Announced back in July, the DTR-T2000 is a new set top box for YouView, the TV service which combines channels from your aerial with on-demand and catch-up content delivered via broadband.
There are two ways to get YouView – from TalkTalk or BT who both offer a selection of additional pay channels and a subsidised box, or subscription free from a high street or online retailer.
The DTR-T2000 is aimed at viewers who prefer the subscription free route – perhaps wanting a little bit more than Freeview offers but without being tied into a pay-TV contract.
It includes a 500GB hard drive, allowing users to record up to 300 hours of standard definition programmes (SD) or 125 hours of high definition (HD) and can record up to two channels at once or one while another is being watched live.ss
While recording two channels you can watch an earlier recording or something from one of the on-demand or catch-up services such as iPlayer, 4oD or NOW TV’s Sky Movies service.
As is standard on all YouView models, the box supports series links, ‘Green Button’ series booking and has support for Audio Description and subtitles where available and YouView’s recent accessibility upgrades.
The box continues the silver/white look of Humax’s previous model, the DTR-1010, but is shorter and narrower than its predecessor – 360mm x 50 x 245 (W x H x D) compared to 380mm x 55mm x 246mm.
Humax have dropped the scrolling LED display which featured on both the DTR-1010 and original DTR-1000 model and often infuriated users by cutting off the end of programme names.
Given the inconsistent usefulness of the display and the ability to show programme and channel names on screen, its absence isn’t much of a loss.
Anyone used to the older Humax YouView boxes or the painfully slow Huawei and TalkTalk efforts will notice that the DTR-T2000 zips along without any noticeable lag or pause.
Its performance is equal to BT’s new G4 model – unsurprising given that under the hood the two boxes are rumoured to be identical, though neither Humax nor BT will confirm this.
Like the BT branded box this one uses an external power adapter which should help keep ir relatively cool and prevent overheating.
This is a sold, speedy box which, thanks to boost in the specs, eliminates the performance issues which disappointed some early YouView adopters.
The suggested retail price of £199 means it’s currently more expensive than the retail variant of the BT badged box, but that difference (£20-£40 depending on retailer) is unlikely to deter those looking for a better YouView experience without providing BT with advertising space under their TV.
