I noticed on the comparison that the Humax and the Topfied came out in 2005 so is there a new version due out sometime this year.

I've been told Humax are continuing to release PVRs around Europe based on the PVR-9200t. There is some speculation that they will put a fresh lick of paint on the existing machine because its been out for a while - siting Freeview Playback as a good bandwagon - and a new name. None of the newer PVRs since 2005 are yet matching it in terms of power and sales so dont be surprised if this machine or ones based on it stays in the mainstream for a while.

One new PVR I know about due this year is the Humax HiDuovisio. Its going to have HDMI and component outputs added, Ethernet (and maybe wireless) lan, USB host and USB device ports, a bigger hard drive, and maybe a facility to record from external sources. Barry says he heard its for quarter 2/3 this year. No one knows pricing but I think its going to be a high end system with a high end price - like £300-£400 - and is not seen as the next mainstream PVR.
Last edited by marcdavis : 10-01-2007 at 21:58

Hi couple of questions. Is this a new PVR - not aware of it before? Are you sure the Grundig is a twin tuner? Is it one that can only use one tuner to record?

The Grundig is the same as the Proline/Digihome/Goodmans/DUAL/Techwood/Evesham units also currently on sale. They are all made by a company called Vestel, who just change the colour of the outer casing put slightly different facias on them for each brand. No one seems to have spotted any other differences. The DUAL has the best looking facia of the bunch. This is available form ASDA, sadly only in an 80Gb version.

Recording:
AV not output in standby recording. Yes, (it's not!)
Synopsis recordable. Yes
Live buffer recordable. No
Current recording extendable. Yes, by editing the timer end
Record padded consecutive programs. Yes, but inter-padding is removed. (Same behaviour as the Humax I think)
(aren't row 4 & 11 same thing btw)

Playback:
Thumbnails. No
PIP during playback. Yes, but not while recording, and subtitles temporarily disabled

Scheduling:
Number of events. 100+, I stopped counting at 108

EPG:
Live channel in EPG: No, EPG overlayed over full channel

Live TV:
Separate lists. Not by remote, but setup can configure All, TV only, Radio only, Text only
Pin protect channels. Yes
Specified transmitter. Yes, if you mean manually select a mux channel, no if you mean an alternative is offered

Misc:
Lock from deletion. Yes, in both library or timer
Multiple delete. No
Personal reminders. No (duplicated 3 rows down)
Support files. No
Mheg switchable. No
Auto BST. Yes

Physical:
Front panel. 4 digit 7-seg Clock/Channel/Status display, plus LEDs for Power on, Remote blink, HDD active.

For DTI6300-16

PSU - Internal

Front Panel Display - LED's Only

Only an issue with Firefox on Windows; in Firefox on my Mac all displays correctly

Regarding the Thomson DTI6300-16:

1) Subtitles aren't available, but they should be included in a future software update. Wouldn't it be a good idea to have a symbol to represent features which are not currently available but planned for future introduction? A X in the box looks too final! Or it could be included among the comments further down.
2) Why is it that the Sony SVRS500 was introduced in June 06 and is marked "Too new to rate" for reliability, and yet the Thomson DTI6300-16 was introduced in December 06 and has a 2-star rating?

I think it's fairest to indicate the current status of features i.e. reality.

You could always have a note at the bottom about features that are planned, but IME companies usually never commit to these things since priorities can change at any time. Also it's open to abuse by unscrupulous companies who can promise the moon on a stick just to get sales, but never actually deliver!

The star rating on the Humax suggest that it is silent, posts since the fan was fitted indicate that it is not. How noisy is it .

I think those people who got a noisy fan wouldnt agree with that score and could need changing. I am awaiting feedback from Humax as to whether this was a bad batch mixed in with the normal ones that will eventually run out or an indication of future mix and customer pot luck.

My new one is silent but there have been people reporting fans which seem the voltages to them apparently wacked up. We think there is a bad batch because people are still buying quiet ones and always have been, but you do get people also getting ones with the fan going at high speed, often necessitting getting it swapped out. The design is for quiet type fans so its inaudible unless you put your ear to the machine but and at a speed tuned to keep the unit cool at all times. If more voltage is going to the fan than is meant to it will become audible. Some tested this out on one of the noisy machines by reducing the voltage to the fan by 60% and this put the fan speed back down to normal and sound gone: chassis cool.

Might be worth noting I think its been mentioned the fan noise in the noisy batch may not be necessarily noisier than the usual Fusion/Sony fan issue, but it is supposed to be in audible - so if you hear the fan its its usually wrong.
Last edited by marcdavis : 24-01-2007 at 12:16

Thank you and keep up the good work. Chris

The amount of trouble heat, fans and general noise plagues PVRs you'd think they'd all just use 2.5" hard disks (which go up to 120Gb at reasonable prices anyway) and be done with it.

Considering how much trouble fans cause they're really should stop using them, if they do use 3.5" hard disks use heat sinks and other methods to keep PVRs cool.

Hi
Is this a new feature to add to the comparison chart?
The DAEWOO can scroll through the now and next boards for all channels whilst watching a different channel and you can set a recording on the now and next . It's very useful for a quick start or you don't wont to upset the partner.

I don't think that one is peculiar to the Daewoo, I'd be suprised if you couldn't do that with most.

All Humax 9200T have a fan... mine does and its silent.

Originally Posted by chrisy 2001
Hi
Is this a new feature to add to the comparison chart?
The DAEWOO can scroll through the now and next boards for all channels whilst watching a different channel and you can set a recording on the now and next . It's very useful for a quick start or you don't wont to upset the partner.

Hi
It's a feature of box's using CABOT software ,including vestal. Don't know of any other box's that can do this, do you? And if there is , is that a reason for not including it?

TechnoTrend PVRs (Technosonic, Tevion etc) use the Cabot software but that feature is not available on their PVRs. I don't know about the Vestel units (Digihome etc) but I don't recall it being mentioned on here.

Colin

Edit:- Correction to above. Just had a look at a Manual for a Vestel PVR and it does appear that it may have this feature though the ability to set a recording is not specifically mentioned (Grundig GUSTB801B Manual Page 19)
Last edited by creddish : 25-02-2007 at 15:53

Hi
My DIGIHOME as this feature,in fact I think it dose it better than my DAEWOO .When you pres record on the DAEWOO's
next board it doesn't have a red marker to show you that it is infarct recording, but the DIGIHOME as a red maker on the now and on the next boards.

Hello, this is my first post. Can I ask a few questions?:

What's this 'Accurate Recording feature (like PDC)' mean on the Daewoo?

So Digifusion and Thomson can't record consecutive programmes when timer start/end times have been padded(I assume that means extended slightly) if the 2nd tuner isn't free? You telling me the others can record two channels simultaneously using just one tuner? How the heck does that work? Oh, wait! Did you mean two consecutive programmes on the same channel?

'watch other channels during dubbing'. What's 'dubbing'?

Does a digital output mean you can get surround sound off applicable programmes and films?

What does 'basic' and 'comprehensive' mean in regards to the front panel?

By 'instant recordings', you mean recordings made by simply pressing the 'record' button when viewing a channel, right?

End of questions. Oh, and nice table you've got here!

not sure how Daewoo implements PDC, but PDC means that the recorder will vary the start & end time if the broadcast is running late or early (eg after a sports event)

For consecutive recordings some machines ignore autopadding and override it when necessary

Dubbing is playing out through the "VCR" scart socket to a DVD recorder.

Digital output for audio means using an optical or coax out to an A/V amp - Freeview obly transmits normal stereo though so no Dolby 5.1 as you might get on a DVD

Some front panels show more info than others - the Humax has the channel name, and words such as "PLAY" and "Rec", others just show a number or the time.

And you are correct re instant recordings - you press one button and start recording the program you are watching & usually the recorder stops recording when the program finishes. Sometimes there is a simple way to add time on at the end.

From my experience, the Toppy, Inverto and, by the 4TV inference, Thomson & Fusion 1XX & 200 can. I'd be very suprised if the Humax doesn't.

Still, as you say, no reason not to include it I guess

The Humax and the Panasonic doesn't.

This PVR comparison table is great but what I need to know is how do these boxes compare with the Sky+ twin tuner. I live in an excellent freeview reception area and am reluctant to pay a monthly fee if I can get a comparable freeview service. Is the Thomson DHD4000 box a Sky+ clone?

There's nothing that would qualify as a Sky+ clone, because Sky's software was written for them. And additionally, there's no official series link function on Freeview yet - that will be part of the forthcoming Freeview Playback spec.

The Humax and the Topfield are probably the best boxes; both will get series link added to them fairly soon; on the Topfield, you can do something very similar (and arguably more useful) now, by automatically setting recordings based words in programme names or descriptions.

Nigel.