Suggestions for PVR please

GTS wrote:

Z
I'm glad someone mentioned crashes - I would love to hear about any
recorder that does not crash.

Well I can't say *never* but my TiVo has probably crashed about half a dozen
times in 7 years. Two or three of those were when the hard drive was
failing last year. It's been fine since the HD was changed.

Other than that, it has been a most amazingly "bullet proof" machine.

The vestel clones all seem to crash,
and other types don't seem to be immune. You get the impression
people have just resigned to crashes, as if nothing can be done.

That does bug me when I know that it doesn't have to be the case.

Tim

"GTS" wrote in message
...

"Zimmy" wrote in message ...

"Steve" wrote in message
news
I apologise if this topic has been covered recently, but a quick search
didn't bring anything to light.

My elderly father-in-law wants a freeview box with built in recorder. I
know there's plenty to choose from but I could use recommendations for
one which is easy to use for someone who has barely grasped using a
cordless phone or basic TV remote. The idea of trying to teach
him to use interactive menus gives me the shudders. Anyone got any
success
stories to share?

I've not used the feature-topping Humax and Topfields, so I don't know
how easy they are to use. I do have a TVonics though which is very easy
to use (same guys who designed the Sonys apparently). My four year old
daughter can pause and record stuff directly no problem, and the EPG is
very good. My technophobe wife has no problems recording stuff either. It
rarely crashes and if it does, it resets itself so no unplugging
necessary. It also comes with an excellent remote that can also control
your telly and DVD.

Z

I'm glad someone mentioned crashes - I would love to hear about any
recorder that does not crash. The vestel clones all seem to crash, and
other types don't seem to be immune. You get the impression people have
just resigned to crashes, as if nothing can be done. My 83 year-old mum
manages very well with a Wharfedale digital recorder - sets recordings,
plays them back. But it has started crashing regularly, usually after a
channel change is attempted. Hard to explain why this modern marvel has to
be re-booted so often.

Its has a computer inside with software written by humans.

Does everyone just think that a crash-free PVR cannot be made?
Its unlikely that one will be made, as the human engineers cannot predict
what data the broadcasters will send and therefore cannot test them with
that data. However, the more testing it has had, the more stable your PVR
will be, but most manufacturers like to start making money as soon as it
works 'most' of the time.

Maybe we'll have crashing irons, toasters, and washing machines next!
Only when we put computers in them (especially those that can receive
unknown data from the outside world).

Z

Zimmy wrote:
I'm glad someone mentioned crashes - I would love to hear about any
recorder that does not crash. The vestel clones all seem to crash, and
other types don't seem to be immune. You get the impression people
have just resigned to crashes, as if nothing can be done. My 83
year-old mum manages very well with a Wharfedale digital recorder -
sets recordings, plays them back. But it has started crashing
regularly, usually after a channel change is attempted. Hard to
explain why this modern marvel has to be re-booted so often.

Its has a computer inside with software written by humans.

Does everyone just think that a crash-free PVR cannot be made?
Its unlikely that one will be made, as the human engineers cannot
predict what data the broadcasters will send and therefore cannot test
them with that data. However, the more testing it has had, the more
stable your PVR will be, but most manufacturers like to start making
money as soon as it works 'most' of the time.

Maybe we'll have crashing irons, toasters, and washing machines next!
Only when we put computers in them (especially those that can receive
unknown data from the outside world).

The problem really kicks in when the computer has to handle programs
from third parties (computer programs, as opposed to TV programmes!).

It's reasonably easy to write software for a closed environment that
just doesn't crash. When did your internet router last die? And that
has to handle data (but not programs) from the outside world.

Andy

"Johnny B Good" wrote in message
.. .
The message

from contains these words:

====big snip====

I suspect the OP's father in law is from the same generation as my
father, who methodically unplugs pretty much every appliance in the
house every night ;-)


You also have to keep in mind that pretty well all electrical devices
back then (even the electronic ones, such as radios and TV sets) were
fire hazards in themselves.

Nowadays, the only comparably dangerous items are electric fires, hair
driers, irons, washing machines and tumble driers (especially tumble
driers, so much so that the fire fighting service strongly advise
against running one unattended when retiring to bed for the night).

I managed to set my computer on fire once. The ~500W PSUs in them these days
are capable of delivering serious current (~30A, to supply graphics cards
etc.).
I had quickly plugged in power to a floppy drive without really looking at
what I was doing and was offset by 1 pin. The plug then bent the unhoused
pin across the other 3 shorting them out. Of course I just powered on and
went to make a cup of tea while it was booting. Returned to find the room
full of smoke and the charred remains of the PSU wires and covers. No fuse
blew or anything, PSU still working fine.

Z

The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:

====snip====

I managed to set my computer on fire once. The ~500W PSUs in them
these days
are capable of delivering serious current (~30A, to supply graphics cards
etc.).
I had quickly plugged in power to a floppy drive without really looking at
what I was doing and was offset by 1 pin. The plug then bent the unhoused
pin across the other 3 shorting them out. Of course I just powered on and
went to make a cup of tea while it was booting. Returned to find the room
full of smoke and the charred remains of the PSU wires and covers. No fuse
blew or anything, PSU still working fine.

That's an all too common hazard for "The Kak Handed" 'senior moment'.
I've managed to misplug the fdd connector once or twice myself but,
having seen the results of others' kak handedness, I've had the wit to
verify the connection _before_ powering up (also, the 200 watt plus
reading on the wattmeter is another giveaway ;-).

The feed for such low amperage connectors really should be protected by
their own independent 3A polyfuse but they're often teed off one of the
4 pin molex plugs so do represent a finite risk of fire (even though,
kak handedness aside, this risk is vanishingly small).

In this case, you've just learned a valuable lesson. Take more care
with those fdd style power connectors and watch out for smoking on power
up before walking away.

--
Regards, John.

Please remove the "ohggcyht" before replying.
The address has been munged to reject Spam-bots.

"Johnny B Good" wrote in message
.. .
The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:

====snip====

I managed to set my computer on fire once.

In this case, you've just learned a valuable lesson. Take more care
with those fdd style power connectors and watch out for smoking on power
up before walking away.

You should be on Mastermind, specialist subject...
:-)

Z

The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:


"Johnny B Good" wrote in message
.. .
The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:

====snip====

I managed to set my computer on fire once.

In this case, you've just learned a valuable lesson. Take more care
with those fdd style power connectors and watch out for smoking on power
up before walking away.

You should be on Mastermind, specialist subject...

Presumably, you'd be referring to "Safe Engineering Practice". Although
it almost doesn't need to be spelled out, you do have to remember that
this is a Usenet News Group. Not everyone with access to usenet has the
same level of competence as you and I.

:-)

Hopefully, your experience will have alerted others to the fire hazard
risk of low voltage high current sources to be found within a high spec
PC and taken heed of the need to be suitably circumspect when connecting
everything up (particularly floppy disk drives ;-).

Incidently, did you actually bend a pin across the others, or was it
just the more usual "Obe Won Kenobe" (Off By One) connector error? I
find the "Obe Wan Kenobe" error is sufficient in itself to short out the
5v or 12v line to create the smoke fault.

In the good old days when 300 watt PSUs were considered to be high
power 'specials', that hazard with the FDD connector was almost non
existant. Not so, as you so aptly pointed out, with regard to the 500
plus watt units being fitted into high end PCs these days.

The PSU manufacturers have now turned a low probabilty event into a
high probabilty one by failing to take account of the FDD power
connector wiring's inability to look like a short circuit on a 50 Amp
rated 5 volt line. They really should abandon the practice of teeing
from a 4 pin molex and feed such flimsy connectors via a polyfused link
to the 5 and 12 volt rails.

In the meantime, the current situation demands you take even greater
care when using such connectors with high power PSUs.

--
Regards, John.

Please remove the "ohggcyht" before replying.
The address has been munged to reject Spam-bots.

"Johnny B Good" wrote in message
.. .
The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:


"Johnny B Good" wrote in message
.. .
The message
from "Zimmy" contains these words:

====snip====

I managed to set my computer on fire once.

In this case, you've just learned a valuable lesson. Take more care
with those fdd style power connectors and watch out for smoking on
power
up before walking away.

You should be on Mastermind, specialist subject...

Presumably, you'd be referring to "Safe Engineering Practice". Although
it almost doesn't need to be spelled out, you do have to remember that
this is a Usenet News Group. Not everyone with access to usenet has the
same level of competence as you and I.

:-)

Hopefully, your experience will have alerted others to the fire hazard
risk of low voltage high current sources to be found within a high spec
PC and taken heed of the need to be suitably circumspect when connecting
everything up (particularly floppy disk drives ;-).

ey-thenk-yo


Incidently, did you actually bend a pin across the others, or was it
just the more usual "Obe Won Kenobe" (Off By One) connector error? I
find the "Obe Wan Kenobe" error is sufficient in itself to short out the
5v or 12v line to create the smoke fault.

It was one of those cheapo floppy drives with just the 4 right angled pins
coming off the PCB rather than a proper socket. As the plug was off by one,
there was nowhere for the 4th pin to go as I pushed it in so the plug itself
bent it across the other three, shorting at least with the adjacent one. The
PC was in-situ so I was reaching round the back of the drive and couldn't
see. It felt absolutely normal as I pushed it in. Both the plug and the
surrounding plastic on the drive were completely melted and blackened as
well as the cable.


In the meantime, the current situation demands you take even greater
care when using such connectors with high power PSUs.

Sound advice.

Z

"Alan Pemberton" wrote in message
rve.co.uk.invalid...
GTS wrote:

Maybe we'll have crashing irons, toasters, and washing machines next!

I haven't used mine since 1 Jan 2000, just in case.

--

I'm sure that I once read on this very newsgroup about a piece of kit (an
early On-digi box box?) which actually had a 'reset' button on the remote
control.

Ivan wrote:



I'm sure that I once read on this very newsgroup about a piece of kit
(an early On-digi box box?) which actually had a 'reset' button on the
remote control.

The Nokia I think, but not on the RC, it was on the front panel ISTR ?

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk