Anyone up on the latest PVRs?

[Jake]

Without me having to wade through 3000 pages of opinionated waffle on some other forums, is there anyone here with good advice on the latest PVR to have?

I was keen on the Beyonwiz DP-P2, but is this still king of the heap?

Cheers,
Jake

[Grumpy]

I have a Panasonic PVR with HDD - twin HD tuners and the built in DVD recorder. When i bought it just over 15 months a go, it was the only twin tuner HDD DVD recorder on the market and the missus thinks it's the best bit of kit we have ever bought. There is the Blu-ray model as well which burns to DVD in HD.

[joz]

Hi Jake

Look at Tivo they will be getting quite a few desirable features coming online.
Check out their Caspa feature, a type of VOD.
http://www.mytivo.com.au/whatistivo/moviestvmusic/faq/


edit...what about Foxtel with its IQ2?

[NGM]

I have a Panasonic PVR with HDD - twin HD tuners and the built in DVD recorder. When i bought it just over 15 months a go, it was the only twin tuner HDD DVD recorder on the market and the missus thinks it's the best bit of kit we have ever bought. There is the Blu-ray model as well which burns to DVD in HD.

I'll second that Grumps. We have the same unit and it is a brilliant piece of kit, very good quality.
My wife thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread, especially the set and forget EPG, and it's great Viera linked to the 50" Panny.
Can also load CD's on to it and use as a media server.

[Jake]

Grumpy, I will look at it, but I want the device to be able to stream media files off my wired network. I know the Beyonwiz will do this, but not so sure about the Panny.

Joz, I cancelled pay TV last year, one of the best things I've ever done

Cheers,
Jake

[joz]

Grumpy, I will look at it, but I want the device to be able to stream media files off my wired network. I know the Beyonwiz will do this, but not so sure about the Panny.

Joz, I cancelled pay TV last year, one of the best things I've ever done

Cheers,
Jake

Just wait till the little one needs more baby sitting,it'lll be back

[hired goon]

G'day,

For a straight PVR I use my TiVo ... always up-to-date EPG, and I can set it to record a program by name and it will find out when that program is next on and set up the recording automatically, no matter what time it's on. Although I do wish it had more than two tuners, since there's too many progam clashes these days. All up cost me around $500 IIRC. No ad-skipping, but the FFWD is quick-enough for me.

If you also want media streaming: get a Beyonwiz .. although yer up for $800 - $1000.

Personally I'd go for a decent HDD-based PVR and a dedicated media playing device.

--Geoff

[Benje]

Jake

for networking, consider the Topfield Masterpiece 2400 or the Beyonwiz DP-2. Not sure that the panasonic twin HD tuner/DVR has networking. All three have analogue input which enables old VCR tapes and Foxtel to be fed into the recorder.

I was going to buy the Beyonwiz, but I have a need for for feeding simultaneous HDMI and analogue (yellow composite) video. Only the Topfield masterpiece 2400 met all my requirements. So far, so good. They are complex pieces of kit. And, to be frank, I have not tested the networking yet. I know others have, but not me.

If you do decide that you want a 250GB Panasonic twin-tuner PVR, let me know. I have an unopened one at postcode 5067 going cheap - $650. I expect you will be very happy with the beyonwiz though, as long as you do not need to have multiple video paths that can be either HDMI and/or composite.

Benje

ps the current area of challenge with the Topfield is the use of JFS and/or EXT2 file structures. It seems to be linux based, so copying files to drives in the wrong format is challenging on the Topfield (ie impossible). I'll get there. I don't know what structure the Beyonwiz uses.

[Waylander]

I have a couple of Beyonwiz (DP-S1 and DP-P2)

They have worked pretty much flawlessly (the odd glitch here or there but nothing to make me throw my shoe at the tv yet).

They stream from my computer and can stream to each other through wiztv (but I have never bothered with this, I just walk to the other room and watch it on the other box/projector).

The P2 will also record foxtel (but it's not like IQ2 in that you need to have foxtel on the correct channel as it just see's it as an aux input for recording).

[Jake]

Benje, from what I have read the 2400 does not stream from a network. It has LAN connectivity but that must be for firmware updates, because I can find nobody saying (and again without going through 3000 pages) that it will do network streaming.

I know they have a wireless dongle coming out this year, maybe that will solve the problem?

However, if you tell me that network streaming works then I will take your word.

Im not interested in composite, only component and HDMI.

Cheers,
Jake

[Jake]

Waylander, thanks the positive notes on the DP2.
Cheers,
Jake

[Jake]

HG, the DP2 is now down to $700, high $600s.

[Grumpy]

Grumpy, I will look at it, but I want the device to be able to stream media files off my wired network. I know the Beyonwiz will do this, but not so sure about the Panny.

Joz, I cancelled pay TV last year, one of the best things I've ever done

Cheers,
Jake

The model I have does or can connect to your computer; I don't, it's all a little too much for my strained brain. Oh it also has the Gracenote license for CD info whether you are connected to the comp or not and the few CD's I have put onto the hard drive sound excellent in LPCM

[Benje]

Benje, from what I have read the 2400 does not stream from a network. It has LAN connectivity but that must be for firmware updates, because I can find nobody saying (and again without going through 3000 pages) that it will do network streaming.

However, if you tell me that network streaming works then I will take your word.

Im not interested in composite, only component and HDMI.

Cheers,
Jake

Jake

the good news on the Topfield 2400 is that it has a semi-component auxiliary input. Not 1080i but 576p I think.

Also, the Topfield can simultaneously output through HDMI and Component. I don't think the Beyonwiz can - you need to change settings to select one or the other (I think).

I will see what I can find on networking. As I noted above, the file structure that the Topfield requires for communication could be a problem, I think.

If the either HDMI or component output (not both at once) meets your needs, I expect a Beyonwiz will be a good choice. That was the only reason I went to the Topfield, which I am happy with.

Benje

[Jake]

Thanks guys. Just came home from HN with the Beyonwiz. Now to set it up.

[Bluroo]

Jake I think you will be very happy once set up. I have a FV-L1 not as good as yours but still fine. Had a HDD fail but fixed up better than new as they flashed new software while they had it. Removed annoying audio breaks.uses Samsung HDD. Have fun.

BR

[audiohobbs]

You'll love the Wiz - it does all a PVR should plus stream many types of files. I would advise getting the most up to date firmware and installing it. IceTV is a nice-to-have, but you can survive happily with the fta EPG. If you have a network disk and can connect the Wiz to the network then you can offload files to the NAS and read files from it, too. I would definitely recommend wired connection, though. Most of all, enjoy!

Cheers,

Al.

[Jake]

Thanks Al. I installed a wired connection when I bought the house

[proftournesol]

I want one like my DS Pioneer PVR that has an aux RCA input so that I can use it to record from the cable STB. Are there any?

[Benje]

yes

panasonic xw-350, beyonwiz dp-p2 and topfield materpiece 2400. All have auxiliary RCA input (red/white/yellow). The topfield has a 576p component input - marginally better than composite but not full component quality. All of these are HD tuners.

Most panasonics (eg ex-75 thru ex-89) have this as well, but with SD tuner, not HD tuners.

TIVO (and Beyonwiz dp-p1) only handle the internal digital signals. No RCA in available.

Benje

Benje

[aps]

Jake

I've had a good experience with both the old SD-TiVo / OzTiVo and now the HD-TiVo. Some basic multi-media functions exist (video on demand, view photos) but, no doubt, it's not as functional as other options in this regard. The value, though, is that the user interface is so intuitive that it's one piece of AV technology that other family members as well as guests just understand and use. Good luck.

APS

[Jake]

Thanks Aps. I'm very happy with the Beyonwiz though. It does even more than I was asking for.
Cheers,
Jake

[grassy]

Congrats on your purchase jake, sounds like youll be having fun with your new toy. Mine will prob be here friday or monday.

[Jake]

Congrats on your purchase jake, sounds like youll be having fun with your new toy. Mine will prob be here friday or monday.

Thanks Grassy. The BW is great. It has given us TV on our terms.

[grassy]

I've never owned a pvr, what exactly do you use them for jake.