PVR / HD recorder recomendations

I have a Topfield TF5800PVR (250G) and whilst I think it's a great bit
of kit I wouldn't get one for my (aging) parents.

The Humax range (as mentioned) on the other hand are said to have a
much more friendly interface if not quite so flexible or programmable.
I'm not sure they do one with a DVD recorder but I'm not sure DVD
writing / playback is 'durable' enough for everyone (optical media
types, finalizing, compatibility etc etc).

The Topfield has a USB interface so in theory I can move stuff off
that onto my PC > burn to DVD. Whilst I have done so as a test, in
practice I don't.

http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/pvr.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=90

p.s. I had a Lite-On PVR with HDD and DVD writer and whilst that was
easy to use the DVD functions I still had compatibility issues between
media created on that and even playing back in the same box!

 

They are and there are loads to choose from to download (free) if you
did want to experiment. There are a couple of TAPs that ore
recommended by most users but after that it's up to you.

I think most of it is, but then you get the odd thing that you do once
then can't find again!

With ~100 hours of storage you can save quite a bit of stuff for later
though? Granted all yer eggs are in one basket but are TV progs that
important?

Not sure if uVNC is the same in use but I have used www.showmypc.com
with reasonable effect. You don't need a static ip but do need some
help from the other end.

 

The aged parent has finally broken her trusty VCR so I've got to
source something modern. The proviso being that it needs to be simple
to operate or I'll be spending hours on the phone. I'd guess ideally I
am looking for something with a DVD drive so stuff can be archived off
and freeview tuner since analogue is essentially dead.

I've found so far
URL:http://www.inest.co.uk/products/Wha...D-Freeview_Recorder_80GB_HDD_-MultiRegion.asp
which seems very cheap and
URL:http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135157/show_product_overview
however, any personal recommendation, especially as to ease of use for
a technologically challenged parent would be good.

 

Neither has twin digital tuners, which IMHO rules them out. I'd go
along to somewhere like Currys or Comet, which have a range of PVRs
and can give aged parent support if and when you can't.

Our Thomson has just packed in and has been replaced by a Humax. It's
ok - not as nice as the Thomson but that only lasted a few years, so I
wouldn't necessarily recommend either.

 

Yep a bit more googling has turned up some mixed reviews, I don't
think cost is a major consideration versus usability and reliability.

 

Good point, I'll try and call in tomorrow on the way home. I've been
having real problems spotting something with twin tuners and a dvd
writer in the same box.

 

Aren't they the one where you can write you're own SW plugins, in
which case I'd have to avoid. It needs to be very simple to operate.

Although I could do that and have USB external drives I know they'll
want to able to save stuff for later so it needs a built in dvd
writer. Anything which needs multiple steps would mean I'll be doing
it.

There were some problems with email a couple of weeks ago which were a
nightmare to sort out because I was in the wrong timezone and had to
get my brother to do it whilst I talked him through. Hopefully a fixed
IP address and UltraVnc will stop that happening again.

 

Ah. You didn't mention DVD writer earlier. In that case you really
need something that has both HDD (for normal timeshifting) and a DVD
writer for keepers. Finding that plus twin tuners could be a problem.

We got a Sony RDR-HXD870 (from Richer Sounds) a while back. Nice bit
of kit, except something's gone wrong with the Freeview reception and
I've not yet got it sorted - so no recommendation atm. We settled for
a single tuner as we also had a twin-tuner PVR.

Do look out for a machine that will archive to DVD without going to
analogue and re-digitising. It may be that they all do that nowadays,
but it wasn't always the case.

 

Such an article doesn't exist (or didn't a couple of months back).
You can get one tuner and a DVD drive or twin tuner (which IMO is by far the
most useful option) but not everything unless you build a HTPC.

I'm a big fan of the Humax PVR9200 which has twin tuners and is very simple
to operate. It has a USB out for copy files onto a PC for burning to disk
but I've never actually bothered using it other than as a quick test.
It's been replaced by the 9300 which has twice the capacity and HDMI outputs
but you can still get the old one from some shops.
The 9300 doesn't do USB output any more so I'm told.



--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger , then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk

 

It's what we've just got. Two immediate quibbles - 1) it doesn't store
the EPG on the hard disk, it loads it afresh every time you switch on
(which can take 5-10 mins), and 2) if you use the digital equivelant
of PDC (which is optional), whatever it's called, it takes about 30
seconds to get rolling, so you can miss a vital opening sequence.

 

I had one of those, though the analogue version.
The biggest piece of unadulterated shite I've ever owned, and it faced
some tough competition, I can assure you.
When it wasn't losing time on the internal clock it was losing
recordings or simply not bothering at all. Plus, the menu is a pile of
crap.
I replaced it with a LiteOn HD-A740GX - perhaps not the best menu in the
world but it's a pleasure compared to the aforementioned POS. Only
weakness is the nasty DVD drive in it, but I like the unit so much I'm
prepared to replace the drive and keep the whole thing for a while as
is. Not much use to you either, as LiteOn have dropped out of the
market, afaik.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

 

Me, my Grandad, 1 of my mates and now my parents all have Humax 9200TBs.
They're twin tuner, they're actually genuinely reliable and never crash -
which cheap ones do, and you can miss out on recordings. Often they need to
be unplugged an plugged back in, which was always very annoying on my old
Thomson as it crashed at least once or twice a month, sometimes twice in a
week, and the plugs were very inaccessible.

It's very easy to use, and has the series record feature, which is awesome.
One click records every episode, and even if the program runs on 10 mins, it
doesn't cut it off, just records till it finishes. Not so sure how it does
that, but it's great Something to do with being Freeview Group 2
complient. My mates and parents' both arrived like that, I'd already had
mine 6 months, but it did an over the air update, and when I turned it on
the next day it had all the new features, like series link, which was pretty
awesome I though.

Also, you can record two things, and watch a recording all at the same time
The twin tuner is 100% necessary, I wouldn't even consider one without,
otherwise if two things are on at once, you can't record one and watch the
other, you have to watch the one you record, and miss the other - and what's
the point in that?

It is a little more expensive than the really cheap ones, but trust me,
they're so infuriating when they crash, the urge to throw them through the
window is massive...

It seems to have been supersceded by this, the 9300 with a 300gb hard drive,
at £199, whereas mine has only a 160gb - but that holds like, mega loads
heh. My advice would be to find somewhere selling the 9200TB off cheap,
John Lewis were doing it for £149, but seem to have sold out. However if
you don't mind spending more on the 9300 then I have no doubt it's a
brilliant machine, although I can't actually give a personal recommendation

 

Bad form I know, but there is now a TBX, only available through Humax, same
as the 9200TB I raved about, but with a 320gb drive -

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10055 - £169.00, with 3
years warranty as well.

 

It'll lose its second tuner when analogue gets switched off.

 

I very nearly bought a Thomson box with the same problem.

I think Ian's options are

1) a single-tuner HDD/DVD writer and a cheapish set-top box for the
second tuner. Gets you the best DVD but less flexibility.

2) a twin-tuner HDD and a separate DVD writer for archiving. More
initial flexibility but lower quality (because of analogue conversion)
DVD.

 

[analogue TV]

Varies, dunnit. Depends where you live:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when

 

I got my mum a TVonics PVR, mainly because the menu system is easy to use
and very similar to the menu on a Sky box.

Review of one here:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/home-cinema/review/2008/09/20/TVonics-DTR-Z250-Freeview-PVR/p1

Ash

 

Carlisle's already lost it.

Quite. It's possible that some at least will be concentrating on
developing a Freesat + HDD box.

 

It's already started...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7045641.stm

 

I liked their comment "Twin tuners are an essential feature of any PVR
(a fact DVD/HDD combi manufacturers still seem blissfully unaware
of)".