Ta.

Colin

The new Argos catalogue is out today, and amongst the new additions to the PVR range is a Bush 320Gb Freeview HD Recorder. For those wondering, this is a actually a new Vestel T7300 DVB-T2 box, which I've been testing since June and have had to keep my mouth shut about until now . I'm happy to answer any questions about it here. I'm slightly surprised by the price - I was guessing they'd be undercutting the Digital Stream, but at least the Bush has iPlayer from day one .

My guess is that, in typical Argos fashion, the catalogue price is unrealistically high to allow for future "discounts" to bring the price back to a competitive level.

It is good to know that the new "Bush" has iplayer - is it the HD version that some boxes can access or just similar to the higher quality version that the Humax FoxSat uses ? (which unfortunately isnt HD iplayer)

Is the new box reliable with its accurate recordings ?

and

Does it have nice interface and finally ........ my last question (for now ) should I now trade up from my trusty T845R ?

It uses the web based iPlayer version - not sure if that is HQ or HD. But, on certain programmes you can choose between HD or not - the quality is certainly much better when playing back in HD.

Accurate recording is the same as previous models - in fact, the software does feel very similar overall, but generally more responsive. There have obviously been some tweaks and improvements, but since this software is an evolution of the SD software, it does unfortunately also inherit some of the minor quirks too (excluding the jumping/stuttering in recordings, I should add).

Again, the interface is very similar to the T845R in terms of operation - it has been given a new look though, which does need some polishing IMHO - it's a much lighter interface than previous models and the competition, with it primarily been black/red text on a white/blue background.

The software is still in need of some fixing, and hopefully Vestel will provide some updates, which can be done via USB as well as over the air. I was a little surprised to see it go on sale already in one way, but maybe they have fixed some of the more major issues since the v6.3 software that I have been using since the start of December. I don't know if I'd be willing to spend £210 on this, considering the price that the Digital Stream can be gotten for, which I think does have some benefits such as DLNA, 5.1 sound over HDMI (DD5.1 only available via optical out on the T7300), etc. Think of the T7300 as one of the fully-featured T825 boxes, but more responsive, with iPlayer and Freeview HD support added - that's pretty much how it feels.

Thank you, it does sound like a pretty good box from what you have described. I was hanging around waiting for the youview box, but I think I will probably see a pig flying before I see one in the flesh.

I guess Argos will lower the price as a "price cut" in a month or two bringing it in line with the Digital Stream. I may have to wait a little bit longer to see how things go. No rush though as the spring is approaching and less of a reason to stay inside watching tv

I probably didn't explain the colour scheme too well, so here are a few rather crude screengrabs to demostrate the new look: EPG, library, timers.

Please excuse the poor photos - these were just something I'd already taken for bug reports. BTW, the info bar at the top of the library/timers screens can be toggled off/on just as in the older models. Likewise for the EPG. Some extra information regarding the EPG is that programmes set to record have a red outline, similar to before, and programmes set on series record have a yellow outline. Entries have a blue background normally, or green if a HD alternative is available (only the BBC provide this information). The selected programme is highlighted in red (or yellow if HD alternative available).

I notice Argos have raised the prices of the T835 boxes again, which were all on offer just a couple of days ago. So, the theories about the T7300 price is probably spot on . Will be interesting to see if other retailers take the T7300 on too.

I have got the new Argos Catalogue today and there are only four new Freeview HD PVRs out and no new Freesat PVRs,
I am sure that many more new ones are available elsewhere like at Comets, Curry’s or Independents or at online stores, does anyone know?

Thank you for the screen shots. They do look rather nice, much better than what I currently have on the T845r. I wonder when they will hit the shops.

I presume you mean that the iPlayer is accessed by an "app" in the firmware rather than via the red button service front page/page 7001 as with Freesat HD. If so, it looks like yet another box is ignoring the "official" version which mirrors the Freesat version.

The price looks outrageous, as with all things Freeview HD at Argos - Tesco have just introduced the Hylab HD PVR badged under their Technika brand and it is currently £130 (or £10 less if you use the on-line voucher). This is the dual tuner recorder version of their STBHDIS2010 that recently beat the Vestel T8300 Bush HD box hands down in a Which? comparison.

Yes, the T7300 has an "Internet Portal" which is where iPlayer can be found - not sure about the release version, but mine has a couple of pointless other things on there, plus the Connect 4 game . Correct me if I'm wrong, but the MHEG iPlayer does not offer the higher quality streams? In which case, the current solution is better.

It's not just the HD prices at Argos - the Vestel SD PVRs are now not much cheaper than you can get a Digital Stream for. I wouldn't be surprised if a Technika branded T7300 were to materialise, and similarly an Asda and/or Comet branded versions. Perhaps Hitachi too given they don't have a Freeview+ HD box yet. Of course, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to come up with such a theory, given who sold the SD boxes .

Yes my understanding is that the current Freeview HD red button accessed iPlayer is the same as the Freesat HD one. That only has a "higher quality" option designed to be usable with a 2Mb/s connection. That is roughly the same as the SD quality on the "internet" version and does not (yet) have the 720p HD option.

So, probably to the frustration of makers whose boxes have met the 2011 FVHD specifications, the better versions are on the "portals" or apps built into sets' firmware rather than using the MHEG-IC extensions. I note that Tesco's most recent IDHDTVs - looking like they come from the Vestel stable - have iPlayer access too.

Tesco, like 12 other "makers", badged the Vestel T8300 as their Technika STBHDV2010 but discontinued it at the start of 2011, as did everybody else apart from Argos with their Bush variant. That Bush box, together with an identical looking box for Ireland's Saorview, was in the last catalogue up to this month but has now disappeared. From the Irish version of the on line catalogue, it looks like it has been re-incarnated with a rounder edge fascia as an Alba Saorview box. (Confusingly, their Alba Freeview HD box was sourced from the same OEM maker as the Harvard marketed Grundig and Goodmans boxes and the Tesco STBHDH2010)

I think it is pretty certain that their current STBHDIS2010 and the new PVR are both from Hylab in Taiwan. The latest of the three batches of the IS they have imported has a suffix HY and the remote controls are the same. Not only that, the PVR is visually identical to one on the Hylab web site apart from the "square" multi-button found on both boxes.

As they appear to be heavily committed to the link with Electra, who write their software, and the Channel Zero service, I doubt if they will want to badge a Vestel box. The last HD PVR they did was one from Fetch

Quick and late heads up - new T835 update being broadcast over the air from 9am tomorrow. Showed up somewhat last minute on the DTG site as it wasn't there at the weekend - BTW, the DTG only lists an update for the Hitachi models, but I'm sure all brands of T835 boxes will download the same update since the software is identical.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of the changes since v4.1, but hopefully it's all positive. Not a lot changed between v3.4 (most recent OAD) and v4.1.

Thanks for the heads up. It would be great to update my Tesco Technika T835 currently on 1.9 (so suffers from failed recordings when in standby).

In case someone tries a manual update at 9am tomorrow (Wednesday) it doesn't starts until 10am.

Colin

This T835 update seems to be a "right cock up"!!

As previously suggested we turn our Hitachi box off every night to stop some of the problems and when we turned it on yesterday it wanted us to do a rescan and I presumed it was doing an update. After the rescan it was slower than ever (if it slows down any more it will be going backwards). The only other visible change was that the order of library was reversed.

On turning the it on today it wanted to do yet another rescan (is this going to happen every day?). On completing this we then discovered that all the timers had been deleted, very clever.

Extremely unhappy with this box and I looking to get something with HD on for the changeover in February, any suggestions would be welcome. Fast access to library and quick delete would be nice.

I'm guessing from your comment ref "changeover" that you are in the Meridian Region,Hannington transmitter maybe?. I'm also on the Hannington transmitter and since the software update I've been getting a warning about the need to retune on Feb 8 and later in Feb. That is nothing to do with the software update.

There is an active discussion of the 4.6 software update in the Vestel T835 thread here. I suggest you post in that thread. No one else has reported the issues you are having.

Colin

Thank you!


Great!


I see it has a 2-hour buffer, unlike the SD PVRs. Surely this is a mistake in Argos's specs:

Record 1 channel whilst watching a previous recording.

And it should say "Pause and rewind live TV"

My Toppy recently died (someone would do the capacitors for me if I could get my act together and send it off). The Wharfedale T825 is useless and the Hitachi T825 freezes, which means I've only got the Fetch Smartbox and that's not confidence inducing So I'm in the market for a new PVR, but not @ £210.

Re the Technika mentioned above, a user reports "sticking buttons on remote". There's only one Reevoo.

Where does the £10 voucher come from? Hmm, it's food for thought, this Technika - must try to find some other reviews.

Ignore the bit about the £10 voucher please

Argos make a mistake - surely not . Yes, it can of course record from 2 channels whilst watching a previous recording just like the SD models.

The bit about the continuous recording buffer is correct - think of it as automatic background timeshifting in the Vestel sense, as that's exactly the way it functions. As with the SD models the size of the timeshift buffer can be changed in the settings up to a maximum of 2 hours. As you may remember, I was not overly concerned about the lack of this feature before, and I rarely use it on the T7300, but it does work . So, yes, this is essentially a rewind and pause live tv function, where the SD models can only rewind after pausing. Fortunately, the HDD is pretty quiet so this feature isn't too disturbing as the HDD is obviously continuously on, unlike the SD models. The only time it goes off is in low power standby.

I had/have exactly the same problem with my Hitachi HDR255 ( is that a T835 ?), including going so slow.

At least the slowness issue seems to not be present on the T7300, but the HDMI flicks on when the box pops out of standby which is a pain.

Indeed, although I always use LPM anyway seeing as the HDD is running constantly and these boxes do get pretty hot.

What's the make/model of your TV? The T7300 does not support HDMI control (well, at least mine doesn't), so the TV shouldn't really be switching to it at all automatically, and you have to select the HDMI input manually on the TV. The SCART socket, btw, should remain silent unless the box is manually powered on (i.e. TV won't switch to SCART when the box wakes up to record), which was an issue from the T835 that I made sure got fixed on the T7300.

Which software version is your T7300 running?

Its version 0.65 on the T7300 and the TV is a 3 year old Finlux (Vestel). You only notice it if the TV is turned on when the box comes out of LPM. Can't say if this happens with Scart as I don't use them any more (thank god). You are right though, there isn't any CEC control on the HDMI so its likely the TV is just detecting the powering up stage and switching straight to that input

Interesting. So, does the Finlux automatically switch to the correct HDMI input and stays on that input when you switch the T7300 on yourself, or do you still have to manually select it on the TV? I personally only tested the box on a 2008 and 2011 model Sony, which had no signs of switching, but then they obviously have CEC support and probably the Finlux does not.

I'm using the same software version, btw.

New Vestel T7300 Freeview+ HD box (Bush 320Gb HD Recorder)

Shouldn't this model have its own thread here?