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Humax FVP-4000T review

 Review: January 2016  
 

Rating: 4 stars

In a nutshell: The Humax FVP-4000T is a Freeview Play box with three HD tuners, and access to catch-up TV from the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, and All 4, with Demand 5 coming soon. It benefits from built-in Wi-Fi, but it's odd coffee-coloured design won't make it everyone's favourite.



 

Setup & requirements

The Humax FVP-4000T is the first TV box with Freeview Play - an alternative to the popular YouView system, incorporating broadcast TV and catch-up TV services via a single easy-to-use programme guide. Like YouView, Freeview Play lets you scroll forward or backward 7 days to access content on the most popular channels using the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, and All 4 players, with Demand 5 coming soon.

The Freeview channels now include more than 60 subscription-free TV and 25 radio stations. Of these, 12 TV channels are HD.

You'll need to connect the box to a TV aerial to access Freeview, and to the internet to access catch-up TV. Usefully, the FVP-4000T includes built-in Wi-Fi, as well as ethernet (cable included), which gives it a distinct advantage over all current YouView boxes, none of which include Wi-Fi.

A HDMI cable is needed to connect your box to your HD TV. Other connections include a digital optical output for connecting to a home cinema system, and a USB port. The box integrates with your home network via Wi-Fi or ethernet, so you can watch content from your PC, phone, tablet or USB device on your TV screen.

We really do need to say something about the design and looks of the Humax FVP-4000T. It's not your average TV box. According to Humax, it's coffee-inspired, and comes in a choice of Mocha or Cappuccino. Cool. Except that it will stick out like a cup of spilled coffee amongst your black or silver AV equipment. Do we want to notice our tech equipment while we're watching Eastenders? Not really. In fact, no.

The remote supplied with the box has a striking two-tone design. It's an improvement over many Humax remotes, but there's still too much going on with the design, and it isn't always easy to place your finger on the right button when fumbling for it late at night.

Pause, rewind & record live TV

As well as watching live and catch-up TV, the Humax is a fully-featured PVR (personal video recorder), so you can pause and rewind live TV and also record programmes on the hard disk. In fact, it's better equipped than any other recorder in this respect.

It has 3 tuners, which magically enable you to record 4 programmes simultaneously whilst watching a 5th. Good luck to you if you can find that many channels worth recording. The PVR has plenty of features, including series link, and the ability to alter the start and end times to avoid programmes getting clipped if they run at the wrong time.

The hard drive has a capacity of 500GB, which is enough to record 300 hours of standard definition content and 125 hours of HD. A 1TB version is also available, offering double the recording time.

Remote app

A free Humax app lets you use your smartphone or tablet to view what's on TV now and over the next 7 days, and set your box to record.

Conclusion - an alternative to YouView

There isn't much to choose between YouView and Freeview Play, so this box is a direct competitor to YouView boxes like the Humax DTR-T2000. The Humax FVP-4000T has the advantage of including built-in Wi-Fi, but the design makes it an oddball and it won't appeal to everyone.


Humax FVP-4000T features include:

User questions

Sorry - questions and comments on this page are now closed.

Will my Humax FVP 4000T allow me to watch The Grand Tour from Amazon?

Asked by John from England on 10th Jan 2017

Does this product have a 2 year warranty?

Asked by Michael from Uk on 28th Dec 2016

How can I access Amazon Prime Video using my FVP 4000T?

Asked by Paul Batchelor from UK on 13th Apr 2016
I've just subscribed to Amazon Prime and am hoping that there is some way to connect directly to the Humax FVP 4000T. If not, is it possible to download Amazon Prime Video to an iPad and then connect the iPad to the FVP 4000T so that I can watch the video on large-screen TV?



Humax FVP-4000T user reviews

Sorry - reviews and comments on this page are now closed.