MagicTV 3600.. my quick impression report (updated)

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#282087 14-Dec-2009 07:33

Lashams: Does the Magic box switch from the channel you are watching to the one you have set to start recording from time to time? My JC Matthew box does this occassionally, and I am wondering if it to would be caused by the muxes, although I was able to switch back to the original programme being watched so this probably isn't the case. It really anoys my wife when she is watching Shortland Street and the channel suddenly switches to TV3 when the recorder kicks in 2 minutes prior to 7:30pm, and right at the point Shortland Street is spinning up to its climatic end (yeah right, I don't share the same enthusiasm for the programme myself, but I do suffer the frustration of the wife growling about the box). The same problem is in the Homecast box, which I had for a short while.

No it doesn't .

The only reason I could think it might do that is if you were recording 2 shows and the program you were watching was on a different mux i.e. If you were watching TV2 (TVNZ Mux) and then started recording TV3 (TV3 Mux) and Prime (Kordia Mux).

Gemini

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#282089 14-Dec-2009 07:35

thefatmould: It is a restriction of any dual tuner units as there are three Muxes (groups of channels) and the unit can only use two of them at a time.

The muxes are:

TVNZ: 1,2,6,7

MediaWorks: 3,3+1,4

Kordia: all others

so you can use any three channels (record two watch a third) between the three

muxes but cannot do any thing with the third mux.

Could you just clarify what Mux/es I can watch in the following scenarios:

1) Recording two channels on same Mux .e.g. Recording TVNZ 1 and Recording TVNZ 2

2) Recording two channels on different Mux. e.g. Recording TVNZ 1 and Recording MediaWorks 3

Thanks

tomgeeknz

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#282092 14-Dec-2009 07:51

1) Tvnz and Kordia or tvnz and MediaWorks
2) Tvnz and mediaworks

Rickles

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#282119 14-Dec-2009 09:20

Guys, all very confusing but I now get that with a dual-tuner recorder there may be times when recording on two different channels I will not be able to watch a third channel different from those being recorded.

However, will this still be the case when using a dual-tuner recorder AND a TV with its own in-built digital tuner, viz. watching TV as a stand-alone set via the recorder's by-pass cabling just like we do with VCR's? In other words, the dual-tuner recorder is doing its thing via its input but the TV is not relying on the decoder for its signal.

R.

Gemini

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#282134 14-Dec-2009 09:43

thefatmould: 1) Tvnz and Kordia or tvnz and MediaWorks

2) Tvnz and mediaworks

Huh?

So for 1) when I'm recording two TVNZ channels I can watch any channel
but for 2) when I'm recording TVNZ and media works I can only watch TVNZ or mediaworks?

How does that work?

Is scenario 1) only using one tuner to record two channels?

Scenario 2) is using two tuners one for TVNZ one for mediaworks?

tomgeeknz

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#282138 14-Dec-2009 09:51

Correct!

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Gemini

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#282187 14-Dec-2009 10:47

thefatmould: Correct!

Sweet

So you can use one tuner to record two channels if they're one the same Mux.

What's the reason you can't record three, four or five channels on the same Mux using one tuner? Is that somekind of recorder processor limitation.

tomgeeknz

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#282189 14-Dec-2009 10:49

Hard drive writing limitations

tomgeeknz

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#282190 14-Dec-2009 10:49

Hard drive writing limitations I think

safboy

62 posts

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#282718 15-Dec-2009 14:43

Is there a possibility in the future for a web login for your machine to record things when you're away from home like tivo has? That would be wicked!

tomgeeknz

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#282738 15-Dec-2009 15:21

Anything is possible some thongs are just more unlikely than others! No idea if a web login will happen but it would be nice.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Foxglove

5 posts

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#283158 16-Dec-2009 17:38

I just got my MagicTV today and hooked it up only to find when i got to the setup step of channel scanning,that it didn't find a single one! I took it downstairs to try it on a second aerial connection and again,nothing.

These same aerial connections are usually attached to a Digistar Freeview box and get all the channels perfectly.

I can only assume i've got a faulty unit or i'll need to be calling in a aerial/reception expert in soon. When i look at the signal strength gauges in the MagicTV options,all frequencies show 0% :(

wiredr

203 posts

Master Geek

#283160 16-Dec-2009 17:49

magictv is for dvbt and your digistar is for dvbs. you need to have a uhf aerial not a satellite dish

Brunzy

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#283162 16-Dec-2009 17:52

Foxglove: I just got my MagicTV today and hooked it up only to find when i got to the setup step of channel scanning,that it didn't find a single one! I took it downstairs to try it on a second aerial connection and again,nothing.

These same aerial connections are usually attached to a Digistar Freeview box and get all the channels perfectly.

I can only assume i've got a faulty unit or i'll need to be calling in a aerial/reception expert in soon. When i look at the signal strength gauges in the MagicTV options,all frequencies show 0% :(

You have connected it to a satellite dish,it needs an antenna

Foxglove

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#283166 16-Dec-2009 17:57

Ah,well don't i feel like a complete tit.

Guess i'll be looking into a UHF aerial option then,although living in Wellington (Whitby specifically,where i'm kinda surrounded by hills') i've heard the chances of a good signal from that is slim.

Thanks very much for the help...much appreciated.

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