Humax 9200 or Topfield 5800?

P

Paul Wright

Guest
I understand that these two units are the best twin tuner PVRs, but can anyone clarify a few points?

I’m hoping one of these boxes can do all the following:
  • S/PDIF and SVideo output for my AV Amp.
  • Allow you to pull off the recorded video onto your PC.
  • Allow you to put video back onto the unit from your PC.
  • Gave an RF Out that isn’t just pass through to route to a second TV.

I have read conflicting reports about one being noisier than the other and one being less reliable than the other, but due to the conflicting reports I can't really use them as determining factors.
 
I have had a topfield for about four months, and it certainly isn't noisy, and I have had no reliability issues (my old pioneer freeview receiver was always freezing up)

It will definitely talk to a PC, but my toppy and PC are in different areas of the house so I haven't experimented with this as yet.

The flexibility of the thing is awesome. I don't know how I lived without it!
 
I have a Toppy and I would say its very quiet in operation. It does output S-Video and you can transfer recordings from the unit to a PC (via USB.2).

As for your other questions I would suggest going to the Topfiled website and downloading the manual.
 
I have an Inverto but from everything I've read (a lot) I would definitely say Toppy all the way:)

Not sure either can transfer files both ways but you've far more chance with a Toppy and a Tap.

EDIT: You definitley can't do to and from on thr Humax but there is a TAP for the Toppy - Topfield PC Utilities that does the job:thumbsup:

DOUBLE EDIT: Sorry too hasty apparently PC to Humax can be done http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/whisper/qausb.html :oops:
 
Thanks guys, it looks like they'll both do most of the points, however it is the RF out to a second TV that appears to swing the balance towards the Topfield. Does anyone have this unit running in such configuration? I.E. SVideo / Scart to TV1 and RF to TV2? I appreciates that both TVs will display the same channel, but is the picture quality good on both?
 
Why d'you want S-Video in particular, Paul? Most AV amps will accept YUV (component in) and that's far better quality than S-Video. The Toppy will output YUV on its scart (you'd need a scart to YUV cable and these ARE directional so be careful) but the Humax doesn't.

The S/PDIF is optical only on the Toppy so check your amp.

I have my Toppy connected to my NAD T752 via S/PDIF but I don't route the video through the amp because you lose the pin8 switching functions.

I had a Humax as well as my Toppy but I ran out of space in my stand and one had to go. On balance, I felt the Toppy just had the edge.

You have an Inverto, do you, Hodg? ;)
 
The Topfield PC Utilities isn't a TAP - it's a piece of PC software and a USB driver; works fine in both directions, and you can even convert your wedding video (obviously, you'd not do it with copyrighted material) and upload it to the box, to watch in reverse after a big argument.

There are users on the Toppy forums who use the RF output to feed a second TV.

Nigel.
 
Paul Wright said:
  • Allow you to put video back onto the unit from your PC.

Most PVRs do not allow you to do this. Certainly the Hummy doesn't. Does the Toppy?
 
As Nigel says - it's a two way street for transferal to and from the toppy.
the only proviso being that the video would have to be encoded into a transport stream the same as would have been recorded from the Freeview receivers - but I'm sure that is possible.;)

I've had my main TV fed via a scart, and a second TV fed by the RF! I'm sure the S-video would do the same :smashin:
 
hodg100 said:
EDIT: You definitley can't do to and from on thr Humax but there is a TAP for the Toppy - Topfield PC Utilities that does the job:thumbsup:

DOUBLE EDIT: Sorry too hasty apparently PC to Humax can be done http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/whisper/qausb.html :oops:

I can't speak for the Toppy, but with respect with the Hummy and the reference above, I have to say that these are experiments that users have done, rather than Humax providing a facility for uploading video files to the box to watch. (Read the complete thread: http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=319374 so that you will notice that things are left unconfirmed and untested). Some users have had their boxes screwed up after such experiments...

The fact both the Toppy and Hummy can only play .ts (transport stream) video files suggest that uploading video and playing them is not their purpose. What you (Paul Wright) are asking is whether the PVR can act as a media player (am I correct and if so the answer is in my other post)? But if you are wanting to transfer recorded programmes off, and then put them back for watching later, then this is possible (bearing in mind what was said above), but this might be more of a hastle than of any practical use - as the transfer rates from box to PC (and vice versa) is unbearably slow...
 

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