Recommendations for a SD STB that can change channels auto..

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

I've got an el-cheapo Kross SD STB (bought in Safeway). I bought it
mainly as it was cheap to see how good digital TV was. While the picture
etc. is better, the unit itself doesn't change channels when programmed
to.

Tonight for example, I programmed it to change from Nein to Ten while my
DVD/HDD recorder was programmed to record shows off the STB.
Unfortunately, once the STB turned on at 8.30 on Nein, it stayed on
Nein. I had to get the missus to manually change it to Ten.

Just wondering what you guys would recommend for a reliable box that can
be programmed in tandem with the HDD recorder.

One option would be to buy a PVR but I still need the ability to output
saved shows to DVD from time to time. The other option is to turf out
the STB and stick with analog.

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Tonight for example, I programmed it to change from Nein to Ten while
my
DVD/HDD recorder was programmed to record shows off the STB.
Unfortunately, once the STB turned on at 8.30 on Nein, it stayed on
Nein. I had to get the missus to manually change it to Ten.

Separate components MT, hence the reason why the manual change.
Think VCR, DVD recorder, PVR, built in setup to do so.
Kinda like expecting your TV to switch off automatically when you turn
on your bedroom light.

[Ext User(Anthony Horan)]

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 23:40:13 +1000, Martin Taylor wrote:

> Just wondering what you guys would recommend for a reliable box that can
> be programmed in tandem with the HDD recorder.

The Wintal/Digicrystal/Supernet boxes can do that.

> One option would be to buy a PVR but I still need the ability to output
> saved shows to DVD from time to time.

Which you of course can do with a PVR - in fact, even more easily and with
less badly-scheduled program fragments :)

Just send the PVR's video-out to the DVD Recorder's video in. Done.

Wintal/Digenius/Supernet PVRs can be had for as little as $250.

[Ext User(Lord-Data)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133320473.466556.136040@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Tonight for example, I programmed it to change from Nein to Ten while
> my
> DVD/HDD recorder was programmed to record shows off the STB.
> Unfortunately, once the STB turned on at 8.30 on Nein, it stayed on
> Nein. I had to get the missus to manually change it to Ten.
>
> Separate components MT, hence the reason why the manual change.
> Think VCR, DVD recorder, PVR, built in setup to do so.
> Kinda like expecting your TV to switch off automatically when you turn
> on your bedroom light.
>

Er no. He set the *STB* to change channel, and the recorder to record ..
hence the recorder would have got 2 shows from 2 channels in a single
recording ..

[Ext User(Lord-Data)]

You sure you set the clock correctly?

Good chance it didn't change when you wanted it to coz it was set to the
wrong time :)

I've noticed my DSE box doesn't pick up Daylight savings changes, even tho
its supposed to update its internal clock from the network signal .. I had
to manually change it ..



"Martin Taylor" <mjpt57@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:438cb22c.2d5ad025.bm003@gmail.com...
> I've got an el-cheapo Kross SD STB (bought in Safeway). I bought it
> mainly as it was cheap to see how good digital TV was. While the picture
> etc. is better, the unit itself doesn't change channels when programmed
> to.
>
> Tonight for example, I programmed it to change from Nein to Ten while my
> DVD/HDD recorder was programmed to record shows off the STB.
> Unfortunately, once the STB turned on at 8.30 on Nein, it stayed on
> Nein. I had to get the missus to manually change it to Ten.
>
> Just wondering what you guys would recommend for a reliable box that can
> be programmed in tandem with the HDD recorder.
>
> One option would be to buy a PVR but I still need the ability to output
> saved shows to DVD from time to time. The other option is to turf out
> the STB and stick with analog.
>
>

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Er no. He set the *STB* to change channel, and the recorder to record
...
hence the recorder would have got 2 shows from 2 channels in a single
recording ..


So you're saying a STB can be set to automatically change channels at a
preset time?
Pray tell, how that is done?

[Ext User(kromatic)]

If it's like the DSE box I had a few years ago, you set it in a timer
menu.
If the box is on standby, it also switched it on. A seperate event was
needed to set the box back on standby.

[Ext User(kromatic)]

>So you're saying a STB can be set to automatically change channels at a
>preset time?
>Pray tell, how that is done?

If it's like the DSE box I had a few years ago, you set it in a timer
menu.
If the box is on standby, it also switched it on. A seperate event was
needed to set the box back on standby.

A number of STBs have this feature.

[Ext User(Justin)]

"kromatic" <kromatic@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:1133390273.819986.115830@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> If it's like the DSE box I had a few years ago, you set it in a timer
> menu.
> If the box is on standby, it also switched it on. A seperate event was
> needed to set the box back on standby.

My Kaon KTF-200 can do this, all though the clock gets a bit ahead of time
(3-4 minutes over a week).

Foxtel STU's do it as well (called autotune). Even my old Optus STU did it.

It's so you can schedule something to be recorded on an external recorder
(or to remind you that a particular show is on).

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Mine's a DGTEC 1301.
I'm not happy with the delay, the remote seems not to work too well.
Any recommendations for around the 150bux range?

[Ext User(Lord-Data)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133387549.166479.10800@g14g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> Er no. He set the *STB* to change channel, and the recorder to record
> ..
> hence the recorder would have got 2 shows from 2 channels in a single
> recording ..
>
>
> So you're saying a STB can be set to automatically change channels at a
> preset time?
> Pray tell, how that is done?

Um, with the remote? You just set a timer .. Most boxes i've used have this
feature ..

>

[Ext User(Lord-Data)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133399916.849420.83560@o13g2000cwo.googlegro ups.com...
> Mine's a DGTEC 1301.

Must be proud..

> I'm not happy with the delay, the remote seems not to work too well.

Have you tried new batteries, Pray tell?

> Any recommendations for around the 150bux range?
>

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

Lord-Data wrote:

> You sure you set the clock correctly?
>
> Good chance it didn't change when you wanted it to coz it was set to the
> wrong time :)

Yep. Time was set. It turned on at the right time and on the correct
channel. The problem was that it didn't do anything else - change to the
next channel at the required time...

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

> Mine's a DGTEC 1301.


Must be proud..

Noooooooooooooo, not really 8-)


> I'm not happy with the delay, the remote seems not to work too well.


Have you tried new batteries, Pray tell?
Yup.

> So you're saying a STB can be set to automatically change channels at a
> preset time?
> Pray tell, how that is done?



Um, with the remote? You just set a timer .. Most boxes i've used have
this
feature ..

Pretty sure the 1301 doesn't, nothing mentioned in the manual and the
dgtec site

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

Anthony Horan wrote:

> Wintal/Digenius/Supernet PVRs can be had for as little as $250.

Where? Cheapest I've seen advertised so far is around the $600 mark.

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Tonight for example, I programmed it to change from Nein to Ten while
> my
> DVD/HDD recorder was programmed to record shows off the STB.
> Unfortunately, once the STB turned on at 8.30 on Nein, it stayed on
> Nein. I had to get the missus to manually change it to Ten.
>
> Separate components MT, hence the reason why the manual change.
> Think VCR, DVD recorder, PVR, built in setup to do so.
> Kinda like expecting your TV to switch off automatically when you turn
> on your bedroom light.

Not sure what your point is. My point was the STB won't change channels
as programmed. It will come on with the first program, eg: WIN at 20:30
but won't change to TEN Vic at 21:30.

[Ext User(Anthony Horan)]

On Sat, 03 Dec 2005 15:22:57 +1100, Martin Taylor wrote:

> Anthony Horan wrote:
>
>> Wintal/Digenius/Supernet PVRs can be had for as little as $250.
>
> Where? Cheapest I've seen advertised so far is around the $600 mark.

Since the RRP of the Wintal (all three "brands" are near-identical designs,
by the way) is $399, whoever you've seen selling them for $600 is ripping
customers off.

You can find them MUCH cheaper here:

http://stores.ebay.com.au/OzAuctionBroker

Just search for "Wintal X10A"

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

Anthony Horan wrote:

> You can find them MUCH cheaper here:
>
> http://stores.ebay.com.au/OzAuctionBroker
>
> Just search for "Wintal X10A"

Thanks. Will check it out.

[Ext User(Martin Taylor)]

Anthony Horan wrote:

>>> Wintal/Digenius/Supernet PVRs can be had for as little as $250.
>>
>> Where? Cheapest I've seen advertised so far is around the $600 mark.
>
> Since the RRP of the Wintal (all three "brands" are near-identical
> designs, by the way) is $399, whoever you've seen selling them for $600
> is ripping customers off.

Having a look at these and other brands. In a current Xmas catalog,
Harvey N has a Topfield unit, similar specs by the blurb to the Wintal
for $800 or so. What do you get for the extra few hundred bux, I
wonder...

Also, looking at one of them, there's a bit of deceptiveness with the
pictures illustrating widescreen v 4:3. There's a picture of the V8s on
the grid at the AGP. One picture appears to be squashed while the other
is stretched. It is the same photo as the billboard across the track has
no more exposure in the 16:9 shot as the 4:3 shot.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/WINTAL-X10A-80G-HDD-VIDEO-RECORDER-PVR-ENJOY-DIGITAL-TV_W0QQitemZ5837028058QQcategoryZ109869QQtcZphotoQ QcmdZViewItem

[Ext User(Matt McLeod)]

Martin Taylor <mjpt57@gmail.com> wrote:
> Having a look at these and other brands. In a current Xmas catalog,
> Harvey N has a Topfield unit, similar specs by the blurb to the Wintal
> for $800 or so. What do you get for the extra few hundred bux, I
> wonder...

The Topfield has a second tuner, the Wintal/etc only have one tuner.
The Topfield also has a USB2.0 port with explicit support for pulling
programmes off the unit on to a PC. The Topfield may also have a
larger disk, depends on the model. Oh, and the Toppy has a published
API for third-party extensions and an active community writing and
maintaining them.

You can get the Wintal/etc new for ~$250 via eBay. If you just want
to record one thing at a tiem one of those should be quite enough.

Matt