Hi all , only just tracked this NG down tonight as I'm on the lookout for a 
better way to handle freeview / scheduling recordings in my household.

So....my circumstances :-

4-bed house with 4 PCs all hardwire networked and switched to allow web 
independantly
No SKY...can't afford and don't watch enough telly to warrant the costs.
Just sick of missing a select few terrestrial progs, and would like to 
forward view scheduling system which is based on clicking buttons and no 
setting timers anymore.
2 bedrooms with with std Goodmans freeview type receivers
Downstairs freeview is currently via a Daewoo VCR combo unit. This was one 
step better than a std set top box because at least there was once less 
device in the loop.

What I would like :-

- A hard drive based PVR than record plus display alternate channels
- Hard drive does not essentially have to be huge, but the knowledge that a 
bigger one could be added would be good , i.e. are they just std PC IDE 
drives?
- Network capable( RJ45 or USB okay ) to add to my home LAN, so the hard 
drive capacity could be shared out and the PCs DVD writers could put stuff 
on disc if necessary.
- Obviously, I would at least want the PCs to be able to access the PVR, so 
the files it writes must be avi/divx based
- Decent automatated scheduling system like SKY plus so I can pick a handful 
of programmes and its clever enough to record a series eg Invasion...Lost 
...Topgear etc without having to re-prog every week
- Since I could hook up a PVR to be permanently on the web, having some kind 
of clever remote controlling away from home would be great...eg email the 
PVR to record something.


I saw a link to somthing called a Topfield TF5800PVR. Is this the kind of 
thing I'm after ?? .

I'd be happy to pay a 1-off £250-300 quid for a new box of tricks that came 
close to covering the above.

Thanks in advance for your guidance

ToxOgrady wrote:
> Hi all , only just tracked this NG down tonight as I'm on the lookout for a 
> better way to handle freeview / scheduling recordings in my household.
> 
> So....my circumstances :-
> 
> 4-bed house with 4 PCs all hardwire networked and switched to allow web 
> independantly
> No SKY...can't afford and don't watch enough telly to warrant the costs.
> Just sick of missing a select few terrestrial progs, and would like to 
> forward view scheduling system which is based on clicking buttons and no 
> setting timers anymore.
> 2 bedrooms with with std Goodmans freeview type receivers
> Downstairs freeview is currently via a Daewoo VCR combo unit. This was one 
> step better than a std set top box because at least there was once less 
> device in the loop.
> 
> What I would like :-
> 
> - A hard drive based PVR than record plus display alternate channels
> - Hard drive does not essentially have to be huge, but the knowledge that a 
> bigger one could be added would be good , i.e. are they just std PC IDE 
> drives?
> - Network capable( RJ45 or USB okay ) to add to my home LAN, so the hard 
> drive capacity could be shared out and the PCs DVD writers could put stuff 
> on disc if necessary.
> - Obviously, I would at least want the PCs to be able to access the PVR, so 
> the files it writes must be avi/divx based
> - Decent automatated scheduling system like SKY plus so I can pick a handful 
> of programmes and its clever enough to record a series eg Invasion...Lost 
> ..Topgear etc without having to re-prog every week
> - Since I could hook up a PVR to be permanently on the web, having some kind 
> of clever remote controlling away from home would be great...eg email the 
> PVR to record something.
> 
> 
> I saw a link to somthing called a Topfield TF5800PVR. Is this the kind of 
> thing I'm after ?? .
> 
> I'd be happy to pay a 1-off £250-300 quid for a new box of tricks that came 
> close to covering the above.
> 
> Thanks in advance for your guidance
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
Right now I think the Topfield would be your best choice.  Adding a few 
TAPS to enhance the functionality and I think you would be a happy 
bunny.  Around £300 for a 250Gb version.

"Phil"  wrote in message
news:du3lm3$bk2$1@new-usenet.uk.sun.com...
> ToxOgrady wrote:
> > Hi all , only just tracked this NG down tonight as I'm on the lookout
for a
> > better way to handle freeview / scheduling recordings in my household.
> >
> Right now I think the Topfield would be your best choice.  Adding a few
> TAPS to enhance the functionality and I think you would be a happy
> bunny.  Around £300 for a 250Gb version.

At the beginning there were noise problems with 160 Gb version hard drive.
Is 250Gb version as quit as the current 160 Gb version is said to be?
Divoch