Freeview PVR needed for the hard of thinking

I would welcome any recommendations you may have for a PVR for my
80-year-old mother who is so technologically illiterate she struggles
to operate a toaster.

Her existing VCR has given up after many years of abuse, so she needs
something to record endless hours of Coronation St. A replacement VCR
is an option, but it would need Freeview (not that she watches
anything other than BBC1 and ITV1, but the analogue signal is
abysmal). A DVD recorder would, I'm sure, be too much for her, so the
best option would be a PVR.

It's got to:
a) have a single button on plain view in the middle of the remote to
bring up the EPG, and a single button to record from it.
b) have a single, obvious button to display all the recorded
programmes, and a single button to play, with the word 'play' on it.
c) be reliable. The last thing I want is to have to drive 30 miles to
turn it off and on again at the socket.

The Humax 9200 has too complicated a remote (the button for recorded
programmes is under the slidy bit). The Sony SVR 500 looks to have
the easy-to-use remote, but when trying it in a shop, it took forever
to respond. Is this a problem others have found?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

....snip...

but the analogue signal is abysmal

Best find out why first and whether she can actually get Freeview.

Paul DS.

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 12:41:48 +0100, a particular chimpanzee, "Paul
D.Smith" randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

Best find out why first and whether she can actually get Freeview.

Sorry, forgot to say, she already has a Freeview TV. So a twin tuner
is not a critical factor.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

On 9 Jul, 13:04, Hugo Nebula [email protected] wrote:
On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 12:41:48 +0100, a particular chimpanzee, "Paul
D.Smith" randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

Best find out why first and whether she can actually get Freeview.

Sorry, forgot to say, she already has a Freeview TV. So a twin tuner
is not a critical factor.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

Why don't you get her the Humax 9200t and then this:

http://www.red5.co.uk/Big-Button-Rem...ol-pr-317.html

Having used both a Humax and a Sagem (but not the PVR's) I would say I
found the Sagem easier to navigate, it seemed simpler and more
consistant in its design. Also the Humax remote was too long,
some buttons hard to reach.
Of course it's horses for courses but for example the Humax
manual was a book of about 100 pages whilst the Sagems was all
on one (large) sheet of paper IIRC (never needed to consult it).


here is one review.
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Sagem_PVR6240T__Review_5620156


And another.
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Sagem_PVR6240T__Review_5532482

High price- high complexity IMO.



"Hugo Nebula" [email protected] wrote in message
...
I would welcome any recommendations you may have for a PVR for my
80-year-old mother who is so technologically illiterate she struggles
to operate a toaster.

Her existing VCR has given up after many years of abuse, so she needs
something to record endless hours of Coronation St. A replacement VCR
is an option, but it would need Freeview (not that she watches
anything other than BBC1 and ITV1, but the analogue signal is
abysmal). A DVD recorder would, I'm sure, be too much for her, so the
best option would be a PVR.

It's got to:
a) have a single button on plain view in the middle of the remote to
bring up the EPG, and a single button to record from it.
b) have a single, obvious button to display all the recorded
programmes, and a single button to play, with the word 'play' on it.
c) be reliable. The last thing I want is to have to drive 30 miles to
turn it off and on again at the socket.

The Humax 9200 has too complicated a remote (the button for recorded
programmes is under the slidy bit). The Sony SVR 500 looks to have
the easy-to-use remote, but when trying it in a shop, it took forever
to respond. Is this a problem others have found?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

On Jul 9, 1:18 pm, JPG wrote:
On 9 Jul, 13:04, Hugo Nebula [email protected] wrote:

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 12:41:48 +0100, a particular chimpanzee, "Paul
D.Smith" randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

Best find out why first and whether she can actually get Freeview.

Sorry, forgot to say, she already has a Freeview TV. So a twin tuner
is not a critical factor.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

Why don't you get her the Humax 9200t and then this:

http://www.red5.co.uk/Big-Button-Rem...ol-pr-317.html


Having just bought my 70 year old parents a Digihome PVR-80 from
Argos, I can recommend this as a very friendly system. They've had it
for a month or so now, and both of them think it's very simple to use,
intuitive and worthwhile. The remote's not particularly well laid out,
but you could highlight the two or three buttons that are most
important by some sort of sticky paper coloured spots.

Rupert

Have a look at the nearest thing to an impartial recommendation based on
ease of use ....

The Humax and Topfield machines are really for enthusiasts and and the
Topfield for the seriously computer literate.

http://www.ricability-digitaltv.org....-recorders.htm


and you can buy from TVonics direct :

http://www.tvonics.com/sdvr150.html

I wold have thought that the 160Gb box was better for your mother than the
250Gb one

"Norbert Wittgenfeld" wrote in message
...
Have a look at the nearest thing to an impartial recommendation based on
ease of use ....

Of course the best way to find out it to try it yourself but thats not so
easy if you are buying for someones else, as what you may find intuitive
is not necessarilly as other will see it. Ufortunatley in many/most shops
you can't
try the machine as they are not connected to a TV anyway!!

Also I wish review sites would actually show menu's etc...

But I guess they will get used to whatever is bought for them eventually,
it's
just the transition from what they are used to which is the tricky bit.
No point in any thing to fancy though!!

Why not buy her a PC with internet access so she can watch Coro on U-tube!!


The Humax and Topfield machines are really for enthusiasts and and the
Topfield for the seriously computer literate.

http://www.ricability-digitaltv.org....-recorders.htm


and you can buy from TVonics direct :

http://www.tvonics.com/sdvr150.html

I wold have thought that the 160Gb box was better for your mother than the
250Gb one

"Lord Turkey Cough" wrote in message
...

"Norbert Wittgenfeld" wrote in message
...
Have a look at the nearest thing to an impartial recommendation based on
ease of use ....

Of course the best way to find out it to try it yourself but thats not so
easy if you are buying for someones else, as what you may find intuitive
is not necessarilly as other will see it. Ufortunatley in many/most shops
you can't
try the machine as they are not connected to a TV anyway!!

Also I wish review sites would actually show menu's etc...

Some do, however what I do for techie products (like satelite receivers, AV
Amps and mobile phones) is to down load the user manual from the maker's web
site. You can usually find out most of what you want by reading through it.

In article ,
Hugo Nebula [email protected] wrote:
I would welcome any recommendations you may have for a PVR for my
80-year-old mother who is so technologically illiterate she struggles
to operate a toaster.

Her existing VCR has given up after many years of abuse, so she needs
something to record endless hours of Coronation St. A replacement VCR
is an option, but it would need Freeview (not that she watches
anything other than BBC1 and ITV1, but the analogue signal is
abysmal). A DVD recorder would, I'm sure, be too much for her, so the
best option would be a PVR.

It's got to:
a) have a single button on plain view in the middle of the remote to
bring up the EPG, and a single button to record from it.
b) have a single, obvious button to display all the recorded
programmes, and a single button to play, with the word 'play' on it.
c) be reliable. The last thing I want is to have to drive 30 miles to
turn it off and on again at the socket.

The Humax 9200 has too complicated a remote (the button for recorded
programmes is under the slidy bit). The Sony SVR 500 looks to have
the easy-to-use remote, but when trying it in a shop, it took forever
to respond. Is this a problem others have found?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

The Toppy is pretty simple to record on and replay. But the remote
probably too complicated. I'd say with any of these devices you'd be into
programming an aftermarket remote to do what you require.

--
*Middle age is when work is a lot less fun - and fun a lot more work.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.