Reccomend Cheap PVR for clueless person.

[Ratinho]

Yeah, so I used to use an Archos AV400 for transferring files to PC and TV recording, but it's moved on to pastures new, and I don't see the point throwing £300 at a AV500/700 when I don't use it outside of my house.

All I want is something that will record from my TV, DVD player and PS2, all through basic scart, and be able to connect to my PC to drop these files on there. Can you transfer to PC form all these PVRs easily?

Doesn't have to be especially great quality, doesn't have to have a big HDD, just a good price for a capable product.

Cheers fellas.

P.S. I'm not actually that clueless, but it will be my first of this type.

 

[Scott_Mac]

As far as i am aware the only unit that easily lets you transfer to a PC/USB HDD is the Topfiled....

Otherwise you'd probably have to export to a DVD-R and then import that to your PC....

 

[Ratinho]

Right, this should be an easy one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Topfield-...8QQihZ014QQcategoryZ96970QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I assume I could plug a DVD player/PS2/other box into the back of this and record from it, then pop the recorded files onto my PC. I know I can, but I want re-assuring.

Cheers fellas.

 

[Paul Shirley]

You can't record any external source with the Toppy or any of the reasonably priced digital TV boxes, they only record from their own tuners. For the Toppy thats Freeview. It can transfer recorded Freeview to a PC and that's about it.

Your cheap options are either a DVD recorder (with or without tuner) or a PC capture card. Otherwise prepare to spend serious money on one of the higher end devices.

Of course there are cheap equivalents of the Archos devices around...

 

[Ratinho]

Expand on the cheap archos equivalents please fella.

I know my Archos' and I am tempted to stick with what I know and look for the AV700 at a good price, but i'm sure some other devices minus the Archos name must be just as capable but cheaper.

 

[Paul Shirley]

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=266938 seems to appear on their 'Today Only' regularly for £160 or so. It also appears under other names. A bit of searching should find similar 'toys'.

Ultimately though you'll get better quality from a DVD recorder.

 

[Ratinho]

Ahhh, thanks for the help mate but I cracked.

Love my Archos' in the past, so the AV700 is on it's way, and at £245 i'm happy enough.

 

[aekostas]

You can't record any external source with the Toppy or any of the reasonably priced digital TV boxes, they only record from their own tuners. For the Toppy thats Freeview. It can transfer recorded Freeview to a PC and that's about it.

Not to a SCART-connected DVD recorder?

 

[gogsboy]

Not to a SCART-connected DVD recorder?

Yes good question, it looks like I am going to have to replace my dead FVRT200 and considering the Topfield.

Currenty I have a Samsung Freeview LCD TV with a Panasonic ES20 Freeview DVD recorder and I used to record onto the DVD-R from the Fusion 200's library, will this still be possible with the Topfield.

Are all the rear connections pretty much the same on all PVR's.

My only worry with the Topfield is that it seems to need messed about with installing Taps etc and for not sure I can be bothered with it, coup0led with the fact I only have a USB1 laptop.

Is the Topfield perfectly useable out the box or is it essential to mess around with TAP's

 

[Paul Shirley]

Not to a SCART-connected DVD recorder?

I think I can guarantee that after connecting a DVD recoder to a Topfield the Topfield still won't be able to record external sources... the DVD recorder will no doubt carry on recording anything its fed, including the output of the Toppy

 

[hodg100]

Yes good question, it looks like I am going to have to replace my dead FVRT200 and considering the Topfield.

Currenty I have a Samsung Freeview LCD TV with a Panasonic ES20 Freeview DVD recorder and I used to record onto the DVD-R from the Fusion 200's library, will this still be possible with the Topfield.

Are all the rear connections pretty much the same on all PVR's.

My only worry with the Topfield is that it seems to need messed about with installing Taps etc and for not sure I can be bothered with it, coup0led with the fact I only have a USB1 laptop.

Is the Topfield perfectly useable out the box or is it essential to mess around with TAP's

Currenty I have a Samsung Freeview LCD TV with a Panasonic ES20 Freeview DVD recorder and I used to record onto the DVD-R from the Fusion 200's library, will this still be possible with the Topfield.- Yes certainly

Are all the rear connections pretty much the same on all PVR's. - Yes

My only worry with the Topfield is that it seems to need messed about with installing Taps etc and for not sure I can be bothered with it, coup0led with the fact I only have a USB1 laptop - USB 1 would be fine for loading TAPS, they're not very large

Is the Topfield perfectly useable out the box or is it essential to mess around with TAP's - Perfectly capable particulalry since the last firmware upgrade but you'll get a LOT more out of it with a TAP or two

 

[gogsboy]

Thanks for the reply. is Paul sayng the same thing with regards to moving recording tio the DVD-R

You mention capable after last firmware but what happens if I get one running old firmware, will it do an instant OTA upgrade overnight or will I need to feed it via USB?

The TAP's do sound good and some sound pretty much essential, its jsut that I wont always be around to mess about with it and my other half wouldnt dare attempt loading up TAP's, I know that for sure

 

[hodg100]

Thanks for the reply. is Paul sayng the same thing with regards to moving recording tio the DVD-R

You mention capable after last firmware but what happens if I get one running old firmware, will it do an instant OTA upgrade overnight or will I need to feed it via USB?

The TAP's do sound good and some sound pretty much essential, its jsut that I wont always be around to mess about with it and my other half wouldnt dare attempt loading up TAP's, I know that for sure

I don't know you'd have to ask Paul

There is nothing scheduled as regards an OTA at present. It will surely come but your options at the moment are Serial Port, USB or even FTP. I'd suggest you buy from Turbosat anyhow and I'm sure they'll make sure it has the latest firmware pre-installed for you, if you ask.

Once (certain) TAPS are loaded and configured it makes the Toppy easier to use if anything. Most of them can be loaded, set up and then forgotten about, so much so that you'll think you're using a vanilla Toppy and you couldn't see how it could possibly be any other way

 

[ROYOLD]

It works the same way as the FVRT200 for transferring library recordings to DVDR by scart lead. I use both the Topfield and the 200 to do just that. I also have NOT installed any Taps for the Topfield and it works just fine with the last OTA update.

You can record to DVD FROM all the PVR's and all the STB's too for that matter.

 

[gogsboy]

Thanks for all the help.

Another thing I meant to ask re the Topfield, can you put one of these taps onto say a USB memory key and load it up that way or is a laptop/pc connection direct essential.

The same goes for archiving, could you just plug in an external USB hard drive and move files back and forth or again do you need to be running a laptop/pc.

And with regards to any USB cable you need to buy, is it just a case of buying same on you would buy for the likes of a printer.

Just found a picture of the back of the Topfield and it seems to have twin antenna plugs, do thye provide some splitter that you can just plug the aerial into one end

 

[nwhitfield]

No, you have to connect it to a PC - like a USB hard drive or a memory stick, it's a slave device, and you can't connect two of those together.

You'll find plenty of FAQs in the 'Before you buy / Features' category at http://www.toppy.org.uk/faq.php?category=10

Nigel.

 

[nwhitfield]

As for the antenna, they provide a loop cable to link from the output of one tuner to the input of the next.

Nigel.