Humax HDR-Fox T2 July 2010

The Humax HDR-Fox T2 is a 500GB PVR with two Freeview HD tuners, which means that not only will it allow you to watch Freeview HD on your HDTV, but you can record it too. We’ll be fully testing the HDR-Fox T2 in our labs soon, but in the meantime, here’s a low-down of what you can expect.

The 500GB will allow you to record around 125 hours of HD material, or 250 hours of standard-definition programmes. And as this box has two tuners, it will enable you to watch one channel while recording another, or record two channels at the same time.

Humax HDR-Fox T2 video first look

 

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Standard definition upscaling

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The box upscales standard definition material to 1080p resolution, and while this may sound like HD, it won’t be as good as material that is originally filmed, produced and broadcast in HD.

The USB port at the rear will allow owners to copy video, music and photo files across to the hard disc drive (HDD) from an external USB hard drive. What’s more, it will allow you to copy files from the internal memory to a USB drive, meaning you’ll be able to play back recorded TV programmes on compatible products.

As well as the USB port, the HDMI and the Scart outputs is an ethernet port that will allow users to connect the box to the internet. We haven’t looked at the services that this will provide, but Humax claims it will bring the BBC’s iPlayer and the Sky Player to your TV. Humax has also suggested that other video-on-demand content may become available, as well as a Humax product support service and perhaps even an online shopping service.

At launch, this Humax box will only be able to connect to the internet via the ethernet port, but Humax has said there may be a wi-fi USB adaptor available at a later date.

Home networking

The Humax HDR-Fox T2 can be set up as part of a home network. This means it will be able to play content stored on other home-networked set-top boxes on the TV set it’s connected to. It will also mean that content saved on the HDR-Fox T2 can be accessed and played on other home-networked boxes. The Humax HD-Fox T2, which launched earlier this year, is due an upgrade in the next few months, which will make it compliable with the HDR-Fox T2 and allow it to become part of the connected home network.

The design of the box is similar to many other Humax black boxes, but the large power button in the centre has a halo of light surrounding it that changes colour depending on the box’s activity. It is amber when in standby, blue when in use and red when recording. The brightness of the halo can be adjusted and the feature can be switched off.

For help finding a personal video recorder, check out our lab-based, in-depth PVR reviews

Quiet operation

Humax explained to us that fan noise wouldn’t spoil any user experience, as it would most likely be idle during regular use and would only begin turning if the box overheated.

The box will launch towards the end of July 2010 and Humax says it will retail at around £330.

Pros: Feature-rich and due to launch at a price that we consider value for money

Cons: Doesn’t allow for internet connectivity over wi-fi