Humax HDR-2000T review
Review: November 2013 | ||
![]() Rating: In a nutshell: The Humax HDR-2000T is a well-featured Freeview+ box with 500GB of recording capacity, twin tuners and the ability to function as a media player on a home network. |
Setup & design
The Humax HDR-2000T is a fully-featured Freeview+ box that has most of the features of the more expensive DTR-T1000 Youview system at a much lower price.
The HDR-2000T uses an aerial to receive Freeview channels and can connect to the internet to access the BBC iPlayer and other online services including YouTube.
To connect to the internet, you'll need to plug the box into your home router via an ethernet cable. Don't worry too much if your router is located in another room, as you can now run broadband via your electrical sockets using HomePlug adapters. An optional Humax wireless dongle can be used to enable Wi-Fi.
A HDMI cable (included in the sales package) is used to connect the box to your TV.
The box is compact and stylish in appearance, with a rectangular two-tone design that gives it a high-end look and feel. The remote is smart too, and more importantly, easy to use.
Pause, rewind & record live TV
In addition to watching live TV, the box also functions as a PVR (personal video recorder), so you can pause and rewind live TV and also record programmes on the hard disk. There are two inputs from the aerial, so you can watch one programme while recording another, or record two programmes simultaneously (while also watching a recorded programme). The PVR is easy to use with a simple option to record a whole series.
The capacity of the hard disk is 500GB, which is enough to record 300 hours of standard definition content and 125 hours of HD.
Home networking
The HDR-2000T also has a USB port that enables you to connect any USB device such as a camera or memory stick. You can then play digital content such as photos, videos and music on your TV. The box can also be used as a media player, streaming DLNA content from PCs or laptops on your home network via the ethernet connection.
Other connections include a SCART for connection to older TVs and a digital optical audio output for hooking up to a home cinema system.
Conclusion - excellent value for money
The Humax HDR-2000T is an excellent option for anyone on a budget who wants more than an entry-level Freeview PVR. It performs its core functions of watching and recording TV very well, with the benefit of a 500GB disk and twin tuners. While the box misses out on the catch-up TV services of the more expensive Youview boxes, it does have the BBC iPlayer, and the ability to operate as a media player.
Humax HDR-2000T features include:
- Freeview+ HD (pause, rewind and record live TV)
- Over 50 Digital TV Channels including free HD channels from BBC, ITV and Channel 4
- Catch-up TV: BBC iPlayer
- Other services: YouTube and Internet Radio
- 8-day on screen electronic programme guide
- PVR functionality - record up to 2 programmes simultaneously
- 500GB disk space
- Dolby Digital+ audio output
- Tuner type: DVB-T2
- Connections: HDMI, Ethernet, USB, SCART, AV, optical digital output
- Standby power: less than 1w
- Size: 320 x 50 x 245mm
User questions
Sorry - questions and comments on this page are now closed.
Does this machine play dvds?
Asked by Brian
from Uk
on 1st Nov 2016
Reply by S21
from UK
on 1st Nov 2016
No.
Why do i have to keep turning my Humax2000T and tv on and off several times to get a picture?
Asked by Chris
from UK
on 26th Mar 2016
Its a real pain having to keep switching both on and off before a
picture appears.
How do I retune? It asks for code.
Asked by Martin Barnes
from UK
on 23rd Mar 2016
Humax HDR-2000T user reviews
Sorry - reviews and comments on this page are now closed.
Average rating from 14 reviews:
Reviewed by Qbert
from UK
on 24th Nov 2016
If this device comes from Servicecare then be aware. I had experience
with this company in the past and It wasn't pleasant one. Costumer
service is a joke.
Rating:
Reviewed by robert birkby
from england
on 13th Aug 2016
New jan 2016. Records some programmes and misses others. good signal
here. was ok till recent trip away. only recorded a few of the
selected programmes, why?
Rating:
Reviewed by Christine
from Uk
on 15th Feb 2016
It performs well but is very noisy. I returned mine because all I can
hear is the rasping sound of the fan/hard drive.
Rating:
Reviewed by tyrrell
from uk
on 11th Nov 2015
brand new humax hdr 2000t will not work when connected via hdmi to
sony tv
Rating:
Reviewed by David
from Wales
on 21st Oct 2015
Very disappointed. Bought this to upgrade from my PVR-9300T. Receiver
not as powerful as the old machine with resulting loss of picture on
standard definition and HD, lack of front display inconvenient, very
slow to start up, noisy. Will be getting rid of it as soon as able.
Hope someone can recommend a good alternative. Gone back to using the
9300T as much more user-friendly and does the job much better
(although I obviously cannot get HD with it.
Rating:
Reviewed by Walpole
from uk
on 11th May 2015
Absolutely do not buy Humax products if it goes wrong you will not get
it sorted. They will just fob you off with excuses which is not on
when it costs a LOT of money and is supposed to be under guarantee.
Now been waiting 3 weeks and not able to use the freeveiw box. Never
had this treatment from any other company and will NEVER buy humax
again.
Rating:
Reviewed by Alan Whitfield
from England
on 11th Apr 2015
I bought my 2000T from Humax direct in November 2014. It has performed
reasonably well, albeit with some problems until the update to
software version 1.13 in April 2015. It is now unfit for purpose. BBC1
and BBC2 suffer severe picture freeze, pixellation and sound freeze. A
number of other channels have the same to a lesser degree. Some
recordings fail altogether. Frequent display of signal error messages
occurs. If I connect my TV direct to the aerial outlet it works fine
on all channels. Humax have not been able to supply a solution. The
only advice was to do a manual tune. I have done this over the full
range of frequencies, with no improvement. Humax keep repeating the
mantra "it is not a fault with the box, it is an issue with the
transmitters in my area". The result is that right now my box is not
fit for purpose, and I am not getting any help from Humax.
Rating:
Reviewed by steve c.
from UK
on 24th Mar 2015
Warning. Does not always record series. Sometimes does, soemtimes
doesn't. Various on-line forums list this as a common problem. For a
piece of kit whose sole function is to record and play this must give
it a 'do not buy' listing.
Rating:
Reviewed by jane
from england
on 14th Mar 2015
bought a new Humax 6wks ago struggled to get it going but eventually
the installers from the shop did. However all going well until we
recorded programmes whilst on holiday all completed as requested but
no SOUND!!! Unable to get sound and the mute sign has a big X over it
on screen and can't get rid of it!!!! HELP.
Rating:
Reviewed by Neil Devlin
from England
on 28th Sep 2014
Sound piece of electronics.
Rating:
Reviewed by C chrisostomou
from U k
on 14th Aug 2014
Hi I bought a humax HDR 2000t looks nice,no display, the the person
who disinged this machine should be shot,when u turn it of the aireal
out turns of, so u can not watch TV . You can only watch TV,with it
switch on. Also you can not dasy chaine to other eqipment how
stupid.
How ridicules stupid idiotic out of touch fool
can the person who put this feature into this machine be, there fore
it makes it almost usles, humax fan no more,I will return it and go
fore a different brand .
Rating:
Reviewed by Gaz
from U.K
on 24th Jan 2014
Hi.I had this machine for a xmas present.On unpacking the box it
arrived in the remote did not work. Simply the brand of batteries
Humax use were flat! Never even heard of the brand. However more
seriously like others the power loss was the biggest issue. It kept
crashing and restarting at will. Most films were not recorded and in
the end I contacted Humax. To be fair the customer service was quite
good,no long wait on a phone line listening to music. I told them of
the fault. They agreed to exchange the machine. Now Humax use a
company called Servicecare. I was lucky. A new machine arrived this
morning,but I was quite concerned earlier this week on reading on the
net forums that some customers were being offered a repair or
refurbished machine. Because the machine is so new on the market my
thought is that Humax who use Servicecare have a shortfall of returned
machines. Hence the new one which I received today. I could be wrong
about the whole matter but its worth a thought. Anyway my new one is
going great.
Rating:
Reply by Susan
from England
on 17th Feb 2014
In the first year (and especially the first six months) usually the
easiest way to be sure of a new replacement is to go through the
retailer. This is because you are covered by the sale of goods act.
The Humax manufacturer guarantee is not for a new
replacement. If it was bought through Humax Direct then it is
advisable to check that it is being replaced as a retailer would
rather than under the Humax manufacturer guarantee.
Reviewed by A Cotton
from UK
on 31st Dec 2013
Bought this on behalf of my mum who finally decided to buy a machine
to record the odd program she was likely to miss. Overall a positive
experience....however....
1. With her Sony TV of about 4 years old the HDMI cable has given a
green screen at times. An Internet search suggests this is fussiness
on the TVs part and apparently can usually be solved by turning on the
Humax before the TV so the HDMI is properly recognised...or something
like that. As I don't live with my mother and she doesn't get how to
work out what works and what doesn't I have had to leave the box
attached via a scart until I next visit and can work out the
particular order to turn things on....irritating and straight out of
the box no longer HD visually.
2. When the Humax searches for channels it finds both TV and radio
channels. But offers no way to listen to these radio stations via
freeview. Instead you are forced to listen via Internet. As my mum has
zero interest in spending more money for either a very long ethernet
cable, a wifi dongle or Internet home plugs she no longer can listen
to the radio in the lounge. Seems an odd decision to force users to
use the Internet when almost all freeview machines/TVs have this
capability....even crappy cheap supermarket TVs. Apart from the fact
my mums Internet broadband allowance is small (so she wouldn't listen
to the radio via the Internet if she could) it just seems dumb and a
title user unfriendly. Not everyone wants to surf the net at their TV,
nor watch iPlayer etc, nor watch youtube.
3. Whilst with her over Christmas she recorded 6 programs. 2 failed,
apparently in a similar way to the other reviewer..."loss of power". I
was watching the TV when this recording was being made and there was
neither loss of power to the machine or anything else, not even room
lights flickering. I am hoping the box is not so sensitive as to
regularly do this otherwise, combined with the cable issue it will
render this machine not fit for purpose.
4. It's nice that it plays files from an external hard drive though it
stumbled on a 3.5gb file. No particular issue as I was just
experimenting and it's not a feature my mum will use. But nice to see
multiple file types recognised and played as a built in feature.
So while it's a nice box, quiet and the interface pleasant to use it
feels very much, at present, like work in progress and I'm hoping a
new year update will solve some of these niggles for my mum.
Rating:
Reply by Susan
from England
on 10th Jan 2014
2. This machine provides a variety of methods to switch over to a freeview radio channel.
Method 1: Press the OK button on the remote. This will display a list of channels. Above this it will tell you (or remind you) which channel group you are currently in. Use the left and right buttons that are positioned beside the OK button to change the list to either a radio list or a favourite list if you have one set-up. Then use the up and down buttons positioned above and below the OK button to highlect the channel, followd by OK to select it..
Method 2: Press the guide button and select the current programme for the channel you want to watch or listen to. If the epg does not appear to contain the channel you want then use the blue button to select whether you want the epg to contain TV or radio or HDTV or favourite or recent channels.
Method 3: If you are already listening to a radio channel then you can just key in the freeview channel number for the radio station without having any of the menus displayed.
Method 4: Favourite lists can have a mix of radio, tv and data channels. Set one of these up and activite it. This will simplify methods 1 to 3 as the channel lists will be default to all channels you are interested in and you can use the direct the freeview channel number for the radio station.
Method 5: There is another method via the i button but it too relies on having a favourite list set-up or already being on a radio channel.
Reviewed by Jon Dennington
from UK
on 16th Dec 2013
I purchased the Humax HDR 2000T last week (Dec 2013) from Richer
Sounds as the old T2 is no longer available. My older Digihome and
Ellion boxes both have developed quirky faults and I thought I would
treat myself to a new model from a good make.
The setup is simple, although some of the remote buttons and on screen
choices take a bit of getting use to (eg for planned recordings you
have to press Guide on the remote and then the yellow button for
Scheduled Recordings)
The video quality is fantastic as is sound put through an external
amplifier....
HOWEVER....on about 3 out of 5 of my first recordings, the recorded
programme is shown but when selected says "recording failed through
loss of power" and the recording has stopped after about 40
minutes.
My signal strength and quality on all muxes are good.
Looking through numerous forums I see that there were previous
problems for Humax giving this error caused by the selection of on and
off times.
On this model you just have the choice of Automatic Standby on or off.
I had it set to on and I think the unit is going into standby while
recording.
Humax say they have not heard of this but to set the box to be off
automatic standby (ie on all the time!)
I bought a new HDR/PVR to record programmes and at the moment that is
what it is failing to do.
I am going to record with the unit off standby and then put standby
back to automatic and see what happens.
I hate buying something I can't 'trust' and at the moment this model
feels flaky to me.
It may just be a duff unit but it also might be a problem with this
hardware and firmware?
I'd be interested to see if anyone else has similar problems?
Rating:
Reply by Mike Broadhurst
from England
on 24th May 2014
Hello Jon,
We bought a similar unit fron John Lewis in April 2014 and have experienced all the prolems you mention with our unit.
We have also had lots of 'green screen' events. We exchanged the unit for another similar one at John Lewis but the new one is just the same.
We rang Humax and their advice was to try a different model or a different brand! Not much confidence in their product it seems.
We are not sure what to do.
Our local TV shop says they have had similar problems when demonstrating Humax products and have not found a solution.
They suggested getting a Panasonic model as they had not had problems with that brand.
Any thoughts?