TopUp TV + PVR9200T - Any problems?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
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Thinking of buying a TopUp TV cam and subscription for my PVR9200T and wondered if anyone out there has bought one of these and whether they are happy with it or have had any problems.

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 178
    Forum Member
    I had some initial problems with a new version of the TopUpTV CAM working with the smart card and the Hummy.

    All fixed when Humax exchanged the CAM for a new one.

    Might be worth buying CAM, card and PVR9200T from same retailer and getting them to check it first - however it should work and you'll get a quick replacement if it doesn't.

    Only comment is a general TopUpTV remark that broadcasting hours are limited so you may end up recording and watching later.... but then that's what the Hummy is designed for.

    Jonathan
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 299
    Forum Member
    piersb wrote:
    Thinking of buying a TopUp TV cam and subscription for my PVR9200T and wondered if anyone out there has bought one of these and whether they are happy with it or have had any problems.


    Hi,,

    Already had a card.Got a CAM from Ebay.

    Haven't had any problems at all.Card in cam in Humax and activation from TopUp worked first time.

    As the previous post says,times are limited for the channels,but you can record them for later viewing.

    The only thing I have been unable to do so far is use picture in picture with 2 top up channels.I believe this is not possible.

    Although I have managed to record 2 Topup channels at once and view a third.

    Regards

    Steve
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 59
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    I use it no problems , and its good because the cartoons finish at 18.00 so I get to watch the news nowadays
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 195
    Forum Member
    SteveNotts wrote:
    The only thing I have been unable to do so far is use picture in picture with 2 top up channels.I believe this is not possible.

    Although I have managed to record 2 Topup channels at once and view a third.

    This is because the CAM can only be used to decode a single channel at a time. You can record two channels fine, because it doesn't decode them until you watch them - it records the encoded stream to the hard disk. So it's only decoding the third channel that you are watching. However, if you want to watch 2 TUTV channels in PIP, it cant decode them both at once.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,131
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    This is because the CAM can only be used to decode a single channel at a time. You can record two channels fine, because it doesn't decode them until you watch them - it records the encoded stream to the hard disk. So it's only decoding the third channel that you are watching. However, if you want to watch 2 TUTV channels in PIP, it cant decode them both at once.

    Can someone else confirm this?

    That the recordings stored in encoded (encrypted) form - that even if you have recorded the programmes - you can not watch them without your CAM and card?

    If this is correct - then even transfering the recorded programme to a PC - you will not be able to view the video file - because it is encrypted?
  • nwhitfieldnwhitfield Posts: 4,556
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    I think you'd need to do some experiments to be sure.

    On the Toppy, the basic idea is that CAM priority is always given to viewing. So if you're watching a pay channel, that has to be decrypted, and any recording will be saved in encrypted form.

    If you're playing back a previously encrypted recording, again, priority has to be given to that, so once more any recording that happens at the same time will be encrypted.

    But if the CAM is free at the time of recording, then the stream will be run through it, and saved unencrypted.

    (There is a minor glitch on the Toppy, where sometimes that doesn't happen, but you can use the copy function to decrypt later).

    I don't know if the Humax has a copy function that will help with this, but given the limitations of the CAM system, it probably has to work in much the same way as the Toppy.

    The alternative is to only allow single recording of pay channels, assign CAM priority to recording, and always save unencrypted; that would prevent you from recording two pay things simultaneously, though, or from watching one pay channel while recording another - straightforward enough to verify, I'd have thought, by trying one of those tasks.

    Nigel.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 534
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    I use my Hummy with a CAM and top-up tv card. Haven't experienced any problems at all. Initially, I was a little disappointed, as others have mentioned, that the program times of the pay channels were very limited, but you just record them and watch them at a time more convenient. (or hubby can stay up and watch American Chopper after I've gone to bed, thanks)

    Lilly
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