British electronics brand Manhattan has followed up its successful Freely device with a Freesat TV box for UK viewers who want to stick with satellite, but ditch the subscriptions.
The Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder will start at £219.99 when it arrives at the end of April.
You might not have heard of British tech brand Manhattan before, but it's been making and distributing satellite and other TV boxes for decades – including some of Sky's earliest models.
It is also the manufacturer of the hugely popular Manhattan Aero Freely box released earlier this year and regularly sold out. We're hoping that will be in stock again soon, but in the meantime, the company has announced another UK TV device packed with free channels. And this time, it's designed for viewers who don't want their satellite dishes to go to waste.
Arriving later this month, the Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder is the brand's latest satellite receiver and PVR. It includes access to over 100 subscription-free TV channels, delivered over satellite, and can record up to four of them at a time.
The first model to hit stores comes with a 500GB hard drive built in, which can record up to 300 hours of shows and movies. There will also be 1TB and 2TB variants releasing in May and June respectively.
The box is internet-ready too, so you can catch up on programming through the EPG, which opens content in its respective catch-up app. That includes the free streaming services BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and 5. Other streaming services available include YouTube.
Will the Manhattan S4-R replace Sky Q?
Although Sky Q is still up and running, with no signs as yet on support being withdrawn, its days are numbered. Sky no longer offers Sky Q through its own online store, and the decade-old service is overshadowed by Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
It's no secret that the future of Sky is TV delivery over the internet, with streaming its priority, which is why the Manhattan S4-R could be a great option for those who don't yet want to ditch the satellite dish.
You can plug your existing Sky Q wideband LNB dish into the back of the box, for example, and get free TV immediately. Alternatively, Sky+ customers can also choose to switch to the Manhattan box, although the older system – and specifically, older Sky dish – will be limited to two channel recording (rather than four).
Picture quality should be similar though, with more than 35 HD channels available on Freesat.
The Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder will be available from Currys, John Lewis, Argos and Richer Sounds when it launches in the UK in the next couple of weeks. The 500GB model will be priced at £219.99, while the 1TB and 2TB versions will be £249.99 and £279.99 when they follow over the next two months.
