Which HD-PVR?

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SkyMatix

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My HD-PVR's hard drive just crashed (yay!). It was one of the very first HD-PVRs that came out, and I've had nothing but pain from it. To make matters worse, I have a second identical unit hooked up via XTra View, running outside in the guest cottage.

I don't have a decoder care plan for the HD-PVR, so I'm thinking it is time to buy a new one. But I'm not sure which route is the best at the moment?

Do you get a newer version of the 4-tuner HD-PVR? Or is it only the 2P at the moment?

And which one's software is better?

Does the 2P do On Demand and Series Link?

I don't really care to much about the ability to record two things and watch a third at the same time, so I guess I don't need the 4 tuners...

Any advice is appreciated! Bear in mind though that I'd like to try and get the Xtra View running again eventually, and that the secondary PVR will still be one of those old HD-PVR joppies...

Thanks!
 
I just bought a HD PVR 2P . Only option.. R1499. Basically only 2 tuners.. so watch one and record one. Software better than old one...faster.. old one with 4 tuners was a bit of a mess. Has on demand...box office etc.. all the info is on the dstv website though.

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Why not just take it to MC...

They'll charge you R350 and swap your decoder out...
 
As others have said the only ones available new now are the 2P's, but its probably worth your while swapping it out for R350, the refurbished units that you will get are quicker then the original batch from 2008 so you might be surprised

Software features between all the HDPVRs are the same, except for the limitation of record 1 vs record 2
 
ToxicBunny said:
Why not just take it to MC...

They'll charge you R350 and swap your decoder out...
Click to expand...
+1 on taking it to MC for a swap out AFAIK its a little more then 350 but way cheaper then buying a new decoder.
on the xtraview question, tke the other decoder with when you do the swap out, the technician will link the 2 decoders and smart cards there, so you just plug it back when you home.
 
Smurfatefrog said:
As others have said the only ones available new now are the 2P's, but its probably worth your while swapping it out for R350, the refurbished units that you will get are quicker then the original batch from 2008 so you might be surprised

Software features between all the HDPVRs are the same, except for the limitation of record 1 vs record 2
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, I managed to get a PACE 4tuner from Game the other weekend.... so you can still buy the view 1 record 2 models, if you hunt around a bit...

I will admit that 2P is a fugly little piece of kit, it just won't fit in that many Home theaters..... I would love to know what MC were thinking when they chose that design.
 
It is R350 had mine swapped out beginning of the year but I was lucky as they then told me it was actually free due the problem actuallly being an oob one. Yours sounds like my problem ;)

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if the decoder serial number is below a certain number (can't recall what that is now, but think it is sub-35000? EDIT @ 2011.09.08 - it is actually sub-80000) MC will swap it out free of charge, as those lower serial-number decoders had a faulty power supply unit, which causes the HDD to under-perform. I had mine swapped out free of charge, but that one (MC claim it was refurbished, i.e. by replacing the power supply) is also starting to give problems. I will be swapping it out again soon.
 
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Wow! Thanks for all the quick replies.

all the info is on the dstv website though.
Click to expand...
Yep, it is in some form or another. I actually spent an hour on there before posting in the forum, since I still couldn't quite answer every question based on their website. Why can't they just have the SAME info for each decoder, so you can compare them easily (i.e. number of tuners, OnDemand, Series Link, Hard Drive Size, etc.).

I'll follow your advice and take both decoders to MC at N1 City on Monday, and post back here for interest sake...

Though, after about 15 power cycles (sometimes leaving the decoder off for as long as half an hour in between) the drive has suddenly sprung back to life. Not sure that I can take it to MC now that it is 'working' again. Might have to wait for the problem to appear again...
 
By the sounds of it, it's the power supply issue not the hard drive, you will start getting the error again

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If your serial number is below P300080000 its free, otherwise R342 (R300 + VAT)
Make sure you remind them about it being free if it falls within that range
 
If your serial number is below P300080000 its free, otherwise R342 (R300 + VAT)
Click to expand...

Whoohoo! Mine is P300054188. Am heading for MC near N1 City in the morning, as the problem became terminal tonight :(

Just a pity I stand to lose all my recordings!
 
I'm in the market for a PVR as we currently use a LG for public TV (still undecided on which basic DSTV package), but we only have one cable running into the flat. Now I rent and not going to spend R1K on getting a second cable into the flat (block is owned by landlord and he is not prepared to pay).

Is it possible to use a splitter the PVR (simple T-splitter) or will this cause the same problem experienced with original dual-view setups that limited the channel range of the second unit to what was being viewed by the main unit. Are the also some PVRs that allow this and some that don't?

We plane to buy our own place end of next year so spending R1K with no return is not worth it for us.

EDIT: /HIJACK OFF ;)

UPDATE: I see there is a whole thread dedicated to my question (http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/236859-HD-PVR-2-P-single-lnb-installation)
 
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Still sitting at MC in Cape Town...

Served in two minutes. Then it took 15 minutes to find the cablea to hook up my two PVRs. Luckily the problem was immediately apparent. Swopping out took 10 seconds. Now testing the new one and linking Xtraview again. Progress, at least!
 
Finally! Managed to get caught in the afternoon traffic, but made it home in one piece.

Am hooking up the decoders again shortly, but just thought I'd mention what the lady at MC told me. When the time came to leave, she said there was no charge. I asked her why (was it because I had one of the first decoders), and she said no, they 'don't charge customers for the "blue box" problem as they are still trying to figure it out.'

To me, this means that the HD-PVR has a limited lifetime problem, which seems to now be manifesting. Starts with the older ones first, and might continue... Not sure - am probably jumping to an incorrect conclusion. But it IS interesting, eh?
 
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