I do not know about the UK.
However, in Australia the "Freeview" Label was a "con" and recording devices so labeled
"can not skip an ad block. Initially they could skip 10-minute blocks, and fast forward and rewind at 30x speeds, but these were changed to 3 minutes and 32x in 2015.
Hard drive-based recorders must offer a minimum of 160GB internal storage, with Digital Rights Management applied to recordings copied off the device. Restrictions must also be in place to ensure recordings can not be accessed if the hard drive is removed from the recorder."
(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeview_(Australia) )
I have a (Korean) "Beyonwiz" T4, with a 2 TB Hard-Drive and FOUR tuners.
Hence, I can record up to Four programs at any one time.
I hardly watch anything "Live" (except the News on the ABC - with no Ads.)
Everything else I watch in "delay", so that I can skip over the Ads
AND
at a time that I wish to watch and
NOT
at the time that the Station wishes to transmit !
I have recorded quite a few "Full-Length" movies, which I must get around to watching - sometime.
While the Beyonwiz T4 does not have a DVD/BluRay recorder, it is connected via the LAN to my computer, on which I can edit any of the recorded "programs" and record onto whatever form of media which I wish.
Of course, I can view "On-Line" programs - via the "Net"
However, the Beyonwiz T4 also has an HDMI input on which I can record such programs - if I wish - in spite of the measures which out there to prevent this !!.
( I also have an older Beyonwiz PVR with only 2 Tuners, which I can use in the event of any problems with the Beyonwiz T4)
Repairs and replacement parts for these devices are
still available in Australia, although new Beyonwiz PVRs seem
not to be readily available.