Digifusion PVRs

[Supatramp]

Looking for a cheap PVR for use in the caravan. I've come across refurbished Digifusion PVRs but a little confused with the different models available!

Can anyone advise me between the 100, 145, 150, and 200. I fancied the 200 but then saw mention somewhere that it was noisy, whereas the 150 was quiet.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Groberts]

I too am interested in the Digifusion's. Does anyone have any experience of using them? From my research they appear to have top notch functionality, but are a bit noisy, plus the EPG is not very nice to look at (although I think you can change this via a software download?). They seem remarkably good value, but which is the most reliable model? Anyone know?

 

[ROYOLD]

I have the 145, 150 and the 200 models. I wouldn't say that any of them are that noisy. The HDD does run all the time though, even in standby.

The main fault with these PVR's is the separate PSU which often goes faulty and has to be replaced with a 5 amp model. The original ones were just 2 amps and then they started supplying models with 3 amp before using the 5 amp 12V PSU's on the last models of the 200's they made.

Most of the Digifusion PVR's were eventually sold off to box shifters. MicroDirect, Manchester, had many of these units. Don't know if they still have them in stock.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/server2/digifusion/

I now have two Humax 9200T PVR's and they are far, far better than the Digi's.

 

[CrispyUK]

Yep they've still got them - http://www.microdirect.co.uk/productlister.aspx?n=5,23,106 - 90, 100, 145, 150 and 200, all under £45, plus delivery I guess

 

[Supatramp]

Thanks for your reply, ROYOLD.

There's a bit of comment on these in several places, mostly good, and I just wanted some comment from a source like here where people might be a bit more knowledgeable.

Against the current climate of reducing and saving energy, I'm just a little puzzled and concerned that the hard drive is permanently operating!

I fancied the 200 as it's the latest of the 80gb models, but I then read that the 150 supposedly ran quieter and cooler.

There's some dedicated info at a certain other forum where I was going to post a query, until I discovered that they wanted £5 to register, because I was using a Yahoo Mail address. I told the plonkers where to go!!!

 

[ROYOLD]

My three have served extremely well over the years I have owned them and I did purchase a 12V 5A PSU from "Digidave" in case it was ever needed but so far its still in reserve. The 200 model is probably the best and mine have probably stayed the course because I switch off all my equipment at the mains
plug when its not in use. The Digifusions need also to be well ventilated because despite the fan the HDD gets fairly hot with being permanently running.

These machines use the epg tranmitted by 4TV on channel 300 at around 3 a.m. daily but its a 14 day epg so I only update it once weekly and to save power its on a timer switch set between 0200 and 0500. The downside of only updating the epg once weekly is that it doesn't update any programme changes, but I can live with that. I mainly use the two Humax machines these days.

 

[Supatramp]

Thanks again, ROYOLD.

With regard to the HD permanently running, and the heat involved, would it then be advisable to turn it off each night, and if so, does it come on ok when you switch it back on the next day?

Another thing, as I said originally this would be for use in the caravan, and in the bedroom area the unit would probably need to be positioned on it's end, rather than the more normal horizontal. D'you reckon this would be ok?

One other thing, is the top of the casing strong enough to sit a 15" LCD TV on?

And finally......................... are you the only person on here with a Digifusion???!!!!!

By the way, I have a 9200T at home myself, and never had any problem with it.

 

[ROYOLD]

The top casing is only thin steel so it may bend a little with a 15" LCD on top.

I have just lifted my 15" LCD monitor and its far heavier than I anticipated it would be. I shouldn't imagine any problem with vertical mounting as long as
the ventilation around it is adequate.

I used to switch mine on and off several times a day and always overnight except for the once weekly epg update. They always started fine again from switching on at mains. Take a couple of mins to boot up though.

No, I am not the only one with a Digi 200. The forum Moderator LV426 has one. Or he did have at one time.

 

[RosemaryP]

I have two dead digifusions. Neither lasted very long and were not greatly used.

One main piece of advice given was do not put anything on them and keep them well aired.

Both of mine just got stuck with "please wait". I got the Digi-Dave psu as well but it made no difference. Some owners seem very capable with a soldering iron. I did flash one of them with a better background for the epg. But did not have the second one working long enough to get round to it. Although I love my gadgets I am not an engineer if they need anything doing to them.

I have a Daewoo 9503T in the living room and it works great. Some people complain about them sounding tinny, but we have never had problems with it. My husband is not technically minded and never managed to set the VCR but can work the Daewoo so until it dies I cannot swap it for anything else.

I have a Humax that I managed to sneak in under my husbands nose in the bedroom and it has frozen a couple of times missing recordings. I also have an Inverto that is ok and a Pace Twin which was my first venture into digital recording. There was nothing wrong with it is a record one and watch one.

 

[Supatramp]

ROYOLD, thanks again for your info, looks as if I'll be getting a Digifusion!

Rosemary, it seems to be one of the idiosyncrasies of electronic machines. One works fine while another is the exact opposite. Go to any product review and no matter how many people give rave reviews of the item, there'll always be one or two who don't have a good word to say about it. But thanks for your comments.

 

[Tribe2k]

These are great cheap PVRs, we have 3 modded box's in the house and they have been great for years now!!

Check out these pages:

http://www.mousemat.f2s.com/FVRT100/firmwareUpgrade.htm

You will need this also:

http://www.eccleson.org/Syphon/Syphon0.1.20.zip


Then it's really simple, all you do is download your desired hacked GUI I personally think this is the best one: http://www.mousemat.f2s.com/FVRT100/...uaBlue_run.bin

Rename it too: run.bin

Then take out the HD from the digifusion and chuck it into a PC, fire Syphon up and load the run.bin, then tell syphon to connect to the Digifusion HD and then select: 'Copy File to PVR'. Close Syphon and shutdown. Connect HD back into Digifusion. Job DONE!

HOWEVER: When upgrading too the new FVRT200 firmware you will lose all recordings, either wait until you can empty the library or if your impatient like me you can extract the recordings from the HD onto your computer and watch with VLC or XBMC.
Digifusion Extractor: http://www.hope.co.nz/downloads/fusionvw_098.zip

You can also do this using a serial lead if you don't want too open up the PVR but I'm not sure on the instructions with this method and cannot confirm it works 100% like the method I used.

This site is great for digifusion owners: http://www.jargongeneration.com/FVRT100/index.htm

 

[LV426]

...the forum Moderator LV426 has one.....

Yes, I do. It is still working perfectly, without any notable problems. Unlike ROYOLD, I never power mine down, so it has been running more or less continuously for going on three years. It is VERY well ventilated and always has been.

It's not a good idea to power the thing down overnight. The Programme Guide (EPG) is updated nightly at 3am and not at any other time. So, unless the machine has power, and can turn itself on at 3am to download the EPG, your EPG will not populate nor update itself.

I LIKE the Digifusion. I know the hardware isn't robust and can fail, I suspect mainly due to overheating. But it does several things that others seem to struggle with such as

- doesn't suffer firmware lock-ups
- after a power outage, it resets its clock without being asked, and will resume (or start) a recording in progress (or due).
- stores the EPG on the hard disk so it's instantly available at all times (ackowledge that this means it doesn't reflect late changes, but that has yet to cause me a problem).
etc.....

 

[Supatramp]

Thanks again for more info.

As mentioned in my original post, this would be used in my caravan so it would be in use for a couple of weeks then switched off and put away for several weeks before being brought out again.

Ok, I think I've got the message, I'll be visiting Microdirect later!!

 

[Supatramp]

200 ordered last night from Microdirect!

 

[Groberts]

Let us know how you get on with it David. I'd be interested to hear your feedback on the Digifusion. Cheers

 

[Geoggy]

i take it these dont have the series link feature?

 

[creddish]

i take it these dont have the series link feature?

No they don't. They were designed before Freeview Playback (now called Freevie+) existed.

Colin

 

[Supatramp]

Well........................ having placed my order with Microdirect on Wednesday night, it was despatched on Friday. Royal Mail's own tracker service confirmed that it arrived in Glasgow on Sunday, and it was delivered on Tuesday.

As a refurbished unit, the plainish box has Digifusion graphics on it and is obviously designed for it, the unit doesn't have a mark on it, it's the proper remote control, the instructions are a good quality photocopy. There is no SCART lead, RF lead, or batteries for the remote.

Connecting to the TV is via the usual leads, and fortunately I had spares available of the items not included. Initial tuning didn't work, but having moved the aerial the 2nd attempt worked perfectly with 92 channels found.

In comparison to the picture on the TV on it's own, with the Digifusion 200 connected there's a major improvement. So far, I've paused live TV and it worked fine. Setting up a timed recording, by the time I'd finished the programme had already started, but it recorded the whole thing ok.

So far, my only complaint is the awful backgrounds in the Menu screens, some things are quite difficult to read.

So a question for the experienced Digifusion users: is it possible to change these backgrounds? I'd much prefer a simple, plain background!

 

[LV426]

There used to be some hacked firmware floating about on the web but I don't remember any details, nor whether it did any harm. I agree, the colour scheme is dreadful; but you only look at the menus and EPG briefly; I decided to just bear it!

 

[clemenzina]

awful backgrounds in the Menu screens... So... is it possible to change these backgrounds?

Scan thru this thread again - I think it's Post No 11. Tut tut!

clemenzina

 

[JemTheWire]

You can download "new" backgrounds from here: PhiliFusion - THE NEW DIGIFUSION FVRT SERIES RESOURCE SITE

HTH.

 

[raddo]

Hi there,
Has anyone tried to replace HDD in Digifusion PVR for a Compact Flash card? (32Gb) Would it work?
Rado

 

[nvingo]

Hi there,
Has anyone tried to replace HDD in Digifusion PVR for a Compact Flash card? (32Gb) Would it work?
Rado

I've heard of hard discs and IDE-interfaced CF cards being interchanged in other applications, but not yet heard of it being tried in a PVR. If the IDE controller sees the card as no different to a standard HDD it may well work.

 

[Supatramp]

Well....................... my Digifusion appears to have developed a fault/problem!!

It's taking ages to do anything! Even something as simple as just changing channels takes the best part of a minute after you press the relevant button on the remote. And the remote is communicating with the unit ok, as the symbol appears in the unit's window immediately you press a button.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[LV426]

The only thing you can try is to cycle power - disconnect it from its PSU, leave for 2 or 3 minutes, then reconnect.

BUT......it may well not recover. If it has overheated then either the external PSU, or some internal power supply components might be compromosed.