Comments on: What do I want from a PVR? http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/ Nigel Whitfield’s digital TV & technology blog Fri, 18 May 2012 16:23:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chris http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-948 Chris Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:13:03 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-948 Absolutely. Topfield owner with Mystuff Clear readable EPG that allows direct recordings and searches and displays existing timer events. Switchable between grid and list. Auto padding. Autosearches (and good recovery from power loss and crashes) Jump/skip and bookmarks Twin tuners (and preferably record 2 watch another on Mux) Reliability and clear engagement with users on forums etc posting bugs, timescales and plans. (ignoring free help - doh!) HD and Dolby Digital are desireable add-ons to a good PVR NOT a reason to put up with a product that cannot compete with the useability of a five year old product and certainly not a reason to replace a good device with an inferior one. Wrestling with settings and missing parts of a programme should be what a PVR solves not causes. High hopes for the Humax shipping next week but really waiting for the Topfield version. Note to suppliers SIMPLICITY CARRIES A PREMIUM PRICE. Simplicity with flexibility - even more so. Bells and whistle easy added via one of the many cheap add network boxes, consoles, blu rays, TVs etc. Just make my PVR easy - like improving my TV experience .... its not called the idiot box for nothing. Absolutely. Topfield owner with Mystuff

Clear readable EPG that allows direct recordings and searches and displays existing timer events. Switchable between grid and list.

Auto padding.

Autosearches (and good recovery from power loss and crashes)

Jump/skip and bookmarks

Twin tuners (and preferably record 2 watch another on Mux)

Reliability and clear engagement with users on forums etc posting bugs, timescales and plans. (ignoring free help – doh!)

HD and Dolby Digital are desireable add-ons to a good PVR NOT a reason to put up with a product that cannot compete with the useability of a five year old product and certainly not a reason to replace a good device with an inferior one. Wrestling with settings and missing parts of a programme should be what a PVR solves not causes.

High hopes for the Humax shipping next week but really waiting for the Topfield version. Note to suppliers SIMPLICITY CARRIES A PREMIUM PRICE. Simplicity with flexibility – even more so.

Bells and whistle easy added via one of the many cheap add network boxes, consoles, blu rays, TVs etc. Just make my PVR easy – like improving my TV experience …. its not called the idiot box for nothing.

]]> By: dec http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-941 dec Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:20:06 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-941 Interesting article as it's the main reason I haven't upgraded to a freview HD (or freesat HD for that matter) box from my wonderful Toppy - running MyStuff of course. Even my wife loves it! Without the features you mentioned everything else just seems like a step backwards. What's the point of an upgrade (to HD) if you have to lose all that functionality? Btw Nigel: Do you know if Topfield will release a (Topfield branded & TAP enabled) Freeview or Freesat HD box? Interesting article as it’s the main reason I haven’t upgraded to a freview HD (or freesat HD for that matter) box from my wonderful Toppy – running MyStuff of course.

Even my wife loves it!

Without the features you mentioned everything else just seems like a step backwards. What’s the point of an upgrade (to HD) if you have to lose all that functionality?

Btw Nigel: Do you know if Topfield will release a (Topfield branded & TAP enabled) Freeview or Freesat HD box?

]]> By: HarryB http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-940 HarryB Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:44:37 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-940 Another must for me is that you continue to get audio (and possibly some video) of the programme you are watching when you bring up the EPG. It's very useful for looking at other programmes to watch while kind of following an existing programme. -- H Another must for me is that you continue to get audio (and possibly some video) of the programme you are watching when you bring up the EPG.

It’s very useful for looking at other programmes to watch while kind of following an existing programme.

– H

]]> By: Nigel http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-932 Nigel Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:49:29 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-932 When there is an overlap, the scheduling software I use will remove the padding, if it has to. So, sometimes you end up with recordings that have to stop and start dead on schedule, but on the whole, such clashes are relatively rare, in my experience. When there is an overlap, the scheduling software I use will remove the padding, if it has to. So, sometimes you end up with recordings that have to stop and start dead on schedule, but on the whole, such clashes are relatively rare, in my experience.

]]> By: sarumbear http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-931 sarumbear Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:45:38 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-931 "all my recordings start a few minutes before the scheduled time, and end a few minutes after." What happens that you hit the maximum 2 channels recorded at the same time limit? I.e. the other channel was also recording a channel from another multplex? Won't you run out of channels? “all my recordings start a few minutes before the scheduled time, and end a few minutes after.”

What happens that you hit the maximum 2 channels recorded at the same time limit? I.e. the other channel was also recording a channel from another multplex? Won’t you run out of channels?

]]> By: ST http://gonedigital.net/2010/08/02/what-do-i-want-from-a-pvr/comment-page-1/#comment-930 ST Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:44:04 +0000 http://gonedigital.net/?p=517#comment-930 As a fellow Toppy owner (but a MyStuff owner ;), I agree with pretty much all of what you say Nigel. As a fellow Toppy owner (but a MyStuff owner ;) , I agree with pretty much all of what you say Nigel.

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