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About LinkBacksQuad makes sense as the next step (until IPTV becomes practical in the UK) but I hadn't thought of that particular implementation - I wonder if Sky would demand your first born as payment?Originally Posted by chrestomanci
Quad makes sense as the next step (until IPTV becomes practical in the UK) but I hadn't thought of that particular implementation - I wonder if Sky would demand your first born as payment?
Crosshair VIII Hero (WIFI), 3900x, 32GB DDR4, Many SSDs, EVGA FTW3 3090, Ethoo 719
AH, apologies. It's not in the article, but it's been answered in this thread.
But yeah, i would never buy an Freeview tuner with less than 2 tuners and less than 100 HDD.
I get the feeling this unit maybe trying to be a bit of a Jack Of All Trades (master of none).
Just had a little fiddle and the iplayer - though not DivX-certified - can play DivX.
If, that is, you rename the files so they have .avi tails - otherwise it doesn't even see them.
Presumably, that's because the box relies on Windows Media Connect running on the PC you connect to and that (I think) doesn't recognise .divx (or even .DivX) as a valid video file type and so doesn't pass on to the iplayer the fact that the file is there.
Netgem told us yesterday that it is in negotiations with DivX (suggesting that DivX had approached the company to come on board) about iplayer being DivX certified.
But, even if that happens, I'm not sure whether the iplayer would even then be able to see files on a PC that had .divx tails.
Last edited by Bob Crabtree; 24-11-2006 at 04:04 PM.
I could not go back to a single tuner after having a freeview PVR with twin tuners tbh. I use it quite a few times a week, and a lot of the time, programmes overlap (especially true if you place a couple of mins buffer either end to ensure nothing gets cut out, as it normally takes it past a few minutes into something that would otherwise follow).
Better connectivity to a PC would be most welcome though, as would anytihng that allows you to record a series and not have to set it each week.
no worries autopilot..
im currently using a humax 8200T (80gb 1 tuner)
It would be interesting i think if we looked at what we want in a freeview box...
for me my 3 things i wanted would be
1. season pass recording, not just same time slot each week but searching through the metadata like the toppys and tivos of this world
2. dual tuners, its just convenient.
3. networking ability/usb port/ dvd burner. Just someway to get the programmes off my pvr and onto dvd/external hd. The one thing that is anoying me about my present device is that i keep on having to delete stuff i havent watched because i dont have enough space.
ps, is the iplayer windows media connect only? or can it access other types of shares?
If those are you top 3, then get that old Humax on eBay and get yourself a Toppy 5800, they are fantastic and sounds exactly what you want.
I reckon a Toppy plus a dedicated streaming box will be better, rather than a jack of all trades. In my opinion, the more devices try and do, the more the features and functionality of the features get watered down. IMO, The "Digital Convergence" concept has mostly resulted in devices that are bit wet behind the ears.
Thats my i have a Squeezebox 3, Toppy 5800 and separate DVD player under my telly. Streaming video is something im not really all that interested in right now. Apart from still not finding a device i really want, we are in a transitional period of standard resolution stuff to HiDef. The tecnology really need to mature a bit yet and come down in price as a whole. Early adopters, especially with HiDef stuff, have more money than sense IMO.
Nothing I can see in the timer-record options delivers what you want.
The options are:
Once
Daily
Mon-Fri
Weekly
Oh, and the point is well made about how using start/end buffers increases the need for multiple simulataneous auto recordings.
Not an option - see my response of a few mins ago
Appreciate that if you want it, you want it (and also that using start/end buffers increases the need for multiple simulataneous auto recordings)
This, the iplayer does look to cover - in spades.
I've not yet exported anything to PC cos to do this - in my view - needs a keyboard - I can't be arsed using an IR handset to key in stuff like the IP address, folder name, password - which is what looks to be required.
Might see if I can get hold of a USB keyboard on the cheap over the weekend.
As I said in my updater news piece after the event, the ability to use an external USB HDD as a storage device with the iplayer is not yet implemented - though we were told that the updater to enable this is only about two weeks away.
I think it is solely Windows Media Connect - though, in theory - you can access video over the internet directly (again, not something I've yet tried out but I will when I get hold of a USB keyboard).
I'm pretty sure the the algorithms are linear and not generation-dependent. As long as you aren't downsizing the video, you aren't losing any information, so you can upscale in stages and it's effectively the same as doing it in one go. The only thing I can think of that might disrupt this is if the intermediate stage sharpens the image after upscaling it. Sharpening should only be done on the image once it's at the final resolution.
I have a TiVo I bought in 2000, have yet to see a better alternative all this time since. It is modded and so is :
- Wirelessly Networked and can be remotely controlled via a web interface if I want (including across the net)
- Has 250 Gb hard drive
- Has smart start and end padding
- Has all the usual TiVo features (season passes etc)
- controls my Freesat or freeview box
- software is upgraded to high bit rate recording (mode 0)
It has only a single tuner, now rarely a problem with all the +1 channels. I will consider downgrading to something else when HD becomes widespread. (I currently also run a dual freeview tuner MCE box which has potential as a PVR post TiVo).
The only thing stopping me installing and running a million other enhancements (daily emails etc) on my TiVo is the time and savvy it takes to install them.
A couple of years ago we bought Sky+ with a view to retiring the TiVo, we returned it to Sky after a week.
I wish series 2 or 3 TiVos were sold here as they are in the US, presume its just Sky's strangle-hold on the PVR market that prevents it.
Guess I'm sounding like a bit of a TiVo evangelist, sorry.
If you like tinkering they are still worth considering on Ebay as they are quite cheap now and can be bought pre-upgraded. Loads of great people and help on the UK TiVo forum.
Chunks
Yup - can confirm it does play those.
I just created some files using Pinnacle Studio 10 - choosing various quality settings from the iPod video templates. All files play - if, that is, you rename them so that they have .mpg file tails and not .mp4.
I checked what QT Pro reports about these files (while they still had .mp4 tails) and it said (among other things):
Format: Apple MPEG4 Decompressor, 320x 240, Millions, AAC, Stereo (L R), 44.100kHz
DataRate: 43.63KB
Sky have no hold over the Freeview PVR market. I think TiVo will eventually make a come back in the UK and elsewhere. If they produced a Freeview TiVo with all the great features the new TiVo's have they would make a killing IMO.
When TiVo came out they where pioneers. In the states they have an established brand. In the UK there is now entrenched compention, so TiVo would have to pull out something fairly special to be successful again in the UK market.
Sky do have a hold over the freesat platform, as a lot of the free channels such as E4 are encrypted using their propretry crypto, so only sky boxes can decode. If you want a PVR freesat box, then Sky will want to charge you £10/month for the entitlement, so clearly they are not going to give away the crypto so that competitor's can let punters do it for free.
I read in the Toppy UK forum that Sky where ordered by the EU competion comisisoner to produce a CAM to prevent a monopoly in the set top box market, but I think Sky have taken as much notice of that as Microsoft have.
A couple of observations relevant to my original TiVo thread :
- As far I know Sky owns the listing and programming information service to which UK TiVos connect for their data, hence it is unlikely that TiVo will return to the UK in the form it once took as it would be directly in competition with Sky plus. I doubt Sky will let that happen.
- I am sure a freeview TiVo would be very popular but is unlikely to ever arrive due to the above
- Personally I don't see TiVo in competition with the other mass market freeview PVR's, if you have used and compared them - as I have, then you appreciate the differences. The only real competition in terms of functionality and interface that I have seen even with a series 1 TiVo currently is an MCE PC
As usual, opinions are opinions and mine are my own.
CHks
Sky don't own or have any control over the use the Freeview EPG data stream (soon to include Series Link data for compatible devices - called "Playback"). It's completely different to what the old UK TiVo's used for programme data (in fact better because it need no phone line). Of course if a new TiVo used this, there is no way they could charge a subscription fee for it.
On a side note, if anyone here has a Topfield you might be pleased to know that a firmware update will be available in the near future to make use of the new 'Playback' feature being added to Freeview, which will enable proper series link (not that the MyStuff TAP does not do it brilliantly already)
Last edited by autopilot; 25-11-2006 at 06:11 PM.
In France the equivalent Evesham iPlayer is the Netbox HD. This box just receved its second update.
All that you waited for is there. It is evident that Evesham iPlayer is going to benefit all these improvements.
In the joined link there are also 2 notes of use.
As I am novice I have no right to post directly the link. Add in front of it
h t t p :// w w w. without spaces.
"netgem.com/netbox/pvr"
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