By the looks of it PDC isnt that reliable at the moment and some complaints have been received by the Beeb. BBCs web site suggests to stop using it for BBC1 and BBC2 for the time being until the problems are resolved.

Didnt the Pace Twin used to be sometimes able to take into account time slipages for scheduled recordings? If that so I dont know how the trick is performed. Would be good if on the PVRs today you could select an option for the box to run with a time slipage received from 'now and next' or EPG!

Hi Kenny

Once you've sussed out loading TAPs (it's not hard) I suggest the first one you install is UKTimers. This will provide what you're looking for in a far more intuitive format and with only one button press to access the list of recordings for the current day, other days can easily be accessed by using the > and < buttons.

Presumably, that's provided I don't try to follow the manual!!!

Thanks

K

Re the Pace Twin:under 'Preferences' one can set the machine to switch on,and off, by a preset amount of time either side of the programme's official start/stop time.
I presume this could be embodied in the Topfield by way of a software update.

Being female, I read mine...

It's not good though... the language used is not very Anglicised.

Browsing the Korean site I noticed that they were developing boxes with internet connections. I'm not sure I would want one. They can run Linux or Windows CE.

http://www.topfield.co.kr/data/produ...hure/IPSTB.pdf

I think it may be while before it hits the UK.

I am VERY happy with my Toppy, I did go for the huge disk, it seemed worth the extra 50 quid, but then I'm running out of shelf space, full of lost videos. I wanted a Toppy to STOP me watching TV... ironic but true and it can record the radio too.

Jerry

Aw, Ang! I read the manual many times while we were still waiting for the Toppy last Febraury and March. I just didn't feel a need to dip into it again once I had got my hamds on a Toppy for real.

I'm really happy with the Toppy (esp with JAG etc added!). A couple of questions have arisen that, if I was less lazy, I'd try to work out for myself (I've looked on the Toppy forum site but, even if I can find the right question, they don't always seem to come up with a final answer!

We have our Toppy in the bedroom, so...

1 Imagine it's currently taping something and we want to go to sleep. How do we instruct it to go to standby when it's finished? Currently, it's quietly ticking away to itself which can be a bit annoying at 3 in the morning!

2 With JAG installed, how do you get 'interactive' to work? The OK button just brings up the 'now' list. I've tried reading the online Jag manual and, while it's better than the Toppy one, it still manages to confuse me! (It took me ages to find the search function because I thought the phrase 'press |> (slow!)' meant press the main right arrow button slowly! The Toppy forum nearly gave the answer but not quite...

3 Is there a way to instruct Jag's search function to only pick up progs on a certain channel or day of the week? I set up to search for Corrie and it picks up the ITV2 ones too. Not a major issue but the missus hates 'clutter'!

Thanks in advance...

K

OK found the answer to Q1 (didn't think of looking for 'sleep timer'!

K

For question 2, you need to configure Jag's EPG via the menu options to use a key other than the OK key for activation, so that OK will work for MHEG.

For question 3, go into the searches, highlight the one you want and I think the OK button will let you control all the options, including channels, and days, then just save the search again.

Nigel.

Thanks Nigel. I'll try these when I get home.

K

Kenny, be aware that JAGs uses different numbers than those used to select a channel using the buttons on the remote. Refer to the number at top left of the JAG EPG for the channel in question.

Took ages to work out how to do the re-assigning of the second key - I didn't realise there were more options below!

K

I haven't tried this yet but thanks for the heads up.

K

is it possible to record programmes direct from the VCR scart to a DVD player without the risk of on screen messages being recorded on to DVD recorder along with the show? I dont know if I read the Humax forum correctly but it sounds as though any messages on screen like a recording starting is also captured if transfering recordings from the library

Yes, any messages will appear on screen, but one of the (many) features of the ImproBox TAP is to turn off these PVR Info messages.

Nigel.

Its best to time these things with what you have scheduled to record in mind

Thanks.

EDIT: Does anybody know if the manufacturer has any plans to add additional features into the software, that could only be used previously with installing TAPs?

It depends what features you have in mind.

As ever, when I get news about that sort of thing, I tend to report it over on the Toppy site; the news item www.toppy.org.uk/static/decUpdate.html has a little bit about what's planned. When I have more news, I'll post another story there.

Nigel.

Thanks for the link. I would find the channel changing in the epg everytime I go up or down the EPG anoying but also you can not keep watching your program .

The one about possibilities on speeding up EPG load times is interesting. How long does it take for it to load up the 7 days worth of data usually?

don't we all

Ooh thats Christmas covered then.

I trust our friends at Turbosat are planning a nice stockpile for us at the end of the year ? I expect they'll be selling hotter than a 5800 with a power amp on the top (not recommended by the way - unless your oven is on the blink).