This budget-friendly option offers an easy-to-use programme guide, can handle your programme reminders, filter channel lists and allow you to see Now and Next information. It also offers very respectable sound and picture quality too, with Full-HD reception, SD upscaling and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. If you’re looking for something new to watch you can also browse genres to help you decide. Unfortunately our 8 year old Humax recently stopped recording anything, a factory reset didn't help. So we got a new Freesat 4k box. YouView combines live TV from Freeview, with on-demand content over the Internet. You can get a YouView box on the high street, or from Internet providers BT and TalkTalk

A regular Freesat box gives you access to all of your favourite shows and TV channels any time, free of charge. What makes them convenient is that they are ready to stream up to 200 channels as soon as you wire up the satellite dish and your TV to it. Avoid the 500GB version – you will run short of recording space in no time – and go straight to at least the 1TB version, or the 2TB model if you can afford it. If you like to keep your favourite programmes stored for watching later, you will be glad of the extra capacity. This small but powerful box will sit neatly alongside your TV. Its intuitive interface is designed to help you find your favourite programmes easily and discover new ones. Plus it’s easy to set up and use! While the Freesat environment is a walled-garden, the set top box does allow you to take a peek at other (Euro-centric) channels, using a non-Freesat mode. You’ll lose the trapping of the Freesat wrapper though, which is a big unsettling, still it’s interesting to nose around.To get these services, you’ll need to have a digital TV service, and a way of connecting your hardware to the Internet. First off, here’s a summary of the various services: Win: The HB-1100S supports popular on-demand services like BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, adding to its flexibility and range of content. Freeview:Operated by Everyone TV (formerly Digital UK), a joint venture of the BBC, ITV Channel 4 and Channel 5, Freeview provides access to 100+ free, over-the-air channels and radio stations. To get it, you need an aerial – either one on your roof, or a cheap indoor aerial – and a Freeview tuner – either one built-into your TV, or a set-top box one which also offers recording capabilities. Read my full Freeview Guide right here. If you are tired of watching satellite television in poor quality or just want to freshen up your TV system this model from Humax might be right up your alley.

Freesat+ Recording: Many top-quality Freesat boxes come equipped with Freesat+ functionality, allowing you to record your favourite shows and films with ease. Never miss a crucial moment again, as you have the power to schedule recordings, pause live TV, and even rewind to catch something you might have missed. The box supports both 4K and HDR, neither of which are available from Freesat channels. However, the box outputs everything in 2160 UHD regardless, although this upscaling doesn’t bring any benefits to Freesat SD. Stream some native 4K Netflix, however, and you’ll see just what the hardware is capable of. The UHD-4X isn’t Dolby vision capable, but regular HDR10 has plenty of visual snap. Watch Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, Kids, HD, and 4K HDR on Extra channels (subscription required)First of all, the box comes with over 200 pre-set satellite channels available to you in true Full HD quality. As an extra feature, the box supports most modern online services so you can use your regular TV to watch YouTube or streaming services. All you have to do is connect the Ethernet cable or simply hook the box to your home Wi-Fi network. Some On Demand services allow you to cast content from your mobile device or tablet. But to do this, your device and your box must be on the same wireless network. Simply open the App on your device, select what you want to watch and tap the ‘Cast’ button – usually found at the top. It will open a list of devices to beam the content on to and you select your Freesat TV Box. Your chosen programming will then play on your TV. Even better is our Recommendations section! This is where our telly experts offer you some inspiration on what to watch across a range of channels and genres. Discover a new binge-worthy drama, free-to-view film premieres or gripping documentaries to enjoy - whatever strikes your fancy! You’ll see these recommendations on the Home Screen and are accessible via the home button. Right now, it’s a great receiver, with excellent picture quality and a snappy, no-nonsense user interface focused on helping you find and watch your favourite programmes. It’s intuitive and easy to use, and even the remote control is up to scratch. The UHD-X from Freesat is a similar beast compared to the other products from the company. That being said, it is made to be readily accessible at any given moment and the thing that really makes it stand out is its Plug and Play nature that allows you to use it pretty much right out of the box without a long setup process.

While the selection of Freesat boxes out there isn’t very big – there are still distinct differences between the ones that are available – both in features and cost. If you’re going to invest in a Freesat set-top box, then you may as well get one that has all the bells and whistles going. The Recordable 4K TV Box gives you the full Freesat viewing experience while also allowing you to record your favourite shows and watch a wide selection of On Demand content. Connectivity Options: Consider the connectivity options available on the Freesat box, such as HDMI, USB, and Wi-Fi. This will enable you to connect other devices, such as soundbars or external storage, for an enhanced viewing experience. Your Freesat remote control also has buttons enabling you to launch On Demand services. You can launch BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Netflix with one touch of a button.

Image quality, as we’ve said, is extremely good. Record one of the BBC News HD or NHK (usually the best broadcast HD channels available), and you’ll be hard pushed to tell the difference between live transmissions and recordings. Colour fidelity, sharpness and contrast are subjectively identical. In December 2009, Freesat launched its first Internet-based service – Owners of Freesat HD boxes could connect their boxes to the Internet and watch content from the BBC iPlayer on their TV. Want details of how to get BBC iPlayer on Freesat? See our BBC iPlayer on Freesat section. I’ve mentioned Freeview already, but there’s also YouView, and they’re both different from Freesat… Confused? Don’t be. Otherwise, the main things to watch out for are picture quality and the EPG (electronic programme guide, or more simply, the menu). There are still a few older units out there running old-fashioned, clunky EPGs that look ugly and make finding a programme or setting a recording a real chore. What’s more, Freesat and the remaining Freesat box manufacturers have worked hard in the past few years to build much more stylish and functional EPGs with proper Now and Next views and additional sections where you might find a showcase of hit programmes or catch-up TV features.