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Digital Stream DHR8205 - 500GB HD PVR
lemoncurd
Posts: 57,778 Forum Member
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There doesn't seem to be a dedicated thread in the PVR forums about this box, so I'm starting one! 
I bought one of these today (John Lewis - £199), having put up with a next-to-useless Digifusion for several months now, and my first impressions are very positive.
Set-up was as easy as one could expect; a full scan took about 5 minutes, and all SD and HD channels (x4) were found with no artifacts noticed.
The menu system seems to be very clear, intuitive and responsive.
Front panel is clear without being too garish - a dot-matrix VFR like the Humax. Touch buttons glow red and turn yellow when you touch one, but because you have to be looking at the screen to know what your doing, without tactile buttons, it's a bit of a faff to use them!
SD picture quality is as good as the Digifusion - ie. very good. I haven't had chance to take a good look at HD sources yet, but a cursory glance at Eggheads tells me that Judith Keppel has crows feet I've never noticed before!
Trick plays seem to be very smooth and, again, responsive, though I've noticed that on changing to a channel, it doesn't automatically start the timeshift buffer - I have to pause or rewind to kick it into life.
Recording and playback seems easy to use - no niggles yet. I don't whether accurate recording works.
I'll keep playing and report back.
I bought one of these today (John Lewis - £199), having put up with a next-to-useless Digifusion for several months now, and my first impressions are very positive.
Set-up was as easy as one could expect; a full scan took about 5 minutes, and all SD and HD channels (x4) were found with no artifacts noticed.
The menu system seems to be very clear, intuitive and responsive.
Front panel is clear without being too garish - a dot-matrix VFR like the Humax. Touch buttons glow red and turn yellow when you touch one, but because you have to be looking at the screen to know what your doing, without tactile buttons, it's a bit of a faff to use them!
SD picture quality is as good as the Digifusion - ie. very good. I haven't had chance to take a good look at HD sources yet, but a cursory glance at Eggheads tells me that Judith Keppel has crows feet I've never noticed before!
Trick plays seem to be very smooth and, again, responsive, though I've noticed that on changing to a channel, it doesn't automatically start the timeshift buffer - I have to pause or rewind to kick it into life.
Recording and playback seems easy to use - no niggles yet. I don't whether accurate recording works.
I'll keep playing and report back.
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Comments
Agreed, I would also like the option to turn off the rather garish red leds in the buttons, or at least tone it down.
There's an option in the menu to tweak the picture a little if you need to. The SD picture quality on mine is as good as my TV's built in tuner, and HD is just something else. You actually don't notice just how poor the SD channels can be until you see the HD channels.
Pressing PAUSE will give the message that it is preparing for timeshift, but you should still be able to rewind or skip back beyond where you pressed pause, as it is buffering. If not make sure the buffer is enabled in the setup menu. Granted it would be better if pressing pause was seemless and instant, as happens on some other machines.
Accurate recording for me has been pretty flawless, but of course it depends on the broadcaster sending the correct signals. I missed the Casualty signature tune on Saturday but everything else has been spot on so that was obviously a BBC issue.
It's now been two weeks and absolutely NO lockups, recorded everything, HD picture quality is fantastic, SD is top notch and it is extremely easy to use. Very pleased with it indeed.
Yeah, found the option now to automatically start the review buffer - thanks.
My only gripe so far is tha layout of the trickplay buttons on the remote - logically, there should be a larger Play/Pause button with the rewind/ffw either side of it and skip outside of those.
This one has:
Play..Pause..Stop..Record
..<<......>>......|<< .....>>|
Slow
The sometimes noisy fan and cramped transport buttons on the remote are so far the only downsides I have.
The remote problem was solved when I programmed my OneForAll Smartcontrol which has better laid out and bigger transport buttons.
Apparently a quarter turn anti clockwise on the fan screws at the back loosens the fan just enough to help cut down the resonance noise when the fan kicks in, but haven't got round to that yet as it means dragging it out of my AV setup.
I've not heard the fan yet, but the unit is enclosed in an AV slot in the wall so maybe that dampens any noise.
One other issue I've found is that the HDMI doesn't seem to support CEC. It would be quite nice to turn off the TV when I turn off the box.
My experience has been very positive so far. Agree with the niggles about the remote, but remotes can be quite subjective - some people hated the Digifusion remotes, I never had a problem with them!
So I downloaded Ubunto 10 and loaded it. It gets full access to the folders and files on the drive, I copied the .trp files to another partition on my computer so when I re-booted into windows the files are there to try on different players.
As mentioned on the AV Forums site there is some sound glitches when played on the new windows 7 Media Player,,, but if I use the apparently simpler Windows Media Player Classic I found both sound and picture to be as good as playing directly from the PVR itself.
I tried VLC player too but I prefer WMP Classic as I have just discovered that the picture can be streched up&down with buttons 8 and 2 on the number pad
I like this PVR so much I was thinking of taking it back to Maplins to change it for a Twin Tuner Digital Stream with built in hard drive, untill I downloaded it's manual and discovered that even though it has 3 usb ports like mine has, it could only record tv programs to the built in hard drive. It even appears that you can't copy files off it on to a usb drive like you can with a Sagem.
I think there's improvements planned in future software upgrades, of which one is imminent. You'll find more info on this over on AVForums.
First impressions of the DS box are fairly good - build quality seems good (after the Digifusion almost anything would seem good), and the remote is reasonable, although I would agree with users who found the buttons small. My main gripe with the remote is the length of it and the balance, it doesn't sit well in my hand and the "Mute" button is miles away at the far end of the remote. But these are minor gripes and I'm sure in a week or two I'll be completely used to it.
The box itself installed easily and was up and running in about 5 minutes. Some nice features my old PVR lacked (PIP, record from trailer (nice!), etc.) but, of course, there are a few irritations. When it existed, the DigiFusion's EPG was excellent, whereas the DS one is harder to read and I couldn't work out how to display a single channel. I set up Favourites too, but couldn't find a way to use them for the EPG Guide. This rendered them rather redundant. Perhaps I'm missing something here?
However, I 've browsed the excellent AV forum and also the MIT support website and I understand there is an upgrade due out very soon, which will address some of these issues.
I'm just about to try installing the current bug fix downloaded from MIT and copied to a USB stick. Fingers crossed the DS box will continue to behave itself afterwards!
So far I'm very pleased with it after a mere 24 hours. I'll keep you posted, & I'd be interested to hear how other new users get on with theirs.
Pan
Yes you can, but the same restrictions apply as for the single tuner model you already have, namely they can play back on the DS but cannot be copied to the PC without going down the Linux route.
Incidentally the file system it uses is the newer Linux XFS format. There is only one program that I am aware of, that allows you to read that format under Windows Vista/7. It's a commercial program called UFS Explorer which costs about 50 quid and is designed for file recovery. Luckily I had actually bought UFS explorer prior to owning the DS for some file recovery anyway.
I can also confirm that the DS allows you to record two channels while still watching a third, and depending on what you are recording, it could be any channel that you watch. The other day I had it set to record two things, one on BBC HD the other on ITV1 HD, both started at 9pm but I was watching something on Channel Five at the time. The DS happily just used one tuner for recording both HD channels (currently all 4 HD channels are on the same mux), allowing me to use the second tuner to scroll through and watch any other channel I wanted.
I bought the 500gig one yesterday at J Lewis.
Had a little problem setting it up. Beer and instruction manuals don't mix together very well.
I've given it a good work-out today and found it to be very good. The fan is very quiet.
The remote is similiar to my Humax Freesat HDR.
Overall a very good box with a large memory at a very good price.
Only snag is I will have to wait until April to get the HD channels.:mad:
I can confirm that there will be an option to transfer your favourites to the EPG in the EON update.
Keep an eye on the AV Forum user thread for news of the November update.
Many thanks for the info. I phoned MIT to check a couple of things and they said the update will *probably* be available by the end of next week (w/c 6 December 2010).
Where can I find a list of the changes that will be included in the update? I couldn't find anything on the MIT web site. In particular I am finding it odd that Quick Skip can be set to jump forwards up to 120 seconds, but travel in the opposite direction - Instant Replay - can only be set to a maximum travel of 60 seconds. I'd really like it if I could jump forwards/back by the same amount (i.e. 120 secs). I'll submit it as an RFE to MIT via their email contact form.
Otherwise the box is working well. Changing from the old Digifusion takes a bit of getting used to - it took me ages to work out how to watch a program while it is being recorded (Chase Play in Digifusion speak). The DS manual could be clearer on this subject.
I think the remote could be an issue though, small buttons close together and an XL size finger. Does anyone know of a good "one for all" remote that works with the DS? Also, does anyone know what the product code would need to be entered to match a 3rd party remote to the DS?
Lastly, while on the phone to MIT I asked about roll back if the new upgrade is buggy. The support person said to keep a copy of the current upgrade files on the PC. If the new upgrade version turns out to be problematic then it is fine to simply overwrite it with the previous upgrade files (i.e. roll back to the last good version). Useful to know.
I agree, it's a bit different to the DigiFusion, but overall works really well. We're now using as our main PVR and have loads of scheduled recordings, often with very busy scheduled in one night. Just seems to keep on working. Some good and friendly advice from the community and there seems to be a real commitment to support and developing the software from DS itself. Certainly no regrets from me.
Cheers
Mark
You can stream all of your media from your PC using the 3View unit which by the way is now fully stable after numerous updates since launch.
GG
Nothing has been confirmed in the way of the DigitalStream getting upgrades for media streaming, so the answer is No, but maybe in the future but not guaranteed.
The Humax FOX-T2 HD PVR will do some of this already, and an update in the next few weeks will add more functionality. Its a very well built box (a proper metal case like the DigitalStream is, not cheap plastic like some other boxes and so has a feel it will go the distance) and has been very stable from the start. The DigitalStream and the Humax are bascially the same hardware.
On the Humax I've had no problems playing camcorder footage (HD AVCHD from Panasonic cam), even edited footage that has been re-encoded at Blu-ray data rates. These play directly over the network from the PC on the Humax (no need to transfer to the hard-drive) and is great way of getting camcorder footage to the TV without a lot of messing around.
Going the other way, i.e. taking recorded programs from the PVR to a computer, you can only do this on SD footage. HD recordings are encrypted, something the BBC has forced upon manufacturers unfortunately.
There are other boxes, such as the Fetch and 3View box that will do similar things, but I would read up about these on the Internet and make up your own mind. I don't know if they will play camcorder footage, not see anyone reporting it does but they might.
Regards
Phil
And costs £100 more than the Digitalstream can be found for at present, plus it seems the 3View still has problems receiving HD from Winter Hill. Plus reports both on here and over on AV Forums that the 3view is suffering random lockups. If I was going to spend £300 on an HD recorder it would have been the Humax, which is basically the same as the Digitalstream in terms of hardware, according to users is just as reliable but has extra features including media streaming. It depends whether these features are worth the extra money, for me they were not as my PS3 does all my media streaming.
I seriously considered the 3View and was waiting on it being released, but then read of all the problems so went for the DS which all it's users seemed happy with. Having had the box for a couple of months I can say it has been 100% reliable. No lockups, no missed recordings at all which is a godsend compared to my previous Vestel. It does for me, everything that a PVR should in that it records well, doesn't lockup, records two channels while watching a third, allows me to pause and rewind live TV etc. If the guys at MIT/Digitalstream add extra features such as media streaming then great, as long as they do not affect it's PVR performance as, that is why the machine was bought in the first place.
Plus this thread isn't about the 3View boxes (nor indeed the Humax boxes) but is for Digitalstream owners.
The 3View unit did have problems on launch as did all other HD PVR's but since the latest updates its very stable. I certainly have had no lock ups or missed recordings with my 3View unit for ages.
GG
I'm not doubting you, however there are still many users over on AVForums and a few here, still saying that the latest update hasn't solved their issues. And HD from Winter Hill still seems to be a problem on the 3View.
You might want to give it a day or two, and then have a look if you are worried about this update breaking something else
http://www.mitlondon.com/main.php?l_code=06&itemcode=DHP8100U/DHR820xU
OK, easy to do you will need:
USB flash drive formatted as Fat32. If formatting under Windows select DEFAULT ALLOCATION SIZE under Allocation unit size. (This is just to ensure your USB stick is 100% bog standard Fat32).
Unzip the file you downloaded from MIT and copy all of the resultant files onto the ROOT of the USB drive (i.e. not into any folder on the drive).
With the DS switched ON plug the flash drive into the top rear USB connector.
Wait until you see the dialogue box informing you that the DS has recognised the USB device.
Go into stand by and then power OFF using the power switch on the back (Going into standby first is important if you have the Timeshift set to start automatically, as switching to standby allows time for the HDD to power down).
Wait a few seconds and then switch on again at the back. The display will show Loading and then a progress bar will appear onscreen showing the progress of the update. The front display will also show a percentage.
Once fully updated the front display will show FINISHED and the TV screen will go blank.
Switch the unit off using the rear power switch again, remove the USB drive, wait a few seconds and then switch on again.
The DS will then go into first time installation.
NOTE: You will NOT lose recordings you already have on the HDD, but you WILL lose all your scheduled future recordings, favourites lists and preferences etc. You will need to set all these up again.
The media list no longer shows ".trp" in the filename of each recording.
If you have Timeshift set to Automatic then pressing PLAY while viewing live TV now shows the length of the timeshift buffer and how far into it you currently are. However pressing PAUSE still shows the "Preparing for Timeshift" message and it still takes a second or two for the picture to actually pause. Other PVRs still do this slightly better, in that pressing PAUSE instantly pauses without any messages being displayed first so it really does seem like you are pausing live TV.
In the EPG you can now enter a channel number and on pressing OK, the EPG now jumps to that channel. Much faster than having to scroll up and down all the time.
Differences in sound level between SD and HD programmes on the BBC HD Channel and BBC One HD have supposedly been evened out.
You can now export both SD and HD recordings to an external HDD but it still has to be at least 160Gb, and the DS will still insist on formatting the drive first. HD recordings copied across are encrypted so you can't use the boot into Linux trick to play them on your PC like you can with SD recordings.
Picture in Picture when watching a recording now works.
You can now also change the PIP channel by entering a channel number and then pressing the PIP button on the remote.
That appears to be the only major changes that are visible so I presume the other changes are under the hood and are probably stability improvements etc.
*Reported by the guys over at AVForums*
Sure. I have been trying since the day I had my box. They will shortly be getting a piece of my mind:mad: As I specify this kind of thing for a living, it's usually best to be nice to me if you are a manufacturer.