Freeview box decision

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45 posts

Geek

#1035371 2-May-2014 11:59

Best feature so far on the 835 I got - I can watch live broadcast tv, or hdd recorded content, on my ipad as long as I'm on the same network as the box. So, I can lie in bed, and watch tv on my ipad. It's brilliant - that would have sold me on it ages ago.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#1035382 2-May-2014 12:18

Your recorder can also stream to another DLNA TV / device, so you can watch recorded content in multiple places around the home, as well as via the app.
I just streamed my Pana recorder to my Twonky server software and saved the file on my desktop, converted with Handbrake and played back in VLC.
Easy really.
It saw all the channels on the tuner, meaning I could grab previously recorded shows, as well as shows that are playing live.

markboynz

45 posts

Geek

#1035466 2-May-2014 14:11

Setting that up is my next step. Is Twonky relatively easy to configure?

HiroProtagonist

47 posts

Geek

#1035477 2-May-2014 14:23

SumnerBoy: Hey Hiro,

I run a very similar setup. Except I only have a single tuner PCI card in my home server which runs TVHeadend and serves a couple of Pis running Raspbmc.

I am interested in upgrading the number of tuners as I just recently dumped MySky so need the ability to watch one channel while recording another etc.

Unfortunately where I am I can only get a satellite feed (i.e. no DVD-T).

What version of TVHeadend are you running BTW?

I'm currently running 3.4.

One thing I found was that USB tuners need a stronger signal for reliable operation than most TV's etc. The antenna input into my TVHeadend box runs into a 1:3 splitter feeding the tuners, so I needed to ensure I had a good strong signal going in there for reliable operation. Don't know how applicable this would be to a satellite setup.

xontech

268 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1035490 2-May-2014 14:47

Aplogies to markboynz for the thread hijack, but HiroProtagonist - what USB DVB-T tuners are you using?
I'm sick of waiting for the 4th Gen Homerun to be made available for NZ.

MikeB4

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#1035500 2-May-2014 15:02

markboynz: Setting that up is my next step. Is Twonky relatively easy to configure?

I use Twonky server on my Mac it was a cake walk to set up, and never seems to fail.

tdgeek

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#1035502 2-May-2014 15:06

markboynz: Best feature so far on the 835 I got - I can watch live broadcast tv, or hdd recorded content, on my ipad as long as I'm on the same network as the box. So, I can lie in bed, and watch tv on my ipad. It's brilliant - that would have sold me on it ages ago.

Yes thats great, the Diga app

Also got it working on my WDTV Live as well so I am a happy chappy

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jonathan18

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#1035508 2-May-2014 15:14

markboynz: Best feature so far on the 835 I got - I can watch live broadcast tv, or hdd recorded content, on my ipad as long as I'm on the same network as the box. So, I can lie in bed, and watch tv on my ipad. It's brilliant - that would have sold me on it ages ago.

Wow, that's a seriously useful feature! I had no idea these Freeview recorders had got so advanced in their sharing features - I imagine that when the first of our TiVos breaks down this will be the way we go.

HiroProtagonist

47 posts

Geek

#1035599 2-May-2014 16:47

xontech: Aplogies to markboynz for the thread hijack, but HiroProtagonist - what USB DVB-T tuners are you using?
I'm sick of waiting for the 4th Gen Homerun to be made available for NZ.

I have used 3 of these: http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/components/video-cards/other/auction-722827258.htm
[I have no association with the seller].

Killerkiwi2005

374 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#1035620 2-May-2014 17:36

HiroProtagonist:
xontech: Aplogies to markboynz for the thread hijack, but HiroProtagonist - what USB DVB-T tuners are you using?
I'm sick of waiting for the 4th Gen Homerun to be made available for NZ.

I have used 3 of these: http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/components/video-cards/other/auction-722827258.htm
[I have no association with the seller].

Whats tvheadend like compared to mythbackend this seems like a good replacement options instead of paying for a replacement pc

Dynamic

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#1035623 2-May-2014 17:40

I know that I've come into this discussion too late, but for any others interested I cannot rave enough about the TiVo units. You cannot get them new now, but there are plenty of unused on TradeMe for reasonable prices. Hard drives can be upgraded fairly easily.

It's annoying to have to pay extra for the PC software to transfer unencrypted recordings, but the maturity of the platform beats anything else I have seen hands down. (I even bought a spare one off TM in case ours dies.)

I've not seen the latest Panasonic boxes, but the Tivo makes even the better DishTV boxes I've looked at seem like very poor cousins.

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jonathan18

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#1035642 2-May-2014 18:20

Dynamic: I know that I've come into this discussion too late, but for any others interested I cannot rave enough about the TiVo units. You cannot get them new now, but there are plenty of unused on TradeMe for reasonable prices. Hard drives can be upgraded fairly easily.

It's annoying to have to pay extra for the PC software to transfer unencrypted recordings, but the maturity of the platform beats anything else I have seen hands down. (I even bought a spare one off TM in case ours dies.)

I've not seen the latest Panasonic boxes, but the Tivo makes even the better DishTV boxes I've looked at seem like very poor cousins.

I agree the Tivo is better than many, but it is really starting to show its age. We also aren't going to probably see any exciting developments with the platform, given its disastrous history in this country. I have two of them so speak with some experience as well.

The Panasonic discussed above seems to offer everything the Tivo does plus a lot more. I imagine that it streams content between devices directly, without the significant delay in buffering we have between TiVos. I bet the interface is a lot faster as well. Live TV or recorded programmes streamed directly to one's iPad or donate device? Doubt we'll ever have that on our TiVos!

Dynamic

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#1035661 2-May-2014 19:14

jonathan18:
Dynamic: I know that I've come into this discussion too late, but for any others interested I cannot rave enough about the TiVo units.

I agree the Tivo is better than many, but it is really starting to show its age. We also aren't going to probably see any exciting developments with the platform, given its disastrous history in this country. I have two of them so speak with some experience as well.

The Panasonic discussed above seems to offer everything the Tivo does plus a lot more. I imagine that it streams content between devices directly, without the significant delay in buffering we have between TiVos. I bet the interface is a lot faster as well. Live TV or recorded programmes streamed directly to one's iPad or donate device? Doubt we'll ever have that on our TiVos!

Ok I've just had a look at the Panasonic 835 online. I love my Tivo. I want to try one of those.

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Dunnersfella

4086 posts

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#1035663 2-May-2014 19:24

The 835 is the old model, 840's are in stores already.
Not sure if the machine has changed much other than the initial interface / splash page... with very little competition in its category, I guess a whole lot of development isn't required to maintain their market share?

mattwnz

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#1035664 2-May-2014 19:30

jonathan18:
The Panasonic discussed above seems to offer everything the Tivo does plus a lot more. I imagine that it streams content between devices directly, without the significant delay in buffering we have between TiVos. I bet the interface is a lot faster as well. Live TV or recorded programmes streamed directly to one's iPad or donate device? Doubt we'll ever have that on our TiVos!

I can't really see how tivos are showing their age. the technology should last many years. They are hardly going to change the TV formats again for a long time. The interface is reasonably good too and pretty quick. The is more than can be said about quickflix / which iuse the old caspa interface. That is quite laggy, however it is far better than igloo.
I don't have any buffering with the tivo with transferring programs betwen devices, even via wireless, it is real time. Maybe a problem with your router? Lots of open source software for the tivo too.

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