PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com/media/feedlogo.gif PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com en-us Copyright 2008 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Post Holiday Support guide (UK Edition)http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/27/post-holiday-support-guide-uk-edition/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/27/post-holiday-support-guide-uk-edition/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/27/post-holiday-support-guide-uk-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


PVR WireIf you were lucky enough to receive a PVR-related product for Christmas, but you're finding difficulty figuring out how to use it, then here's some handy numbers and websites for you to try out before losing your marbles.

Sky+: The customer service number at Sky can vary in the waiting times, from as low as five minutes, to up to an hour. However, they tend to be quiet helpful and knowledgeable -- and if you're not getting satisfaction, insist on a engineer coming out to visit. But make sure you do have a fault, or you could end up being charged if you've done something stupid like taken the batteries out of your remote. Customer service ebsite: www.sky.com. Phone: 08705 800 800 for Sky+ support or 8702 43 5000 for other technical enquiries.

Telewest TVDrive: most people who have a Telewest/NTL product also have the telephone as part of the deal. If so, just dial 150 from your phone and follow the instructions to find the service helpdesk that you need. If you don't have the phone, try the FAQ section first or phone 0845 142 0000.

If you picked up a Humax PVR, try out their website first: www.humaxdigital.com/uk or phone 0208 744 5510. You can also email them on: sales-info@humax-digital.co.uk

If you received a Topfield PVR, try their website: www.topfield.co.uk/ or visit their forum, which has a small community of people ready to help out with any problems.

Most importantly, don't lose the plot if you're starting to get frustrated by a problem you can't resolve. I usually find that obsessing over it is often the best way to lose the affections of your closest family members -- while a simple process of taking a break and then methodically working your way through the issue usually brings about the best results.

If you're really, really stuck - just email us using the contact link here on the site (or comment on this entry) and we'll do our very best to help out or point you in the right direction.

Whatever you do, enjoy your holiday period and your PVR gift.
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]]>Martin Conaghan2006-12-27T10:00:00+00:00TiVo gains the upper hand (again)http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/tivo-gains-the-upper-hand-again/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/tivo-gains-the-upper-hand-again/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/tivo-gains-the-upper-hand-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


TiVoWith all the news of TiVo's victory of EchoStar in Court, and the judge's order that EchoStar may or may not soon have to cease selling PVRs, you may have forgotten that EchoStar filed its own patent infringement suit against TiVo last year.

Well, in another big win for TiVo, the federal courts have ordered a stay on that lawsuit until the patents in question can be reexamined.

Specifically, EchoStar had claimed that TiVo and Humax were violating patents for "Interruption Tolerant Video Program Viewing," "Multimedia Direct Access Storage Device and Formatting Method." EchoStar's original complaint had alleged two other patent infringements, but it's not clear from today's announcement what the status will be of those patent challenges.

In a press release distributed this morning, Tivo said " TiVo will continue to defend its technology vigorously and will not be intimidated by claims such as those EchoStar asserted against TiVo -- claims EchoStar asserted in response to TiVo's successful suit against EchoStar."

No word yet from EchoStar's press room. But in other legal news, EchoStar announced a settlement to a 9-year legal battel with ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox over distribution of local network affiliates.The satellite provider will expand its local network channel offerings from 165 to 175 markets by the end of the year, which will cover 95% of the U.S. The company will also pay affiliates $100 million to help ensure the stations can continue to offer local channels to subscribers outside of the local market.
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]]>dishdistant channelsDistantChannelsechostarinjunctionlawsuitesatellitestaytivoBrad Linder2006-08-28T08:31:00+00:00Humax releases 32" LCD TV with 160GB PVRhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/humax-releases-32-lcd-tv-with-160gb-pvr/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/humax-releases-32-lcd-tv-with-160gb-pvr/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/28/humax-releases-32-lcd-tv-with-160gb-pvr/#commentsFiled under: ,


Humax LP32-TDR1Humax just announced a doozy of a TV/PVR combo fro the UK market. The LP32-TDR1 bundles a 32 inch LCD TV with a PVR that has a 160GB hard drive. That's about four times the storage Humax's current LP32-TDVR model has.

The LP-32TDR1 includes 2 Freeview tuners, a CI slot and HDMI and S-video connectorrs, along with all the usual A/V jacks.

You can use the dual tuners to record two shows at once or watch one live program while recording another. The 160GB hard drive will hold up to 100 hours of programming.

Humax plans to sell this set for about £900.
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]]>dual tunersDualTunersfreeviewhumaxlcdlp32-tdr1pvrBrad Linder2006-08-28T07:32:00+00:00Lord Percy reviews the Humax 9200-T Freeview PVRhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/21/lord-percy-reviews-the-humax-9200-t-freeview-pvr/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/21/lord-percy-reviews-the-humax-9200-t-freeview-pvr/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/08/21/lord-percy-reviews-the-humax-9200-t-freeview-pvr/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Humax 9200-T PVRI'm in the market for a Freeview PVR, and happened upon a Lord Percy review of the new Humax 9200-T Freeview PVR which boasts twin DVB-T Freeview tuners and 160 GB hard drive (80 hours), plus a 14 day EPG.

The cool thing about these Freeview PVRs is the access to 30+ free DTT channels in the UK, which now includes Film Four and will hopefully include Sky One at some point inthe future.

Being able to watch a different channel from the one you're recording (or record two things at once and view something already on the box) is another major bonus, and a replication of features already available on a subscription-based PVR like Sky+.

The EPG has always been the weak point of Freeview, and it seems this unit is no different, with no series link capabilities, but where it betters Sky+ is the ability to remove recordings from the box using the USB connection -- and then take them out on the move using a portable media device.

Whatever the case, Lord Percy has the full skinny on a great device which will set you back no more than about £199.
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]]>9200-ThumaxpvrMartin Conaghan2006-08-21T15:30:00+00:00Humax LGB-32TPVR LCD TV with Freeviewhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/07/07/humax-lgb-32tpvr-lcd-tv-with-freeview/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/07/07/humax-lgb-32tpvr-lcd-tv-with-freeview/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/07/07/humax-lgb-32tpvr-lcd-tv-with-freeview/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Humax LCD Freeview PVROne of the electronics firms getting a lot of attention over here in the U.K. at present with regards to PVRs, is Humax.

They've pretty much pioneered Freeview PVRs in this country, and recently released a dual-tuner unit with an expanded hard drive capacity.

Now, they've also released a LCD TV with a built in Freeview tuner AND a 40 GB capacity PVR.

For a full review of the product, take a trip to the excellent AV Review, where they take the LGB-TPVR through its paces, with the big advantages being an HD resolution of 1366x768, integrated Freeview tuner, EPG and a USB output for taking recordings on the move -- but at nearly £1200 on the market at present, it's not going to appeal to everyone.
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]]>freeviewhumaxlcdpvrMartin Conaghan2006-07-07T15:54:00+00:00Head to head: Freeview PVRs group testedhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/03/14/head-to-head-freeview-pvrs-group-tested/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/03/14/head-to-head-freeview-pvrs-group-tested/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/03/14/head-to-head-freeview-pvrs-group-tested/#commentsFiled under: , ,


AVReviewWith almost 10million Freeview boxes sold in the U.K. since the service launched in 2002, the digital revolution is well underway here in Blighty.

However, with so many different boxes on the market -- and so many exceptionally cheap ones too -- it can prove difficult to make a decision on the right one to invest in. And when you add a PVR to the mix, it gets even more confusing, not to mention slightly more expensive.

AVReview's Dave Carter has put together a fantastic group test of some of the best Freeview PVRs currently on the market, including the impressive Humax DuoVisio PVR9200T, the Inverto IDL 7000T, the Panasonic TUCTH100 and the Topfield TF5800.

It's a throughly impressive set of comparison reviews of the four excellent products (none of which come in any cheaper than £250), which should help anyone make the plunge if you fancy getting your hands on an excellent PVR that can record any one of the free 30 digital channels in the U.K.
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]]>FreeviewPVRreviewsMartin Conaghan2006-03-14T16:00:00+00:00PVR Wire CES rounduphttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/09/pvr-wire-ces-roundup/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/09/pvr-wire-ces-roundup/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/09/pvr-wire-ces-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


CES 2006As we stated last week, no one from PVR Wire was able to attend CES 2006, although the Weblogs Inc. Network was there in force in the shape of the mighty Engadget team, and myself and Todd did our best to keep track of all the latest PVR-related developments at the gadget expo.

It's no real surprise that the big news at CES this year centered around video, and in particular PVR devices, both for use in the "digital living room" and on the move. For us, the most significant news centered around four main things: the Toshiba Gigabit S, Google's Video Store, the BSkyB-Microsoft deal and the sneak preview of the Series 3 TiVo.

Here's a roundup of everything we blogged over the course of the event, in case you missed any of it:
And the only thing left now is for Apple to release a Mac Mini PVR tomorrow at MacWorld...
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]]>CESPVR WirePvrWireMartin Conaghan2006-01-09T15:30:00+00:00Humax reveals details of LCD TV with built-in DirecTVhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/04/humax-reveals-details-of-lcd-tv-with-built-in-direct/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/04/humax-reveals-details-of-lcd-tv-with-built-in-direct/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/01/04/humax-reveals-details-of-lcd-tv-with-built-in-direct/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Humax LCDEarly in December, we posted an entry about Humax developing their first LCD TV with a built in (non-TiVo) PVR.

Well, details and specifications of another development have emerged as CES 2006 approaches; it's a 32-inch LCD with a DirecTV MPEG-4 TV module, comprising a DirecTV HD Tuner, ATSC tuner, component video, composite video, S-video and HDMI inputs.

The 20-inch model is 4:3 and also features a modem and USB port, component video input, two composite video inputs, and an audio and video output. Prices should start around $750.

Humax is also planning to develop additional modules to support future DirecTV hardware, with an HD model available in Q4 2006.

Via: i4U News.
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]]>DirecTVHumaxLCDPVRMartin Conaghan2006-01-04T12:52:00+00:00Humax PVR-9200T reviewedhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/23/humax-pvr-9200t-reviewed/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/23/humax-pvr-9200t-reviewed/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/23/humax-pvr-9200t-reviewed/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Huma 9200TBack in September, I posted about a new HDD Freeview tuner from Humax, the PVR-9200T, a dual-tuner with 160 GB of hard drive space.

One of my colleagues has purchased one of these units an raves about it. Personal Computer World has also reviewed the 9200T, and has awarded it a positive thumbs-up -- with their only real negative being the interface

As posted previously, the twin tuner lets you watch one channel while recording another (just like Sky ), or record two programmes simultaneously whilst watching something already recorded on the box.

I would expect boxes like this to start setting the standard here in the U.K. throughout 2006.

More: Humax Digital U.K.
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]]>HumaxPVR-9200TMartin Conaghan2005-12-23T11:36:00+00:00Humax announces non-TiVo LCD TV/PVR combo for USAhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/14/humax-announces-non-tivo-lcd-tv-pvr-combo-for-usa/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/14/humax-announces-non-tivo-lcd-tv-pvr-combo-for-usa/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/14/humax-announces-non-tivo-lcd-tv-pvr-combo-for-usa/#commentsFiled under: ,

 
Humax TVHumax is planning to offer a range of LCD televisions with built-in PVRs to the American market, varying in size from 26" to 40" and using Seagate's LD25 Series 2.5" hard drive.

Humax consumer equipment has proven to be popular in the U.K., particularly with their range of Freeview PVRs, but this recent announcement will mark their first TV/PVR combo for the U.S. market.

It doesn't seem likely that the models will run TiVo software, but no dates for a roll-out have been announced yet, so expect more in 2006.

Via: Dave Zatz.

 
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]]>Martin Conaghan2005-12-14T15:10:49+00:00PVR Wire's 2005 holiday gift guidehttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/12/pvr-wires-2005-holiday-gift-guide/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/12/pvr-wires-2005-holiday-gift-guide/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/12/pvr-wires-2005-holiday-gift-guide/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

 
It's the holiday season and we here at PVR Wire (Martin and myself) wish you happy holidays. We also thought you might like to read our holiday gift list for TiVo users and other PVR addicts. Feel free to add your own items in the comments section.

TiVo boxA TiVo, of course. You still can buy a 40-hour Series 2 box for $49.95 after $150 rebate. Or you can go for an 80-hour unit for $149.99 or a 40-hour box that records DVDs for $249.99. The rebate is instant if you buy 12 months of service up front or you can mail it in if you want to pay monthly. You can get a free 40-hour box if you're willing to pay the higher monthly fee of $16.95. Amazon.com is still selling 40-hour units for $169.99, which is $19.99 after the rebate.

Replay TVBe different and buy them a ReplayTV. There's a $50 rebate on its 5500 boxes. And ReplayTV offers the same $6.95 monthly rate for multiple units, so why not go crazy and purchase two?

GatewayGet them a Microsoft Media Center PC. Gateway sells the DX300 and FX400 series of media center PCs that start at around $600 after rebate and creep up to $2,500 after instant savings. Your gift recipient won't have to pay monthly service fees and they'll have more control over their PVR experience.

SkinItWrap up your TiVo (or remote). SkinIt.com sells skins for TiVo's and their remote controls. If you're tired of looking at that charcoal color -- or, better yet, your gift recipient is -- then you might consider one. A sticker for a remote costs $9.95, while skins for the boxes are $19.95.

TiVo mugShop in the TiVo store. You can buy a blue, clear or lavender TiVo remote for $34.99 each to replace the charcoal one or a lost remote. Then there are the T-shirts, polo shirts and hats with your favorite TiVo logo on them. You also can purchase a plush doll, blanket, coffee mug, backpack, folding chair, beach towel and golf umbrella.

SoccerSky+ boxes in the design of four English Premiership football teams. If the boring domestic grey Sky+ box doesn't take your fancy, why not buy the soccer fan in your household a Sky+ box emblazoned with the team colors of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea -- designed by none other than Wayne Hemmingway.

WallpapersSky+ boxes in a variety of wallpapers. Better still, if soccer doesn't appeal to you, why not try out one of four groovy wallpaper designs of Sky+ box created by Lulu Guinness, Cole & Son, Osborne & Little or Farrow & Ball?

Humax dual-tuner Freeview PVR. Freeview is the free-to-air dHumaxigital terrestrial television service sweeping the U.K., but what good is a DTT service if you don't  have a decent digital video recorder to capture all your favorite shows? This new box from Humax does both -- Freeview television, with a dual-tuner PVR -- so you can watch one channel, while recording another, or record two channels at once, while watching something already on the box.

TV StickHauppauge USB Freeview "TV Stick." If you find yourself on the move and desperate to watch television, you really can't go wrong with this amazing Hauppauge USB Freeview "TV Stick." Just plug it in to you laptop and away you go. It even has a built-in PVR to let you record your favorite shows.

Martin Conaghan contributed to this gift guide.
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]]>Todd W. Carter2005-12-12T17:36:49+00:00January 2006 roundup of DVD Recorders with hard driveshttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/january-2006-roundup-of-dvd-recorders-with-hard-drives/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/january-2006-roundup-of-dvd-recorders-with-hard-drives/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/january-2006-roundup-of-dvd-recorders-with-hard-drives/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


DMR-EH50S
Over at iRecordTV, John has summarized PCWorld's January 2006 roundup of DVD Recorders with hard drives.

Not all of the units listed feature reviews, but they've given some basic feature highlights and rated each unit with a useful test report that gives some technical details, such as hard drive size, output formats, inputs and outputs.

Top of the list is the $700 Toshiba RD-XS54, with the Panasonic DMR-EH50S a close second (and a much more reasonable $400).

 
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]]>Martin Conaghan2005-12-02T15:30:15+00:00Guide to recording digital televisionhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/guide-to-recording-digital-television/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/guide-to-recording-digital-television/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/12/02/guide-to-recording-digital-television/#commentsFiled under: , ,


FreeviewAs we've said before here on PVR Wire, making the decision to purchase a PVR shouldn't be taken lightly. Sure, there are obvious candidates out there on the market that will instantly grab your attention because of their popularity (or notoriety), but each has their advantages and disadvantages to be taken into account.

Here in the U.K., the choices were fairly limited to a subscription service like Sky+ or a stand-alone DVD/PVR combo, but the market has broadened since the introduction of Freeview, and there's a lot more to choose from these days.

AV Review has posted a thorough guide to recording from digital television to a variety of set-top box setups, including Sky+/cable-type services, from an integrated TV or from a PVR with a built-in tuner.

Their recommendations are spot-on, and the descriptions are fair, and easy to understand.

 
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]]>Martin Conaghan2005-12-02T14:23:29+00:00TiVo offers 80-hour Humax for $200http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/10/11/tivo-offers-80-hour-humax-for-200/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/10/11/tivo-offers-80-hour-humax-for-200/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/10/11/tivo-offers-80-hour-humax-for-200/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Humax DVD recorderIn a special deal that ends late next month, TiVo is selling 80-hour Humax -branded PVRs for $199.99. The unit includes a DVD recorder and a progressive-scan DVD player. The unit regularly sells for $499, but TiVo is offering a $150 instant savings and a $150 mail-in rebate. The deal specifically requires a one-year commitment to avoid an early termination fee. The offer ends Nov. 27.

 
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]]>Todd W. Carter2005-10-11T14:44:18+00:00Humax selling TiVo DVD recorder for $299http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/08/05/humax-selling-tivo-dvd-recorder-for-299/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/08/05/humax-selling-tivo-dvd-recorder-for-299/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/08/05/humax-selling-tivo-dvd-recorder-for-299/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

 
HumaxAnother sign that companies are moving away from nasty rebate forms and just cutting their prices outright? I hope so. Humax is selling its DRT400 DVD recorder with TiVo for $299 after a $100 instant savings.

The 40-hour PVR doesn't require you to have TiVo service before receiving the instant rebate. In addition to the TiVo feature, it includes a DVD recorder (-R -R/W) and a progressive scan DVD player.

The offer is good through Sept. 3.

 
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]]>Todd W. Carter2005-08-05T13:33:12+00:00TiVo specials at Best Buyhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/07/04/tivo-specials-at-bestbuy/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/07/04/tivo-specials-at-bestbuy/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/07/04/tivo-specials-at-bestbuy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Best Buy logo
If you've been waiting for a good deal on a TiVo box, your wait might be over. Best Buy is currently promoting some on-line only offers on various TiVo boxes. Several manufacturers are represented in the special; namely Humax, Toshiba, and of course, TiVo themselves.

Aside from the reasonable sale prices, once you activate any of these TiVo boxes, you get two months of TiVo service for free. Prices for a Series2 40-hour box start at $99 and increase based on capacity and functionality. All of the units from TiVo have a $100 instant rebate, while units from other manufacturers reflect other promotional pricing.
 
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]]>Kevin C. Tofel2005-07-04T17:35:10+00:00Review: Humax TiVo DVD recorderhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/14/review-humax-tivo-dvd-recorder/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/14/review-humax-tivo-dvd-recorder/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/14/review-humax-tivo-dvd-recorder/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Over the weekend, I installed and set up the Humax DTR800, an all-in-one 80-hour TiVo, DVD recorder and progressive-scan DVD player. I received it last week and was anxious to try out the DVD recording functions more than anything.
Humax
Given that it's a TiVo, I first had to set it up, which takes as long as setting up any other TiVo -- in other words, a long time. There's nothing that must be done differently during the set-up process just because it contains a DVD recorder. Of course, the TiVo Central menu looks different because it includes a DVD recording option.

As one of our readers suggested, I would find it easy to record TiVo-recorded programs on the DVD-RW disc that came with the unit. Both the TV screen and the Humax's front panel display the progress, showing you the percentage of recording that has occurred and how much time is left.

I was able to choose multiple programs to record; TiVo showed me how much room was left on the DVD for recording. Of course, it will not let you choose more programs than a DVD can hold. The actual recording of programs was faster than I expected.

My only complaint is that I could not find a way to record to DVD a program that is stored on another TiVo that is connected to the Humax via my home network. Maybe this isn't possible. If it is possible, I could not discover how to do it from the on-screen menus.

For this review, I recorded on the DVD-RW disc that came with the unit. But I also could have recorded to DVD-R discs. The DTR800 cannot use DVD+R discs for recording. The playback quality of recorded discs was similar to the original material.

One thing I don't feel qualified to judge is the unit's playback of prerecorded DVD discs. I tried one and it looked fine to me, but I'm not such a geek that I can measure its technical quality.

Because I didn't want to get into my stereo rack and behind the TV to pull cables, I didn't run the DVD player in progressive mode. The player is no worse (and perhaps no better) than a $79 DVD player.

Overall, I think the DTR800 is worth the current street price of about $399. It combines three functions into one, saving on rack space and remote controls. It's also a way to convert VHS tapes into DVDs without using a personal computer. The Humax is a good addition to your home audio-video system, especially if you're a TiVo user.

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]]>Todd W. Carter2005-06-14T16:24:38+00:00Humax TiVo DVD recorder arriveshttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/08/humax-tivo-dvd-recorder-arrives/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/08/humax-tivo-dvd-recorder-arrives/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/06/08/humax-tivo-dvd-recorder-arrives/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Humax DRT800, a combination TiVo and DVD recorder, has arrived here at PVR Wire headquarters. I'll be taking it out of the box and setting it up later today.
Humax DVD recorder
I'm anxious to see how easy it is to record TiVo-recorded programs on DVDs. And how long will they take to record? The box includes one rewritable DVD. But I have stacks of DVD-R and DVD+R discs ready to go, if needed.

This, and other products like it, might be a very good solution for those with limited space for stereo components. This includes a TiVo box, a DVD recorder and a progressive-scan DVD player in one unit.

Ahh, I love the smell of new semiconductors in the morning.

 
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]]>DRT800HumaxTiVoTodd W. Carter2005-06-08T11:45:55+00:00TiVo Selling Humax DVD recordershttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/05/18/humax-dvd-recorder-with/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/05/18/humax-dvd-recorder-with/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2005/05/18/humax-dvd-recorder-with/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


TiVo is now selling the Humax DVD recorders on its Web site. Both the 40-hour DRT400 and the 80-hour DRT800 are available.Humax DVD recorder

The 40-hour unit is selling for $399.99 and the higher capacity Humax is $499.99. TiVo is giving away 10 DVD-RWs with purchase, which also is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Shipping is free.

If you don't care about the free DVD-RWs, Target.com is selling the 80-hour unit for $449.99, with an $8.99 shipping charge. Doing a quick search on Froogle, I found a refurbished unit for $279.88 from JR.com.

The Humax units include a progressive-scan DVD play, a DVD recorder and, of course, TiVo. The 80-hour model includes a Firewire input on the front panel for connecting your camcorder.

Considering that the Pioneer DVD recorder was first available for around $1,000, it's nice to see the price come down on a DVD recorder/TiVo combo unit. If you're happy with a refurbished unit -- and I've never had any problems with them except for a #@%* coffee maker I bought once that leaked -- you can buy a combo for not much more than a regular TiVo.

As Engadget reported earlier this month, the Humax comes with the networking features available in the TiVo Series 2, but it won't be compatible with TiVoToGo until late summer.
 
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]]>Todd W. Carter2005-05-18T16:32:46+00:00