[KableMan]

Hi All

I've searched everywhere for an answer to my question (including reading the TVDrive's manual online) but I can't see if it supports chasing play i.e. can you start watching a recording before it is finished? I know you can pause and rewind live TV but can you start playing a recording while its still in progress?

I have a Topfield PVR and this is one of its single most useful features and I'm currently trying to decide between Telewest's TVDrive and Sky+HD, and while the £300 initial cost for Sky is off putting, I don't want to trade down from my Topfield in terms of one of its best features.

Also a few other questions for existing owners:

How much better is normal SD via HDMI?

Is there any news on a fix for the offset display via HDMI?

What is everyone doing about lack of HDMI inputs? I have one on my SP50 and I've already got a DVD player with HDMI out. My component is taken up by my XBOX too.

Does anyone know if Telewest plan on having dedicated HD channels or will it always be via Teleport?

Any feedback/advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
KableMan

[Knyght_byte]

dunno about the TVdrive but Sky+ definitely has chasing play and i imagine the HD box will too.......in fact i find it like you one of the best features, start recording something, make some food, come back and you can whizz thru all the adverts...lol

altho sometimes i just leave it on pause if i know i wont need to keep it.....

as for other questions, well, with my DVD player i find the HDMI and Component difference depends on the actual film, one looks better for some films, the other for other films....so i vary which output i use (both are plugged in to the PJ)......but both beat s-video hands down so i guess HDMI from a HD Sky box will beat s-video..not sure about RGB Scart tho....mebbe, mebbe not, might depend on the program.....

as for the HDMI inputs and the lack thereof, i think most people are either upgrading their amps to multi HDMI switchable ones, or just buying HDMI switchboxes....

hope any of this helps :-)

[Ernie_C]

Originally Posted by KableMan

can you start playing a recording while its still in progress?

You certainly can. I use this feature a lot.

I use the 90 minute DelayTV buffer a lot as well. If I think I may be home late for a program starting at, say, 8pm, I simply set a Reminder to autochange the channel to the correct channel at the time of the program. When I come in, I can simply replay the channel from when it swapped to the program, as long as I'm no longer than 90 minutes late home.
Of course, I could be recording another two programs at the same time for future viewing as TVDrive has three tuners.

Originally Posted by KableMan

Hi All

I've searched everywhere for an answer to my question (including reading the TVDrive's manual online) but I can't see if it supports chasing play i.e. can you start watching a recording before it is finished? I know you can pause and rewind live TV but can you start playing a recording while its still in progress?

I have a Topfield PVR and this is one of its single most useful features and I'm currently trying to decide between Telewest's TVDrive and Sky+HD, and while the £300 initial cost for Sky is off putting, I don't want to trade down from my Topfield in terms of one of its best features.

Also a few other questions for existing owners:

How much better is normal SD via HDMI?

Is there any news on a fix for the offset display via HDMI?

What is everyone doing about lack of HDMI inputs? I have one on my SP50 and I've already got a DVD player with HDMI out. My component is taken up by my XBOX too.

Does anyone know if Telewest plan on having dedicated HD channels or will it always be via Teleport?

Any feedback/advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
KableMan

I have TV DRIVE
Yes you can access and watch a programe whilst it is still recording. Also use fast forward and reverse.

SD via HDMI looks good, but seems to have a slight blur on movement.
Similar to an older LCD display. A bit annoying.

I contacted Telewest yesterday. Spoke to Telewest Tech. department about the left shift issue.
They said they were aware of the problem and it would be addresed soon by a firmware download.

HD transmitions will not all be via Teleport as some will be available to record on the TV drive. You cannot record from Teleport.

[KableMan]

Thanks Everyone for your help. I'm several steps closer to ordering TVDrive - I might still hang on for confirmation of a fix for the shift problem though (I've had Telewest in the past and I know how they can tell porkies!) and it'll give me time to possibly sell my Topfield or I might just move it to another room as backup.

So you can pause live TV on the third tuner while recording from the other two!? Now that's very cool - I've wanted to do that a few times on my Toppy - it allows you to watch a third channel but you can't perform any tricks while recording two others

Cheers
KableMan

Oh one more thing - can anyone recommend an AV receiver with HDMI switching?

Originally Posted by KableMan

Thanks Everyone for your help. I'm several steps closer to ordering TVDrive - I might still hang on for confirmation of a fix for the shift problem though (I've had Telewest in the past and I know how they can tell porkies!) and it'll give me time to possibly sell my Topfield or I might just move it to another room as backup.

So you can pause live TV on the third tuner while recording from the other two!? Now that's very cool - I've wanted to do that a few times on my Toppy - it allows you to watch a third channel but you can't perform any tricks while recording two others

Cheers
KableMan

Oh one more thing - can anyone recommend an AV receiver with HDMI switching?

Go For It !!
Take no notice of the hysteria on these forums about the left shift problem.
I hardly notice it on my Panny PV500. (i'm more interested in the HD PQ)
If your viewing screen has a black edge to it, you won't notice it.
It may be more noticable on a screen with a silver edge to it.
I had the box fitted purely for the HD facility.
But it is still worth having, for the ease of recording, even it it did not have the HD.