[HouseOfCards]

Howdy all,
I've had a browse of previous posts but being a newbie, I could do with some basic pointers.
I'm sure there are better ways of describing what I'm looking for......a multi media hard drive with PVR (???). I want to be able to tune to free sat and record PVR style but also to be able to play stored music library.
Decent capacity would be a requirement. I've got a coupe of hundred gig of music on my PC at the minute

Any tips on a manufacturer or model which would do the trick????? Or does such a machine exist?????
Don't know if it makes a difference but I'll be receiving MPEG4 digital broadcasts (in Ireland) so intend to buy a TV with built in digital tuner

Any ideas??????????

Thanks in advance

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by HouseOfCards

Howdy all,
I've had a browse of previous posts but being a newbie, I could do with some basic pointers.
I'm sure there are better ways of describing what I'm looking for......a multi media hard drive with PVR (???). I want to be able to tune to free sat and record PVR style but also to be able to play stored music library.
Decent capacity would be a requirement. I've got a coupe of hundred gig of music on my PC at the minute

Any tips on a manufacturer or model which would do the trick????? Or does such a machine exist?????
Don't know if it makes a difference but I'll be receiving MPEG4 digital broadcasts (in Ireland) so intend to buy a TV with built in digital tuner

Any ideas??????????

Thanks in advance

The Foxsat-hdr can upload music and photos for listening/watching and is a twin tuner HD capable freesat pvr

Welcome to HUMAX [UK]

Eventually it might be capable of streaming these from your Pc via it's Ethernet port. No promises you will have to wait a while to see if this is possible. I think (not 100% sure) it can also stream these from a fat32 external hard disc connected by usb without uploading them to it's internal HDD

[HouseOfCards]

Thanks Graham - looks good.
I'm in Ireland and they have to follow the EU directive and go digital by 2012 as well. They'll use a freeview type system rather than sat, so I'm wondering if the Humax box would behave itself and be compatible with and EPG etc. since its not the official FreeView(C) system

Even if it doesn't do the EPG, could I plug in both my digital aerial and my dish and have both sources as channels????
BTW - my TV will have a MPEG4 tuner so the aerial can be connected there for viewing - would it be possible to take a signal back into the PVR for recording??
Thanks again

Edit...
Topfield TF5400PVR (2 Tuners 1:satellite, 2:terrestrial )
Bit of a dog but looks like the solution........

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by HouseOfCards

Thanks Graham - looks good.
I'm in Ireland and they have to follow the EU directive and go digital by 2012 as well. They'll use a freeview type system rather than sat, so I'm wondering if the Humax box would behave itself and be compatible with and EPG etc. since its not the official FreeView(C) system

Even if it doesn't do the EPG, could I plug in both my digital aerial and my dish and have both sources as channels????
BTW - my TV will have a MPEG4 tuner so the aerial can be connected there for viewing - would it be possible to take a signal back into the PVR for recording??
Thanks again

Edit...
Topfield TF5400PVR (2 Tuners 1:satellite, 2:terrestrial )
Bit of a dog but looks like the solution........

Bit confused here the foxsat-hdr is a satellite receiver and has nothing to do with freeview. As a satellite system it's totally independent of UK terrestrial DTT channels but of course receivable across a lot of Europe. Pvr's can't record anything external at all, they simply buffer the digital stream to the hard disc and when required serve it up again in 100% quality. As you say Ireland is about to start broadcasting HD using Mpeg4 (following France) and many modern tuners on HD equipment can view this. As far as I am aware there are no terrestrial pvrs that can record this. In the UK HD over the terrestrial system is going to use a new more efficient system DVB-T2 and only prototype systems exist. Your OP stated freesat and the Topfield tuner you mention is not Freesat but a generic fta box and as such won't have the freesat epg

[HouseOfCards]

I may have got wires crossed... I'm looking to pick up UK Freesat and european DTT. Not looking for freeview. Hence the Topfield box with both satellite and terrestrial tuners.
It would be a bit of a pain if the EPG wasn't available on this one as its generic though.

How will hardware handle DVB-T2??? Will current UK users need to upgrade???

[Cyril]

It looks as though to do everything you want you will need a Media PC!

Every other unit on the UK market will have some kind of compromise.

Closest thing is the Foxsat-HDR which is not a bad piece of kit (one of my fave gadgets of 2008, but nowhere near as good as TiVo of course ).

Alternatively if you can live without the nice EPG, the twin Topfield satellite/Freeview combo you mention looks OK, but pricey.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by HouseOfCards

I may have got wires crossed... I'm looking to pick up UK Freesat and european DTT. Not looking for freeview. Hence the Topfield box with both satellite and terrestrial tuners.
It would be a bit of a pain if the EPG wasn't available on this one as its generic though.

How will hardware handle DVB-T2??? Will current UK users need to upgrade???

You won't be able to get European DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television). DTT transmitters have a useable range of around 50mls (depending on terrain). So assuming you live in the republic then even the Ulster DTT are not likely to be receivable. Satellite is the only long distance you can get.