No decent PVR……

VSupe

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Isn’t there decent PVR out there?

Seems the best so far is the Humax 9200 but I would have hoped Sony would have continued to make one especially with the benefits of Digital.

The Humax seems pretty good but the menu system is dire and the way in which it populates the EPG isn’t good either, but what it does is very good, now its got/getting Series Link which i feel is so important.

Does anyone know if Sony have plans to re-introduce a PVR, but hopefully along the lines of the RDR-HXD860 rather than the 870 which was a step backwards in my opinion.

Rant over ;)
 
The Topfield's are also highly regarded, stable and reliable, and like the Humax will shortly be getting series link. The new Topfield 5810 has a much improved interface, which you can see screen shots of at http://www.toppy.org.uk/news.php

Sony did sell a twin tuner freeview PVR for a while - it was a re-badged version of someone else's product, with the price hiked and some of the features taken out.

Don't get too hung up on brand names; there aren't that many companies with lots of experience in the PVR market - Humax and Topfield make their own; many other brands are re-badged Vestel boxes
 
Thank you for your comments.
I'm not with BT so cant go down that route :(

Hmm.
Topfield, although showing just programmes 4 at a time is pretty poor, i give it a look never the less.


The RDR-HXD860 / 870 are DVD/HDD recorders, but would be perfect for me if they made a PVR in the same format, albeit twin tuners and no dvd.
The 860's software looks very good and seems to have been thought about for items that count when using it everyday.

Thanks
Stephen
 
You mean the EPG view? One of the neat things about the Topfield is the degree to which things like that can be customised - for example, I normally use EPG Navigator as my EPG, rather than the built in one. You can see some of the skins for that at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/epgnavigator/index.html

There are plenty of other alternative EPGs for it too.
 
I use a Topfield and use eleven channels at once for the EPG :thumbsup:
My stuff 5.51 is great :)

Dave.
 
Isn't there decent PVR out there?
Yes there is Humax, don't worry about the menu system when you start using it you'll wonder how you ever survived without one :rolleyes:
 
I recommend the Humax too.

I bought mine last week, and haven't looked back.

:smashin:
 
Bought my Humax about 6 months ago. I've got to say, it just works. If you want a plug and play device that does what it says on the tin then you really can't fault the Humax - it just works.
 
I like the Topfield 5800 a lot. My only complaint (other than the pretty awful default EPG) is the remote control. You really have to point it at the box to get it to respond - no slobbing on the couch and bouncing the signal off the ceiling 'cos the coffee table is in the way :)
 
I can only endorse the Topfield.My daughter has the Humax and I just dont like the epg.its also a bit too noisy for my liking
The Topfield is so easy to use,can record two channels and watch another or watch a recording.it can be customised as has been said.

Just go to the Toppy Org pages to see just how flexible this machine is.
 
why would anyone want anything made by sony? Nice stuff if you want to spend 40% of your budget on a badge.

when i bought my PVR i was torn between the toppy and the hummy - went for the hummy in the end because it was cheaper (and it was just before crimbo.) Also the toppy's customisation put me off. Not because i dont like it - but because i'd mess with it all the time and really get on my wife's nerves.

I don't really use the EPG - i use the Radio Times to see whats on and use the EPG for setting recordings, but even then i use "search" to do it a lot of the time. I expect we all use EPG's in different ways.


Gary
 
Quite liking the TF5810.

Is there a release date and when will Series Link be due.

Been using the Search button but couldnt find the answers :(

Thank You!
 
Quite liking the TF5810.

Is there a release date and when will Series Link be due.

Been using the Search button but couldnt find the answers :(

Thank You!

Theres no release day yet but when its finished and the technical issues are resolved it will be released together with series link. Keep checking toppy.org.uk for the latest info. You may get more information there from people who have contacts in the right places.
 
;)
thanks

isnt there a sniff of date :(.

do i hang around and wait?
If its a month or 2 i'll bear with my single recorder & Video tapes!!!
 
;)
thanks

isnt there a sniff of date :(.

do i hang around and wait?
If its a month or 2 i'll bear with my single recorder & Video tapes!!!

Why not wait then? It was supposed to be launched in time for Christmas buyers but was then put back to end of Jan when I enquired late November. You seem able to wait for a month or 2 which should be more patience than you'll actually need.
 
The TF5810 will have series link from launch; when I have a date I shall make sure it's in the news feeds on the Toppy web site.

At the moment, there are a few people testing the latest firmwares and feeding back suggestions - we want to try and make sure it's as good as it can be right away, which may be something of a departure in the PVR world, where lots of products seem to come out and then get a substantial update a little while later :)

Nigel
 
Is there any indication of an RRP for the TF5810 :) Im 90% certain to buy 1 if the price is right :D
 
I think I read somewhere that there will also be a new firmware for the 5800 that adds Series Link etc.

That's the beauty of having a PVR that's soooo customisable. :smashin:
 
Yes, there will be a firmware update for the 5800 that adds Freeview Playback - you can do series link anyway now with a TAP; it's not really customisation that makes FP possible -it's just that Topfield have a pretty good record of continually working on their products, rather than chucking them out the door and moving on to the next model like some firms do.
 
The Topfield 5800 work quite well, but has a dreadful EPG and interface. You can download and install custom EPGs which are often have better appearance and functionality, but they are designed by enthusiasts, not the manufacturer and can be less stable. One I had had a built-in expiry date and locked me out after the expiry date!

If you want something that just works, works well and reliably without having to fiddle with firmware upgrades and software installs, the Topfield is probably not it.
 
Most of the TAPs are extremely stable, especially now; there's one that did have an expiry - Jag's EPG - which is far less popular now than it used to be. And earlier versions of MyStuff nagged after a certain date, too. I'd guess if you had one that locked you out, it would have been quite some time ago now.

Personally, while I agree there are rough edges, I don't think the EPG comes anywhere near dreadful - it at least offers two different views, and is a lot easier to navigate than some (the Sagem, say, which truly is quite dreadful).

And, it does work, reliably, out of the box. You don't have to fiddle, update software or do anything unless you want to. The Humax may have the slight edge in terms of the built in software at the moment, but that'll be somewhat lessened by the new update when it's ready.

As with other PVRs, you can just sit back and wait for updates to be broadcast OTA; but at least, if you feel the need, with the Toppy, Humax and one or two others, you can update at other times too - useful given the slothlike speed with which some manufacturers get round to doing OTAs.
 

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