Tevion TDR250HD - I am in LOVE

[chops]

Hi Guys,

Just picked one of these up and am major league impressed!

The picture quality (free to air, analog) is noticably better than the Sony VCR tuner I was using previously ... probably the SVHS connection.

Divx works fine, as good (if not better than the LG).

DVD picture quality is impressive too.

Finally a 150% Zoom Woohooo

The most standout difference is that it only has a co-axial digital out ... I was a bit dogey about this ... but I would swear black and blue it IS clearer and more well defined that the optical connection on the LG ... Now to explain, I WAS one of those that could not understand how co-axial could be better than optical (and had never tried it before) ... it's possible it might be the DAC's in the Tevion, but it is definatly better. To my ears in the order of making a DD5.1 track sound like it's DTS (on my system anyway).

OK ... flame on 8D

I'm happy with it.

Chops

[andw]

Sounds interesting, what is it?
DVD/Divx/DVD recorder?

Any links to features etc ?
You know you have to write a review now so we can add it to the reviews link. :D

[chops]

Sounds interesting, what is it?
DVD/Divx/DVD recorder?

Any links to features etc ?
You know you have to write a review now so we can add it to the reviews link. :D

Hi Andw!

I haven't gone looking for any links - but I suspect this is a variant of the one that has had toungues wagging in Europe.

I have had it for about 24 hours - 12 hours temprory hookup, about 3 hours fully integrated into my setup (which took 3 hours of cable re-routing, so it better not stop!! LOL!).

It's a DVD +/-RW HDD 250 gig (analogue) Recorder Player, VCD, SVCD, Mpeg 4, DivX, WMA, MP3, Picture CD, Jpeg.

Time shift
Play while recording (I think via HDD only haven't tried DVD while recording)

Front AV, DV and USB (wont run a 2.5 inch HDD I tried)

Composite
Componant
SVHS
RF
In and Outs

Digital Co-axial in
5.1 RCA Out

My old faithfull XMS (with a 150% Zoom) blew up Friday night ... so this was an impusle buy based on the 150% Zoom. I fully intended to hate it and take it back .... but she has won me over .... my wife even likes it too.

I *was* going to hold off until digital tuners went mainstream (integration) - but given that the govt. has backed off on the switch off I don't think that will really happen now for a while.

Anyway ... I am flat out at work this week ... so will wack together a review the week after (have relatives visiting from Canada next weekend).

Cheers - I'm back to playing with it.

Chops

[bac]

The most standout difference is that it only has a co-axial digital out ... I was a bit dogey about this ... but I would swear black and blue it IS clearer and more well defined that the optical connection on the LG ... Now to explain, I WAS one of those that could not understand how co-axial could be better than optical (and had never tried it before) ... it's possible it might be the DAC's in the Tevion, but it is definatly better. To my ears in the order of making a DD5.1 track sound like it's DTS (on my system anyway).

OK - I'll bite...

Seeing as how you're getting a digital bitstream regardless of whether you're using coax or optical as a transport medium, how could one sound better than the other?

Digital audio output quality shouldn't have anything to do with the DACs either as you're essentially lifting the digital audio track straight off the DVD disc and pumping it out the coax or optical output terminal.

Are you sure you haven't been smoking something while you've been testing your new toy???

Cheers,
BAC

[jokiin]

Some people claim to be able to hear the difference between optical and coaxial digital, (I guess these people with golden ears could probably also hear paint drying or grass growing;) ), I can't recall anyone being able to pick the difference when subjected to blind A-B testing of either format, either one will provide good results so I see it as a bit of a non issue as to which one to use. The main advantage I have seen in having both is a choice of connection options as you usually end up running out of digital inputs on amps these days.

[chops]

OK - I'll bite...

Seeing as how you're getting a digital bitstream regardless of whether you're using coax or optical as a transport medium, how could one sound better than the other?

Digital audio output quality shouldn't have anything to do with the DACs either as you're essentially lifting the digital audio track straight off the DVD disc and pumping it out the coax or optical output terminal.

Are you sure you haven't been smoking something while you've been testing your new toy???

Cheers,
BAC

OK. Perhaps I need to clarify this a bit as there is no optical on the Tevion.

The Coaxial sounds heaps better than the optical on the LG or the old XMS750.

I don't know why it sounds better, and I would have been one of the first in hear to say B.S. if anyone else had claimed this, but as I have the LG and the Tevion hooked up to the same amp I can do a direct comparison and the coax/tevion sounds better (even the wife noticed it) ... thats why I said it might have something to do with the DAC's .... I know it shouldn't, but my thinking is that it has to be more hardware based that just using a different mechanism to transport the bitstream.

As I recall arguments like this previously that I poo poo'd, I figured I had better fess up and admit that I have noticed the difference.

Cheers

Chops

[chops]

Some people claim to be able to hear the difference between optical and coaxial digital, (I guess these people with golden ears could probably also hear paint drying or grass growing;) ), I can't recall anyone being able to pick the difference when subjected to blind A-B testing of either format, either one will provide good results so I see it as a bit of a non issue as to which one to use. The main advantage I have seen in having both is a choice of connection options as you usually end up running out of digital inputs on amps these days.

I agree with you Jok11n, it must be more than the connection. I was alsways a bit naff of coaxial connections and if the tevion has an optical I would not have bothered.

Out of interest the amp has three optical and one coaxial connects -> so from now on I only want optical equiptment.

Chops

[jokiin]

I think you are noticing the difference between two products rather than two connection types, I remember an early Panasonic DVD player I had (in 1997, I did say early:p ) while that player had a few issues that eventually lead to an upgrade it had much better sound than the (much more expensive) Sony that replaced it, nothing to do with the type of connection, just a nicer quality to the sound on the Panasonic

[chops]

I think you are noticing the difference between two products rather than two connection types, I remember an early Panasonic DVD player I had (in 1997, I did say early:p ) while that player had a few issues that eventually lead to an upgrade it had much better sound than the (much more expensive) Sony that replaced it, nothing to do with the type of connection, just a nicer quality to the sound on the Panasonic

You are most likely right - I would have expected the LG (Upscaling HDMI) Player to be better than the Tevion though.

It is also likely that I just prefer the sound it makes - a true audio file may well cringe the way I do when a duff duff car goes bye. 8D

CU

Chops

[jokiin]

If you're happy with it (sounds very much like you are:p ) then what else matters anyway:D

[fzabkar]

I've just had a look inside this unit. This is the parts list:
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/TDR250HD/PartList.txt

The list is presently in note form, but if there is any interest I'll tidy it up a bit.

The TDR250HD is a 10-bit recorder. It appears to be using an LSI Logic Domino Dimension 3 chipset (a heatsink is obscuring the part number).

Internally it appears to be identical to the MTV MDR5501 pictured here:
http://home.exetel.com.au/billscomputers/kross.htm

I suspect that a standard IDE burner could be used in place of the present one if a 40-pin header were to be installed at J3. The DC power plug would also require modification.

Pebble Electronics have suggested that the TDR250HD may be a 250GB version of the Conia MR1601HD 160GB DVD-R. In any case the following region change procedure works for both.

1. Ensure no DVD is in the tray
2. Enter 0086000 (the final digit selects the region code, 0 = multizone)
3. Press Enter

You should now see a black rectangular box with a "0" at the top LH corner.

[jokiin]

I'm impressed, you went to a great deal of trouble to compile all that, you confirmed for me what I thought was correct about the similarities with the Coles unit also:)

[bac]

Divx works fine, as good (if not better than the LG).


Any chance of running the DivX test CD through it to check stuff like Packed Bitstream and 3 warp point GMC support?

According to the spec sheet for the LSI processor, it also supports recording in DivX format - sounds pretty speccy...

Cheers,
BAC

[jokiin]

The LSI chipsets are very capable, depends what software they are running though as to what might be supported.

[mac24]

Sounds interesting, what is it?
DVD/Divx/DVD recorder?

Any links to features etc ?
You know you have to write a review now so we can add it to the reviews link. :D
Just heading out to return my Tevion TDR250HD, hopefully get another. Dang chassis is live - measured 237VAC. OK, it's rural NSW! Anyone seen this? Might be a potential hazard. Maybe easily fixed too, but I figure they need to know. Tevion Help Centre only open 5 days 9-5 :-(((

[fzabkar]

I measure 96VAC between the chassis of the DVD-R and the earth prong in the GPO. This is to be expected for most, if not all, 2-pin appliances. In this particular case there is a high impedance coupling capacitor between the primary (AC) and secondary (DC) sides of the switching transformer in the power supply. You may feel a tingle, but not a shock.

I notice that my unit does not play well with a particular TV. Specifically, the picture has very bad hum. Other TVs are fine, though. To confuse things even more, the problem TV works just fine with other DVD players. The only difference I notice between this DVD-R and others is that this device has no RF bypass capacitors between each of the active and neutral inputs and the metal chassis. The PCB has provision for these, but the locations have been left unpopulated.

One other annoyance relates to possible double termination of various video inputs. See this post:

http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/msg/165be624235e10d9?dmode=source&hl=en

Do you measure the same resistances?

[chops]

[QUOTE=fzabkar;1813635]I measure 96VAC between the chassis of the DVD-R and the earth prong in the GPO. This is to be expected for most, if not all, 2-pin appliances. In this particular case there is a high impedance coupling capacitor between the primary (AC) and secondary (DC) sides of the switching transformer in the power supply. You may feel a tingle, but not a shock.

I got a tingle off one of the rca leads (can't remember which one) .... is this the same thing?

Should I be packing mine up based on this, or is it normal? There is no way what I felt was 230+ volts ... more like 9-12 (I geass its the amps/watts that matter though?).

Otherwise it has been fine so far.

[fzabkar]

[QUOTE=fzabkar;1813635]I measure 96VAC between the chassis of the DVD-R and the earth prong in the GPO. This is to be expected for most, if not all, 2-pin appliances. In this particular case there is a high impedance coupling capacitor between the primary (AC) and secondary (DC) sides of the switching transformer in the power supply. You may feel a tingle, but not a shock.

I got a tingle off one of the rca leads (can't remember which one) .... is this the same thing?

Should I be packing mine up based on this, or is it normal? There is no way what I felt was 230+ volts ... more like 9-12 (I geass its the amps/watts that matter though?).

Otherwise it has been fine so far.

That's normal. The coupling capacitor's value is 0.0047uF which results in a maximum leakage current of only 0.3 milliamps.

[mac24]

[QUOTE=chops;1813764]

That's normal. The coupling capacitor's value is 0.0047uF which results in a maximum leakage current of only 0.3 milliamps.
Didn't get back to Aldi yet - waylaid by visitors. Voltage is 230 with the unit switched off, 110 when switched on. Didn't measure current. It's fairly low, but too unpleasant to hang on to. Not into electroconvulsive therapy.

[fzabkar]

[QUOTE=fzabkar;1813944]
Didn't get back to Aldi yet - waylaid by visitors. Voltage is 230 with the unit switched off, 110 when switched on. Didn't measure current. It's fairly low, but too unpleasant to hang on to. Not into electroconvulsive therapy.

It's harmless (only 0.3mA). Test your other 2-pin AV appliances. I bet they'll measure around 120V or so as well.

The reason the Tevion's case voltage is 240V is that the SPST power switch switches the neutral, not the active. I wonder if this violates any Australian wiring rules. In any case I suspect this is easily fixed by swapping the two identical power connectors near the front LH corner of the power supply.

BTW, I'm measuring 240V with the unit turned off as well, so I suspect your replacement may be the same. Can we expect a product recall?