Quick XS32 question

dpluxor · 08-02-2005, 10:17 AM

Hi

Just a quick question if I may. I am close to buying one of these recorders but I did ask a sales bloke this same thing but I didnt like his answer.

Is it right that you cannot use the timeslip, or pausing, or chase TV when recording to the hard drive, and that you have to be recording to DVD-RAM if you want to use these features. Sounds like a bit of a backward step to me if this is the case.

Thanks

David

Rasczak · 08-02-2005, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Is it right that you cannot use the timeslip, or pausing, or chase TV when recording to the hard drive, and that you have to be recording to DVD-RAM if you want to use these features. Sounds like a bit of a backward step to me if this is the case.

No that is rubbish. Timeslip is fully available with HDD operations.

JayCee · 08-02-2005, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpluxor

Hi

Just a quick question if I may. I am close to buying one of these recorders but I did ask a sales bloke this same thing but I didnt like his answer.

Is it right that you cannot use the timeslip, or pausing, or chase TV when recording to the hard drive, and that you have to be recording to DVD-RAM if you want to use these features. Sounds like a bit of a backward step to me if this is the case.

Thanks

David

Can you imagine the amount of sales that' guy's employer's have lost due to duff info he's giving to customers.

dpluxor · 08-02-2005, 11:32 AM

Agreed, and this wasnt just some shop selling an odd one of these things. I wont name the company but I will say this, they are the cheapest online retailer of this model and are giving away 3 free DVD-RAMs. When I asked them if they were sure about their answer, they said "Yes, thats why we are giving away the DVD-RAMs cos you will need them !!!"

Ideally I want to use the HDD for everything and just put a DVD in if I want to keep anything, or lend a film to someone, or build a music video compilation for the car or something

David

SDHoward · 08-02-2005, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpluxor

Agreed, and this wasnt just some shop selling an odd one of these things. I wont name the company but I will say this, they are the cheapest online retailer of this model and are giving away 3 free DVD-RAMs. When I asked them if they were sure about their answer, they said "Yes, thats why we are giving away the DVD-RAMs cos you will need them !!!"

Ideally I want to use the HDD for everything and just put a DVD in if I want to keep anything, or lend a film to someone, or build a music video compilation for the car or something

David

Yes thats pretty much how I do things.. the only time I use the DVD is to watch pre recorded dvd's or if I want to keep something, or when I'm running out of space (which has happened a lot recently as I hardly seem to get time to watch tv, and its now so easy to record something).
Don't tell 'the company' though as 3 free dvd rams is quite usefull

redsox_mark · 08-02-2005, 11:55 AM

I’ve got an XS32, and I’ve yet to use a RAM disc for recording. I’ve got a couple just in case… e.g. if I run short of space, though I haven’t got close yet.

I record everything to the HDD. I’d say 80% of what I record I watch from the HDD, then delete it. For the rest: recordings I want to keep get dubbed to –R, and recordings the wife wants to watch upstairs get dubbed to –RW.

Mark

nic@highgroundd · 08-02-2005, 12:11 PM

Redsox,
can I ask why you went for the Toshiba? - was the Panasonic not up your alley?

redsox_mark · 08-02-2005, 12:22 PM

Just re-read the original post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpluxor

Is it right that you cannot use the timeslip, or pausing, or chase TV when recording to the hard drive

Now clearly the part about needing to use DVD-RAMs is rubbish. If you are recording to HDD, you can use timeslip and watch the start of what you are recording while still recording....

Of course what you can't do is pause live TV on a different programme. E.g. if the recorder is recording from it's internal BBC1, you could watch SKY at the same time, but you couldn't pause a SKY programme at the same time. The recorder can only be tuned to one input at a time. (This isn't specific to the XS32).

Now maybe this is obvious... just wasn't sure from the original post what it was you wanted to do.

Mark

redsox_mark · 08-02-2005, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nic@highgroundd

Redsox,
can I ask why you went for the Toshiba? - was the Panasonic not up your alley?

I wanted DV input, so I ruled out the E85.

I did strongly consider the Panny E95. The deciding factor was I wanted to be able to create -RW discs. This was important as my wife and I have some differing taste in TV, and I wanted to be able to record things for her that she could watch on another player. We don't want to keep these recordings, just watch once, so using -Rs for this would be a waste.

The fact that the XS32 was cheaper than the E95 was a bonus.

This may seem like a small point, but it was an important one for me. I see the new Pannys will support -RW.

I've since discovered an additional advantage that the XS32 records the "widescreen flag" to DVD-R, while the Panny doesn't. While you can work around this on a 16:9 TV, this would have caused me trouble. With the XS32 I can make a widescreen recording, and my wife can watch it fine on a 4:3 TV (letterboxed, not distorted). It seems the Panny can not do this.

Mark

nic@highgroundd · 08-02-2005, 1:13 PM

Cheers,
much appreciated.

(how many times can a DVD-RW record Coronation Street? ... that should be in the manual!).

Rasczak · 08-02-2005, 1:38 PM

Quote:

Of course what you can't do is pause live TV on a different programme. E.g. if the recorder is recording from it's internal BBC1, you could watch SKY at the same time, but you couldn't pause a SKY programme at the same time. The recorder can only be tuned to one input at a time. (This isn't specific to the XS32).

But then the same applies equally if your recording to DVD-RAM... Don't make excuses for the salesman - he was taking s*** and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

dpluxor · 08-02-2005, 4:33 PM

Thanks guys, and in light of everything you knowledgeable readers have told me, and a quick browse at the rather lengthy downloadable manual from the tosh site, I have ordered one today. Howver, this was not ordered from the company I first posted about (the anonymous bunch with the free DVD-RAMs), I ordered from another firm for £339.

After reading into the terms of the former company, I found out that their delivery is 3 to 5 days. I dont know about you but if I get itchy fingers and decide to order a new toy, it MUST come next day. Their next day upgrade cost £8.99 bringing their price to £347.99. Still a good price but it pays to read the small print. The next firm I tried attempted to pull another fast one, they advertised at £339 with next day del. if ordered b4 3pm. The guy on the phone said "It'll be 48 hours delivery". Oh no it won't !!!!!!!

One thing that really annoys me with a lot of the cheaper retailers is that they dont know anything about their products. They may sell a wide range and at good prices but if so much as try to ring them to, for example, get a model comparison or ask something that you can't find anywhere, you just get the robot answer "All the specs are on our website", or a made up answer. Very rarely do you get an honest, "I don't know Sir"

I just bought a 32ZP48 and all most sites just listed the basics "100hz, Dolby Digital, 32", Picture Frame". All I wanted to know is if it had Component inputs, I got 1 yes and 2 no's and a 'Check our website for the spec'.

David