Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
If the thought of buying one of these boxes for every room in your house makes your wallet ache, fear not. The FVP-5000T will work with more affordable repeater boxes like the Humax H3. That means you can have one of these boxes in another room and enjoy TV as if you were watching on a dedicated box. I agree -- same here. The catch-up services have really poor picture and audio quality, and the inability to be able to skip ads. is frustrating. However, it would not surprise me if PVRs disappeared from the marketplace in the not too distant future, leaving just TVs with multiple tuners and recording capabilities as the only option. BBC iPlayer, All4, Demand 5, UK TV Player, CBS Catchup, Legend, Pop Player, BBC Sounds, STV Player, Netflix, YouTube
In our original review, we stated that the quad-core 1.8GHz CPU and 3GB RAM combo resulted in a snappy user experience, but in our recent re-test it feels a bit sluggish. You might assume that this is down to newer features and updates slowing the system down, but Humax itself hasn't issued a firmware update since 2021 – itself something of a concern.
The box does show a full guide to the Freeview services but occasionally, totally inexplicably, shows chunks of 'No Information'. Note: Other TVs, including the one on the end of the loop-through show full guide with no gaps so not a signal issue. Simply navigate to a show in the EPG, select it and you’re then given the option to either record the show, record the entire series or set a reminder. Since the box comes with options of a hefty 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, you’ll probably end up setting everything to record, just in case. That said, so much is available on demand that you can always watch that way if you forget to set a recording. That “smooth” experience is hampered a bit by the slow interface – something I really wish Humax would fix in the future – but not enough to stop me from recommending the device. The Aura isn't up to Humax's normal high standards. I have loved Humax's FreeSat and then the previous via-ariel Freeview versions of this set-top box for the last 14 years and upgraded last year. This has been nothing but buggy and irritating.
Watching Netflix is just as easy – there’s a dedicated app (and a button on the remote), which you then control with the regular remote. Note, however, that the FVP-5000T only supports content up to 1080p, so you won’t be able to watch Netflix (or anything else) in 4K, at least for now. Slow and Steady This was complemented by its generous storage options, which ranged from 500GB to 2TB, providing ample space for a variety of recording needs. If you know all your TV channel numbers off by heart, good for you; although perhaps that’s a sign that you need to get out more. For those of us without the memory of Rain Man, there is a handy Guide button to see the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on screen. This lays out the live TV on offer in an easy-to-see format, with what’s on now, what’s coming up and – if you tap left – what you’ve missed. Everything I posted is correct. I know the interface very well. I am a computer programmer and have a PhD in a programming/GUI related field so I know my onions.While the Aura is spot on for sound, we still recommend that you buy the cheaper but still brilliant Humax FVP-5000T while you still can, and add a Google Chromecast with Google TV if you also want streaming. The experience won’t feel much more split than the Aura already does but, more importantly, the smart offering will be more complete and a little better for picture quality too.
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