British brand's Sky Q replacement that lets you pause and record telly without a subscription finally on sale
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British brand's Sky Q replacement that lets you pause and record telly without a subscription finally on sale

May 9, 2026
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The latest-generation satellite set-top box from British brand Manhattan — the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder — is finally available to purchase from Amazon UK, Currys, Argos, Richer Sounds, and Hughes. Manhattan confirmed the existence of the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder early last month, but it didn't reveal when you'd be able to get your hands on this next-generation box.

British brand's Sky Q replacement that lets you pause and record telly without a subscription finally on sale

Thankfully, there wasn't too long to wait, with the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder now available to buy in-store and online. Prices start from £219.99 for the entry-level model with 500GB of storage, rising to a maximum of 2TB for £279.99. Order Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder from Amazon UKOrder Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder from Argos from ArgosOrder Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder from Richer Sounds For those who missed the announcement, the new set-top box from Manhattan relies on Freesat — the subscription-free platform from Everyone TV, the organisation behind Freely and Freeview. If you have a satellite dish that was previously used for Sky Q or Sky+HD affixed to the outside of your home, you'll be able to use Freesat.With the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder connected, you'll instantly be able to watch more than 100 subscription-free television and radio channels, including more than 35 in High Definition (HD). At a time when Sky is moving away from the satellite dishes that were once the backbone of its entire business — it has halted the sale of all new Sky Q installations from its online store, no new hardware in the works, and cut jobs for its satellite engineers — this box arrives at an interesting time. For those who want to cut back on monthly subscriptions but still make use of their dish, the new box from Manhattan promises to recreate a slew of Sky Q-like functionality, like the ability to pause live broadcasts for up to two hours and rewind to catch anything you missed.Be one of the first to own the Manhattan S4-R box from AmazonThe S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder, the newest box from Manhattan, is now available to buy from a variety of retailers, including Amazon UK. Enjoy next-day delivery at no cost and record 300-hours of shows — from four channels simultaneously — with the entry-level box. Leveraging the Sky+HD or Sky Q dish already drilled into the outside of your home, this box also supports 60,000 hours of on-demand content from apps and lets you pause and rewind live television without a subscription! Not only that, but this set-top box has the capability to record up to four channels at once if you have a wideband LNB – the standard dish that was installed alongside Sky Q – or two if you have an older setup, like Sky+ HD.As well as offering multi-channel recording so you can avoid any clashes in the TV schedule, the all-new S4-R comes with 500GB of storage at launch, with 1TB and 2TB versions to follow, allowing you to build a library of up to 300, 600 or 1,200 hours, respectively. That's a lot of telly.And unlike modern solutions like Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Virgin Stream, which rely entirely on on-demand services, there's no need to worry about broadcast rights ditching something before you've had a chance to watch it.For example, Match of Day is only available on BBC iPlayer until the next episode supersedes it – no trouble on Sky+ HD, where you could store back-to-back episodes after a few weeks away. No such luck with these newer devices, where you’ll only be able to watch what’s available on BBC iPlayer when you finally get a chance to catch up.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSYour Ring doorbell has a VERY surprising new rival in Sky TV Best VPN dealsMost expensive Kindle EVER launches in UK today Shark launches £130 handheld fan that promises to 'instantly cool' skinAmazon's cheapest Fire TV Stick relaunches with ultra-slim redesign and Alexa+ Of course, if you do want to stream something from these immensely-popular streamers, the Manhattan S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder has got you covered. With a single search bar, you can scour across all your live TV channels and more than 60,000 hours of on-demand content from apps including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, 5 and more. British brand Manhattan – the leading manufacturer of Freely, Freesat and Freeview devices providing access to free telly – designs and builds its own proprietary user interface. This box isn't running FireOS, which recently underwent its biggest ever update, Google TV, Roku, or any of the other myriad solutions, so the software is targeted at those who want to access free-to-air television in the UK.This new box arrives hot on the heels of Manhattan's Aero 4K TV Streamer, the second-ever box to ship with the Freely platform, which lets you stream terrestrial television from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and of course, GB News, with nothing but a Wi-Fi connection. The box has been a runaway success, selling out multiple times.Unfortunately, Manhattan will soon be forced to increase the price tag.Discussing the new satellite-connected box, Manhattan Chief Operating Officer, Alex Arbab-Zadeh told GB News: We know how much people value the simple, subscription-free control and intuitive experience of our T4-R Freeview recorder. Our audience has been actively asking for that same experience on Freesat, and we’re thrilled to deliver the S4-R as the answer. It not only brings our proprietary user interface to satellite viewing, but it also drastically elevates the recording capability by supporting up to four simultaneous shows, compared to the previous two-channel limit. The S4-R is the perfect subscription TV replacement for Brits seeking more power, more choice, and an end to high monthly fees.The Manhattan S4-R will be available later this month, with Currys, John Lewis, Argos and Richer Sounds all confirmed to stock the box. Prices start from £219.99 for the entry-level box with 500GB of storage to record 300-hours of television. Manhattan will charge £249.99 for the S4-R Freesat 4K TV Recorder with 1TB – double the storage — for 600-hours, and £279.99 for the 2TB model capable of storing 1,200 hours. The 1TB variant won't be available until next month, while the top-of-the-line 2TB model follows in June.Jonathan Thompson, CEO at Everyone TV, says: “With the launch of the S4-R, we’re continuing our mission to make free TV more accessible for everyone. Many UK households still rely on satellite and looking for a modern alternative that doesn’t compromise on features or experience. The S4-R delivers exactly that, combining multi-channel recording with a seamless, intuitive interface. Alongside our range of Freely, Freeview Freesat devices, it reflects our commitment to giving viewers choice in how they access free TV, with a consistent experience across every platform. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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