Budget Pvr With 14:9 Mode?

[AndrewWilliams]

Anyone know of a PVR with 14:9 mode? (Also known as 'Postcard' mode)

My parents would like to be able to pause live TV and clean up their ghosty reception by going digital but they want to hang onto their 80cm 4:3 TV for quite a while yet. They're not too keen on letterbox mode or a fully cropped 16:9 picture but are happy with 14:9 mode since that's ow most shows are shown on analogue anyway.

Thanks

[technocat]

Andrew

The much reviled Diginet PVR will give you Auto, Pillar Box, & Vertical Cut, which I think is what you are looking for. This PVR is a budget unit found on ebay works well, providing it has a good clean signal otherwise it will give you hell. My LCD display unit supports Auto, Zoom 16:9, & 14:9, which as a widescreen seems a little pointless.

Cheers

Brian

[pgdownload]

or a fully cropped 16:9 picture

Not sure if this is the same thing but the Topfield has a 'centre cut' mode for viewing widescreen content on a 4:3. Takes a bit off the top and bottom of the image and not too much off either side.

A 4400 costs about $450 I believe. If you wanted to get fancy, the 5000 has an auto aspect TAP that detects the current broadcast type an switches between various display modes depending on what the content is

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[KernelPanic]

TV is broadcast for 4:3 content anyway. Most pvr's will do 4:3 and ignore the extra provided by 16:9, and you do not notice it.

[pgdownload]

TV is broadcast for 4:3 content anyway. Most pvr's will do 4:3 and ignore the extra provided by 19:9, and you do not notice it.

?? Digital TV is ALL broadcast in 16:9 widescreen format. If the original content is 4:3 they actually add black space down either side to make it 16:9.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[dvduser]

TV is broadcast for 4:3 content anyway. Most pvr's will do 4:3 and ignore the extra provided by 19:9, and you do not notice it.

What's 19:9 ??? - do we have a new standard ??

[--ThisIsAllToMuchFun--]

Anyone know of a PVR with 14:9 mode? (Also known as 'Postcard' mode)

My parents would like to be able to pause live TV and clean up their ghosty reception by going digital but they want to hang onto their 80cm 4:3 TV for quite a while yet. They're not too keen on letterbox mode or a fully cropped 16:9 picture but are happy with 14:9 mode since that's ow most shows are shown on analogue anyway.

Thanks

..............the Humax 8000t does 14.9 but doesn't have the ability to play back a recorded file while it is recording a station...

..............It does have chase play though

..................I bought it for $150 when mega mart in bris closed down a year or so ago

.............. --ThisIsAllToMuchFun-- ...................

[KernelPanic]

?? Digital TV is ALL broadcast in 16:9 widescreen format. If the original content is 4:3 they actually add black space down either side to make it 16:9.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

You missed my point. DTV is all broadcast in 16:9, but the except for the VPG's the area outside the 4:3 area, is effectively useless filler anyway. They ensure that the actuall content is all within the 4:3 area.

Even with the ads. If an ad is in 16:9, then its downsized, so that the whole ad fits in the 4:3 safe area.

[Anton-P.]

You missed my point. DTV is all broadcast in 16:9, but the except for the VPG's the area outside the 4:3 area, is effectively useless filler anyway. They ensure that the actuall content is all within the 4:3 area.

Although the content is in the 4:3 area, digital picture is rigidly 16:9, and no device has been designed to chop off the two side edges to bring it back to 4:3

You said pvr can do 4:3 but that I think means showing the 16:9 pic on a 4:3 screen i.e. letterbox, which the OP wants to avoid hence he's looking for a 14:9 pvr.

[TNTTony]

Hi Guys,

The reason why I am posting this in this topic is because I can not seem to start a new topic. So Apologies in advance.

I am new to DVD HDD Recorders and we are thinking of buying one to replace the VCR. I don't know much about them but I know I am on a budget and I don't really want all the fancy features. The most important features are:

1. Must have atleast 80GB HDD

2. Must be able to burn to DVD RW

3. Can edit recorded programs ie. specifically able to cut out segments eg adds.

So after some searching, I found this one at DSE:

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefro...duct/View/G2066

Hicon HDR2500 - 250GB Hard Drive

After some search it seems that Hicon, Conia is from the one manufacturer: Pebbles Electronics

http://www.pebble-ltd.com.au/products_list...ry=Dvd_recorhdd

Interestingly, their website above does not specifically have the HICON 250GB but a rather "generic" 250GB recorder.

I was wondering have anyone used Hicon. I know it is a no-name brand model and is a cheap one. One post that I read on this forum states that it tends to overheat? Is a Conia and Hicon recorder the same?

My family and I tend to record 5 to 10 hours of shows a week and then we delete them. We do want a HDD though.

Your thoughts is very much appreciated.

[pgdownload]

Hi Tony,

There are apparently explanations in bold red dotted around when you log in on why you can't post - but have a read of this thread for how to remedy the situation.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=44129&hl=

As for your enquiry, I'll let others reply as I have no specific knowledge of the Hicon. However the last line of your post caught my attention:

My family and I tend to record 5 to 10 hours of shows a week and then we delete them. We do want a HDD though.

For this type of viewing a digital PVR is a much better solution for most people (it also has many more advantages like (recording two things at once, better ad skipping, etc.) Have a read of this simple FAQ if you wish to know more:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=36191&hl=

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[KernelPanic]

Although the content is in the 4:3 area, digital picture is rigidly 16:9, and no device has been designed to chop off the two side edges to bring it back to 4:3

You said pvr can do 4:3 but that I think means showing the 16:9 pic on a 4:3 screen i.e. letterbox, which the OP wants to avoid hence he's looking for a 14:9 pvr.

Not true at all. many of the pvr's can effectively do this. Im using a teac 160T, which does a very good 4:3 cropped mode, and using it, you would not know that widescreen exists.

[Timmy Downawell]

The OP is very specific in what he wants. All STBs/PVRs offer 4:3 centrecut, 16:9 letterbox and 16:9 widescreen. He wants 14:9 letterbox -- half way between 4:3 and 16:9 letterbox -- which only a few STBs offer, and I'm not sure any PVRs do.

EDIT: This one might be a goer:

http://www.streetwise.com.au/product_info....3a3f510d2fc6a91

[Anton-P.]

Not true at all. many of the pvr's can effectively do this. Im using a teac 160T, which does a very good 4:3 cropped mode, and using it, you would not know that widescreen exists.

My apology then.

I have used 3 stbs and 2 pvrs, none offered 4:3 cropped/centercut ... so I was quite out of date

PS: On 2nd thought I remember trying 4:3 Pan & Scan, kind of cropped but not necessarily centercut.

Couldn't use it as it chopped off large chunks of text/charts presented.

[AndrewWilliams]

Not sure if this is the same thing but the Topfield has a 'centre cut' mode for viewing widescreen content on a 4:3. Takes a bit off the top and bottom of the image and not too much off either side.

A 4400 costs about $450 I believe. If you wanted to get fancy, the 5000 has an auto aspect TAP that detects the current broadcast type an switches between various display modes depending on what the content is

Regards

The 4400 sounds like a great unit for the price. I downloaded the manual and the 'center extract' mode looks like it just chops the sides off the 16:9 image unfortunately. Maybe they've since added a 14:9 mode in a firmware update? If I can't find anything better then this unit might do.

[Timmy Downawell]

PS: On 2nd thought I remember trying 4:3 Pan & Scan, kind of cropped but not necessarily centercut.

They're all just centrecut, otherwise the channels' watermarks would constantly wander left and right all the time as it "panned". If you're losing too much info/graphics off left and right of your screen, then the overscan on your TV might be a little overzealous.

[AndrewWilliams]

All of the TV networks use 14:9 on their 4:3 analogue service and with good reason. It's definitely the best way to view 16:9 material on a 4:3 TV.

[Timmy Downawell]

All of the TV networks use 14:9 on their 4:3 analogue service and with good reason. It's definitely the best way to view 16:9 material on a 4:3 TV.

I don't disagree with that. Is the Humax twin tuner one I gave a link to above too expensive for you? I don't think the other Humax named (8000T) does 14:9 from what I've read.

[AndrewWilliams]

Yeah, it sounds good. I'll have to read some reviews to see whether I think it'll be usuable by non-techy people especially compared to a Toppy 5000. I'm ignorant when it comes to PVRs - I've always used a media center PC for recording TV.

[pgdownload]

Yeah, it sounds good. I'll have to read some reviews to see whether I think it'll be usuable by non-techy people especially compared to a Toppy 5000. I'm ignorant when it comes to PVRs - I've always used a media center PC for recording TV.

One unusual aspect of PVRs is that the more sophiticated you go the simpler their use tends to become. Simple (cheap) 1 tuner models tend to require the user to keep track of what they are doing. ie I can't watch channel 2 because channel 7 is recording, etc. A twin tuner PVR tends to let the user just pick up the remote and select what they want to do, hit rec, hit play, change channel, etc. doesn't matter what else the unit is currently doing.

Unfortunately I can't confirm how 'centre extract' behaves on a Toppy on a 4:3 TV. I don't believe any FW updates provide 14:9 as an option. Note a 4400 can't run the automatic aspect ratio software I mentioned. Maybe a trip to a store is in order?

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[TNTTony]

Thanks Peter for the response. I now got my own topic