Humax has provided further details of its new HDR-Fox T2 set-top box. In a special press event organised by the company, Graham North and Bob Hannent, its respective commercial director and chief technologist, said that the product would be launched in two weeks time.
Featuring a 500 GB hard disk, it will offer upscaling and allow for Freeview HD and SD recording, and the retail price is likely to be £329 (€395.5).
Humax launched a zapper HD Freeview box (HD-Fox T2) back in February and it currently has a market share of around 50%. HDR-Fox T2 will meanwhile enter a market already served by several competing Freeview HD recorders.
North and Hannent ruled out the possibility of launching a joint Freesat/Freeview recorder on the grounds of cost. More crucially, they emphasised that Humax is adopting a two-tier approach: while “100% behind Canvas”, the HDR-Fox T2 is not a Canvas but its own product. As such, it will include Sky Player, iPlayer and other catch-up services, along with key VOD content, in its offer.
Although Freeview HD services are currently offered in only a few parts of the UK at present (London, Manchester and Devon), they will become more widely available in 2011.
