Thirty second exam
What is Freesat UHD4X? This 4K-capable set-top box is an obvious upgrade for satellite dish owners looking to ditch premium pay TV or simply replace an older satellite receiver. Freesat's user interface is intuitive to use, while the quality of the recordings is excellent; Like a Sky Q or Virgin V6 box, it's transparent to the source. Managing high-end streaming services and catch-up TV means there probably isn't much incentive to splurge on the pricier editions with more storage too, so the value is high. Those who predominantly use streaming services may want to consider a more affordable streaming device or dongle, while those looking for an HDMI 1 port will be better served by the Humax Aura, but if you still have one foot in terrestrial and satellite TV, this could be the decoder for you.
Prices and availability
The Freesat UHD-4X is available in 3 hard drive configurations. Our sample had a 1GB drive, but if you want to download an entire TV show with Series Link, you might want to estimate 2TB or 250TB iterations. The trio offers 500, 500, and 199 hours, respectively. HD recording. Available now, the 1GB edition retails for €230, the 2TB for €270 and the XNUMXTB for €XNUMX.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Design and functionality
- HDMI output twenty
- Sleek, compact and quiet to run
- Freesat tuner and integrated recovery television
The UHD-4X is a beautiful and compact TV recorder (250 x 150 x 35mm (H x W x D)) - it won't take up much space in your AV rack. It's also quiet. In our tests, it was no more sonically intrusive than a Sky Q box And just like the Sky Box it also has two F connectors on the back for terrestrial TV If you only have one LNB (satellite) feed available it will still work but you will only be able to record one channel at a time The UHD -4X works with standard, broadband and hybrid LNBs as well as MDU satellite dish variants connecting to multiple homes.In addition to a single HDMI output, there is digital optical audio output and Ethernet to support Wi-Fi. The included remote is ergonomic and has dedicated buttons for BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix and On Demand Humax Aura specifications Hard drive sizes: 1GB, 2TB or 4TB | Tuner: Freesat | 250K: Yes | HDR: Yes | Smart platform: Freesat | Wi-Fi: Yes | Dimensions: 150 (width) x 35 (height) x 596 (depth) mm | Weight: 1g | Inputs: 5xHDMI twenty, Ethernet, optical audio Like Freeview Play, Freesat combines a mix of on-demand content, catch-up TV services and linear channels. There's also a seven-day retrospective program guide, so you can browse through the past week to find shows you may have missed. Initial setup is quick and easy. The chart asks for your ZIP code to ensure correct local coverage. The user interface is crisp and clean. The home page has a menu on the left and a selection of organized content on the right. If you want to switch to keycapture or transmitters, use the custom buttons (iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix and On Demand) on the zapper. With the push of a button on demand, you'll access a wider selection of streaming apps, including My4, STV player, Britbox, Prime Video, UKTV play, BBC Sounds and YouTube. The only obvious omissions are AllXNUMX and Disney Plus, although a cheap add-on streaming stick should fix this pretty quickly if those apps are important to you.
(Image credit: Avenir)
- 4K HDR streaming
- Simultaneous four-channel recording
- No 4 HD channels
Obviously, to get the best recordings possible, it's best to stick with HD services. Freesat offers a fair amount of HD, amid a sea of SD channels, though the lack of Channel 4 HD is a perennial irritation. If you accidentally select the SD iteration of an HD channel, the box prompts you to switch to the HD alternative. While the Freesat environment is a walled garden, the decoder allows you to peek at other (Eurocentric) channels, using a non-Freesat mode. You'll miss the Freesat wrapper trap though, which is very disturbing, but still worth snooping around for. Fortunately, restoring Freesat only takes a few clicks. While the raw satellite feed is worth a look, you'll be back in the Freesat pool soon. The image quality, as we said, is extremely good. Record either BBC News HD or NHK (usually the best HD broadcast channels available) and it will be hard to tell the difference between live broadcasts and recordings. Color fidelity, sharpness, and contrast are subjectively the same. If you replace a Sky Box with the Freesat UHD-4X, your broadband LNBs will allow you to record four channels simultaneously. The box supports both 4K and HDR, neither of which is available on Freesat channels. However, the case comes out all in 2160 UHD, although this scale does not bring any benefit to Freesat SD. Stream native 4K Netflix, though, and you'll see what the hardware is capable of. UHD-4X doesn't support Dolby Vision, but standard HDR10 has plenty of visual snapshots. It should be noted that the BBC iPlayer app does not (currently) support live UHD sports, but does play content from the BBC UHD library when available.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Ring
- Dolby Audio with Dolby Atmos
- It is acceptable
- Atmos Hearing Problems via Amazon Prime Video
The UHD-4X supports Dolby Atmos and therefore justifies its inclusion as a home theater source. However, this is only available through supported OTT streamers. Playing Netflix's Okja (also in 4K HDR) is gloriously immersive: the first footage of the titular super pig in-game in the Korean forest is subtly immersive. The box also does a great job with high-octane action movies, when it comes to direction and dynamics. The overall audio quality is comparable to other media players. Interestingly, the Amazon Prime app didn't want to stream on Atmos, although there's relatively little 3D audio on the platform, so that's not a major issue. This will no doubt be resolved with a timely firmware update.
Should you buy the Freesat UHD-4X decoder?
Buy it if...
You want to see without a contract
UHD-4X offers fewer channels than a premium pay-TV service like Sky. You have access to a satellite transmission
Those of you with a satellite signal (either a stand-alone satellite dish or else common broadcast) instead of a terrestrial dish will be compatible here. You are upgrading from an older generic satellite tuner
The UHD-4X offers a simple combination of linear TV and streaming content, and will be a great replacement for upgrading your setup over an older tuner.
Don't buy it if...
You are passionate about Channel 4 HD
Cannot find channel four HD, neither as a broadcast channel nor as an update service. Your main source of entertainment is streaming
Although the UHD-X comes with an acceptable set of streaming apps, it wouldn't be your first port of call for a first-time streaming experience.