timoxx4 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Hi all, Not sure if this has been asked before but anyway. What is the best STB money can buy at the moment. I have been searching all the review sites looking for what everyone agrees as being better than the rest but all i seem to find is unhappy reviews. Is there no STB out there that doesn't have and major problems of some sort? And i mean MAJOR as they all seem to have. I'm talking about frequent drop outs and audio sync problem. Slow channel changes and slow menus.Overheating and non customisable remote channel number buttons, and general crappy quality. Anyone know of any HD/SD STB (no PVR's ) that rule the roost so to speak? Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest offline Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 . What is the best STB money can buy at the moment. none. all have some problem big or small. even if you pay top dollar. we are all still looking for a good hd std. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgdownload Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 The Topfield box should be on the market this weekend. Looks fantastic and given its pedigree many people have high hopes. Regards Peter Gillespie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVE Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 I know I carry on about it too much but the Humax Smart has been absolutely ROCK SOLID in performance as an SD box. And it records with all the ease, facility and functions anyone could possibly want. It just does everything with great style and ease. And you don't have to even read the manual to understand how to operate it. Just to forestall a deluge of replies I will agree that the Topfield unit is similarly loved. If money is no object why not get a sophisticated twin tuner recorder integrated into your SD box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgdownload Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 If money is no object why not get a sophisticated twin tuner recorder integrated into your SD box? Probably because of this line... Anyone know of any HD/SD STB (no PVR's ) that rule the roost so to speak? Regards Peter Gillespie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy Downawell Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Bah... STBs are a dime a dozen...why rule out PVRs if you're loooking for the best with money no object? Why wouldn't anyone want a PVR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timoxx4 Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 Bah... STBs are a dime a dozen...why rule out PVRs if you're looking for the best with money no object? Why wouldn't anyone want a PVR? Well i guess i have always believed that most of the money goes into making the PVR side of things and they skimp on the digital tuner built in. Also i never really have a need to record any programs so its wasted on me. But maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe there ars some PVR's with better tuners than even the most expensive STB out there? i don't know. Also i think getting a digital TV tuner card for your PC and record your programs that way is better than a PVR. Then you can do whatever you want with the footage you capture and edit and burn to a DVD if you like. You are not limited by what the PVR can and cant do this way. So by only going for a dedicated STB you can be sure all your hard earned is being spent on a decent digital tuner and not a hard drive/recording softwhere ect ect..... The Topfield box you say ??? Never heard of Topfield.... What model is that you speak of there mate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgdownload Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Hey Timox, I'll give some thoughts I have in this area. Bear in mind I'm not suggesting you get a PVR - if you only watch live TV then PVR functionality is pretty redundant. However FYI, I suspect you might be on a wrong tangent as to 'ensuring' a great HD STB by dint of the fact that the manufacturer's we're 'distracted' buy PVR functionality. - Keep in mind this whole area of technology is pretty new. - Until very recently just about every PCR on the market was SD. - A SD PVR cost a little bit more than a HD STB. - HD STB we're expensive because the components were expensive (SD stuff is reasonably ubiquitos around the world). - No one made a HD STB not because of the technical difficulties but because after you put all that HD stuff in and add on PVR functionality, you had a machine that cost $2000 to make much of a profit - you'd sell a few thousand. - HD (and SD) everything has dropped considerably in the last 6 months (and will continue to do so). - Because of the way digital technology is structured it makes sense for a HD STB model to use pretty much exactly the same HD handling 'bits' in the PVR model (why re-invent the wheel?) - Your best HD experience would be to a STB with a HDMI connection. This way the STB actually does bugger all. Just grabs the transmission of the aerial but then handballs the whole digital box and dice to the TV. - 'Normally' a STB is busy translating the digital signal into an analogue one so your standard TVs can show the picture - this is where 'differences' in PQ come in. Anyway, that's just some random comments. As for your other thoughts, several (SD) PVRs allow you to download shows to a PC for just such manipulation. If burning a show to a DVD then a HiDef source is completely usless - the DVD can't come close to the PQ (hence HD-DVDs out soon). Otherwise, you can find Topfield at www.topfield.com.au and look at all there products. Their PVRs have instilled a fair amount of enthusiasm in many owners because they can be programmed by users to add functionality. Have a read of the pinned All Questions Answered FAQ if you'd like to know more. The HD 7000 STB is now listed at www.dse.com.au - type topfield into the search box. You should be able to find it for under $500 pretty easily though. Anyway, if you do buy one, please post some thoughts, observations back here. A lot of people would be quite eager to hear. Regards Peter Gillepsie PS There is one feature a PVR brings to even the simplest 'live' TV viewer. The ability to pause live TV (say for a phone call, or because you're still eating dinner, etc.) - very handy at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--rex-- Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 The LG LST-5100P Hi def STB that I have is a top unit. Top picture quality. Not sure what else anyone would want in a Hi Def STB. No heat problems etc. Also looks good which I think is a consideration. Slow channel change is not a defect at all in my opinion. And whwen discounted at J B Hi Fi it is terrific value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timoxx4 Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 Thanks for that Peter. You have changed my way of thinking about this whole thing now Your best HD experience would be to a STB with a HDMI connection. This way the STB actually does bugger all. Well that's interesting. Problem is my RPTV doesn't have HDMI So i would then need an AV receiver or something that can do HDMI to component yes? Thus loosing some of the benefit of HDMI but still freeing up the STB of the conversion duty. I had a look at the Topfield on there web site and it looks like the one for me. Not a bad price either which is not really a big deal but is always nice. One question on the Topfield. Can the channels be re-assigned to different numbers? This is something that has really bugged me with other STB's. Along with the drop outs, overheating,audio sync probs and the list goes on..........and on..........and on.......... Oh yeah, what are there SD boxes like? I might get a cheap one for the spare SD TV in the bedroom. Anyway thanks for the words of wisdom. Tim. rex Slow channel change is not a defect at all in my opinion. It is in mine. I really cant stand it with the Panasonic i have at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgdownload Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Glad you've found a possible match. Some follow up comments... 1) A STB is the best thing for processing digital signals. There's no point in "reducing the load". If your TV can't do HDMI then there's no point in trying to plug a convertor into the STB HDMI out - it will just do a worse job. The big benefit of HDMI comes from the fact NO conversion is necessary right up to the TV screen. So just use RGB or Component cables for the time being. 2) What sort of TV do you have any way (size, model and HiDef?) - might be that will limit your PQ much more than any STB. 3) Re: SD PVR - Grab a Digicrystal from Strathfields for around $250. Good simple introduction. 4) Ad changing speed. This is mostly a function of digital TV itself. All boxes need a second or two to resolve the signal - no getting around it! Some boxes do it better than others - The Topfield SD PVR is about as fast as I've seen (under a second) so that bodes well. You can also change several channels rapidly without the image being resolved on the screen (ie from 2 to 10 in 3 quick clicks). Agree that this was possibly the hardest thing to give away from my simple old VCR remote - I could scan and view all channels in under a second. 5) Channel ordering is also another digital TV adventure - mandated by region. Best you can usually have is creating a favourite group (most better boxes have this) Then ch up and down skip only through these channels. Some boxes (like the digicrystal) allow swapping the order of display but ch 9 will always have LCN 9. Regards Peter Gillespie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timoxx4 Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 Ok well my TV is a Sony KP-FW46. Its a 116cm CRT rear projection that can display 1080i and 720p no problems. My Xbox 360 looks fantastic displaying these. If your TV can't do HDMI then there's no point in trying to plug a converter into the STB HDMI out - it will just do a worse job. So the STB will do a better job of making a RGB/component conversion than anything else? Channel ordering is also another digital TV adventure - mandated by region. Best you can usually have is creating a favourite group So i guess a universal learning remote is the only real way to do it at the moment ay? Oh well. Oh by the way. Do any of you know where one can pick up one of those Topfield HD 7000 for under $500 you speak of? Best i have found on the net is $600. I know i say cost no object in the subject title but still, why pay $100 more than i need to? That Digicrystal might be ok but if i was going to get a PVR i would want twin tuners and to be able to connect to my PC for file transfers and stuff. Any ideas on a good one of those while i'm here? Thanks guys Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgdownload Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 So the STB will do a better job of making a RGB/component conversion than anything else?Yep.That Digicrystal might be ok but if i was going to get a PVR i would want twin tuners and to be able to connect to my PC for file transfers and stuff. Any ideas on a good one of those while i'm here? For someone who never records anything twin tuners seems a bit extravagant? Research in to the Humax Smart $630) or Toppy 5000 ($750). There's the pinned thread on the latter (AQA) and search on "Toppy v Humax" for a thread comparing these two. Regards Peter Gillespie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVE Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Digicrystal is on special at Strathfield - $228 Humax Smart is around $600 Topfield around $750 The last two are true twin tuners but the Digicrystal is SOOOOOO cheap. It is a good unit. I almost bought one even though I have no use for it!! My Humax is very special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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