Hi everyone

Very new to the Toppy game...sounds a brillaint (open source type of) concept...my quick question if anyone is able to help me out:

I cannot yet receive Freeview in my area - but I do have FreeSat. Can I connect the Topfield TF5800 to my Sky box and record from that...until the day comes when Freeview will work in my area?

I'd appreciate your replies.

Cheers,
Steve

No, all the Freeview PVRs dicussed hereabouts can ONLY record from their internal tuners (because they don't MPEG encode - they just record the stuff that comes down the wire "as is"). To record from Freesat you either need the only PVR with an MPEG encoder - that's Tivo - available second hand on ebay. Or you need a DVD recorder and, for "sensible" editing, one with an HDD is a good idea.

Cliff

Or you could get the satelite version of the toppy, if youve got the cash to spare.
where have you heard that you cant get freeview? the DTT/freeview site goes for the pessimistic side of things, with a decent antenna and cable you might be able to get a decent signal.

Thanks for that Richard. Read it off the Freeview site but I must admit I am a little confused as my Dad can get it 5/6 miles away and the father-in-law less than 3 miles away.

I phoned a TV aerial installation guy this evening who said he could put a new aerial up for approx. £150 (and that Freeview worked with an install less than 1 mile away). I only have Sky (now FreeSat) so I want to hang fire until I get the aerial sorted and FreeSat confirmed, which I hope the aerial engineer can check when he comes. Saying that, I'd like the Toppy box here so it can hook it up straight away and play! Patience is not one of my strong points!

I understand a Sky feed won't work (thanks CJL), but I wonder would a normal, standard terrestrial signal work with the TF5800 via the RF? Just in case Freeview doesn't work for the minute?

Also, here's a scenario that I was wondering someone could help me out with?! ...

If I was watching live BBC feed (say, Eastenders!) at 7:30pm...

...phone rang at 7:40pm....

...I invoke "Pause Live TV"

....got off the phone at 7:50pm and 'unpaused' - then started watching the 'recording' of BBC (thus being 10 mins 'behind' real-time)...

...what would happen if/how would I tell the Toppy to...

...start recording ITV1 at 8pm (say, The Bill) so when I got to the end of Eastenders at 8:10pm, I could start watching The Bill, still 'recorded' (until of course I could fast forwarded the ads and caught up with live tv?!)

Hope that makes sense?

Thanks in advance for your help, people!

Ive not realy tied doing what youve said above, but i would have thought it should work as you say.
What I have done is instead of pause i hit the record button, and then use go back to where i left the programme by going into the archive and selecting the partialy recorded programme.

So in your example i would start watching the bill at 8:00 and the when the phone rings at 8:12pm i would press record.
after finishing on the phone i would go back to where i left the bill (either rewind or via the archive) and watch it in chase play, while i was doing this i might set East enders up as a record as well in case i miss the begining of that.
So i would be watching the bill on chase play, with the next programme (eastenders) set to record just incase watching the bill on chase play lasts longer than the time that east enders starts.

Simple answer, no it won't.


£150 sounds a lot for an aerial , I got my wideband fitted for £40, make sure you're getting something special (high-gain or the like), as it's way overpriced for a run of the mill job.

Can't you borrow your dad's box with your existing aerial and see what happens? Check with him whether he needed a fancy aerial, as if he didn't, you probably won't either a few miles away.

I'd have thought that any cheap satellite receiver with a HDD would record the FTA channels on Astra2D 28.2°E.

Freesat BTW is a confusing term: actually the name is owned by the BBC, maybe what you mean is Sky Freesat which, confusingly, isn't the same thing.

Agree with russellelly though. Borrow your dad's box and don't pay anything like £150 for a normal aerial install. FGS, for £400 you could get a full motorised satellite system installed, inclusing the dish, motor and the labour.

[naughty]Or, even better go to Argos, buy a STB, test it, take it back.[/naughty]

Thanks for that guys.

Spoke to another installer this AM and he said that I should be able to get 80% of the channels but reception is "patchy" though they can test the reception to see whether it's strong enough for FreeView ( ). I don't currently have an aerial of any description at the moment so I need something. (Forgive me if I am being presumptuous but) basically, I have the wiring up to the loft so it should just be a case of poking that through to the outside and putting up the aerial/booster. I don't have a chimney so I suppose it'll have to be on a poll? How much would you say that may cost (bullpark?!) - I live on the South Coast (near Worthing, Sussex).

Also is 80% (whatever that means?) enough to run the Toppy successfully?

Sadly Argos specifically exclude Freeview boxes from their 16-day no-qubble return policy - probably for exactly this reason!

But asda don't!!!

on way round that 'problem' is to find the most bug ridden box that argos sell use that to test your aeriel conection, or you could try and borrow a box form somewhere.

I wouldn't buy a Toppy without checking reception. 80% of channels as an estimate from a guy who's chargijng you to install some aerial seems like pie in the sky to me.

Go for their £30 Sagem. While I think it's a great box for the money it does have aspect ratio problems into a 4:3 telly (mainly on ITV1). No matter what you set it to you get tall/thin people - should be justifcation for refund after you've used it to test the Freeview reception.

Or else just buy a 5800 from an online seller (in fact that's the only way to buy one isn't it?) and if you can't get good enough recpetion return it under the 7 day distance selling regulations.

Cliff

Thanks guys.

I spoke to the engineer today who assured me that FreeView is available in my area ("done loads on this estate before mate") ...so I am getting one more quote tomorrow and if he comes up with the same kind of Freeview comments I will buy a Toppy this weekend. Can't wait!

BTW, £110+VAT for an external aerial on a pole.

Now, need to work out where best to buy one...TurboSat sounds the best bet (pay full whack but get it quick and reliably!)... any ideas on delivery time?

Thanks!

Usually from Turbosat about five minutes after you get the order confirmation.