That’s it Sky has to go!

GSXRMovistar

GSXRMovistar

GSXRMovistar

Soldato
Joined
6 Nov 2002
Posts
9,860
Location
London UK
The missus and I have decided that after another evening of nothing but repeats and junk Sky has to go.

At the moment we only subscribe to the standard package (~£25 a month) as we normally buy/rent DVDs for movies and don’t need the sport channels. I was tempted by Sky+ as at least we could then queue up some of the stuff that’s new so it wouldn’t always be repeats but this then adds an extra tenner a month plus whatever they are currently charging for the STB and install.

So realising that most of the programmes we actually watch are those that are available on Freeview moving to this would save a bit of cash. After a bit of looking around on the web this evening I came across the Humax pvr9200t which looks like a nice bit of kit.

Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
• 100 Hours Recording (160GB hard disc)
• Single button live pause and play during A/V watching (Time shifted Recording)
• Fast Forward/Rewind in various speeds and Slow Motion
• Instant Replay and Skip during A/V watching
• One touch sound scheduling in EPG information
• Digital Radio Recording/Variable instant recording
Digital Terrestrial Set-Top Box
• MPEG2 Digital and Fully DVB- T Compliant
• Common interface for play TV
• Digital Teletext (MHEG5 support) *(UK only)
• RF modulator/Twin scarts (Scart cable included)
• Dolby digital 5.1 optical output
• Two year manufacturer guarantee
• 200 channel storage
• 5 favorite groups
• Subtitle supports EBU & DVB subtitle
• Teletext supports by VBI insertion
• Dolby Digital Audio Output
• Automatic Software Update
• Various Games
General Features
• MPEG-2 Digital and fully DVB-T compliant Digital teletext (MHEG-5)
• Up to 200 receivable channels
• Dolby Digital audio output
• Video format in 4:3, 16:9 and letterbox
• PAL/NTSC compliant
• User friendly 8 day EPG
• 5 favourite channel groups
• Personal video recording of up to 40 hours through 80GB HDD
• Record radio facility
• Will record 20 single events, or 15 single events and 5 weekly Jump to live program
• Slow motion forward and backwards in various speeds
Plug and Play
• Easy install
• HUMAX special tuner has just 1 signal input
Twin Tuner
• Record two channels whilst watching live TV or play-back
• Picture in picture to see 2 programmes on 1 screen
USB 2.0
• USB 2.0 connectivity for PC
• MPEG A/V file transfer between Duovisio and PC
• Digital photo album and slide show


It’s approx £200 so that’s a fair bit cheaper than Sky+ which comes to £570 for the first year (£25*12 standard subscription, 10*12 Sky+ features, £90 STB and £60 install).

Anyway now to the point of this post, does anyone own or have any experience of the 9200T and give me any reason why I should/shouldn’t go for it, or if they can recommend anything else that does the same job?

Thanks for any advice/help.
 
I ordered one last week, stock for these seems to be really thin on the ground.

Place I got it from received stock today supposedly so I should get it next week, will let you know then :P

Oh and check out hummy.org or something, it's the user forum for them :)
 
Was just about to order one and just ran into my first problem, at the moment I use the RF out on the Sky box to feed a second screen in the kitchen (ever so handy whilst cooking), this also has a magic eye attached so I can change channels from each room (although I can live without this bonus).

Now from what I can make out the RF out on the 9200T is only a loop through feeding out the standard signal (not freeview feed). It does however have a second scart out but my problem is the cable running between the two rooms is coax chased into the walls.

Hmm may need to have a re-think about whether I can get this to fit in with the rest of my kit. :(
 
From what I can find it looks like this does have an RF modulator and not just a loopthrough. Obviously you could use the coaxial cable if it has a modulator. If it doesn't though you can buy a seperate RF modulator which will turn one of the scart outputs into a RF signal for sending down the coax.

As per the changing channel in the kitchen, you can do this with a remote sender such as the Powermid XL which costs about £25
 
carpmaster said:
From what I can find it looks like this does have an RF modulator and not just a loopthrough. Obviously you could use the coaxial cable if it has a modulator. If it doesn't though you can buy a seperate RF modulator which will turn one of the scart outputs into a RF signal for sending down the coax.

As per the changing channel in the kitchen, you can do this with a remote sender such as the Powermid XL which costs about £25
Click to expand...
I've just been reading avfourms.co.uk and from what I can make out it does look like theres an RF mod and I've also discovered that I can still use the TvLink (magic) in the kitchen if I get another TvLink device that goes on the coax at the other in (next to the rest of the kit) this will then let me control everthing, not just a Sky box.

So at the moment it's all looking good, but just want to do a little more research first to make sure none of the other Freeview PVR units would be a better choice.
 
Went into a highstreet shop today that had the digifusion 80gig unit for 125, was very tempted to canel my order for the humax and get this instead and lose the other 80gigs and gain 75 quid, but I haven't. Yet.

It's annoying though, not sure if the Humax is worth the extra £75 and the ball ache of sorting delviery as the place I've ordered it from are being rubbish allocating any stock.
 
From what I've read the Topfield is the Linux of the PVR world, more configurable, you can add you own apps etc. But out of the box it's not as user friendly/intuitive to most lay folk.

Also isn't it quite a bit more ££?
 
It's a bit more cash but I'm not too fussed on the cost as long as it does what I want without problems. But yeah it does seem that to get the best out of the Topfield it needs more time spent on it and considering all the other things that keep me busy I don't think the missus would be too pleased if I start messing around with this, "Sorry love you can watch telly tonight as I've knackered something whilst installing version 1.2.3.4.5 patch to the tv!". :D
 
What I would do is leave your Sky box all connected up. It will work as a Freeview box and therefore still pipe the picture to the kitchen.

You could even join the coax from the satellite to the RF lead you have and depending on the quality of your "RF2 cable" you should be able to run the box directly off of that. Moving the sat box to the kitchen and connecting the RF cable now to the dish input.

If you would like some more advice on doing this then please ask.
 
GSXRMovistar said:
It's a bit more cash but I'm not too fussed on the cost as long as it does what I want without problems. But yeah it does seem that to get the best out of the Topfield it needs more time spent on it and considering all the other things that keep me busy I don't think the missus would be too pleased if I start messing around with this, "Sorry love you can watch telly tonight as I've knackered something whilst installing version 1.2.3.4.5 patch to the tv!". :D
Click to expand...

True, others see the ability to add your own little utilities and features is there to allow the manufacturers to be lazy. Why do they need to patch/produce a firmware update when a community of people are doing it for them.

Take that how you like, some say good some say bad.

Problem with the humax is at present it doesn't allow chase play, so you can't easily start watching something if you're alreayd recording it. Without a couple of little workarounds you can do (stop and restart the recording right away, not ideal) this can't be done yet, but Humax say it's coming in an update.
 
Cancelled my initial order for the 9200 as they are messing me about with stock, placed another one though somewhere else that has loads in.

Will see how that goes, might try the cheaper digifusion if I'm not convinced, need dual tuner though.
 
Maybe some one could help me on this subject!

I also looked at the cheap digital fusion one (single tuner)
but i cant see if i can put an input through it Eg Sky and record that?

Andy
 
-=BAF=-AXE said:
Maybe some one could help me on this subject!

I also looked at the cheap digital fusion one (single tuner)
but i cant see if i can put an input through it Eg Sky and record that?

Andy
Click to expand...
Nope I don't believe you can on any of the Freeview PVRs out at the moment.
 
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