Can anybody tell me if the Pioneer 540HX digital tuner is good in weak to medium signal areas?

I am about to buy a PVR and the Pioneer looks to be favourite. I only have a rubbish Goodmans GDB3 STB at the moment and it suffers badly from electrical interference (ie when washing machine is on,or someone puts a kettle on in Mexico!) the sound cuts out!
I have used a Sony VTU800 STB for a few days and this was OK, is the PIONEER'S TUNER a strong one?

Thanks in advance

i'd be keen to hear any reports on this too as I think i'm about to take the plunge and buy a 440HX. Presumably the tuner is the same as the 540HX, AFAIK its just the size of the HDD that is different.

I need to know if the DVB-T tuner has normal set-top-box type capabilities, like a "guide" and the "red button" etc. On the Pioneer website the picture of the remote doesn't show any coloured buttons, hopefully they are just hidden by a sliding plastic panel http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/product_...nomy_id=42-125

thanks in advance

Seems to be a great tuner and according to some very sensitive.

It's fully featured too (MHEG compatible etc) and the interactive buttons are hidden under the slider on the remote.

I'm really pleased with mine.

Hello Everyone

Another question about the HX540

After selecting a program from the Freeview EPG
can you then add a few minutes to the end in case it over-runs. I have looked at the manual and it talks about doing this on Guideplus but not on the Freeview EPG

Having followed the Sony HX710 thread the major critism of that PVR was that you couldn't change the times taken from the EPG.

Thanks in advance

Duncan

Im much happy with my 540HX as it nice recorder and plenty features, etc.. no complaint..

Just one person mentioned the tuner seems strong and very sensitive, anybody else find it good?

Hi

I can second about the tuner. During some re-arranging in the loft I disconnected the aerial and was very surprised to see a perfect picture still on the TV from the Pioneer digital tuner. Analogue stations were all snow and the digital tuner in the TV reported no signal, but the Pioneer was quite happy!

Quality is very good, looks just the same as the one inbuilt into the TV.


Yes you can, although you need to go into the Timer listing and manually change, doesn't take long when you are used to doing it.

Regards

Phil

Cheers PhilipL

Suppose you've used Guideplus to setup a recording from the Scart socket (ie from cable box or whatever), or perhaps u just kicked off a recording manually.

I know u can play a recording back of the HD at such times. But is it possible to use the built in digital tuner and watch this whilst recording from the scart? ie use the box as a simple set top box whilst it records from the scart.

I suspect not as the 540's UI may lock u out from accessing the digital EPG to select a channel whilst u have Guideplus configured as your EPG (ie what comes up when u press the GUIDE button on the remote). Can u flip this setting whilst in the middle of a Guideplus recording OK?

Or can u use the Guipdeplus EPG to select a channel to watch from the digital built in tuner whilst it records? I remember it mentioned typing in 2 didgit channel numbers for digital channels as opposed to 3 digit ones for Guideplus channels.

Perhaps I need to take a wander down to the local shop with the manual underarm and bully the assistants to show me one up and running before I vamouse and buy it off the web

Any thoughts oh lucky owners?
ta
Al

Hmm, not having automatic padding might well be the final reason for not buying it. I was so used to having recordings padded automatically on my old Pace Twin, and now on my Humax.

Though the main issue is that, since I have the Humax 9200, I think it is likely that I (and any visitors) would get very confused about which machine's tuners(and remotes) I was using, especially when I needed to record two programs at the same time.

I suppose what would really suit me would be a Pioneer with twin tuners. Is there any chance of one coming along in the near future?

In case anybody is interested......The 540HX just got a 5 star review in What Video&Widescreen magazine this month.

Read the review whilst standing in Tesco (I'm a cheapskate ) and all seemed positive. Think this looks like best Freeview PVR on market at present....unless you know different???

Yep...it's a good 'un! We try to keep telling everyone

to answer my own question, after training the boys down at John Lewises tonight:


Answer (after much playing with remote) is: no

Whilst recording any attempt to select channel gets a "Bug off, I'm busy" type message.

It may have two tuners/encoders, but if effectively can only use one at a time. The Sony model with freeview was described the same by the guys. Perhaps it should be described as a 1+1 tuner solution as compared to a full 2 tuner joby like a Humax or Topfield PVR.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great box, but as Guideplus EPG download is coming to Freeview, I think I'll wait till someone pulls finger out and delivers a full 2 tuner solution using that.

This may sound like a daft question....but please excuse my ignorance because i'm only just giving up on VHS (Hooray!) and never had a dvd recorder or PVR.(Going to buy Pioneer HX440)

1.Is it possible to cut adverts out of programmes you've recorded on the hard disk when transferring to archive onto DVD????
2.And if recording live to HD or DVD can you pause and make good clean edit's

Thanks from the VHS Caveman

Yes and yes.

To be honest I would always record straight to the HDD as if you make any mistakes you are not wasting discs.

The 540HXS offers frame accurate editing to which is spot on!!

The 540HXS offers frame accurate editing to which is spot on!! [/quote]


Can you tell me does the 440HX offer frame accurate too???

I thought the only difference was the size of HD ???

Yeah they operate in the same way.

I just got a 440HX last Thursday night and I am over the moon! Its fantastic.

The digital tuner is better than my old Thompson DTI550 STB which didn't like Multiplex A (channel 5)

My only gripe is the freeview EPG, when you press "guide" there is no sound and no preview picture in the corner of the screen like most boxes have

anyway, appart from that its a cracker!

Thanks for letting me know. Could I ask,where did you get it from? How Much?

I thought this unit has the option of selecting either the Guide+ system, or the standard Freeview EPG. Looking through the downloaded manual shows that using Guide+ lets you see the currently selected programme in a small preview window.

It seems a pity, for anyone with previously recorded DVD-RAM cartridge discs, as it appears that the discs have to be removed from the cartridges before they are loaded into the unit. Otherwise I agree it looks a cracker.

Owners of the 540/440HX can you verify this?: Studying the downloaded manual further, it looks like 'Guide Plus+' EPG info is transmitted via the host channel which in the UK is ITV analogue.

I take it then that this very nice looking facility is, in fact, a dead duck more-or-less?

Er.....not quite. You can use Eurosport from Sky as the carrier but that would need to be left on overnight (Sky that is) to pick up the signal.

I would think that in the near future the carrier may move onto a DTT channel and the Guideplus software can be updated to accomodate this.

(Plus it's not a Pioneer thing it's a Gemstar thing)

Yes that right - it not Pioneer, GuidePlus run by Gemstar as they make the listing on tv through the aerial - I used the EPG (Digital) as it record through Freeview as Im deaf as I used the subtitles as it worked great, if you leave ITV or Eurosport and then leave it for 24 hrs then the GuidePlus listing will appear on the screen (some other recorder usaul switch on dvd recorder and leave it for about 24-36hrs).. if you use the G-link through Sky digibox then it can record as digital channels but remember leave the sky channels until record is finish

Baz, I picked up my 440 from Empire Direct on the A666 in Bolton for £303. They had both the 440 and 540 in stock

mjt03 posted a link on here somewhere where you could get it for £290 + £10 postage

Russell,

I haven't played with GuidePlus yet, does it list the freeview channels on there or just the five analogue ones?