks just to switch that on.
After watching a recording, it takes several clicks to get back to the screen where you can delete it – my old box put me straight back to the screen where you select to watch/delete/keep etc.
A good freest box after our previous one died. My only issue with it is that some of the internal menus (especially related to recordings) are painfully slow to move to next option after pressing the appropriate button. The main TV guide options work as quickly as you’d expect.
We did have a few teething issues (hence why only 4 stars), but these settled after an update and the box has worked well since.
Really love the app integration with iPlayer and YouTube etc.
I was a little apprehensive as there were a couple of less than perfect reviews on this product. I needn’t have worried.
The instructions were simple to follow and the set top box was unpacked, installed and up and running in under 10 minutes.
I don’t have experience of other satellite set top boxes, so can’t offer a comparison. All I can say is that the picture is perfectly clear and the user interface was easy to follow.
I would recommend.
We are highly delighted with this box. Just wish we had bought one long ago. The picture quality is excellent and the choose of options are immense.
Love this box, looks well in my tv cabinet easy to set up, exallant picture quality, the remote is very intuitive, I got the wide band lnbs for the dish, enabling me to record four channels attending once.
I have also installed the app on my phone allowing me to use it as a remote and set recordings
It does all you at a time. If this so, the extra bit of kit csts about 35 plus an engineer’s time to fit it. Otherwise, all great!o could ask – but beware! You may frind that your dish lacks the facility to make multiple (ie 4) rcordings
Bought this to replace a Humax Foxsat HDR freesat box which is nearly 10 years old and still going strong. The main reason for changing it was to have the extra functionality of all the add in players such as Amazon prime, Netflix etc.
The menu structure is very clunky requiring many button pushes. For instance to delete a recording just watched you have to find the recording again in the list, then press ok, then select delete, then ok. very long winded. Also the major missing item for me is the lack of a jump forward/back button on the remote. When the ads appear on the Humax just press jump forward 2 minutes and usually that was enough, on this you have to scroll through albeit at high speed and remain poised to press play at the start of the program.
The app is useful for setting up recordings remotely, and usually works, but twice now has caused the box to freeze, resulting in lost recordings and requiring a power off to restore service.
All in all it’s a good box but could be a lot better.
Great recorder one sleight criticism the remote is a bit small and fiddly.
Easy to set up, easy to use, great picture, easy to record. Only downside, how do you connect to Netflix?
Decent replacement for Sky Qanon Set up was easy and picture quality adequate. The remote is clunky and has a cheap feel to it. 200 is a lot but ditch Sky, buy this and you will get your money back in a yea
faster than the humax box,not quite as premium as the humax but so far so good,,have seen few people had problems with this box..only problem i had was what ever program i watched the picture would go off for a sec or two,,i had this befor with a ps3,,what cured that is changing to a high quality hdmi
Purchased this box as an upgrade to the humax 1100s, everything about this box is as good if not better than the 1100s apart from one issue that appears to be common, the box fails or only part records some programmes. Being a 4k satelite box where there are no 4k channels as of yet i did not bother using the hdmi cable that came supplied with the 4k box but this caused the box to have issurs, once i changed the hdmi cable for the one supplied all was good.
Interface is good and remote works well. Epg is very slow epecially if you wish to see further than 24 hours.
Having said al that i would have stayed with humax had they continued making satelite boxes as it is a much better box.
Overall a good peace of kit some niggles like no direct access to recordings. A lot of people moan about no jump button when fast forwarding. The right and left arrows on the center control jumps 1 minute forward or backward in recordings. If held down it jumps about 5 minutes. No problems with partial recording so far and it will record 4 programs did have to change the LNB
The worst thing is the combined play pause button with big fingers. Not perfect but pretty damn good.
It works and works quickly and well.
Quick and easy set up.
GUI is a little clunky but usable.
Unlike the Humax it replaced (and the Humax unit I have on another TV) it switches on and activates straight away. When you press a button it actually works when you press it – and not several seconds or more after pushing.
Just waiting for my other Humax to die and I will replace it with another one of these units.
CLEAR PICTURE TO WATCH RECORDINGS ,FAIRLY EASY TO USE , CONTACTED FREESAT DUE TO LOSS OF RECORDING BUTTON . NOW SEEMS FIXED AFTER 2 UPGRADES.
Picture is good. Recording can be hit and miss, sometimes does not record the whole program. The unit has frozen once, needing to reboot it. Overall its ok.
During the setup I encountered a problem which was resolved quickly with the help of the support staff. They were both competent and friendly.
Early days yet but box was easy to install, picture is fine, remote control good but buttons a bit small for my fingers, overall simple to use and pleased with it so far.
Ok after sky changed their policy for using their box to watch free view I decided to invest in one of these. It’s pretty good, if you’re after TV recording like sky it’ll do the job. The user interface is a bit sluggish tho which annoys at times
I bought this and paid the price asked because I wanted the functionality of the box for pausing, recording etc as with Sky / Virgin etc boxes and a unit set up for UK networks. Would not advise cheaper units inevitably made in China with instructions translated from Chinese to English requiring complex set up procedures. Added to which the unit stops operating anyway. Pay the money, get the quality, set it up easily and then enjoy. With regard to picture quality I have an entry level android based TV with one satellite line in to the box. If you are re-using a sky dish you may have two dish inputs to the unit which may improve quality. Your TV may be better than mine as well, so I wouldn’t base your choice on my picture rating. I think this unit is highly rated by consumer guides.
Very easy to install and set up. Does everything it says it would.
Mildly disappointed it doesn’t have ceefax and the recording capabilities is short of the potential advertised (this may possibly be due to my geography or signal strength).
I hate the in-your-face display, even the programme guide is tacky. Could someone come up with graphics for grown ups?
good quality only fault takes to long to start up when you switch it on!
Replaced an old Humax freesat box with this new version : what an improvement! Picture quality is great but the biggest improvement is “use ability” – the remote is easy to use, the TV guide is much improved and the recording system is hugely improved too. Set up was quick and easy. I installed this with the hdmi cable that had been in use, and that needed to be changed to the one that came with the new box to solve an intermittent black screen problem. Freesat customer service were fast and efficient in suggesting the solution and since then it has been faultless.
difficult to delete recordings had to try quite a few times
I was disappointed to find out that I can only record and watch one program at a time. I was hoping to be able to record one and watch another. I get around this by recording on the box and watching my TV. The picture quality is passable. Believe the one line only is what was installed by the aerial supplier. If you want more than one, then ask when they install the aerial setup.
The remote control is fine, it’s just another learning curve. I like all the additional screens when choosing programs, lots of choice.
We got this to replace the sky box, and have saved almost 50 a month. So this pays for itself in around 4 months and over the course of a year saves a further 400. It’s got all of the channels we needed, can record multiple programs at once and has a decent amount of storage.
Setup was easy, the remote is pretty self explanatory and easy to use.
My one gripe is that from time to the box starts to slow down. It takes 5 to 10 seconds to respond to a button press. Not sure if this is when it’s recording multiple programs at once and trying to watch a recording… But a reboot of the box resolves the problem.
So we’ve taken to rebooting it about once a week or as soon as it starts to happen. Just make sure you’re not recording at the time.
The only other gripe us that it has no indicator lights on the front to let you know it’s recording anything at all. Just a single light that’s red for off and blue for on… That flickers to show it’s received a signal for a button press on the remote.
Not a deal breaker, but a minor inconvenience that would have been a simple and essential feature.
This satfree box replaced older box. Very easy to setup remote control and layout will take a little getting used to if your upgrading from an older satfree box. Box did not work as expected but soon resolved turn box off and back on it then updates the software and apps. Pleased with product which is an improvement on older boxes. Its well worth reading the full manual/instructions which can be found online.
To replace sky plus because of monthly cost. Sky system is far bette
Like most people I read as many reviews as possible, and although this Freesat box got good reviews overall, some people have reported problems with software, the box locking, and other faults,
I’ve had no such problems. The box is half the size of the old Humax, and was very simple to install. There is a very easy to follow quick start guide; I followed that and the box did exactly what the guide said it would. Channel set up was quick and easy. The most time consuming step was creating a Freesat account, and even that only took ten minutes – after which I was watching TV with all my local channels working properly.
Picture quality is fine, and it has a digital audio out that I used to connect the box to my surround sound amp. (That works fine, but my only gripe is that you have to toggle between surround sound and normal stereo every time using the settings menu – would be better if both outputs could be live at the same time – but I can live with it).
Remote control doesn’t feel cheap contrary to what I read in some reviews. It has soft touch buttons and and a more rounded feel in the hand; from a purely ergonomic point of view I prefer it to the hard plastic Humax control.
System menus, program guide, recording, search and on demand functions are all good and work just fine.
In short, I’m happy with the box; but I do have one complaint. For what it is, it’s expensive. I’d like to see more choice in the market and more price competition so we could see better value for money.
I ve away from Sky which obviously has one of the slickest menu and remotes and whilst this isn’t quite up to that standard, it is not far behind.
Overall, really pleased with it.
Does everything it says on the box! Easy install and decent epg.
Great alternative to an expensive Sky Q box subscription.
overall good but we found the buttons on remote control so small you have to really concentrate to get the programme you need
Happy with it at the moment, good picture, the guide leaves a little to be desired, silly things like there is no ITV+1 there was on my sky box and there are other +1 channels weird really.
WELL IMPRESSED WITH THIS MODLE CRISP CLEAR PICTURES EASY TO USE.
It cannot control the volume if you use the ARC HDMI port for sound (eg with Sonos), so you still need the TV remote. Also I have found it difficult to use the “on demand ” button, but that too can be accessed through the TV remote. Otherwise fine and simple to set up and of course record. Wideband LNB needed. **** Following discussion with Freesat, several updates and a complete reboot, the Freesat remote does all, at last!****
It’s very easy to set up and use. One minor criticism is that occasionally leaves playback and goes back to the TV for no reason.
I then checked the software version and realised it was way overdue an update, the latest being Jan 2021. After leaving it in standby for half an hour to do its thing, I fired it back up and it now works like a dream.
New EPG is great, also has Amazon Prime added to the On Demand menu. It maybe my subconscious trying to justify the purchase but the pictures look much brighter and sharper than the sky box.
Very pleased. Bye bye Sky subscription..
Purchased to replace a Sky HD box and so far it doesn’t disappoint. I have the advantage of having a strong satellite signal so therefore picture quality is excellent.
Navigation is obviously very different from Sky and therefore some familiarisation is needed. However once mastered, the menus etc are fairly intuitive.
Being able to record three programmes and watch another (dependant upon your LNB) is a major plus as broadcasters all crave the 21.00hrs slot.
Do your research to make sure it’s right for you and you shouldn’t be disappointed.
Easy to install and lots of features that are good. But after four weeks the remote became much slower and stopped working altogether. When I changed the batteries it did work after a while. I rang the service department who promised me a call within 24 hours. It is now 72 hours and still no call. Good job the remote started working properly again, isn’t it?
Enough of niggles, the box starts very quickly and the picture and sound quality are very good.
Remote control very fiddly to use, press button & it just jumps back to last thing not receiving command. Have to repeat instruction 2 or 3 times sometimes. TV box itself is great, recordings are great.
If connected to the Wi-Fi, it works really well.
However, if not connected to Wi-Fi it takes a very long time to turn on, also, when turning on (without Wi-Fi) starts up and after a few minuets shuts down and then restarts at least once (sometimes more) before it can be used. Very annoying because to help protect the environment I turn off Wi-Fi when not in use to save energy! Not a “Green” device.
Finally it does not allow you to list only the unwatched recordings so it can be difficult to find the programme you want, a minor issue but worth saying.
After using the inbuilt Freesat on my LG tv I’m relieved to be able to record a program and watch another. Series record and manual recording/pausing works well. No juddering or delays.
The unit plugs straight into your existing Sky dish using the double feed as your sky box would – if applicable….
Quite pricey for what it is, however within 12 months (coming from Sky) it will pay for itself. My only gripe is the oversized and bright Blue (on) and Red (off) power indicator light on the front of the panel. This is far too large and bright, a simple single LED bulb would suffice, no ability to disable it either so I put tape over it.
I went for the 4K Box but very few HD channels mostly the Terrestrial ones, I find the recordings list a little tiresome as it shows them in tiles and you have to fiddle to get a list, also goes back to menu when you’ve deleted a recording not the list, the remote is good , although can be a bit clunky , all in all not much different to Freeview
Remote buttons are too small and not backlight so fiddly to operate. Viewing recordings has too many steps. It just needs a graphic which you click on to view but unless its one of your most recent recordings you have to go to a list ,then another list then select then select from a set of options. Deleting after watching is also a pain. View and Delete should be an option for the whole list. Another problem Remote uses same codes as my Youview box so as the TV recognises activity on the HDMI port you may or maynot get this box when you turn it on.as the remote turns on both this box and the youview box.
Easy to install. Just unplug one and plug in the other. No fuss. No extra cables. Job done.
Netflix app took a while to work but after a day or so it came to life. Not sure whether the box needed to update or it just needed turning off and on again.
Disappointed there doesn’t appear to an “All 4” app to access their on demand stuff but we have a Fire Stick so we’re covered there.
And compared to the fire stick it’s really lacking in the app department.
I understand that it’s primarily for free sat channels but if you’ve got the option to connect to WiFi and stream content via apps then they should really up their game here.
All in all a good product but not sure it’s worth the 200 price.
On the face of it this purchase appeared a little expensive but with an ageing Smart TV this box has made access to all the available on-line TV channels that much easier. The handset has buttons for i-Player, ITV Hub and Netflix etc which all work very well and you also have the ability to simulate the handset on your phone or tablet. All in all, I’m very pleased with this purchase. Easy to install and set-up and straight foward in use.
gave me good trouble-free service for well over two years but packed up completely without much warning over the course of three days so I suddenly found myself in the market to get a replacement for it. Initially I was disposed to go with the same model of the same brand but I found out that prices for these were rocketing because Humax are no longer manufacturing them and have been taken over by another company – so let the buyer beware.
Freesat as a company seem to have drawn a lot of flak and that did make me wary of spending good money on a box from them but having read all the reviews and taken note of the disparagers of this brand ultimately what made up my mind for me was the marks out of ten that this unit gets from people who have one. Over 8 categories most users awarded it sevens or eights! That bespeaks quality!
When reading negative reviews you always have to figure out where the naysayer is coming from; are they being reasonably objective about the product or are they just being inveterately negative because that’s just who they are as people? Believe me I was cagey about making this purchase but after 4 consecutive nights on the lap-top putting in my due diligence as a product researcher I was more encouraged to buy this product from this company than any other.
Delivery was quick, setup – thank goodness – very straightforward and so far touch wood this unit hasn’t given me any grief! It’s been a wonderful experience. Startup is dramatically faster than my old Humax box, it has more vibrant colour and sound is better. My brother encouraged me to join the FreeSat community and exhorted me to get a box just like his – the Humax – saying that the TV guide and menu were award-winning but personally I was never blown away by the menu system on the old box which to me often felt unnecessarily complicated and this more modern box is definitely better in that regard. It’s better aesthetically, the menu colours are more pleasing and thought has obviously gone into the placement of items both onscreen and on the remote control, and it’s more pleasing functionally. The remote is a huge improvement on the old one. Okay I only paid 139 for my old box – which I bought as a reconditioned unit – and almost 200 for this new box but the Humax remote was made out of cheap shiny hard plastic and the buttons clicked when you pressed them. I realise that some people actually like their remote to do that but my aesthetic definitely prefers the softer matt and non-clickiness of the new remote. Well done Freesat!
There is a prominent pink button on it labelled Home and when you press that you’re taken to the main system menu onscreen from where you can select (top) TV Guide, Recordings, Reminders, On Demand, Search, Settings and Help. If you select On Demand then you’re taken to a sub-menu where you can choose between 16 categories of programs only four of which are pay-as-you-go services. In my area – East Cornwall – there’s 141 TV channels and 38 Radio stations. For me that’s overkill. (Sky take note – nobody NEEDS 1000 Channels to choose from!)
If I have just two small cavils to make about the remote control they are that unlike on my old Humax Remote hand-set there is no button that will advance a recording by exactly two minutes each time you press it – since I detest commercials that was a feature that I used to use a lot! – but instead you have to press the fast-forward button on the new remote 3 times to get it to scroll rapidly through the commercials and then be quick to hit play as soon as you see your program resuming. The other thing that I dislike is that the remote seems to have been designed for a woman’s hand as my larger male fingers tend to hit two buttons when I only mean to press one! The remote is more triangular than the old Humax one which had a rectangular shape to it.
You’ll probably love it if you’re female and have mixed feelings about it if you’re a guy.
The only oddity that I’ve noticed on this box is that sometimes when you went to view a channel you would get a weird message appearing onscreen to the effect that the medium isn’t streaming; I troubleshot this and made the discovery that if you go into settings from the main system menu and have a look at the technical parameters of your set and box you may find that there is one setting which is initially set to 0. It doesn’t look to be in operation at all. Just for the hell of it I tried incrementing this null value up to 40% and that appears to have done the trick!
No more streaming error messages since.
I can’t say for certain but strongly suspect that many – perhaps not all – negative reviewers of the FreeSat company in general and this recording box in particular may well be people whose hardware isn’t really up to giving them a pleasurable experience when using this company/box. One of the first things that the setup routine does is test the strength and quality of the satellite signal that your TV is getting. I got respectively 94% and 88%
so you can reasonably conclude that my TV is getting a very decent signal from the satellite dish. For many of you that MAY NOT BE THE CASE. So consider these aspects and don’t be too quick to bitch if things aren’t immediately perfect for you! You could be trying to run this box on crappy not very supportive hardware!
Personally I wouldn’t hesitate to describe this FreeSat box as WONDERFUL based on my experience of using it so far.
So, to finish off:
When I was researching which box I should buy next I was almost sent to sleep by the number of ‘reviews’ that were so offhand that essentially they told the reader just about NOTHING about the box they were considering buying; so, some advice: if you’re going to write a review then bloody well write one LIKE THIS that goes into chapter and verse and stop being lazy!