Fusion FVRT200 Digital Video Recorder 80GB

Burtie_2

If you want to record freeview without watching the program at the same time on your TV then I suspect you need one of these.

Otherwise connect a video/dvd recorder to one of your TV's video out SCART sockets and keep the TV on.

Searcher2

There are no PVRs which don't have Freeview built in. It sort of defeats the object. The exception maybe the Tivo which I don't think you can buy new any more. The main feature of twin tuner PVRs is the ability to record two programs at once... If you had Freeview in your TV you would be able to watch a 3rd Freeview program at the same time.

Whether this is a good option for you is another matter. If you want the best of the rest (quieter, bigger HD, better support, happy users etc.) get a Humax 9200 (£170+) or a Topfield 8500 (£215+). I keep waiting for the price of these machines to come down but they have held their prices well over the last year - whereas DigiFusion have dropped this low!

andrewmoorcroft

I got my Digifusion FVRT box yesterday.
Scratched, marked, heat swollen big sticker on top curling up at the edges.
Plugged it in, watched TV and couldn't sleep with the noisey fan going. Had to power it off at the wall!
Called digifusion and they knew all about the problem and said that i would have to call microdirect who were giving the warranty.
Microdirect said that they had loads back with other problems such as channels that it would skip. Some had been repaired several times.
Microdirect asked me to send it back and they would give a refund or send out a replacement but advised that if she was in the same position she would have the money back!

gromituk

Searcher2 wrote: »

There are no PVRs which don't have Freeview built in. It sort of defeats the object.

Don't be so sure - there are still some around! But ironically they cost more to make because they need an MPEG encoder - the chippery which converts an ordinary analogue video signal into the compressed digital form which comes off Freeview and goes on the hard disk. This is why Freeview PVRs do not have analogue inputs - you can't play video tapes or DVDs into them (although you can play through them straight into your telly).

DVD recorders with Freeview will have analogue inputs because certain Freeview signals are types of MPEG which are incompatible with DVDs (picture resolutions and "long GOP" structures), so they need to re-code them anyway. They can also use the necessary MPEG coder to code analogue signals, such as you get from DVD players and traditional TV.

The main feature of twin tuner PVRs is the ability to record two programs at once... If you had Freeview in your TV you would be able to watch a 3rd Freeview program at the same time.

It can be even better, because a Freeview tuner receives a whole "multiplex" (group) of channels at once. So you could record/watch as many channels you like from the two multiplexes your two tuners are receiving - in theory. In practice other factors limit this: the Topfield will let you record two channels and watch another from the those available from the two multiplexes it is tuned to, but it hasn't got the processing power/hard disk speed to offer pause live TV in that case.

PoorPaul

Received mine on Monday. Lasted about an hour before it became very slugglish to respond to the remote etc.

I know its a problem that can be rectified, but tbh I can't be doing with that on a 'new' item - a year down the line maybe.

I've received my returns RMA number, unfortunately it looks as though they expect you to post it back at your cost (guess a free postage / courier collection was too much to hope for !)

Paul

bartman

My Digifusion arrived on Tuesday, so I've had a bit of time to get used to it - I've not used a digibox or PVR before, but this has done evrything I've asked of it, it's the poodle's parts.
I'm getting a signal strength of about 85% on both tuners which it says is "adequate" - I haven't had any breaking up of the picture or freezing, so I don't know whether I ought to worry about trying to increase that. Should I expect it to be higher than that?

escapee

I have one too, had it a couple of days now and it breaks up on around 4 channels quite badly (something which never happened on my digihome box) it also gets quite warm to the touch. I am contemplating returning it, though I think microdirect should share some of the delivery costs incurred.

mitchb

Im returning mine and have an email from their customer servcies to say they will refund delivery up to the cost of £11.?? . Mine was faulty on arrival

mitchb

gromituk wrote: »

mitchb: does the second tuner have a separate aerial socket, like the Topfield does, and you have to "loop through" from the first by connecting a short lead?

No it doesnt, only one input and output on the back of the machine

mitchb

nordberg wrote: »

I've got the same issue. My signal strength is around 70% also.

Have you found a resolution?

I believe its faulty. My step dad bought one as well and his didnt have any issue on signal, even tried mine round at his, no joy.

His did howevre have a strange problem in that the system took 2 minutes to respond to any button press, remote or on the front of the pvr, it alos lost the channels every time it was switched off. I managed to fix this by restoring to factory defaults, which was the same firmware.

Seems its pot luck if they work or not.

I posted a very negative review to microdirects website but they havent added, probably nevre will, so i wouldnt go by the reviews on their website, seems they only pick the good ones.