Thijs,

Sorry mate because the unit is new I don't want to open it and void the warranty.

Robbyb,

If you paid $479 for this unit you got it a great price, well worth it i say.

I think so. I tried to get them to budge from the "special" price of $479 but they would not. The reason given to me was that this was a cheap price and that they had no competition for the unit. He really wanted to sell me the Toppy, probably a higher commission on this one. The best I could get the Topfield for was $725.

Can this one record up to 4 shows at once like the mediastar eg abc and abc2 plus 2 other channels on the same frequency.

Keen for more reviews and would like to know how much warranty there is.

Bad advertising in their catalogue - they dont mention twin tuners at all.

With the twin tuners it can only record 2 channels at once.

Well i got this pvr yesterday from Dick Smith Warringah Mall

They threw in a 2 year warranty for free without even asking for it.
The guy told me it was all topfield parts.

I wasn't even in the market for buying one really. 'Just looking'.

Anyhow the only problem i have, and it's a real pain is that when the subtitles are on the back of it is a lite transparent. I would like the background to be black. Can anyone make theirs black? There's an option under stb setting > other setting > ttext mixweight

where it looks like you would change your transparancy. But nothing works.

if you go to channel 7 and load up the teletext page then press 801 you get the subs with the black background.

On my other dse stb you press ok until the background of the sub goes as black as you want it.

If anyone can help me out here it would be appreciated

The normal warranty for the dse pvr is 12 months from purchase, according to the warranty slip. It is supported by thr Digital Products Group www.digitalpg.com.au- not much info here.

or in your post.

Well I took it back today. Such a shame. If you don't need subtitles. Great unit for a great price.

First time poster, so be kind.

Bought one of these units on weekend and thought I'd add a couple things about it.

Set-up and use all very simple; unit works nicely. I live in a difficult reception area and with my old (el cheapo Aldi) unit got lots of drop-outs. This unit has, so far, worked seamlessly and runs cool (no HDD heating issues).

Using the USB driver supplied on the Homecast website I transfered an hour long program onto my PC. The download speed was a little disappointing at roughly 1KB/sec. It records as a TP0 file, which Project X was able to import.

Haven't had a chance to do much else though.

Oh and you can manually rename a program, so you don't have to live with the EPG name.

Ditto for mine. It has much better reception than my previous Teac SD STB.

Hello and welcome Sal, In my experience these forums are inhabited by a friendly bunch who happily share their expertise... I have been helped heaps by folk here. Welcome again.

I am considering either this unit or the Mediastar and so I, (and, I suspect, a whole bunch of other lurkers) would be most interested in any info or observations that you make about this unit. Thanks for sharing thus far. Oh... and... welcome

Thanks WalrusLike.

So far so good with the unit, but am kinda busy with other things at the moment so haven't had much of a chance to test it out.

I'll keep in touch!

Hi - this is my first post.

Bought ds6200PVR on the weekend - works like a charm.

Grabed the usb download tools - found that the V1.0 tools worked but the V1.01 HC_USB.exe did not.

Used Project X to convert to M2V format - including generating AC3 and MP2 files.

My 2c.

There are a couple of ARION PVR's on auction at ebay for $500 AT-9300PVR, USB2.0, 160GB Samsung HDD, true twin tuner, VFD, etc..

Anyone wishing to purchase this PVR from DSE for $479 had better hurry.

I noticed on their website that this price expires on 26 November 2006.

But who knows? Maybe after this date it'll be cheaper!!

Nearest supplier said they will not be able to order it at all after this date.

But not being a DS franchise they wanted the entire amount upfront and declined/refused to offer a 14 day money back policy.

Great country service ... not!

Here's some "insider" information from a mate that works for DSE. There's only 220 units of the PVRs in their main warehouse at the moment. 220 units to tide us over for Christmas and the New Year, assuming transportation of new units from Asia.

Hi,

DSE in Campbelltown has an extra $50 off as a managers special on the DSE unit. Makes it $429. I still think a few extra $$ invested in a topfield, mediastar or arion, (www.metatronics.com.au) will be a wiser choice.

Ciao

Well I'm giving one of these a run and so far it has been very good.

The reception has been rock solid and the PVR is very responsive to remote buttons.

From standby, power blackouts are handled well, with the unit setting its clock automatically on power restoration and then going back to sleep. Subsequent timers fire as normal. I'm not game to test pulling the plug during a recording...

It manages to average about 2MB/s download speed to a PC using the "1.1" version of the homecast software. Like some other units, you can record HD channels and download for viewing on a PC. Unfortunately it doesn't seem allow "Top and Tailing" recordings before transfer, which is a pain, given the slow speed.

The Windows (& Mac) MPEG Streamclip freeware handles the "TP0" file format natively, so no stuffing around there.

After reading recent (mostly positive) remarks in this forum I decided to try out a DS6200 myself (on a 14-day trial). Performance is mostly good, as described by others, but there are a couple of niggling "features" that I'd like advice on.

1. Aspect Ratio: This can be set in the AV Setting menu at 4:3, 4:3 Letterbox or 16:9. However, once done it stays that way irrespective of program format, which for some content can mean either losing the edges of the picture (with 4:3) or having a smaller picture in a black frame (with Letterbox). I'm used to my TV which seems to adjust this automatically, so manual adjustment is a bit of a pain. Is there a "fix" for this, or is it to be expected with all STBs?

2. Subtitles: These are important to me since a household member is hearing impaired. Subtitles can supposedly be switched on and off via the TXT_OPT button, but only after assigning a subtitle language in the STB Setting/Language Setting menu. However, once the TXT_OPT button is used to switch subtitles off, they can't be switched on again unless you re-assign the language using the main menu. Again, this is a bit of a pain.

Advice on either of these problems will be gratefully received.

Coming to the end of the 14 day trial....

Sylvestro,
1) Our TV screen shape is 4:3 and having to switch Aspect Ratio via the pvr remote is awkward. Ideally, there would be a single keypress which would cycle through the three settings. You have the option of changing aspect ratio via the green button menu as well. I guess a learning remote could be used.

2) Subtitles have eluded me completely. I had assumed that they were not broadcast in my regional area. Perhaps I'll try again fiddling with the language options.

Otherwise, it has been good, but far from perfect.

One night I was manually recording the channel we were watching, timeshifted back an hour or so due to some interruptions. We were half an hour into viewing when a timer kicked in for another channel. While the timer worked, the pvr lost our viewing position and threw us forward in time to the end of the recording. The only way to get back to where we were was via the 8x rewind and it was painful.

Also, once a timer has started, I cannot see how to extend it for, say ten minutes, should the broadcaster be running late.

If there was evidence of improvements coming down the line in the firmware I might hang on to it, but my plan is to return it in a few days while I still can.

Thanks, raaage,

I keep discovering new "features". The latest is the pause button. If used during normal viewing it certainly pauses the action, but when you resume (using either the pause or play button) the sound is turned off! The only way I've found to turn it on again is to fast-forward back to real time. This happens whether or not time shift is enabled. Unless this is a fault with my unit, or I'm not resuming correctly, it looks like a real design glitch.

Subtitles are still a bit of a mystery - sometimes they record OK but not always.

At the moment it looks like the unit is going back at the end of the trial period. Pity.

I bought one of these the other day. My only concern is a quite audible hum from the unit whenever it is ON. It is not super loud, but loud enough to be noticeable. There is no way I could leave it on in the bedroom at night for example.

This is my first experience with a PVR. Is this a necessary sideeffect of a unit that deals with a HDD? Or have I got a lemon?

doggerel,
Yes, when the unit I had was on, there was a slight noise from the hard drive. Just as when a VCR is recording, you would notice it overnight. Might have to put in a cabinet for silence.

I would say mine is many times louder than my VCR. It can be heard above the TV when watching a program. I sw Topfield and they agreed I should take it back and swap it over. Fingers crossed for the next one.

My replacement box has the same loud hum as the first one. I guess this is par for the course. Aside from this I think it is a top unit.

Pros and Cons pretty well summarised in post 42. For clarification from other posts I would advise 1) S-Video out from TV Scart is definitely an option, desptie it not being listed in the manual. RGB also out from TV Scart. 2) You can manually rename a program after it has been recorded.

A great unit all in all. I would caution those with a small room and without a sealed cabinet to be prepared for some white noise from the unit though.

Doggerel, can you get component-out via a scart adapter?..My Grundig DVD recorder has this as an option...just wondering if the DSE unit does, too.

long time lurker, first time poster. Love the site.

I purchased one of these last weekend but it's under the xmas tree awaiting the big day. Hanging out to give it a run!

Just one question I have not been able to clarify.. I am wondering if there is any chance that this unit could be hooked up to an lcd pc monitor ie - scart to vga or dvi?

I already have a tv card in the pc but thinking about taking only the monitor (and 6200) on holidays if
this type of connection is possible?

Just a quick question regarding the connections.
The rear panel has "Signal In" and "Aerial In" connectors.
What's the difference?

Thanks to everyone contributing.
Queries of Ausdilecce (or anyone else who has used the USB connection):

1. Can you download tv files to PC? or is the USB only for uploading?

2. If you can download tv files, what format are they in... and is there any restriction on files?

3. Has anyone updated firmware yet? If so, what has been the effect?

Thanks in anticipation!

Hi I noticed this on special for the boxing day specials at $419 till Sunday 31/12. It seems like a great buy. I may have missed it reading through the thread but was just wondering if this unit has chaseplay? Thanks.

Sylvestro, I can confirm the issue with the pause button. Had the same symptoms as you described when I played back a recorded show. Pausing the playback and then resuming results in picture but no sound. Had to resort to same action to correct - ie ff or rew a small distance and then it comes good.

I have mine hooked up to receiver via optical out with ac3 output chosen. Is yours setup the same or via rca's?

Happy with the unit so far apart from this annoyance.

jon1,

>1. Can you download tv files to PC? or is the USB only for uploading?

I did manage to download from the PVR to a PC. You need software from homecast web site as detailed in the manual. I imagine that you could upload back but did not try this. Transfer speed was limited and you might find the whole process tedious if needed frequently. I decided to return the unit and get a MediaStar 920.

>2. If you can download tv files, what format are they in... and is there any restriction on files?

The format is "TP0" which is used by the homecast products. Probably just a DVB transmission with a proprietary header. The freeware tool MPEG Streamclip can read this format.

>3. Has anyone updated firmware yet? If so, what has been the effect?

While I had the box I was not aware of any firmware updates for this PVR.



If the unit is recording a program, you can certainly start playback at the start of the program while it continues to record.

If you just pause live TV, you can playback when you are ready (e.g. after a phone call) but it can lose its place if a timed recording kicks off in the background while you are watching.

$419 sounds like a good price! It's still $499 at the dse web site.

Anyone know where Sparkyglo may have seen the unit @ $419?

My local Dick Smith dealer (Perth) knew nothing about the post-Christmas Sale price of $419 (suggesting it may have been a 'Dick Smith Powerhouse' special).

Anyway bottom line is he wouldn't bugde from the $499 list price. I should have snapped it up at the pre-Christmas sale price of $478 but even at $499 it still represents good value (as most of the posts on this thread seem to be very positive).

I used to work at dse, if you ask nicely then they will budge on price and drop to $479 or even 470. If they are tight about it then just try another store and your bound to get a discount!

Thanks a lot, Raaage: I have decided also to get a Mediastar 920PVR.

Jon!

The $419 price was at Dick Smith Powerhouse at Nunawading in Melbourne.

This sounds just perfect for me, cheap but with what I need.

The clincher for me is being a DSE product I could get an extended warranty. Does anyone know what the price of the extended warranties are for this product. 2 or 5 years?

Automan - thanks for the advice, another Dick Smith dealer was happy to take the price down to $474 (from $499) so I'll be going for that. Not as cheap as the $419 being offered at some DS PowerHouse stores (but he explained that the DS PowerHouse stores being much bigger, have better buying power). We don't have any DS PowerHouse stores in Perth.

ttb - I did a search on the DS website and the 2 year extended warranty for products between $351 & $700 is $59.95 (couldn't find any mention of a 5 year warranty though).

gracias paco!

So $479 with free 2 year extended warrenty is the dream then. I'll see what I can do next week when I'm off work.

For $479 I would rather spend a few extra $'s and pick up an Arion if its on special or a MS. But then again, thats just me.

I posted an initial impression of this unit on 16 November 2006. I have now had it long enough to recommend it to anyone. If you read my post you will see my reasons for my purchase. In a nutshell, I did not want to spend the money on a Topfield. I am very happy with it and have used it to timeslip and to record from the epg.Timeslip is simple. You can enable it from the setup menu and all you do is select the channel you want to watch ten minutes in advance and then move back in time. You can then pause, jump forward through ads in 30 sec. increments, go back, repeat etc. If you do not move back in time and you pause you lose sound when you resume. This concerned me at first, as I thought I had bought a lemon, but soon worked out the problem. Youm must be running behind real time to time sip. I am an abc and abc2 watcher and this unit is fabulous for selecting things to watch. This is because they treat consumers reasonably and normally have the days viewing in their epg. They also seem to keep to start time schedules. Unlike the commercial stations, including sbs (a disgrace- taxpayers money). All you have to do is move across the epg select it and the unit leaves a red line over your selection to show that you are recording it. It also automaticallytakes the title from the epg. You can edit this if you wish. You can lengthen the default recording time to make sure that the end is not cut off. This is a good idea. My unit is set to get its time from the broadcasters and I have had no problems. I have downloded the programme that enable me to transfer files but I do not think I will bother with it as i just delete most things after i have viewed them. It is quiet unobtrusive and for under $500 you cannot go wrong. It can do much more than I have described. Dick Smiths two week unconditional return policy is great and allows you to road test the unit to see if it meets your needs.

I can confirm that Nunawading superstore Melbourne have this pvr for $419 (at least they did yesterday).

Can also confirm that Knox powerhouse will price match and have several in stock (at least they did yesterday).

My thanks to this forum for sage advice and saving me around $80.

Merry xmas happy new year.

wokka1. (newbie)

robbyb,

aside from your comment/fix on the 'no sound after pause' issue have you happened to come accross the same issue after fast forwarding through a pre-recorded item?

I've seen this now on a few occassions - rewinding a little and then playing will generally fix this but it is annoying. Symptom is that there is no sound after fast forwarding (say through the adds) through a recorded item and then pressing play.

I Find that it is not a problem and I just rewind a little as a matter of course. Once you are behind the recording you can pause and rewind at will without the loss of sound. If you want to fast forward through ads you need to be fifteen minutes behind anyway. You can also press record and do the same thing. I have not had the problem with loss of sound on fast forwarding through a recording.

Spoke to Topfield support this morning (I think it might have been noted earlier that these units are actually supported by Topfield) who have suggested reformatting drive and setting back to factory defaults and will try this tonight to try fixing the no sound after FF issue.

No doubt this is standard first level recovery stuff...

Some answered questions above:
- there is no component out via SCART (only RGB, CVBS, S-Video). There is also an additional, separate S-Video out point
- cannot therefore output to LCD monitor VGA or DVI (unless monitor also has S-Video in perhaps?)
- I have had none of the sound issues described in post 82 and others. Sound always accompanies playback whether pausing live TV or moving around through past recorded show. Did reformating HD fix your problems Hodge06?
- there is no updated firmware yet available from the Home cast site http://www.homecast.net/eng/service/downlo...earch=&Sp=1

Thanks for the update doggerel on outputs.

Success! Yes the reformatting of hard drive and resetting to factory defaults
(which means new channel scan, favourites setup etc) fixed any sound issues I had.

Working perfectly now

Another question for anyone who may know. It does not look like you can start playing a recorded item whilst the recording for that item is still underway?

(although I guess you could get around by stopping the recording part way through and then starting again, effectively splitting the program in two parts).

You can by using the left and right arrow keys to bring up the progress bar and then using the arrow keys to move the progress marker and then press play.

Very good, appreciate the tip. I would never have guessed. I think I need to spend some more time playing.....