It’s a question we get asked everyday: why should I get a set-top box that records to a Hard Drive if I can just stream what I want to watch from catch-up and on demand services?
It’s a fair question – there’s so many great shows available online, you can see why some people would think it’s pointless recording shows anymore. But, as we're about to find out, that's far from the case!
Watch whenever, forever
The content offered by streaming services is always rotating – and many of the hottest new shows are only available for a limited time, often just 30 days. But if you record a show, you can watch it whenever you're ready and then over and over again, for as long as you want.
It just works
Playing a recording – even while its in progress – just works, with no hassle and absolutely no need to cross your fingers. You’re not left at the mercy of your internet connection, problems with the streaming service or your ‘smart TV’ having a bad day.
Skip the ads
The average Brit watches over 37 hours of adverts a year! Thankfully, when you record a show you can skip straight past the ads. But unless you exclusively watch BBC programmes, if you watch these same programmes on demand in ITV Hub, All 4, etc, you're forced to watch the ads.
The best picture quality
With the exception of BBC iPlayer, most of the content in the other players is in SD (Standard Definition). ITV Hub, in particular, has really poor video quality, so if you're into the big ITV shows like Corrie, Emmerdale or Love Island, then you'll be wanting to record them from ITV HD!
The magic of Live Pause
We’ve all been there – settled in front of our favourite show as it airs live, waiting for the big reveal and then there’s a knock at the door. Or the phone rings. And disaster, you’ve missed the moment the whole season has been building towards. So you have to wait till the show’s available on catch-up or repeated in a week or two to find out what happened.
Unless of course, you have a Manhattan TV recorder. Our Live Pause feature means our boxes are always recording the shows you’re watching – even if you’ve not set it to record. So if you miss anything, you can instantly skip back through the show to find out what happened.
So what should I get?
For just £129.99 RRP our Manhattan T2•R Freeview HD Recorder is the simplest way to add recording capabilities to your TV. And if you want to enjoy the best of both worlds, from just £169.99 RRP our Manhattan T3•R Freeview Play Recorder is the simplest way to enjoy all the UK's most popular subscription-free on demand services like BBC iPlayer, All 4 and My5 as well.