Freeview recorder

[SB - Nigel]

Anyone recommend a Freeview recorder please

Just needs to be able to record a freeview channel whilst we're out or watching another channel on the existing TV which has built-in Freeview

I don't want or need any external playback facility (DVD) or HD (will get all that in a few years time) and picture quality is more important than storeage/memory

Live picture and playback quality are important but this is for a (very good quality) 20" Sony TV so medium to lower priced units please (not cheap but cheerful)

ETA: another requirement

Forgot to put record/replay menu must be easy to use and clear - could your grandparents se it on a 20" screen and get their head round how to use the menus/on-screen instructions?

Edited by SB - Nigel on Thursday 12th March 18:21

[Zad]

As they all record the digital data stream, I imagine they are all pretty similar. Having said that, not many have HDMI outputs that are worth using. After much consideration, I got my folks a Humax PVR9150T (160GB) for Christmas. Now that they have software patched the noisy fan problem, I can't fault it. It does have HDMI, but the SCART is probably better, leaving the TV do do the upscaling itself.

[SB - Nigel]

Thanks for the info :thumbsup:

I've just got to check out some of those word

Forgot to put record/replay menu must be easy to use and clear - could your grandparents se it on a 20" screen and get their head round how to use the menus/on-screen instructions?

[Zad]

If I'm being 100% honest, the menu system isn't the cleanest and easiest interface ever in the history of computing (this seems to be a major fault in all PVRs). However, once I had read the manual it was pretty straightforward to teach them how to use it. They have picked up on how to use the more advanced functions like series link as they have gone along.

The full pdf of the manual is here: http://www.humaxdigital.com/global/products/new_ma...

Correction to the earlier wrong info: There is no HDMI connector on the 9150.

[SB - Nigel]

Thanks for the extra info the pdf is a great idea

As we're not computer enthusiasts this unit's menu looks unecessarily complicated/computer-user-orintated (and a bit dated to me) - not user-friendly as I beleive you computer lads say

[S6PNJ]

On threads such as these many people have been heard to chant "Humax, Humax".
You'll not find a better (in my and a few others opinions) PVR at an affordable price. You get a twin receiver (watch one tape another or watch pre recorded and tape two) than can record up to 100 hours. We've had ours over 2 years now and not a single fault. Now extremely cheap at just over 96 notes. My folks have just got one and the most technology they can understand is a microwave!
See here for the 9200T which is/was their mainstay, better than the 9150 and has no noisy fan problems. Search the PH forums for Humax 9200 and you'll find lots of positive recommendations.

Hope this helps!

[telecat]

I have 2 9200T's and a 9150T. One is used on our Main TV and the Kids have one each for "Friends" etc. The 9150 has had the Silent fan upgrade and all three work perfectly. Recording is one touch from the Schedule and you get the option to record the whole series on MOST channels. Replay is by a button under the slider which brings up the Program list.

[cjs]

I went through a very similar scenario. I needed a PVR for my Mother. See the this thread for more info.


http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


She is now getting on quite well with her Humax, but still has a few problems and forgets how to record or loses programs she thinks she has recorded. But that is just old age!

[SB - Nigel]

cjs said:

I went through a very similar scenario. I needed a PVR for my Mother. See the this thread for more info.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

She is now getting on quite well with her Humax, but still has a few problems and forgets how to record or loses programs she thinks she has recorded. But that is just old age!

Thanks for your reply

I'm a computer user not a computer enthusiast and find machines like this are designed by computer people so are not user freindly

Computer people seem to enjoy the puzzle and chase of trying to work unecessarily complicated menus which I find rediculous if the product is for the general public

I'm looking at getting a BT-Vision box only as I already have the BT internet hub (the hub is only need for BT's research and to tempt you on to their chargeable veiwing )

The box is £30, plus so far as I know so far, £30 connection fee (the connection is only required for BT's research) so for £60 you get a Freeview box and recorder just have to accept that for that price BT will be monitoring your viewing habits - which I couldn't care less about

They even put in two plug-in elctric socket adaptors so that your can use the house ring main electric curcuit to have the hub remote from the reciever/recorder

Edited by SB - Nigel on Saturday 14th March 19:02

[SB - Nigel]

Ordered BT Vision box only tonight

Value pack chosen: BT V-Box only

One–off connection fee: £29.36

One–off BT V-box fee: £29.36

Total one off fee: £58.72

I'll post what I think of when I get it very end of this month

I was very impressed with the live (and buffered replay) picture quality when I saw it at t-t's

[SB - Nigel]

BT Vision box

easy to use

good live and recorded playback picture quality

highly recommended - only niggle green light for BT 1571 message stays on

EAT: you can watch one program whilst recording two(?) others at the same time but haven't tried yet

Edited by SB - Nigel on Thursday 9th April 13:37

[SJobson]

I bought a Humax PVR9200T with 320GB hard drive from Humax Direct just before Christmas - something like £140 delivered. It's reliable and the picture quality is good, but the menu system isn't nearly as easy to use as my old Thomson DHD4000, and it is irritating the way it flashes up that it's starting to record (and even cuts the picture for a second or two while juggling the tuners around). Downloading the programme guide when you turn it on is also irritating; if it can record while in standby mode, why can't it update the prog guide?

Overall, my wife doesn't use it so I suspect it's more for the geeks, even if the quality is good.

[SB - Nigel]

SJobson said:

I bought a Humax PVR9200T with 320GB hard drive . . .Overall, my wife doesn't use it so I suspect it's more for the geeks, even if the quality is good.

Yeap, I agree with your wife (see following from above) I dealt with hard drive recording devices before they became household consumer items and there will be little advance on them until major consumer brands start producing them for the mass market as computer designers design computers, and there’s not the demand or profit at the moment for the major consumer brands (IMO of course)

SB - Nigel said:

I'm a computer user not a computer enthusiast and find machines like this are designed by computer people so are not user freindly

Computer people seem to enjoy the puzzle and chase of trying to work unnecessarily complicated menus which I find ridiculous if the product is for the general public

[SJobson]

I agree with my wife too - very tempted to get a programmable remote for it to at least keep the buttons I use close together. Bizarrely, the Humax remote has a sliding cover which hides the button to view your recordings!

[telecat]

Geeks!!! My Wife uses the Humax as do both my kids. It's a pretty friendly device and miles away from Computer Systems.

[SJobson]

In my experience, it's less user-friendly than an older PVR which apart from capacity has pretty much identical functionality.

[thepeoplespal]

Another happy Humax owner here, yes some functions could be better arranged or done differently, but another one with a larger Hard Drive is likely to be purchased as the outlaws Samsung dvd/hdd recorder is the most godawful freeview recorder the only thing it is fit for is the bin.