JC Matthew DVB-TB01 - any feedback on its use, esp. PVR function?

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › JC Matthew DVB-TB01 - any feedback on its use, esp. PVR function?

jonathan18

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#33518 7-May-2009 12:57

Can anyone out there provide any feedback on this unit, in particular its PVR functionality?

I've found a copy of the manual, but it is fairly scant for instructions for the PVR - see http://www.freeviewnz.tv/images/uploads/JCMatthew_users_manual.pdf

I see from this that the remote have PVR-related buttons, whjich is useful (well, essential!), and that it has a VCR-type timer interface, but couldn't work out the following:

* does it allow the recording of two channels on the same mux?

* does it allow play back of a recording while recording another programme? Or even playback of a recording whjile two other recordings are being made?

* does it also use the 8-day EPG (eg, select programme from EPG), or does the timer function solely like a VCR? If so, is this easy to use, and what's the maximum number of timers that can be set up?

* what's the quality and reliability like? (esp, does it ever freeze, especially when recording? Does it loose recordings, or ever fail to record?)

Many thanks to those who respond.

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#213195 7-May-2009 15:02

Not exactly what you are after, but the zinwell can also be turned into a reasonably sucessfull PVR from the accounts on here: http://forum.dtvforum.co.nz/showthread.php?t=304&page=44
Read the last 4 pages or so.

It uses software for Hong Kong (which is apparently using the same technology as Freeview NZ). The software is for the olevia ZMT-620FTA (as opposed to the Zinwell ZMT-620HD we get here). Pictures show its the same box with a different brand name on the front.

Looks like the local agents dont want to implement this and want to sell people the $1k or thereabouts Zinwell HDD recorder instead. Pity ...

jonathan18

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#213202 7-May-2009 15:34

robjg63: Not exactly what you are after, but the zinwell can also be turned into a reasonably sucessfull PVR from the accounts on here: http://forum.dtvforum.co.nz/showthread.php?t=304&page=44

Read the last 4 pages or so.

It uses software for Hong Kong (which is apparently using the same technology as Freeview NZ). The software is for the olevia ZMT-620FTA (as opposed to the Zinwell ZMT-620HD we get here). Pictures show its the same box with a different brand name on the front.

Looks like the local agents dont want to implement this and want to sell people the $1k or thereabouts Zinwell HDD recorder instead. Pity ...

Interesting reading - hadn't checked out that forum for a while so hadn't noticed the goings-on with the Zinwell. The methods required to rw/ff do sound a bit of a hassle, but still a great move by those who worked this out.

The thing is that I have a Vantage - just currently experiencing some problems that, if they continue, will mean that keeping it just isn't worth the hassle. My hope is the problems will be fixed by a firmware upgrade (and the seller does seem committed to fixing issueS). However, if this doesn't work out, it's worth keeping an eye out for alternative units - and this JC Matthews unit potentially meets our needs. B&B and NL have it for $300 - only about $40 more than I paid for the Vantage.

quattrocchi

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#213264 7-May-2009 18:50

Does the JCMatthew box restrict video resolution to the YPbPr output?

The Dick Smith dse-620 box does

gdc

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#213409 8-May-2009 11:28

I bought one of these about a month ago, after getting totally brassed off with the ET Box's faults.Its really good and stable.
Havent yet seen any pixalation, no lockups, Remote works perfectly, havent even turned it off or put it into standby for all this time, HMMMM makes the ET look a bit crappy!!!. Havent yet recorded anything but the set up looks easy enough. I will be buying another of these to replace the ET on our other TV soon.

quattrocchi

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#213571 8-May-2009 20:59

I have BOTH the dse-620 and the JCMathew and can try each in succession. We're in hilly Titirangi West AK where to get Prime SD broadcast we need a mastheat amp. Fine, so the dse box receives the digital signal well enough but I'm critical of the speed it responds to remote commands. The radio audio dips out every few seconds, just for a split second. V. annoying. I recorded this happening. SO slow to change channels and open up the EPG.

I get in the JCMatthew box and immediately I like the internal programming 'look and feel' over the dse. A 1-button push to switch from video channels to radio (ConcertFM) and back. Love that.

However tonight as rain was driving down, the signal started breaking up, pixellating, freezing up. I tried wiggling cables, checking the masthead amp connections ... etc, then switched box to the dse-620 - great signal! All restored.

Switch back to JCMatthew: "bad or no signal". DSE-620: fine.

Well there it is. Reception requirement is much more fussy for the JCMatthew.

DSE-620 works with dodgy reception.

Is there something in the specs that might have predicted this?

(I don't understand the details in those specs, really.)

Is the JCMathew box lower-specked for reception tolerance?

richms

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#213943 10-May-2009 21:59

That wont matter for most people, and the dse/zinwell was so bad when I tried it for the user interface it went back - I got it for $230 or so around xmas when there was a special on all settop boxes (was it $260 - cant recall) I had better things to spend the money on at the time and I figured it wasnt worth it if I was going to be constantly pissed off at its slow/no response to IR - Wasnt the remote either since it did it with 2 universals.

Richard rich.ms

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quattrocchi

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#213963 10-May-2009 23:32

Thanks. That's what I think about the dse box too. I now have the Homecast 3000 and it's smarter. Remote buttons more sensibly arranged, response time quicker, $249 at Bond&Bond atm in AK west (NLN).

I wondered if the JCMatthew box had a faulty tuner chip or something, as it soon (after 2-3 days) started to show signs of damage - poor reception might've been the start - when today changing channel (Up/Down button) resulted in no change to the channel but terrible reception, C4 to 3, 3 to 2, both fine. Then 2 to 1 got me 2 again (bad signal), do it again and I get 1. Up to 2 and good signal again. Go figure. It went back to refund-land.

Brian

Chuckman

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#214937 15-May-2009 00:17

I bought the JC Matthews on Sunday, after seeing in this post that a receiver with 8-day EPG also had PVR capable firmware. Figured under $300 wasn't too bad for a receiver and any PVR functionality was a bonus. This is my 1st experience with Freeview|HD, after several years of Sky Digital.

Have been playing around a bit, here's my comments so far but certainly not an exhaustive test.

First, great picture (compared to Sky SD), using $40 rabbit ears from DSE. Will get a proper aerial when I can be bothered climbing onto the roof.

Firmware upgrade was straightforward
Connected up a 500GB Seagate SATA drive in a USB enclosure (with external power)
Connected to 32" Toshiba LCD (not full HD - native res 768) via HDMI, set to 720p. Not tried any other connectivity yet

Features of the PVR:
1. Single tuner so can record & view another channel on the same MUX only
2. Can only record a single channel at a time
3. Can record and watch a previously recorded program
4. Has timeshift feature - switch on and it's permanently recording to HDD
5. Setting schedules is like VCR (i.e. can't select a program from EPG)
6. Can set once / weekly / daily schedules
7. Can FF / RW at various speeds up to 32X. No "skip 30s" button that would be useful for skipping ad breaks
8. Don't know limit to no. of scheduled recordings - I set up 10 with no problems.
9. HDD formats as FAT32, readable on a PC but not a standard filetype (more investigation to be done here - I just checked I could see the filesystem)
10. EPG seems slow to start up? - I have nothing to compare to. Seems worse on TV3. Not sure if this is normal - have read a couple of things that seems to point to this being the case.

Bugs - I've found a few
1. If watching a program that is currently recording then it doesn't stop on time if you're still watching at the scheduled stop time (I think - only tried this once)
2. Weekly recordings start on the day the schedule is created - not the day specified in the schedule. So if you want to record something every Thurs night, you need to create the schedule on a Thurs.
3. When creating a schedule, you type in the date / time using the numeric keys. It is preset with a time 10 mins from the current time. If the time is e.g. 19:45, you can't change this directly to 20:30 by typing the "2" first - as this would make it "29:45"which is invalid. So you have to change it to "10:45"then hit left arrow, then change to "20:45". Annoying. Same with changing the date i.e. to change from 29th to 31st have to modify to 21, then 31.
4. Manually starting a recording (i.e. hit record button when viewing) adds the name to the recording, any scheduled recording is not named so you need to do this yourself.
5. Lost access to the HDD a couple of times, reattaching did not recognise it as useable. Had to power off / on the receiver, then reattach the HDD
6. Also had a random crash (showed "buff" on the front panel and restarted)
7. Lose picture on TV3 sometimes when recording - have to change to another channel and back again

Overall though I'm reasonably happy. Should I be? - is there anything else at the same price that can do this? I've got 2 days to return it if I'm not happy. I'm kind of assuming that as an officially certified receiver it's going to get reasonable focus on fixing bugs.

gdc

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#214958 15-May-2009 09:00

Ive tried the the PVR function on mine, same things as above to set up, took a while to work out the time thing, stupid.

Recorded video is good but the sound breaks up regularly, tried two Hard disks same result.

Have rung JCMatthews and talked to tech there and they are supposed to be getting back to me, hasnt happened yet, 3 days.

Still happy with the overall performance of it on normal viewing.

InspectorGadget

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#215137 15-May-2009 20:45

Very interesting guys. Thanks for the reviews/info so far.

Just a couple of quick questions:

1) Can you record direct from the 8 day EPG? Or is it simply a timer based system like the Vantage box?
What I really want is a box which will give me an 8 day EPG which I set up my recordings on. And does it retain these settings if the box is powered off and back on again?

2) What format does the box store its recordings in? Is it an .AVI file or some other format? I see that Chuckman had a stab at working this out. Might I suggest the GSpot codec tool. It has helpd me out a number of times in similar situations.
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GSpot

Cheers All

InspectorGadget

Chuckman

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#215147 15-May-2009 22:05

1) Can you record direct from the 8 day EPG?
- No - timer based system
2) What format does the box store its recordings in?
- TRP. Not done much testing- can play back video (no audio) with this http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Media_Player_Classic

I'm new to most of this - found a lot of good links in http://forum.videohelp.com/topic340287.html

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InspectorGadget

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#215157 15-May-2009 22:32

Thanks Chuckman

It sounds like this box has very similar functionality to the Vantage box but without the . . now . . .$500 price tag.

.TRP are transport stream files I think. It'll be tricky, but not impossible to edit/convert them depending on what is inside. If you just want to burn them to DVD then you might be able to get away with using ConverXtoDVD http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd/ . It has been able to handle everything I have thrown at it so far. (although I haven;t had a .TRP file yet)

beddy

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#215191 16-May-2009 09:13

SUPER is supposed to handle TRP files, and it's freeware.
http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html#Dnload

gdc

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#217044 22-May-2009 20:18

OK, Ive been talking to the JCMatthew account manager, he is a really nice guy, listens to what you have to say, is concerned with PVR sound problems, he sent me latest Software to try, and if it doesnt fix it will send me a replacment unit, and whats more meet with me when he in CHCh in a couple of weeks. Service the way it should be!!!

Some firms can do it right.

richms

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#217088 23-May-2009 00:11

Better then the homecast guy who wanted faultfinding and stuff for an easily reproducable fault (that is, tune it in and listen to it) - homecast back to JB and a JC matthews picked up from noel leemings for my mate.

Apparantly its not valid to compare the homecast with a DSE zinwell since they are different. Strange since I would have thought that 2 compliant boxes on the same bitstream would give equivilent audio decoding.

I am suprised that the JC Matthews got freeview certification with USB record since that makes a mockery of the hdmi only rule.

Richard rich.ms

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