Freeview Playback - Playback standard features revealed

[mentore]

Freeview has revised its page on Freeview Playback and at last has defined what the Playback PVR standard features should be.....

With Freeview Playback you will be able to:

1.Record programmes at the touch of a button
2.Pause and rewind live TV
3.Record one channel whilst watching another
4.Fit TV schedules around you

They go on to say:

Leading manufacturers Humax, Sony and TVonics are the first to offer Freeview Playback digital TV recorders, which will be available from Argos, Comet, John Lewis and Tesco from May 2007.

Page here:

http://www.freeview.co.uk/fvpb

 

[Matt_C]

Well apart from the "Fit TV schedules around you" bit (which isn't really an indepth synopsis of what it is) - all the other features are available on my £80 Asda Freeview PVR.... I did see one much like the black box in the pic on that page, in Tesco. But it's over £200!!!! And it doesn't even have any audio outputs! Sod that!

 

[mentore]

The TVonics and Logik PVRs do have audio outputs 3.5mm mini-jack and also optical (miniTOS).

You can buy a Logik LPV2250 from Dixons on-line at £159.99 and the equivalent TVonics DVR 250 (both 250Gb) at £189.99 direct from TVonics website.The 160Gb version (DVR150) is available from both TVonics and Tesco Direct at £149.99.



I agree the Tesco Direct price for the DVR250 is totally over the top...£219.97 is a try on.

 

[reforse]

Looks like my Topfield qualifies and exceeds this already. No mention of series links though!

 

[Richard46]

With Freeview Playback you will be able to:

1.Record programmes at the touch of a button
2.Pause and rewind live TV
3.Record one channel whilst watching another
4.Fit TV schedules around you

Yes; my 1st PVR a Pace Twin could meet that spec nearly four years ago.

Richard

 

[crammedin]

Yes; my 1st PVR a Pace Twin could meet that spec nearly four years ago.

Richard

After seeing a couple of news reports yesterday about Freeview launching a PVR for the service my wife says to me - "so what have we been using or the past 3 years?!"

In some fairness I think what Freeview aims to do is propel the take up of freeview PVRs, because they think its been low and because of the digital switch, by raising awarness of their existence and what they can do. Going one step further than the equivelent of the digital tick logo they are also making sure the Freeview Playback sticker/certification makes PVRs meet at least a minimum specifications to make it easier for people to find what they are going to need, and I understand they can be DVD recorders as well as the sort of Freeview PVRs discussed on this forum. From my point of view if a customer walks into a shop and asks for a freeview PVR they should come out with a freeview PVR without needing to mention Freeview Playback to make sure that happens properly.