Manhattan T3-R Freeview Play 4K Smart Recorder 500GB

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An issue introduced in 1.07 affecting A/V decoding that could cause the T3•R to restart unexpectedly, in particular when using ITV Hub. There’s also a variable lip-sync delay – up to 250 seconds – in case you’re suffering with sync issues because of a soundbar. You should buy it if… The T3-R normally starts and stops recording when the broadcaster signals that the programme starts and ends. This is because programmes almost never start or end at the exact scheduled time – they're usually a minute or two early or late, and sometimes even more. This broadcaster signalling is normally very accurate and means recordings start and stop exactly when they should. However, sometimes broadcasters get it wrong, particularly on the more niche channels. In 2022, Freeview stopped allowing manufacturers to produce official Freeview boxes without support for Freeview Play (Freeview’s broadband-connected tier that combines standard Freeview with streaming apps like BBC iPlayer). That’s something many were hoping for – especially for the ability to set recordings remotely (via the app), or even the ability to stream recordings from the box to your smartphone.

Keep in mind, there could still be additional last-minute delays due to tests and certifications that are always necessary with new devices. One exception is the Google Play/YouTube workaround I mentioned, so you can also buy 4K films on Google Play – and watch them here, in 4K, via the YouTube app. The discontinuation of the Manhattan T3-R Freeview box, earlier this year, marked a significant moment in the company’s history.The hard drive could fail to initialise causing recordings to fail and recording-related features not to work. This is an important upgrade, especially considering that the older T3 and T3-R models had to wait a long while for ITVX support (and some older Freeview boxes – such as the Humax FVP-5000t, do not – and will likely never will – support ITVX). Streaming App Support Usability is good. The home-screen provides access to catch-up players, shortcuts to the TV guide, and your recordings library. Even technophobes won’t be befuddled by this box. The T3-R perfectly fits that bill. It’s particularly enticing if you want to upgrade your viewing experience but don’t feel the need to invest in a new TV (we can imagine it being partnered with long-serving plasma sets, which seemingly refuse to give up the ghost).

Go to the Settings menu by highlighting the Settings icon in the top right corner of the screen and pressing OK to select it As with every Freeview device, the number of channels it can find depends mainly on your aerial and on the Freeview signal and reception in your house. Once the scanning is finished, it’ll jump straight into Channel 001, which is, in most cases, BBC 1. Setup is refreshingly straightforward: just hook up the PVR to a network connection and store channels. (Manhattan sent us two boxes to test the Wi-Fi performance after our original review encountered issues with it. We’ve concluded that the issues in the review were down to interference, and that the box offers solid enough connectivity.) Our suggestion would be to hard-wire the network connection if you can, to avoid any weak Wi-Fi connectivity or wireless interference.

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As expected, SD channels are more compromised – but, again, what you see is what you’d have viewed live, so no complaints here. It would be nice to have some sort of on-box confirmation that the PVR was recording, however. There’s also some good news for T3 and T3-R users – although this feature was promised a couple of years ago (and never arrived) – it is still in the cards for a future 3-series software update. No Smartphone App – Yet

While these looked spectacular, those trials come and go, and while you can’t even watch the archived versions of Blue Planet IIand Dynastiesin 4K, other BBC 4K content is sometimes added (such as the recent Doctor Who new year special in 4K).Just as Muttley follows Dastardly, picture quality follows broadcast fidelity. The best-looking HD channels, such as NHK and BBC News, look beautifully sharp and artefact-free. Detail is pronounced and there’s an omnipresent sense of texture and depth – essentially what you’ll see, or more pertinently record, looks transparent to the source. Win: The Aura features a user-friendly and comprehensive electronic program guide (EPG) that simplifies the process of browsing and scheduling recordings. With its intuitive interface and advanced search functionality, you can effortlessly navigate through available channels, view program details, and set up recordings with ease. The EPG ensures that you stay organized and never miss your favourite shows. However, the FVP-5000T started showing its age in recent years: it lost support for ITV Hub in 2022 and never supported ITV’s new streaming service, ITVX. There is a limitation when it comes to recording. The T3-R can only record two channels at a time, while you watch a third. We’re told by the boffins at Manhattan that they’re looking into enabling a third channel to be time-shifted simultaneously, and that the feature could come via a firmware update. Fingers crossed.