Did you see my second 'Edit' to my #374?

Colin

"Unopened" is rather limiting, "un-used" would be reasonable IMO.

Colin

Colin,
'Fit for purpose' must also be part of any discussion you have should you decide to return a PVR. Judging from your postings you would not be returning it simply because you didn't like it, but because it did not perform its basic function. We've already established that your thresholds may be higher than mine, but wherever those may stand it remains that you would be returning it because it is not fit for purpose. I think any reputable retailer would find it difficult to argue against that.

Snail

But in a conventional shop you would have a perfect right to see the product working and try it out for yourself*, and it's this opportunity to fully examine the item that the DSR's are there to provide. You can't fully examine your new purchase by just looking at the box it comes in, anymore than you can by looking at a website, so of course you have the right to open it up and plug it in.

(* granted, these days the sales staff in most big-name electrical stores are a little reticent to actually set something up for you and let you play with it, unless it's a big sale, because they can't be bothered - but that's just a purely commercial choice on their part, just as it might be your choice not to buy from them without a demonstration. Whether they like it or not, the DSR effectively guarantees you that demonstration).

I agree if you read the complete list of know issues on each unit it may look that way. However, and I can only speak for the Topfield, I've only had 1 major problem over severla months when BBC updated their interactive TV and teh Topfield (alonmg with many freeview boxes) didn't like it.

Regarding comparison to VCR, no comparison. I can scroll through the EPG and press record on programs several days in advance, I can record 2 things at once and watch a third, I can tell it a search word and it looks for matches every day - recording when found. And the quality - just fantastic, take recordings off to my PC to put onto DVD. No the days of the VCR are gone my friend.

Street price of Topfield needs to be updated empire direct £238.

http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/conten...RT5800-SIL.htm

Hi

Could you add the following site
www.pace-twin.org.uk to the useful links under the pace twin heading.
also the new buglist is here
www.pace-twin.org.uk/buglist

Finally the line at the top of the page on the single record twin pvr page to bring you to this thread isn't clickable.

Thanks

Bullfrog

Does anyone know of the 9200T will record subtitles? It's shown as a question mark in the table. This is a main feature for me as my wife is partially deaf.

Thanks,
Rob

Have you thought of adding the Sagem PVR 6200 T to this chart?

Yes it does, I checked last night (and it's clever enough to remember that you were watching a recording with subtitles on and put them back on again when you resume viewing)

Is that different to the 6240 and 6280 that are already on the chart then? (you may not have spotted them as they're on the separate single tuners page)

Cliff

Have to say what an excellant guide that is emsee - well done!

I have just used it to decide on a pvr for my in laws - I was wondering about the sagem as I saw it had a dual tuner, but didn't realise it could only record one channel, plus all the padding problems- what a pain that is!

Anyway, gone for a fusion 200, having got a 100 for MY parents about a year ago, who rave about it.

Any idea when the software for the 200 is due to update - still "mid Nov" or anything more specific - don't want to hand it over untill all the updates etc are active, else they will moan about freezing, and I will have to re-jig the channel numbers again!

Cheers, Ali

There is a clarification of the Sagem model numbers here: http://www.sagem.com/index.php?id=410&L=0

Basically, 6200T is the model SERIES, of which 6240T and 6280T are the two models (with last 2 digits indicating HD size).

Rob

Thanks Rob,

So the 62xx machines ARE already on emsee's site on the page:

http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/index_sr.htm

(which lists the single record PVRs)

Cliff

AS of today 21 nov, 3 of the 4 links at the top of this page http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/ dont seem to be working (they point to c drive files) and possibly other pages are affected if that bit of html is shared.

Great shame as I want to point a friend to the site.

errata,

Short term fix is to hover over the links and note the file they access. Then just bung this on the end of the base URL. So:

updates - http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/updates.shtml
single-record - http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/index_sr.htm
Excel version - http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/PVR_Comparison.xls

Cliff

[quote=errata]AS of today 21 nov, 3 of the 4 links at the top of this page http://www.emsee.co.uk/pvr/ dont seem to be working (they point to c drive files) and possibly other pages are affected if that bit of html is shared.[quote]

Oops!

It should now be fixed

PVR Comparison

Thank you so much for the comparison emsee; it is very useful.

Unlike the rest of you, I am a complete ignoramus about all things televisual! I wonder if I could get some advice from some of you...

I currently have a Sony TV, quite old but with scart socket, and a very ancient VCR (from 1986 or so, would you believe). I have decided to get Freeview and something at least to play DVDs, so I can play rentals.

That said, given the fact (if it is a fact) that with a Freeview box alone or with one of the few DVD recorders that have Freeview built in you CANNOT watch one digital channel while recording another, I'm thinking about getting in addition to a DVD player a dual-tuner PVR. I was going to splash out on one of the better ones, e.g. the Humax PVR 9200T, but since the technology seems to be changing fast and when it settles down I might like to get one that builds in a DVD recorder so I can archive recordings straightforwardly, I thought I might get something cheaper, perhaps second-hand, as a stop-gap. So, the questions:

1. I'm interested in the Thomson DHD4000 and the Topfield 5800T. Any advice as to which?

2. Will I be able to archive off either onto my ancient VCR, given it has no scart socket but only a standard aerial input (from, as I say, 1984 or so)?

3. If I get a DVD player too, will there be enough sockets to go around, for DVD player, PVR, VCR, and TV? (I've little idea what plugs into what, but don't want to find I have to unplug some components to use others.)

That's it. Thanks a lot!

David

PS. I am beginning to think of the 9200T again (having looked at the table, I don't why I described the Topfield 5800T as a cheaper machine, by the way), but I get the impression from the thread that I CANNOT watch recordings on the 9200T until they are finished.

a. Is that right?

b. If so, is it the sort of thing that Humax might send a software update to improve, or not?

D

I've just taken the plunge and ordered a 9200t from 247electrical. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for it to arrive.

I'm really hoping that the fix the problem with not being able to watch a part-recorded programme soon.

Rob

Not sure how you can compare those, one is about £150 with a 40GB drive the other is £250 with a 160GB drive. Clearly the £250 machine is far superior to the (much) cheaper one but then you'd kind of expect that. If you have the money then the Topfield is King of the Hill. (edit: just seen your PS!)


Given that you can get a DVDR in a supermarket for £68 would you not consider that? But yes both Thomson and Topfield can modulate their output onto RF which the VCR could pick up and record (in extremely crap quality)


You'd normally just daisy chain DVD to PVR to telly. Or, if you got a DVDR might diasy chain them in the order PVR to DVDR to telly.


a. You can watch ANY other recording in your collection APART from the very thing that's currently recording (unless you happen to have left the tuner on that channel anyway so the programme content is also in the rewind buffer)

b. It's quite possible Humax will add chaseplay (what this is called) in a later update but you cannot rely on that. (however, for example the Thomson and Fusion 4TV boxes got chaseplay added as a late addition so it's not unknown)

If I was you and could afford the Topfield I'd go for that one, the Humax 9200 is a lot of features for the money so is also a good option as long as you don't HAVE TO HAVE chaseplay and can live with one or two other early teething troubles.

Meanwhile the Thomson and Fusion boxes are very mature now with pretty stable software (though the Thomson still has the ITV2/E4 wide screen problem as its main problem)

Cliff

I thought a useful info line to your table Emsee could be whether the PVR can be set to respond to an external SCART signal to trigger a recording (eg from a Sky or cable box timed event), like my old VCR does

I'm also wondering why the Bush version of the Fusion is so much more expensive.

But NONE of these machines will record from an external source ?!?!

(you want to be looking at either Tivo or a DVDR machine)

Cliff

Thinking of getting a Freeview PVR for my aunt (who's looking to switch from analogue to digital).

All she probably needs is :

1) Watch 1 Freeview channel whilst recording another
2) Enough disk space to record say 20 hours of programmes
3) Have the equivalent of Sky+'s "live rewind/pause"
4) Series Linking would also be good.

This puts the Topfield and Humax out of the question (no need for that bid a hard disk nor the USB functionality ... she was originally after a DVD Recorder to replace her VCR).

This leaves me with a choice of the 3 Fusions ....

1) Just how loud is the fan on the FVRT100 & 150 ? Is it noticeable when the TV is on ? For sake of comparison, how loud is it compared to a Sky+ box ?
2) Why is the 150 so much more expensive than the, seemingly, better 200 ?

TIA for any help.

Regards,

Adam Brunt

The Sagem's (dual-tuner/single record) might well meet your requirements but some people have had problems with these (probably best to read the appropriate Sagem threads).

Series linking isn't available on any PVR (not in the same way as Tivo or Sky+ anyway)



From what I've read, the fan on the 200 is much quieter than on the 100/150.
I haven't owned either or Sky+ so can't comment on how loud the fan is really.

The 150 was exclusive to Argos but they've dropped it now & I believe it is very hard to track down now, (I think it was last seen in Littlewoods Index stores before they closed down - I think I'll have to update the chart to reflect this).