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My STB is playing up and i'm looking at upgrading.

i'd like to stick to topfield or maybe look at another brand, i know that if i'm going to replace it i want something

top of the range but didn't want to create another brand debate. i heard heard all good things about topfield.

my dilema is that i want a unit that will display HD and have recently noticed there's not much out there in terms of a HD PVR. the reasoning behing getting a PVR is that I can also used it for HD viewing and with the world cup coming up i though it would be ideal timing for a PVR.

would i be right in assuming from my quick search that it's still early days in terms of a HD PVR, if not, a recommendation and expected RRP for a unit would be appreciated. from looking at the masterpiece the price is a bit more than i would have hoped for. any other suggestions on a way around this? could i get away with a HD STB and a DVD-R seperate unit or would this cost be the same as getting a HD STB.

hope this makes sense, sorry a bit rushed this arvo.

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Hi thud,

A HD STB with a seperate DVDR is doable but not a great solution. DVDRs are analogue (DVDs can only record to SD quality resolution anyway.) and you have to make sure the DVDR and the STB are tuned to the same channel to record. Price wise you're probably going to be over $600 with this recording combo.

A PVR sounds exactly like what you would need. You can by a Toppy 5000 (which is practically identical to a MP for about $750). Or even the (again almost the same functionality) Topfield 4400 for about $550. The 4400 differes from the MP and 5000 in that you can't run user written TAPs that ad better functionality (Like better ad skipping or a 7 day EPG).

Have a read of the Toppy FAQ (esp the bit on twin tuners):

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=16828

Have a general read of the STB and PVR and DVDR FAQ too:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=29072

If you are not interested in TAPs a powerful and simple no fuss PVR is the Humax Smart. As powerful as the Toppy (lacks only chaseplay functionality) for about $630.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=27386&hl=humax

As to HiDef, well its expensive. So a HD PVR is going to cost. Only 3 models currently available I suspect the latest (and seemingly greatest) Sony might be a bit pricey at $1350 for a bit. However you can get the HiDef LG for around $900. At that price its good value. The unit has a couple of 'quirks' but is generally a good solid unit if you don't record 'tonnes' of TV.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=32125

Regards

Peter Gillespie

PS Do you have a HD TV? Out of interest what model and size?

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As to HiDef, well its expensive. So a HD PVR is going to cost. Only 3 models currently available I suspect the latest (and seemingly greatest) Sony might be a bit pricey at $1350 for a bit. However you can get the HiDef LG for around $900. At that price its good value. The unit has a couple of 'quirks' but is generally a good solid unit if you don't record 'tonnes' of TV.
I don't think I realised there were only three. So are they

1.) The Sony (SVRHD700/900)

2.) The LG (LST-5402P HiDef 160G PVR)

3.) The Toshiba (HDD J35)

Are there no others?

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Are there no others?

That's the lot (although the LG also has a 250g model). Some other models (Humax and Topfield and others) are mooted for release in the next 6 months. But for now your choice is:

Toshiba (Mid Priced but still pricey, True Twin Tuner, Bad history of bugs)

LG (Relatively Cheap, 1.7 Twin Tuner (Can't timer record two overlapping shows), bad edit functions and pretty useless SKIP button)

Sony (Very expensive, new kid on the block, Tru Twin tuner, seems pretty well featured and bug free (although its early days)

Regards

Peter Gillespie

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Toshiba (Mid Priced but still pricey, True Twin Tuner, Bad history of bugs)
Yes I was just about to buy this one and read all the negative comments on this forum and pulled out and bought the Toshiba HD stb instead (to get the sound). Regret it a bit. Did not think it through, unlike all my other purchases which are reasonably well researched.

Wish I'd got the Toppy SD PVR (for the same money). If I do this anyway I end up with two bits of conflicting gear and will be switching between them. That might be hard to explain to the other-half. Unless I put it on the other telly. Hmmmm. (To sell the Toshiba S25 would probably be difficult!) :blink:

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Yes I was just about to buy this one and read all the negative comments on this forum and pulled out and bought the Toshiba HD stb instead (to get the sound). Regret it a bit. Did not think it through, unlike all my other purchases which are reasonably well researched.

Wish I'd got the Toppy SD PVR (for the same money). If I do this anyway I end up with two bits of conflicting gear and will be switching between them. That might be hard to explain to the other-half. Unless I put it on the other telly. Hmmmm. (To sell the Toshiba S25 would probably be difficult!) :blink:

Its a big new digital area - hard to make the right decision when you don't have many reference points. You probably know my opinion is that once you get a good twin tuner SD PVR up and running, watching live HiDef TV (with ads) via the STB can become 'irritating'. I think the S25 STB was actually a pretty solid unit, it was more the J35 that had a lot of issues? As you say, its a pricey STB though. You could probably get $250+ for it though? Makes the LG HD PVR only $600? :P The Sony also looks to be dropping reasonably quickly (My guess is it will stabalise around $1200.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

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thanks for the comments guys, it's appreciated

i did look through some of the threads you meantioned pg

to also answer your other questions i do have a HD projector - AE700 it's in my sig.

i know there's not much HD content at the moment, but once i get something i feel i have to get HD as this is the way of the future and content can only increase especially if i'm going to spend that much money on something i think it will be worth it.

at the moment it looks like the LG HD PVR is what will suit my needs, i'm not planning to record heaps of TV and will probably only use it for the world cup, AFL grand finals, RAGE stuff etc.

the gripe i have with LG is the brand as i have noticed it gets a bit of bagging around the place, but seems good value. doesn't seem to be much choice at the moment though.

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....at the moment it looks like the LG HD PVR is what will suit my needs, i'm not planning to record heaps of TV and will probably only use it for the world cup, AFL grand finals, RAGE stuff etc.

the gripe i have with LG is the brand as i have noticed it gets a bit of bagging around the place, but seems good value. doesn't seem to be much choice at the moment though.

I think the reason for the bagging is the support issue but I have no first hand knowledge of this. Only what I've read here.
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AE700 it's in my sig.
Sorry, some of us disable viewing sigs. LG does seem to cop a fair bit of flack. But FWIW the PVR did dissapoint some early buyers but they had pretty high expectations on what they wanted. The PVR seems to work well and is robust and IMO good value for money. Read the FAQ and you should know exactly what you are getting.

On HD, if you are watching via a projector (ie big screen) then I definately recommend HD - whats broadcast might not be 'true' HD most of the time but it looks noticably better on the big screens than SD.

Have fun

Peter Gillespie

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Sorry, some of us disable viewing sigs.
You might find sigs these days are a bit more sensible than they were a few months ago. People seem to be showing reason and limiting then to only a few lines. Good forum etiquette and all that!

I try to have informative links in mine.

Now I'll calmly sit here and wait to get roasted! :blink:

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As an early adopter of the LG 160GB, I havn't been all that disappointed. Sure some functions are a bit clunky or don't work and there was the DLS bug, but even that didn't stop it recording the right program at the right time. In fact I have only just got round to getting the firmware update done.

I am not demanding on the edit functions etc, what I want is to get home and find my favorite show from last week has recorded reliably, and so far the LG has been 100% on this count.

And on a big screen the PQ is great. Much better than the SD Strong 5390.

There are those who say it's not "true twin tuner", but if you think of it as getting a single tuner HD PVR plus a HD STB with timeslip to watch while the PVR is recording it's pretty good value for around $900.

So if that sounds like your needs, it gets my stamp of approval.

Best of luck,

Dik

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FWIW I am on my third PVR.

The first unit was an analogue tuner Samsung HD40A. This was pretty reliable, had few quirks and a usable user interface. Having used it I would never want to be without a PVR. It completely changes your viewing habits.

In September last year I upgraded to a Philips HDMI flat panel, with the Philips DFR9000 receiver and a Toshiba HDD J-35. The flat panel and the receiver have worked well. The only issues I have are problems with DVI input from computers.

The Toshiba was a nice unit from the performance point of view. The user interface left a bit to be desired but it seemed to do the right things. It did however run very hot. After a couple of months it started to freeze up and this got progressively worse. It was swapped out for another unit, but this had the same problems only worse.

I then got it swapped for the LG LST-5403P. I kept this just long enough to satify myself that it was completely unusable. I would rather have the old analogue Samsung than the LG. It was extremely slow in everything it did. For example, after skipping forward while playing a recording, it would take 4 or 5 seconds to display the video at the new play point. This makes finding a point in a long recording difficult and frustrating. An HDMI connection to the DFR9000 plain did not work. I think this thing is a dog.

Today I got it swapped for Sony PVR-HD900. This cost more but so far it is worth every cent. In the words of the Honda ad, "Isn't it nice when it just works!" Unless it proves to have some reliability issues down the track, it is much the best PVR I have had. The user interface is clear and logically thought out. The functionality is excellent and the speed of response to commands good. I like it.

Best of luck with your quest.

Bill

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FWIW I am on my third PVR.

The first unit was an analogue tuner Samsung HD40A. This was pretty reliable, had few quirks and a usable user interface. Having used it I would never want to be without a PVR. It completely changes your viewing habits.

In September last year I upgraded to a Philips HDMI flat panel, with the Philips DFR9000 receiver and a Toshiba HDD J-35. The flat panel and the receiver have worked well. The only issues I have are problems with DVI input from computers.

The Toshiba was a nice unit from the performance point of view. The user interface left a bit to be desired but it seemed to do the right things. It did however run very hot. After a couple of months it started to freeze up and this got progressively worse. It was swapped out for another unit, but this had the same problems only worse.

I then got it swapped for the LG LST-5403P. I kept this just long enough to satify myself that it was completely unusable. I would rather have the old analogue Samsung than the LG. It was extremely slow in everything it did. For example, after skipping forward while playing a recording, it would take 4 or 5 seconds to display the video at the new play point. This makes finding a point in a long recording difficult and frustrating. An HDMI connection to the DFR9000 plain did not work. I think this thing is a dog.

Today I got it swapped for Sony PVR-HD900. This cost more but so far it is worth every cent. In the words of the Honda ad, "Isn't it nice when it just works!" Unless it proves to have some reliability issues down the track, it is much the best PVR I have had. The user interface is clear and logically thought out. The functionality is excellent and the speed of response to commands good. I like it.

Best of luck with your quest.

Bill

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thanks guys

i dont want to buy something if it's not 100% as i have been down that road in the past and don't wish go down it again.

price is still ridiculous i feel for a HD STB and there's not much choice, i will have to weigh it all up soon and decide. will let you know how i go.

oh yeh and pajero - wtf?

btw speaking to a few sales people drones today i was advised on a few occasions that the LG is "bug free" and "nothing wrong with it". i'm still keeping an open mind on the LG as my recording needs aren't great but will be dissapointed once I get it to put up with poor functionality....

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Most of us who still have the J35's are very happy with them.

With the benefit of hindsight, it appears there were two problems, firmware and hardware.

Castles firmware support was second to none, they released (uumm...) four or five upgrades in a relatively short period of time.

Hardware issues seemed to fall into two categories, faulty units, and faulty units that could be fixed by re-aligning the front-panel cable.

It is worthy of note that no "new" buyers of the J35 have turned up here asking for help or complaining about their units.

It would seem that the latest shipments have ironed out the initial problems............

Mine works just fine, true twin-tuner, chase-play, time-shift, recording, whatever I ask of it.

Austen.

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oh yeh and pajero - wtf?
Yes, thought the same. What's the point of doing that. BTW, do you know what pajero means in Spanish?
It is worthy of note that no "new" buyers of the J35 have turned up here asking for help or complaining about their units.
One of the prominent local Perth HT shops pushes them quite hard and reckons all the problems have been sorted. It was where I would have bought mine but I bailed. In some ways I wish I hadn't.
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i'm almost 100% there with my decision

i have decided on the TF7000HT

just a HD STB

i figure i don't do any recording of tv now so why start.

i wanted something decent this time - hence the toppy choice.

the lack of choice in PVR's, still being new technology (bugs) and price have put me off a PVR for the time being. after reading the massive Sony post it seems that's the best choice at the moment but again the price was a turn off as i think a 250GB would be the minimum I would get. as i said i don't do a lot of recording but once i have it i will take advantage of it and it's like the old addage of never having enough HDD

cheers all

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Good luck, let us know what you think of the 7000 STB when you get it. If you don't record now then a STB is a good choice. The only last thoughts I had are:

1) A PVR has one really neat feature, which is the ability to PAUSE LIVE TV

2) Not sure what time the World Cup is on? A bit of recorded TIMESHIFTING might be handy?

As mentioned the LG is generally fine. If you just use it to change channels then it makes a great HD STB with great PQ - no ones complained about this side of it. If you don't want to record two things at once by timer (and I suspect you don't) then its also fine. Finally if you don't want to edit the recordings then the LG is also great.

I guess what I'm saying is that while a product may have some bugs, if they are in an area you never use anyway, why include it in your criteria?

Regardless, It sounds like you might be having a few mates over to your house when the cup starts :blink:

Enjoy

Peter Gillespie

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Yes, thought the same. What's the point of doing that. BTW, do you know what pajero means in Spanish?

Well I was going to post something then got called away from the computer......Accidently clicked the wrong button................sorry to cause such you so much distress!!!! :blink:

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Good luck, let us know what you think of the 7000 STB when you get it. If you don't record now then a STB is a good choice. The only last thoughts I had are:

1) A PVR has one really neat feature, which is the ability to PAUSE LIVE TV

2) Not sure what time the World Cup is on? A bit of recorded TIMESHIFTING might be handy?

As mentioned the LG is generally fine. If you just use it to change channels then it makes a great HD STB with great PQ - no ones complained about this side of it. If you don't want to record two things at once by timer (and I suspect you don't) then its also fine. Finally if you don't want to edit the recordings then the LG is also great.

I guess what I'm saying is that while a product may have some bugs, if they are in an area you never use anyway, why include it in your criteria?

Regardless, It sounds like you might be having a few mates over to your house when the cup starts :blink:

Enjoy

Peter Gillespie

points taken peter

i agree that once i have a PVR i will almost certainly find uses for it but maybe not at the moment, by the time i'm ready maybe they will be around the $500 mark

your posts have been very informative to me

keep up your good work around the forum - your input is appreciated

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You can always 'send' the signal from a STB to a DVDR. But the later is an analogue device. No point sending HiDef to it (as it will effectively be down converted). Have a read of the pinned STB/DVDR/PVR FAQ in the harddrive recorder branch on the advantages and (mostly IMO) disadvantages of having a STB/DVDR combo.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

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yeah i understand that but i just saw on sony sony's website a unit with HDD and DVD-R.

while you can't record HD on DVD-R I'm assuming you can store HD content on the hard drive and if you do want the option to burn to DVD at least it's there, this makes more practical sense to me as with a PVR you can never back up anything it's always on the HDD

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