Hopefully Not Just Another "which Should I Buy" Post...

[Cods]

Hopefully not just another newb "which should I buy" post...

G'day all, long time lurker, second time poster. Well, second post of any consequence, and let's just ignore my premature postulation an hour or so ago with this thread...

Some background:

1. I've owned an OzTiVo for the past three years, and the family really dig it.

2. The OzTiVo's WAF is so high that it is frowned upon for me to cast aspersions upon it, even if it deserves the abuse; it's ranked higher than the dog in the household.

3. We're full converts to having a DVR in the house - my three year old has no concept of 'it's not on at the moment, mate', which is interesting when we visit the DVRless rellies.

4. I've read the "The Hd Pvr Comparison, What PVR is right for you?" thread.

5. I've read ten pages of the (currently) 25 page "Topfield 7100pvrt - Now Available, HD PVR with twin tuners, Lan & 320GB HDD" thread, which from what I can see has now mostly become a very useful "where can I get the Toppy 7100 for $X?" and "how's this work" question and answer.

6. I've read a reasonable chunk (oh, OK, the first half dozen and the ten most recent pages) of the "Tivo Finally Coming To Oz, With channel seven?" thread.

7. I've checked for potential DTV reception issues in the locale where the PVR will be used.

8. I read the Digital Recorders Help: Stbs, Pvrs, Dvdrs, Hdd, Sd, Hd ...., NUBIE DTV info, PVR or DVDR? Problems?? .... UPDATED 03/09/2008 a while ago, but just re-read it to be sure. Same for Pete's Pvr Post - Diving Into Digital Tv, Last Updated: 14 Jan 2008.

The situation:

1. We're moving to the US for a few years, however my wife is dead keen to keep a steady stream of ABC Kids programming available for the two tin lids. Hopefully this helps them keep their strine, and not pick up a Seppo accent...

- In the US we're going to buy and run a US TiVo HD and a decent ~52 inch+ 1080p HDTV whilst we're away. Whatever PVR we buy as a result of the recommendations from this thread, we'll use when we get back to Australia, as the US TiVo HD will be, to my understanding, useless back here in Oz, and will have to be eBayed/Craigslisted.

- In the US we'll also be running a Mac Mini OS X HTPC, and I intend to use it as the primary player for the Aussie programs. I'm not trying to do anything funky/misguided like try and record on one PVR and play 'em on some other brand PVR.

2. My first thought was ABC iView, but that won't work for two reasons

- first, to my knowledge, you need to be connected via an Australian IP address (so I'd have to set up a persistent proxy, a PITA), and

- second, ABC Kids isn't available via iView, so the the point is moot.

3. My wife suggested buying an official Australian TiVo and putting it down at her mum's house in Victoria, and then attaching an external HDD, with the HDD to be mailed over to the US whenever it filled up. I don't think this will work, because as I understand it:

- in Australia stands at the moment, the TiVo To Go feature is disabled, and

- all recordings are encrypted, so the TiVo is out, which is a shame.

After all the preamble, finally to...

The question:

So, I'm thinking a Topfield 7100 is probably a very good 'next best' (apologies to all Toppy enthusiasts!) option, although I'm prepared to be wrong if TiVo To Go works on Aussie TiVos as of today, or another specific PVR meets the following criteria:

Essential

0. Must be a twin-tuner HD PVR.

1. Must be easy to use, and have decent support in Australia.

- Benchmark for usability is a reasonably technically aware mother in law (ie. she is pretty good - can Google for info on things, download PC drivers and install them, set up her WPA WiFi etc.)

2. Must be able to be programmed to either:

- Use an EPG (IceTV or similar) to set up recording of 'Season Passes' for particular programs (you can see my OzTiVo bias here), or, less nice,

- Use a timer to set recordings (eg. 0930-1100 on ABC1 every weekday), and yeah, I know, they almost all can do this.

3. Must be able to attach an external hard drive for storage of recordings.

- Doesn't matter what interface (eSATA, USB2, FW400/800 etc).

- Doesn't matter what HDD file system is required (FAT32, ext2, HFS, NTFS etc).

4. Must be able to detach the external HDD, send it overseas, and be able to read the PVR recordings contained within.

5. It must be possible to take the PVR recording files and either

- Play them directly on a Mac/PC (nice and easy), or, more likely

- Transcode the PVR recording files at my end to turn them into some standard movie container/codec (AVI, MPEG-2, MP4, MOV / H.264, MPEG-4 etc ad nauseum) to be played on my Mac Mini HTPC.

Desirable

6. The ability to modify the programming of recordings, season passes and the like over the internet.

- So I can do it from the US and not have to bother the MIL to get her to do it with a remote. I think IceTV allows this?

I'd appreciate your recommendations as to the most appropriate twin-tuner HD PVR for the job, and also any recommendations as to how to improve or correct any mistakes made with my criteria.

Cheers!

Edited September 10, 2008 by Cods

[Cods]

My apologies for my earlier stuffup with posting.

I shall wear my hair shirt for the next few days to remind me to look where I'm clicking.

[GazingSouth]

I know this doesn't answer all your "needs" list - but mailing a HDD o/s will become expensive.... not to mention you will need multiple disks in cycle while one is being sent you will need to record on the other etc.....

What about getting a DVD recorder (for kids shows something like the SD Panny would be ok) and burning the programs to DVD and mailing that? Pretty fool proof and the technology has been around for a long time. Takes out the compatibility issue between PVR's and can play on anything capable of reading a DVD (PC, Mac or a plain old DVD player)

[swordfish805]

I guess there are three possibilities:

1) Go the whole hog and get a HTPC loaded up with a large HDD and keep it at a relos house with a good solid broadband connection. You then download the recordings from the HTPC straight to your house Stateside (and presumably compensate the relos for the bandwidth used).

You could even have the relos convert everything to DivX to save on bandwidth or even log on and do it remotely yourself.

2) Find some other source to download Australian stuff from (does the new ABC online service work overseas)?

3) Do what most expats do - ensure whatever cable service you get in the States has channels like UK-TV and the BBC. Not Australian I know - but not American and that is surely also important! Supplement this with the occasional DVD mailed from home and setlle back to enjoy your time in the States rather than forlornly try to hang onto Australia. We'll still be here when you get back and your kids will settle in back to school etc when they get home.

By the way - getting an accent while overseas depends more on who you spend time with than what you watch on TV. Want the kids to avoid getting a yank drawl, then stop them meeting Americans!

[Cods]

Thanks for the suggestion G South.

...but mailing a HDD o/s will become expensive...

Normally yes, but we have a zero-cost route, so no worries there!

...you will need multiple disks in cycle while one is being sent you will need to record on the other etc...

Not a worry, the content isn't time critical or even particularly 'necessary'. I figure that if it takes (this is just a pluck) a month to fill a 500Gb 2.5" HDD, and it's out of PVR action for a couple of weeks to mail/copy data/wipe/mail back, then that's fine. The kids can watch the same thing a few times... they do that anyway! Alternatively I have a 200Gb 2.5" HDD doing nothing at the moment, so there's a no extra cost way of having seamless coverage.

What about getting a DVD recorder...

I thought about it, and it's a good backup plan, but I have funds approval for the PVR route, and would prefer to go that way if I can!

Cheers,

[pgdownload]

I think Swordfish is on the right path here.

Setting up transnational HTPCs is pretty dodgy from most aspects. Not just the costs involved but keeping it all working can be a pain, there's long time delays between action and result, etc.

NB So far the ICETV remote service for the 7100 is not fully operational I believe. So that's still a work in progress. ICETV might also shut down at the end of the year if a court case doesn't go its way (although that's not a likely outcome it is something to consider given your 2 year plan)

I also suspect you underestimate how many other options you will have as a resident of the US (For example you'll probably be able to cheaply by most stuff on DVDs or online). You can subscribe to a lot of channels (including Oz ones I'd suspect). Note that the Tivo US has one draw back in that as most TV is watched via subscription cable you end up using the free PVR that comes with the subscription (the Tivo can't record the signal in many cases)

A site like http://www.diwana.org/ has Oz centric content.

What about having someone here record some few particular shows for you and burn them to a Bluray DVD and ship them over?

Personally I suspect you'll find yourself fully absorbed into the US culture in under a year - you'll be posting about how you can bring back stuff from the US to supplement the poor Oz offerings in two years

If you think about it (discus with wife) and are still set on a trans national PVR post more and I'll try give some info in that vein.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[Cods]

Cheers swordfish.

1) Go the whole hog and get a HTPC loaded up with a large HDD and keep it at a relos house with a good solid broadband connection. You then download the recordings from the HTPC straight to your house Stateside (and presumably compensate the relos for the bandwidth used).

You could even have the relos convert everything to DivX to save on bandwidth or even log on and do it remotely yourself.

The thought had crossed my mind, but I'm trying for simplicity, and lowest imposition on the in laws. This is an option, but probably a bit too involved at their end.

2) Find some other source to download Australian stuff from (does the new ABC online service work overseas)?

Bitorrent FTW! Looks likely that our US ISP will have to be Comcast, who are throttling BT & P2P, and as per my (admittedly long) original post, you need to have an Australian IP to access the ABC iView service... and as of today, it doesn't have ABC Kids.

3) Do what most expats do - ensure whatever cable service you get in the States has channels like UK-TV and the BBC. Not Australian I know - but not American and that is surely also important!

Doing this anyway!

... setlle back to enjoy your time in the States rather than forlornly try to hang onto Australia.

Oh believe me, forlorn is what we're not! Just trying to have our cake and eat it too!

We'll still be here when you get back and your kids will settle in back to school etc when they get home.

Aww shucks, thanks mate.

By the way - getting an accent while overseas depends more on who you spend time with than what you watch on TV. Want the kids to avoid getting a yank drawl, then stop them meeting Americans!

...which seems to be relatively common, but kinda defeats the purpose of living overseas. Insular we're not, and my quip about accents was mostly in jest! We're over for a good time and enjoy living in another country.

Thanks for your comments!

Edited September 10, 2008 by Cods

[cunderwood]

I've got around $500 to $600 to spend on a pvr. Tossing up between the Homecast HT8000 for around $550 or Topfield TF7000 for around $600. Which would be best? Hope my question doesn't take this thread off topic. Cheers.

[pgdownload]

Hope my question doesn't take this thread off topic. Cheers.

What else do you expect it to do? Any reason you couldn't post your query in its own thread?

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[Tassie Devil]

Thsat is a big ask and I'm doubtful about the practicality, even if DVDs were used.

Another couple of tacks:

* Use the internet - the ABC are podcasting a lot more these days

* Buy ABC DVDs of what is wanted - this can be done from their site while you are overseas.

Remember there are a couple of barriers re the USA. Their system is 60 hz while ours is 50 hz and they have a different voltage. Another transformer is no problem but the frequency might (and might not) be a problem. That should be carefully checked out.

Burned DVDs are a far simpler solution but beware, not all DVD players available in the USA handle PAL properly, if at all. I know OPPO does - an excellent player and not very expensive.

There is just such a heap of programs available in the USA, and yes, 90% is rubbish, but there is good programming to be seen in the other 10%. Analog is being phased out (much ahead of sluggish Australia) very shortly and HD is gaining in popularity. My son lives there and is a a keen HD videophile via his computer so keeps me posted.

John

Hopefully not just another newb "which should I buy" post...

G'day all, long time lurker, second time poster. Well, second post of any consequence, and let's just ignore my premature postulation an hour or so ago with this thread...

Some background:

1. I've owned an OzTiVo for the past three years, and the family really dig it.

2. The OzTiVo's WAF is so high that it is frowned upon for me to cast aspersions upon it, even if it deserves the abuse; it's ranked higher than the dog in the household.

3. We're full converts to having a DVR in the house - my three year old has no concept of 'it's not on at the moment, mate', which is interesting when we visit the DVRless rellies.

4. I've read the "The Hd Pvr Comparison, What PVR is right for you?" thread.

5. I've read ten pages of the (currently) 25 page "Topfield 7100pvrt - Now Available, HD PVR with twin tuners, Lan & 320GB HDD" thread, which from what I can see has now mostly become a very useful "where can I get the Toppy 7100 for $X?" and "how's this work" question and answer.

6. I've read a reasonable chunk (oh, OK, the first half dozen and the ten most recent pages) of the "Tivo Finally Coming To Oz, With channel seven?" thread.

7. I've checked for potential DTV reception issues in the locale where the PVR will be used.

8. I read the Digital Recorders Help: Stbs, Pvrs, Dvdrs, Hdd, Sd, Hd ...., NUBIE DTV info, PVR or DVDR? Problems?? .... UPDATED 03/09/2008 a while ago, but just re-read it to be sure. Same for Pete's Pvr Post - Diving Into Digital Tv, Last Updated: 14 Jan 2008.

The situation:

1. We're moving to the US for a few years, however my wife is dead keen to keep a steady stream of ABC Kids programming available for the two tin lids. Hopefully this helps them keep their strine, and not pick up a Seppo accent...

- In the US we're going to buy and run a US TiVo HD and a decent ~52 inch+ 1080p HDTV whilst we're away. Whatever PVR we buy as a result of the recommendations from this thread, we'll use when we get back to Australia, as the US TiVo HD will be, to my understanding, useless back here in Oz, and will have to be eBayed/Craigslisted.

- In the US we'll also be running a Mac Mini OS X HTPC, and I intend to use it as the primary player for the Aussie programs. I'm not trying to do anything funky/misguided like try and record on one PVR and play 'em on some other brand PVR.

2. My first thought was ABC iView, but that won't work for two reasons

- first, to my knowledge, you need to be connected via an Australian IP address (so I'd have to set up a persistent proxy, a PITA), and

- second, ABC Kids isn't available via iView, so the the point is moot.

3. My wife suggested buying an official Australian TiVo and putting it down at her mum's house in Victoria, and then attaching an external HDD, with the HDD to be mailed over to the US whenever it filled up. I don't think this will work, because as I understand it:

- in Australia stands at the moment, the TiVo To Go feature is disabled, and

- all recordings are encrypted, so the TiVo is out, which is a shame.

After all the preamble, finally to...

The question:

So, I'm thinking a Topfield 7100 is probably a very good 'next best' (apologies to all Toppy enthusiasts!) option, although I'm prepared to be wrong if TiVo To Go works on Aussie TiVos as of today, or another specific PVR meets the following criteria:

Essential

0. Must be a twin-tuner HD PVR.

1. Must be easy to use, and have decent support in Australia.

- Benchmark for usability is a reasonably technically aware mother in law (ie. she is pretty good - can Google for info on things, download PC drivers and install them, set up her WPA WiFi etc.)

2. Must be able to be programmed to either:

- Use an EPG (IceTV or similar) to set up recording of 'Season Passes' for particular programs (you can see my OzTiVo bias here), or, less nice,

- Use a timer to set recordings (eg. 0930-1100 on ABC1 every weekday), and yeah, I know, they almost all can do this.

3. Must be able to attach an external hard drive for storage of recordings.

- Doesn't matter what interface (eSATA, USB2, FW400/800 etc).

- Doesn't matter what HDD file system is required (FAT32, ext2, HFS, NTFS etc).

4. Must be able to detach the external HDD, send it overseas, and be able to read the PVR recordings contained within.

5. It must be possible to take the PVR recording files and either

- Play them directly on a Mac/PC (nice and easy), or, more likely

- Transcode the PVR recording files at my end to turn them into some standard movie container/codec (AVI, MPEG-2, MP4, MOV / H.264, MPEG-4 etc ad nauseum) to be played on my Mac Mini HTPC.

Desirable

6. The ability to modify the programming of recordings, season passes and the like over the internet.

- So I can do it from the US and not have to bother the MIL to get her to do it with a remote. I think IceTV allows this?

I'd appreciate your recommendations as to the most appropriate twin-tuner HD PVR for the job, and also any recommendations as to how to improve or correct any mistakes made with my criteria.

Cheers!

[Cods]

Thanks Peter.

Setting up transnational HTPCs is pretty dodgy from most aspects. Not just the costs involved but keeping it all working can be a pain, there's long time delays between action and result, etc.

Good point. Yep, not keen on the "set up a HTPC and try and administer it from overseas" option for exactly these reasons. Hence my preference for a PVR rather than a HTPC.

NB So far the ICETV remote service for the 7100 is not fully operational I believe. So that's still a work in progress. ICETV might also shut down at the end of the year if a court case doesn't go its way (although that's not a likely outcome it is something to consider given your 2 year plan)

I've been tracking that recently, and understand it's a possibility - that's why I left it as a 'Desirable'. It's not key though, as a simple time X to time Y on weekdays type recording setting would work fine.

I also suspect you underestimate how many other options you will have as a resident of the US (For example you'll probably be able to cheaply by most stuff on DVDs or online). You can subscribe to a lot of channels (including Oz ones I'd suspect).

I've had a decent look at what's on offer in the locality I'm off to, as we have friends in the area. It's surprisingly limited in some ways, and amazingly varied in others. Part of the allure of expat life.

Note that the Tivo US has one draw back in that as most TV is watched via subscription cable you end up using the free PVR that comes with the subscription (the Tivo can't record the signal in many cases)

Thanks for the heads up! My research has lead me toward a TiVo HD with either an M-card or two standard CableCards, but I'm not clear on just how much/little I'll miss due to the issue you raise.

A site like http://www.diwana.org/ has Oz centric content.

I can't get to it from inside the company firewall, but it sounds great. Thanks for the pointer.

What about having someone here record some few particular shows for you and burn them to a Bluray DVD and ship them over?

As per my reply to swordfish, that's a backup option, for sure.

Personally I suspect you'll find yourself fully absorbed into the US culture in under a year - you'll be posting about how you can bring back stuff from the US to supplement the poor Oz offerings in two years

I'll certainly be working on ways to bring back US snow to supplement the poor Oz offerings!

If you think about it (discus with wife) and are still set on a transnational PVR post more and I'll try give some info in that vein.

As you can tell, I'm still pretty keen on the idea, right now. I would very much appreciate your input if you have the time and inclination.

Cheers.

[oscwilde]

Another option would be to build a NAS....and run FreeNAS or something similar on it.

This would only cost you about $500-600 for a 1.5 TB system.

This could be used as the central file archiver for your mum's place....and programs can be dumped from a Beyonwiz/Toppy etc. onto it.

You can set up a VPN connection to access files on it from the US.

[prl]

...

Remember there are a couple of barriers re the USA. Their system is 60 hz while ours is 50 hz and they have a different voltage. Another transformer is no problem but the frequency might (and might not) be a problem. That should be carefully checked out.

...

A lot of electronic equipment with a switching power supply can do 100-240V, 50-60Hz, which covers most places. All you need then is the right mains lead or an adapter plug.

[Cods]

G'day tassie / John.

Burned DVDs are a far simpler solution but beware, not all DVD players available in the USA handle PAL properly, if at all.

I wasn't aware of that - cheers.

* Use the internet - the ABC are podcasting a lot more these days.

We've dipped our toes into those waters already, and there's a lot of good content, so that's good advice.

* Buy ABC DVDs of what is wanted - this can be done from their site while you are overseas.

Very true - we already have a couple as it is.

I know OPPO does - an excellent player and not very expensive.

That's a great tip - cheers, I'll keep Oppo in mind when we get there.

Remember there are a couple of barriers re the USA. Their system is 60 hz while ours is 50 hz and they have a different voltage. Another transformer is no problem but the frequency might (and might not) be a problem. That should be carefully checked out.

I'm not looking at actually operating any Aussie PVR or other equipment in the US (apart from a HDD, which is no issue) so, whilst you are dead right with those facts, I'm not quite sure that they are applicable to the situation I described.

There is just such a heap of programs available in the USA, and yes, 90% is rubbish, but there is good programming to be seen in the other 10%. Analog is being phased out (much ahead of sluggish Australia) very shortly and HD is gaining in popularity. My son lives there and is a a keen HD videophile via his computer so keeps me posted.

Yeah, we're quite looking forward to it all, and to be straight, TV is but one of a whole heap of factors in the package.

Thanks for the tips.

[pgdownload]

Is a SD PVR out (gets ABC Kids)? (ie do you want the HD channels) - A Toppy 5000 or the like could provide a fair bit of functionality and you can set it up for full remote access.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[prl]

Is a SD PVR out (gets ABC Kids)? (ie do you want the HD channels) - A Toppy 5000 or the like could provide a fair bit of functionality and you can set it up for full remote access.

...

Upload speed limitations on typical ADSL connections and the high prices typically charged in Australia for network traffic might make that unattractive. On the up side, though, some ISPs don't charge for uploads at all

[Cods]

Fair point Oscarwilde.

Another option would be to build a NAS....and run FreeNAS or something similar on it. This would only cost you about $500-600 for a 1.5 TB system.

This could be used as the central file archiver for your mum's place....and programs can be dumped from a Beyonwiz/Toppy etc. onto it.

I suppose I've been working on trying to keep it simple for the in laws, and setting up a HTPC or a PC-based NAS and leaving it at their place makes my spider sense tingle - I can sense trans-Pacific PC-administration in my near future when something goes wrong.

Based on my positive experience in owning a hacked OzTiVo for a few years, I've been working on the assumption that an off-the-shelf PVR is going to be even more reliable than the OzTiVo, and a hell of a lot less of a pain in the ar$3 than something PC-based (and no, that's not my recent Mac switcher bias showing!). I'd also prefer to not rely on the internet, and ISP limitations to punch data around.

As for the NAS I have recently finalised my research into a low-admin (there's a theme here...) redundant storage solution, and have pretty much decided upon connecting a new FW800 Drobo to my Mac Mini HTPC when we get to the US. The other option was to build a Windows Home Server, and whilst it's also an attractive option, I've sacrificed some $ and flexibility for convenience and low admin (there's that theme again).

You can set up a VPN connection to access files on it from the US.

Setting up a VPN is possible, and if I did I could also access ABC iView.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated.

[Cods]

Is a SD PVR out (gets ABC Kids)? (ie do you want the HD channels) - A Toppy 5000 or the like could provide a fair bit of functionality and you can set it up for full remote access. Regards Peter Gillespie (pgdownload)

Upload speed limitations on typical ADSL connections and the high prices typically charged in Australia for network traffic might make that unattractive. On the up side, though, some ISPs don't charge for uploads at all (prl, also Peter)

prl / Peter,

My MIL is with TPG, who don't count uploads, which is nice.

pgdownload/Peter, that's an interesting point.

I suppose that HD isn't actually necessarily an Essential / Must Have. My natural tendency to look for new+shiny and disregard slightly older+less shiny probably led me to specify HD, when really, the kids won't care. When I specified twin tuner HD PVR, I was thinking of adding some value for the in laws to offset the pain in the bum of the HDD mail round robin.

Is there a significant cost differential between the 5000 and the 7100?

On the other hand, anyone know much about adding external storage to an OzTiVo? I'll head on over to the OzTiVo website and take a look.

That'd be a very cheap option for me, as I already have one.

Edited September 10, 2008 by Cods

[Cods]

To answer one part of my post above:

Toppy 7100 = $665

(source: the current Toppy 7100 thread - Good Guys)

Toppy 5000 = between $369 and 469 depending on what flavour of 5000

(source: topfield-australia.com.au - I assume that perhaps there are better prices available from the usual suspects?)

Question for the Toppy experts:

What's the difference between the Toppy 5000 models?

I see

- TF5000PVRT for $369 ($269 refurb)

- TF5000PVRTMPB and TF5000PVRTMPS in black and silver respectively for $469 ($389 refurb)

- TF5000PVRT BP for $399

Edited September 10, 2008 by Cods

[pgdownload]

Is there a significant cost differential between the 5000 and the 7100?

$300 v $700

File sizes are considerably smaller allowing much more to be sent on one BR DVD/drive

On the other hand, anyone know much about adding external storage to an OzTiVo?

You can't get any content off the OzTivo yet, you can't plug in an external drive either.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited September 10, 2008 by pgdownload

[Tassie Devil]

A lot of electronic equipment with a switching power supply can do 100-240V, 50-60Hz, which covers most places. All you need then is the right mains lead or an adapter plug.

True for the power supply, but the line frequency affects other operations also. The 50 hz vs 60 hz is the only basic difference between the USA and here for HD, but it is a difference which means PVRs from here might not operate in the USA. As I said before, this should be checked out. No doubt an Aussie PVR would not record in the USA but it might not play either!

John

[cunderwood]

What else do you expect it to do? Any reason you couldn't post your query in its own thread?

Regards

Peter Gillespie

For some reason I "haven't got permission" to post a thread.

[pgdownload]

For some reason I "haven't got permission" to post a thread.

The reason was provided when you joined (but quite a few new members do miss it).

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?s=&...t&p=1093425

At 9 posts you're over the 5 post limitation and can initiate your own threads now.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[pgdownload]

I'd say your best bet then is probably the 7100 as you surmised. You could also equally go one of the BeyonWiz ranges that has a very similar feature set (plus a few extras your MIL is unlikely to use).

Remote programing via ICE would be very doable. You can also set your timers to record the SD channels to maximize the space/PQ ratio.

All you really need to sort out is the transcoding side of things so that its relatively painless for MIL to set up and run.

Personally I'd think something like :

1) Get a BR DVD recorder for a PC (pretty cheap). Get a few rewritable BR DVDs

2) Get a external USB drive case ($25) and any drive you want ($100 = 500Gb)

3) Get VideoRedo. Its got a [Edit: 15 day] free trial and costs around $80 I believe.

As a thought there's really no reason you MIL needs to do the transcode - she can just dump the REC files to the BR and send them over to you.

Postage on a DVD should be much cheaper and more secure than a harddrive and you can post it back when done for rewriting...

Note that the remote ICE facility is still quirky on the 7100 but I do know they're working hard on resolving any issues. I'd be pretty confident saying it will be up and running 100% in a month or two.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited September 11, 2008 by pgdownload

[Tassie Devil]

Postage on a DVD should be much cheaper and more secure than a harddrive and you can post it back when done for rewriting...

I agree. DO NOT TRY SENDING HARD DRIVES BY POST.

I say this from personal experience. When in the USA in May I bought a 630 GB HDD and had it shipped to my son's place where I was staying. Rather than cart it round for the next few weeks touring places I left it with my son to posat back with a heap of DVDs also purchased there.

It was in a large box with the DVDs, bubble wrapped but was dead on arrival. It did not survive the postal trip.

A local supplier related how many HDDs are DOA so it is not uncommon. They are fragile and should be more gently handled by (expensive) courier for survival.

So, give up ideas of HDD transport and work on using DVDs if you are quite sure the end result is worth all the hassles.

Not sure I would use rewritable DVDs either. Good quality recordable disks are only around 50c each and they would be my preference.

John