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I recently purchased a DVICO Fusion HDTV Lite card for my computer. Problem is no matter what I do I can't get the program to work well. If I turn timeshifting on it will pause every few seconds, and even with it off if I try to do anything else (e.g. typing this message) it will pause as well. My computer should be mroe than powerful enough to handle it but it just doesn't seem to like runnign it. The only thing I can think of is possibly because of my RAID as I heard someone had problems with a software raid and using the card, but it is a hardware raid and it is raid 0 so if anything it should make timeshifting better! My specs are: AMD Athlon 3200+ 1 Gb ram 128Mb Geforce 6800GT 2x 200Gb Western Digital in RAID 0 Creative Audigy 2 ZS Pioneer DVD burner One of the main reasons I got it was so that I could watch TV while chatting to friends, but as it is I certainly can't do that!

I have an idea I am tossing around in my head. What if you use a modified Wireless print server? The kind designed for USB printers? You would obviously need one running linux (do they?) or something similar but the basic design of the device is what we need - it is for connecting a USB Device to a wireless network.

He should have found out how you were paying before doing that! I think the prices must have dropped in price as that is well below the absolute minimum price I would be able to sell it at (even at that price I would probably get in trouble unless I sold heaps of extras: power boards, cables, warranty etc)

I work at an electronics store and I am sure the system said we had one available at another store on Saturday morning, Sunday morning it was gone Now I will have to wait unless I can sweet talk the Panasonic rep to magically make one appear. ToeCutter: Expect to pay more on 12 months interest free and even more on 48 months. Instead of you being charged interest on the product the store is instead - so the margins on the products become slimmer. It is unfortunate but better than the other option of saving up for 10 months to get it at the cheaper price! Also, I have no idea how these other stores are doing it so cheap, even at staff price I can't buy it as cheap as some of the prices I have seen people saying they have got it for! Maybe the wholesale price has gone down on the more recent shipments and the one we had in the system was an old one. Lucky for me the new house where I will be using this is still a few months away, so I can wait for a Feb delivery - I just don't want to

According to the specs it has S/PDIF Coaxial Digital Audio Out, which is the copper digital output, just as good sound as the optical cable. I assume also you were talking about the Topfield 5000PVRt, since that is the one with dual recorders, the 4000 is a set top box only, no recording features (in the free to air box). I would definitely recommend the Topfield. It has good support, good firmware running on it and is very reliable. You would be surprised how incredibly useful having two tuners is (for me at least!).

For those who are having trouble finding it, it is under: Television>Set top box> Wintal 80Gb pvr looks pretty nice! I like the mirrored front. Not as nice as the toppy, since it only has 1 tuner, but at that price you could buy 2! and then you would have the extra 40 Gig. It also does not have USB for downloading files. Still, if the firmware is good this could be a nice box. Just have to wait for someone to try it out.

Actually, this thead was actually about the "new" (now not so new) sony rear projection, which is an analouge display. It is a CRT based rear projection, not a DLP or LCD based one. So yes he was right about the DVI not being needed (I don't think the sony had DVI in anyway) but it is kind of a dead thread. Still a very nice set! edit: I just browesed back through the thread. The post that brought back up the bit about the HTPC first is on page 3 at the bottom. It quotes an old post from the beginning of the thread, that was posted over a year ago!

Bummer, I was going to give it a try on my Toppy. I have not tried the component output on it yet, but I don't think my box is modded for the better component out. I purchased it sometime around Jan/Feb this year. I will go pick up one of the Crest adaptors on the weekend if I can find one (I don't like my local HN) and test out my component signal.

Jaycar have just released the kit for the RGB-Component converter that was shown in Silicon chip magazine recently. It is not up on the website yet, but it is in one of their flyers here. It is on page 8, top left. It is $89.95, so for a saving over the commercially avaliable ones you get the fun of building it yourself! And in this flyer they have a SCART to RGB converter for $12.95 (middle of page 5), much cheaper than the Dick Smith one.

I wish I had my own circuit board manufacturing equipment. I would love to build one of these but it adds up quickly: circuit board : $35 magazine (back issue) : $8.80 so its already at almost $45 without even adding all the components! Still, this could prove an interesting activity for me during the uni break.

Well first of all, you cannot just connect a HD STB to the 5000prv to record HD (nor any other external source, only the 2 tuners). If you want to record HD you will have to go for the 7000. As for deciding if there is enough on in HD, there is a list of what is widescreen and what is HD here. If picture and audio quality is that important to you, then I suggest you wait for the 7000, but on the other hand, you’re living with analogue at the moment! For a 76/86 cm TV I don't think you will notice too much difference. I had a HD box for my 119cm rear projection (HD) for a while, and while you could notice the difference it was not that much. The major problem I found was that the bandwidth for HD is too small, so the picture gets a bit blocky during fast action (which is not as evident on SD). While you can see problems with the SD picture, they are only noticeable when you look for them, once you start watching you are paying more attention to what is going on rather than what is wrong with the picture. I would suggest when you go to the store to buy the TV, go during a time when there will be a show on in HD (I would suggest during CSI if you can, as it is one of the higher quality shows) and flick between the SD and HD channel on their demo set.

the case is not even custom, that is a regular MiniPC case (not a shuttle, one made by another brand) And it does only have 1 PCI slot (and 1 AGP slot) - it may just have 2 PCI and no AGP but those are not very common, and then your stuck with the dodgy outputs of onboard video.

try connecting the STB to the PVR with component cables, and then the PVR to the TV with component. You will have to feed the audio through it as well (since you want to record the audio track ) now to watch TV using the STB, turn the TV onto the component channel and the PVR onto the STB input channel (probably AV1) and watch away. To record, just set the PVR to record the AV in.

Yeah I know you can move them to new folders, I like to organise it when I get a buildup of a few eps of a particular show. The real problem is when you move them there, and then record another episode, and it doesn't get a -9 or whatever your up to after it, and you have to move it and edit it.

AFAIK it is not possible. maybe someone can make a TAP to move the files once recorded though.

I had a similar problem with my TX-47P800H, which is a rear projection and the Toshiba HD-S23. I have been told that Toshiba gear and Panasonic gear don't always play well. Strange that your getting problems though since the 2000A is based on the same hardware as the old panasonic one.

I have not seen that Toshiba, only a previous generation, but I own a Panny so have some view points on it. The picture quality is very good, the non reflective screen is a brilliant invention as you can watch TV in the daytime without reflections - especially important as we have lots of windows and we can't just close the curtains. The only downsides have been 1: the tubes need a convergence, which requires the service manual (but all sets will suffer this problem, it just depends how picky you are about it) and 2: it did not work at 576p with our Toshiba High def set top box (now we got a Topfield PVR). If you buy the set, you will be happy I believe.

try wipeing the circuit board down contacts and the bottom of the buttons down with a damp cloth. In our old TV almost all the buttons were not working, I opened the remote and cleaned all the dirt/dust/sticky stuff that was all over the remote and then it was working perfectly again! Make sure you let it dry though! (or wipe it dry)

Earlier tonight I was watching CSI while tapeing it and tapeing the OC. When the first CSI finished I hit ch- to change to channel 1 to watch the OC (which would have just been finishing). Instead I ended up on channel 7, while still apparently recording ch 9 and 1. I decided to wait until the end of the ch 1 recording (which was a few mins away) to ensure I did not miss any of the show, as I could not change channels no matter what I did (short of stopping one of the recordings). I ended up with a 1hr 10 min file for the OC which was 7 megs and hence would not play. The CSI recording also skipped at around the point that I changed the channel (but picked up later, so it just missed that short bit). The OC was tuner 1, CSI was tuner 2 (not that this should matter) A similar thing happened last week, the box was on ch 7 and we were all away from the TV doing other stuff. It should have changed channels as both the OC and CSI preset recordings started simultaneosuly at 8:25. Instead it continued on Ch7 I was out that night, but the rest of the family came to watch CSI 10 minutes after it had started. Now here is the really weird bit: Ch 7 was playing on the screen, but it was recording both the OC and CSI! A physical impossibility! The only thing that I can think of to explain it is if one of the shows started late, and that tuner was set on 7! Strangely it doesn't seem to effect any other overlaying timer settings, just the CSI/theOC set for tuesday night. The only things I have done recently, a bit before these problems showed was upgrade to the April 6 firmware (I think I already had it installed, but could not remember so I reinstalled it) and installed the progressbar Keys TAP. I also removed all the other taps I had installed then (free space bar, the channel info from the UHF key one and the timer_extend one) as I was having some other problems related to them before. Anyone have any idea what is causing these problems? Is it the April 6 firmware? Thanks Adam

Well I want at least a terrabyte of storage, probably one of those lacie big disks built in will do. I would also want 5 high def tuners, as whats the point of having to change channels! sometimes there is up to 3 good things on at once! A built in popcorn machine would be good too, for the movies Realistically though, I think the toppy is good enough for aussie TV. If we had more channels, like in the USA then we would need more tuners. HDD space is a little on the low side, but manageable.

I am not sure what you mean, do you mean get the hardware out of an external HDD box and use that in place of the USB connection? I am not sure how that would work. The quickest way to copy files off the toppy would be to plug the HDD directly into your computer. The problem with that is that the hard disk is not using a regular file system, so your computer can't read it. Other than that, I don't think there is any way to speed it up, AFAIK the speed is not being limited by the USB connection but rather by something else inside the toppy EDIT: Disregard all that! I saw in another thread a link to this: LINK You need to register, but it is the stuff you need if you want to connect the HDD directly to your PC for fast copying

koops, the easiest way to find changes is to open the file in word, then do a compare and merge. Finds all differences

I thought they progressed forward .1%? They act the same as the left/right directions when I have the bar up for me (I think). I will have to check into this.

Exellent works Koops! Just what we need! What I think would be great is if you could program the |< and >| buttons directly above the colour keys (the ones that seem to do nothing) to control something like 5/10 secs forward. That way you can go red/yellow (i.e. 3 min + 30 seconds) until you find the final advert and then hit the 5 second advance - so you dont miss any of the show I will try this TAP of your later, and might look at modifying it (If I can work it out ). I know a bit of java which is apparently based on C so hopefully it's not too hard.

if your wanting to program it via the computer you would probably be better off with a MX700. It is basically a MX500 that has to be programmed via the PC, but it has a few extra features (more macros if I remember right) There is a review of it here (they also reviewed the mx500)