PVR's ( Set Top Box with Hard Drive )

AC/DC · 28-02-2006, 10:36 PM

Hi all...

I am interested to see who out there is up with the technology of a Digital Set top Box with built in Hard Drive.

I previously had a panasonic HD box, but got rid of it and got a Legend PVR with 160Gb hard drive. It stores about 80 hours of digital tv, , excellent.

Anyone else use a PVR,

How many programs do you have set each week ? ( we have about 10 )

thanks

AC/DC

eb_5litre · 28-02-2006, 11:09 PM

Ive had a Strong SRT 5390 for a while now and find it to be very handy. Although a twin-tuner one would be better for me on Monday nights when theres 3 shows I like to watch on at the same time.... Grrr.
Mine has an 80G HDD and yes you can transfer onto your computer with the appropriate cable.

I cant recall what format it records in... something like AVI or MPG I think......

JADED6 · 01-03-2006, 04:40 AM

With just the Hard Drive equipped set top boxes you'd need to connect them to a recordable device to record anything you tape.
Best buy if you play to burn the things you record is a DVD recorder with built in hard drive. That way you can tape plenty of shows & only burn the good stuff, saving you on discs.

XA Coupsta · 01-03-2006, 09:47 AM

Im interested in this topic also.

Does anyone have the Foxtel IQ product?

Also........do the tuners and HDD recorders also act as a 5.1 surround sound decoder?

01-03-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JADED6

With just the Hard Drive equipped set top boxes you'd need to connect them to a recordable device to record anything you tape.
Best buy if you play to burn the things you record is a DVD recorder with built in hard drive. That way you can tape plenty of shows & only burn the good stuff, saving you on discs.

I have a sony DVD recorder with 160 gb HDD but they are not Digital picture and I don't think there is a digital DVD recorder as yet God Knows why not it seems more practical to me

While we seem to be on this subject ,what I want to do is convert one of my PC's to a dual Digital Reciver ,What are the best pc cards to use?

goldfire · 01-03-2006, 02:34 PM

I got IQ.

It's got RCA out, Svideo out and USB.

Haven't tried hooking it up but I managed to worm it out of a Foxtel Rep that you can take stuff off the unit with the USB, will probably be detected just as a external USB Hard drive.

XA Coupsta · 01-03-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldfire

I got IQ.

It's got RCA out, Svideo out and USB.

Haven't tried hooking it up but I managed to worm it out of a Foxtel Rep that you can take stuff off the unit with the USB, will probably be detected just as a external USB Hard drive.

Cheers goldfire.

Is it a surround sound/dolby digital/etc decoder too do you know? So when I'm watching (or recording for that matter) I get 5.1 surround sound?

Basically I want to update - but want to keep surround sound thats all.

MYV8 · 01-03-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA Coupsta

Cheers goldfire.

Is it a surround sound/dolby digital/etc decoder too do you know? So when I'm watching (or recording for that matter) I get 5.1 surround sound?

Basically I want to update - but want to keep surround sound thats all.

The IQ box definately has an optical audio output for the 5.1 surround to your home theatre system and I think maybe digital audio co-axial as well, but not sure (I am currently at work and can't look).
I am not sure how much of their stuff is transmitted with the surround sound, but most of their box office movies are.
That's interesting about downloading via the USB port, I will have to try it. Wonder what format it is saved on the IQ box in?????

AC/DC · 01-03-2006, 07:22 PM

With the Twin Tuner, , it kicks Butt, , I record truck loads of Stuff and can change channels as going. The other advantage to a DVD burner with HDD is that the PVR has Digital tuner, , plus pc out, so If I really wanted to keep something I could.

1. Simply copy using VHS ( boring, , but it turns out ok, as the source is digital )
2. Download and Drop to hard drive on PC
3. Hook up Pioneer Dvd burner and burn away.

99% of the stuff we dont really want to keep do we ?

I used to keep all the NRL grand finals on VHS, , , had about 15 in a row, , and never watched em, so threw the lot out !

AC/DC

**russellw** · 01-03-2006, 07:25 PM

The first couple of HD tuner equipped PVR's are out now from Humax and Panasonic.
I don't think we'll see HD tuner equipped DVD recorders until Blu-Ray comes along later this year as all of the present units I've seen presently burn HD content as SD in 4:3. I've taken the output from my HDSTB as an input on the DVD-R and can at least watch HD content from the HDD.

Having seen the pre release Panasonic Blu-Ray DVD Recorder in action late last year I can say that this is a technology well worth waiting for. My order is in already.

Cheers
Russ

Walkinshaw · 01-03-2006, 07:28 PM

Baught a Topfield PVR5600 a few years back (had 80gb hdd 3yrs ago) was a tad over $1200 iirc. Has a USB2 port for transfering any recorded data to a PC/Burner.

Inbuilt 5.1, twin tuners, 80gb drive and fantastic support as it has an inbuilt OS which you can write programmes for, anything you want it to do (bar cook you dinner) you can download a programme and get it to do it.

Martyvan · 01-03-2006, 08:08 PM

Are their any PVR that record Digital TV that can plug an ethernet cable into?

I already have a Multimedia box networked over at my TV. But want to get a Hard drive recorder with AT LEAST 2 tuners. Im not going to get IQ because you cant hook it into a network. If only we could record Fox on the IQ and xfer to your PC and burn to DVD, ideal world

I guess the other option you have is to get a few TV Tuners in a Multimedia PC? I have a Dvico HDTV Tuner, which was (I think) Pretty good value for $169 or so, but i have found to get a quality signal i needed an antenna booster.

Has anyone done that?

goldfire · 02-03-2006, 05:17 AM

From what i've been told you can pull stuff off the IQ onto PC, from there porting to DVD shouldn't be hard.

I'd say it's some form of compressive means, say AVI or Mpeg, given i have a few recordings already (including a full length film) and a few series ep's and only minimal space has been used.

I'll be hooking it up to my HTPC soon tho, once i figure out some of the logistics.

should be interesting.

MYV8 · 02-03-2006, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldfire

From what i've been told you can pull stuff off the IQ onto PC, from there porting to DVD shouldn't be hard.

I'd say it's some form of compressive means, say AVI or Mpeg, given i have a few recordings already (including a full length film) and a few series ep's and only minimal space has been used.

I'll be hooking it up to my HTPC soon tho, once i figure out some of the logistics.

should be interesting.

I will have to play around with the IQ.
Currently to save something permanently I burn it to a DVD via a Pioneer PVR which only has stereo audio inputs.
A Box Office movie saved on the IQ self destructs in about 3 days from purchase.
Does the current PVR's (satellite capable) work with the new Foxtel cards????
I used to have a Topfield PVR 4000/5000??????? which stopped working with the new access cards. Thats why I went for the IQ. I have been told that there is only one 3rd party brand that works and the company that makes it is owned by Murdoch.

MYV8 · 02-03-2006, 09:51 PM

Tried the USB port on the IQ and my one appears dead.
Searched google and everywhere it says that it is disabled by the foxtel downloads and no one has hacked into it yet.
If anyone is using the USB port let us know how you do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!