PVR Choice

[Max Demian]

That's what I've got, but it's no longer available, unless you want to look on eBay for a second hand one. The HDR-2000T seems to do much the same, which is why I suggested it.

[Max Demian]

snipped-for-privacy@example.> > > > > I know of no current consumer PVR "boxes" that enable the

copying of

generated

programmes

decrypted

I think the HDR-2000T works in a similar way for SD programmes, and the 'Foxy' hack for HD.

[Jack Samuel]

That one is going to very drastically limit your choices now.

[Johnny B Good]

If you're planning on being able to transfer the media files to a desktop PC to convert from TS to PS and top and tail the intro/outro paddings, you might be better off cutting out the middleman by installing a DVB-T (or, if you can afford it, a DVB-T2) adapter (PCI card or a USB tuner (or three)) into your PC and use Linux as the host OS (with windows VMs if needed).

You can either use MythTV (rather tricky to set up and uses a ten foot interface) or, for a quick start, make sure Kaffeine is installed so you can manually pick out the week's scheduled recordings from the EPG without regard to padding conflicts between channels from within any given MUX - you'll need more than just a single tuner if any conflicting recordings are on different MUXes.

I'm using a twin tuner KWorld DVB-T adapter but since I rarely record any "Bait Programmes" from the commercial SD MUXes, the second tuner is overkill for 99.9% of my usage (I only bother recording the Beeb's SD channels which, all rather conveniently, reside within a single MUX)[1].

When you're recording BBC programmes, especially BBC4 programmes, you need to be a bit of a control freak. Kaffeine is essentially a control freak's wet dream when it comes to BBC SD FreeView broadcasts (use as much padding as you like, you can choose anything and everything in the BBC SD MUX without *any* regard to padding or scheduling conflicts - even to the extent that when the epg changes to show two back to back programmes have been switched around but with each programme occupying

*both* time slots, you simply schedule both of them to record in each time slot so you can determine *after* the fact which were the misnamed duplicates to be deleted - a "Shoot First. Ask Questions Later." approach when you can't be arsed to verify via the BBC's listings page the true nature of the change. :-)

The only 'Gotcha' with using Kaffeine as a DVR is the need to put it into 'Live View' mode for a few minutes at least once a week (preferably more often if you want to catch any last minute changes) in order to update the latest EPG changes. It doesn't update the EPG list when only being used for scheduled recording.

You can schedule a series of programmes which reliably repeat on a regular basis such as Eggheads (6pm Monday to Friday on BBC2) but this is based only on a timed schedule - no accurate start based on flag data, so not proof against the BBC's scheduler?s free and easy attitude to programme scheduling so it's best to cast an eye over the epg listings after a 5 minute live viewing every so often to watch out for any last minute changes.

For a control freak like me, this isn't a major problem but for those who don't fancy all this hands on approach, MythTV may be a better solution. However, MythTV *is* very complicated to set up whereas Kaffeine 'Just Works'.

Even if you're planning on setting up MythTV, there's no reason why you can't have Kaffeine installed as a quick start / intro / emergency TV recorder app for when MythTV throws a wobbler. Usually, when you do have a 'Belt and Braces' solution set up, the belt never fails. :-)

Incidentally, ever since I started using Kaffeine, I've never watched

*so little* 'Live TV' ever since the days back at the turn of the century when I started using my desktop PC to view analogue transmissions (but not record them - it either needed an expensive analogue TV tuner with built in MPG2 encoder hardware or else a very high spec, for the time, PC to handle the one GB per 10 minutes' worth of uncompressed recordings to be later processed into compact MPG2 files) and later, around 2005/2006, when DVB-T transmissions eliminated the need for a high spec PC and tuner to record TV programmes. The basic TV windows based recording software supplied with all of the DVB-T adapters I purchased forced you to watch 'Live' (you could minimise the DTVR window but the 'TV Sound' couldn't be muted separately from other sound sources so you generally watched whatever you were recording anyway).

With Kaffeine, scheduled recordings truly are done as a hidden and silent task. However, each of the TV files can be watched as soon as they appear in the file manager's window (Dolphin in the case of Linux Mint KDE 64 Rebecca), usually a matter of a second or two after the start of the recording.

You can watch right up until the end of the recording even when the file is only a few megabytes in size and showing as a ten second recording. The player simply carries on playing past the total timeline point reached at the moment of initial access by the player software (VLC player by default in my customised case). This was something that was simply impossible with DTVR running in windows. You were forced to wait for the recording to finish before you could start watching it. The change from DTVR to Kaffeine was like being released from a straight jacket! :-)

[1] I'm still waiting on a Linux compatible DVB-T2 adapter to become available at sub 50 quid pricing. The last time I checked, a month or two back, I couldn't find even a windows compatible tuner for less than a hundred quid! :-( What's worse is that BBC4 is on the COM7 HD MUX, seperate from BBC1, BBC2 and CBBC HD channels which reside on the BBC B HD MUX so I'll need a twin DVB-T2 tuner (or a pair of DVB-T2 tuners - PCI, PCIe or USB2 adapters).

It's just as well that I'm not in a mad hurry to upgrade to Freeview HD. Hopefully, the prices of DVB-T2 adapters will drop out of the stratosphere in a few years time.

[Indy Jess John]

I bought a Humax 9300 from ebay, described as "Seller Refurbished" (Basically disc given the Format command, software given a Factory Reset and dusted inside and out).

It worked perfectly and it was remarkably cheap. If you really want a Fox-T2 is is certainly worth a look, even if you eventually choose not to buy.

Jim

[tim...]

I'm surprised because their current Freesat boxes can't do that.

tim

[F]

Find a Humax Fox-T2 and put the customised firmware on it.

[F]

I picked up anew one on Ebay a few weeks ago...

[F]

I bought a new one on Ebay a few weeks ago.

[Davey]

Thank you for repeating my suggestion of yesterday. It must be the right answer!

[pamela]

I liked that old Humax 9200T. It was basic and clunky but easy to use and generally reliable.

Freeview's poor picture quality on many channels made me consider satellite rather than Freeview, as I am told the picture quality on most satellite channels there is better than Freeview's SD.

The Humax Fox T-2 had been a contender but it's only for Freeview.

Unfortunately Humax's satelltie PVR, the HDR-1100S, doesn't have a good reputation for ease of use, snappy response times or reliability. I think it lacks slow-motion and index marks. The problems with this model's buggy software fill many threads although a few lucky folk seem to be happy.

The competition to Humax didn't seem to offer much either, so I'm still looking.

I'll be interested to see if you switch to satellite.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got one of those - quite an early one supplied at a knock down price as part of a BT package some years ago.

It does what it says on the tin - although I still prefer the software on my ancient Toppy.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Was the HD near full?

[Yellow]

Yes, you can still buy them but it is no longer manufactured by Humax.

[F]

It is. You have the answer patented?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The channels which show old stuff are often restricted by the source material - rather than just the FreeView data rate. Old stuff - even if made on film, which should still be pretty good - is often dubbed from an analogue tape of the film.

I've got satellite here, and the difference isn't that great, if any.

[Bill Wright]

Copyrighted.

(C) Bill

[Davey]

Who is it made by?

[Andrew]

My 9200 is just becoming annoyingly SLOW. It takes up to 15 seconds to respond to the remote control. I have cleaned the dust from the from of the main box (seems to affect the infra red noticibly) and fitted new batteries.

If it is left on ITV for more than an hour, it is impossible to change channels, as if the processor is so busy decoding video and writing to disk that it cannot devote any time to actioning commands from the remote. Switching from BBC is instantaneous though.

I suppose the disk could be writing errors and spending too much time dodging bad sectors, but I don't know how to prove that (or correct it).

Bought 2006 and it has been running almost permanently since then.

[pamela]

I'm assuming the programe material is HD.

So the difference between satellite and Freeview SD isn't that great? I thought most English language channels on Astra are closer to HD than SD.