Freeview Playback

cwyatt wrote:
|| The idea of people throwing out brand new VCRs because they can't
|| fathom out how to use them says it all.

Fortunately I've recently exited the trade, I think just that the right
time, as IMO the colour TV and VCR sales and service boom that we
experienced back in the days before cut-throat competition will never be
repeated.

However hardly a day goes by without someone ringing and pleading for me to
sort out some problem or other they've encountered with their flat-screen
TV, or DVD recorder acquired from a local 'shed'... only yesterday, "I'm
completely lost mate, what do 'format disc' mean"?

First of all the Topfield does not have a fan just an almost wholly
perforated case for air-cooling and so needs lots of space around it ....and
you continue to repeat the untruth that the Ricability reviews are entirely
focussed on usage by the "elderly and disabled".That is NOT true as their
website explains - usage by the "elderly and disabled " is taken into
account but the reviews are based on usage by the entirety of the general
public.The reference to the "elderly and disabled" refers to experiences
looking at equipment use by some of this group in the DTI/DCMS experiment in
Bolton.

http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...ltondigtv.html

Your point about complexity is certainly well made..there are ,in my
view,going to be major problems with equipment that has not updated itself
or been updated by the user with new software needed to accomodate the
changes being made to Freeview's broadcast parameters.

As to noise - the TVonics machine is entirely quiet in my experience and
certainly not in the league of some other heavily touted PVRs to judge by
complaints on other PVR websites with which I believe you are familiar -
e.g. Humax 27db(A)

"Noise levels. Digital TV recorders have built-in computer style hard drives
and may also have cooling fans. These inevitably make a noise and so we have
measured it for both operating and in standby modes. Values of less that
20dB(A) will be inaudible in most rooms. Values between 20 and 30dB(A) may
be audible in quiet rooms and values above 30dB(A) will be audible - you
could find these annoying."
At the end of the day the public will buy what they can use and the
supermarkets will stock what they can sell to optimum profit and least
consumer complaints which is why I don't think we will see Tesco staff
extolling the virtues of TAPs. :-)))).We can leave that to to the young man
in the curly black wig and his underwear on the back of Wotsat!

So I suppose you would agree with the need to "keep it simple" as far as Joe
Public is concerned.

I can manage timer recordings on the two Philips VCR850s that I have for
Freeview (Philips DTR1500) and an Echostar AD3000 IPV (both input inot the
VCRs and via Record-link etc ) but I have to say that it is much easier to
highlight a programme in the Freeview EPG and press the record button on my
Logik LPV2250 . But a big hard disc is crucial for me.

A PVR is no problem if you are computer savvy but otherwise ......... The
TVonics STBs and PVRs with the user interfaces designed by Us Two are very
easy to use in deed hence the brevity of the user manual.Probably amongst
the best PVRs for the computer illiterate to have.

http://www.ustwo.co.uk/

Something a little different from Cabot............

http://www.ustwo.co.uk/studio/


and.....more staid?


http://www.cabot.co.uk/corporate/index.html

In message , cwyatt
wrote


First of all the Topfield does not have a fan just an almost wholly
perforated case for air-cooling and so needs lots of space around it

True, but it is at least a lot quieter than the top recommendations
(for ease of usage by the elderly and disabled) on the Ricability site.
Users of the Topfield also have the ability to make the box a bit
quieter by adjusting some of the hard disk parameters.

....and
you continue to repeat the untruth that the Ricability reviews are entirely
focussed on usage by the "elderly and disabled"

If it isn't true you had better to tell Ricability to remove the
misleading information from their site.


.That is NOT true as their
website explains - usage by the "elderly and disabled " is taken into
account but the reviews are based on usage by the entirety of the general
public.The reference to the "elderly and disabled" refers to experiences
looking at equipment use by some of this group in the DTI/DCMS experiment in
Bolton.


http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...ltondigtv.html

Which says:

The aim of the Bolton Digital TV Trial was to investigate what type of
support would be needed at digital switchover by people aged 75 and
over.

Ricability also states its own aims in many places on its site and
constantly refers to reviews for the elderly and disabled.

Is the British taxpayer funding Ricability for a 'What - best buy PVR'
or , more likely, a study into the impact of digital TV on the elderly
or disabled?

If it's the former they would have commissioned a technical laboratory
to do the work and if the latter perhaps a charity such as Ricability
who specialise in this field.

Either way it doesn't devalue the opinions[1] of those have produced the
report as long as the reader is aware about the aims of the review. The
'ease of use' is the most promoted aspect on the site. If you delve a
bit deeper you will find boxes with much higher scores for other
functionality.

The ideal box would have both ease of use and full functionality.

[1] As the site originally gave incorrect information about some of the
boxes I wonder which models they actually tested - and did they have to
re-test them in order to correct the site.


Your point about complexity is certainly well made..there are ,in my
view,going to be major problems with equipment that has not updated itself

For ease of use probably the last thing you want is an automatic update.
Overnight the interface or functionality changes! Or worse still, the
box doesn't update correctly. Often the latest upgrade isn't the one to
go for - let someone else sort out the bugs first.

or been updated by the user with new software needed to accomodate the
changes being made to Freeview's broadcast parameters.

There is always going to be a problem for some users - look at problems
some people have upgrading the operation system or software on their
computer.


As to noise - the TVonics machine is entirely quiet in my experience and
certainly not in the league of some other heavily touted PVRs to judge by
complaints on other PVR websites with which I believe you are familiar -
e.g. Humax 27db(A)

But the Humax is still quieter than your TVonics! Perhaps some people
have perfect hearing


"Noise levels. Digital TV recorders have built-in computer style hard drives
and may also have cooling fans. These inevitably make a noise and so we have
measured it for both operating and in standby modes. Values of less that
20dB(A) will be inaudible in most rooms. Values between 20 and 30dB(A) may
be audible in quiet rooms and values above 30dB(A) will be audible - you
could find these annoying."

If you are building a quiet computer you would be selecting fans with
single figure noise parameters. I have modified my PVR and installed a
400G hard disk so I have also fitted a 80mm fan for cooling purposes. I
found fans with figures of around 20db(A) objectionably noisy. The fan
that I finally installed has a figure of around 12 dBA It is a trade off
between noise and airflow. With this arrangement the hard disks runs at
around 40C (ambient temperature 24C)

At the end of the day the public will buy what they can use and the
supermarkets

A lot of boxes will be sold by supermarkets but many more will be
purchased over the web.

will stock what they can sell to optimum profit and least
consumer complaints
which is why I don't think we will see Tesco staff
extolling the virtues of TAPs. :-))))

Would you trust anything that a Tesco shop assistant said about any of
the boxes they sell? I wouldn't be buying a box in Tesco because of
their technical expertise nor would I expect any technical support.

My recommendation when buying at a supermarket is to select a box where
the manufacturer has a decent web page with plenty of support or to
select a box where there is an established large user base providing
self help.

BTW, if you haven't got a box that accepts TAPs then you really don't
know what you are missing You don't have to wait for Freeview
Playback when a few TAPs can provide the same functionality now


--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com