Sky Q, a popular TV device in the UK, has been entertaining households for over a decade with its built-in hard drive for content recording. While still a preferred choice, Sky Q now faces competition from Manhattan’s latest offering, the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder.
Similar to Sky Q, the S4-R uses a dish to deliver shows and movies to homes, offering internal storage for recordings, an interactive TV guide, and the ability to pause live TV. The standout feature of the Manhattan S4-R is its absence of subscription fees, providing access to over 100 free TV and radio channels, although premium content like Sky Sports is not included.
The S4-R, akin to Sky Q, can record multiple channels simultaneously and comes with a 500GB hard drive, expandable to 1TB and 2TB in the near future. It boasts live TV controls for pausing and rewinding broadcasts and promises a user-friendly interface, search functionality, and access to a wide array of on-demand content through various apps.
Manhattan’s COO, Alex Arbab-Zadeh, highlighted the enhanced recording capabilities of the S4-R, allowing for up to four simultaneous recordings, double the previous limit. Positioned as a cost-effective alternative to subscription TV, the S4-R offers flexibility, choice, and freedom from monthly bills.
The Manhattan S4-R is set to launch this month and will be available at retailers like Currys, John Lewis, Argos, and Richer Sounds. Prices start at £219.99 for the 500GB model, with the 1TB version priced at £249.99 arriving in May, and the 2TB model at £279.99 scheduled for June.