Sky Q has long been a popular TV device in the UK, providing entertainment for households for over a decade with its ability to store content on its internal hard drive. Despite its age, Sky Q remains a favored choice, but it now faces competition from a new player with a significant advantage.
Manhattan’s TV Team has introduced the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder, a device similar to Sky Q that uses a satellite dish to deliver shows and movies to homes. The S4-R comes with built-in storage for recordings, an interactive TV guide, and the ability to pause live TV.
The standout feature of the Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder is its lack of subscription fees after purchase, offering over 100 free TV and radio channels. While premium content like Sky Sports and Sky Cinema is not available, it provides a solid entertainment option without additional costs.
Similar to Sky Q, the S4-R can record multiple channels simultaneously and comes with a 500GB hard drive, sufficient for storing around 300 hours of content. Larger 1TB and 2TB versions will be released soon for users needing more storage. It also offers live TV controls like Sky Q, allowing viewers to pause and rewind broadcasts.
Manhattan promises a user-friendly interface for the S4-R, along with search functionality and access to over 60,000 hours of on-demand content through various apps such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and My5.
Alex Arbab-Zadeh, Manhattan’s COO, expressed that the company is expanding on the success of its Freeview recorder by providing a straightforward, subscription-free experience with Freesat through the S4-R. He highlighted the device’s enhanced recording capabilities, allowing up to four simultaneous recordings, double the previous limit.
Describing the S4-R as a compelling alternative to subscription TV, Arbab-Zadeh emphasized that it offers more flexibility, choice, and a way to avoid high monthly bills.
The Manhattan S4-R will be launched this month and will be sold at retailers like Currys, John Lewis, Argos, and Richer Sounds. Prices start at £219.99 for the 500GB model, increasing to £249.99 for the 1TB version in May, and £279.99 for the 2TB model in June.
