Aussie looking for a DVR that uses EPG

May 13, 2008 11:38 PM

I'm looking for recommendations for a Digital Video Recorder for Australian Free to Air TV that also gets information from an EPG of some type.

Gday all!

I am looking to buy a Digital Video Recorder (of the DVD + HardDrive combo type). I'd love for it to use an EPG source of some kind, but I'm not sure how well set up that is in Australia yet.

I'd rather not have to hack firmware or anything like that (I have friends with the imported tivo they hacked, I'm just not into it myself).

If EPG isn't possible, then just recommendations for a DVR would be great too.

Can anyone recommend any?

Thanks in advance!

posted by Admira to technology (6 comments total)

I use Mythbuntu (ubuntu with MythTV bundled in) for my DVR. It works for me, but if you're not looking to build/configure the box it may not be for you.

For Australian EPG, shepherd does good work - it scrapes a number of other data sources and gives you a damn fine aggregate data feed. It can output the data in standard xmltv format, so as long as whatever DVR you use can accept xmltv EPG data you should be golden...
posted by russm at 11:51 PM on May 13

Hi Russm,

Though I work in IT and often spend hours hacking things to work, for some reason the idea of doing this with a DVR just doesn't work for me. I just want to buy something, plug it in and have it work.
posted by Admira at 12:20 AM on May 14

You might be better off looking around and/or asking on the Australian DTV forums here.

With the DVD recorder requirement your options are a bit limited, and I don't think any of the models currently available will record the original bitstream to DVD - i.e. they all recompress it. But someone there will likely know for sure.

FWIW, most capital city stations (except SBS) transmit an EIT EPG now (since Feb) - it's usefulness varies with the station and what you're prepared to put up with. It's still not as good/reliable/useful as IceTV (who are on shakey legal ground since Nine won their appeal the other day) or one of the harvested / community based guides.
posted by Pinback at 12:51 AM on May 14

As an example of what I'm after, it seems this Panasonic DVD recorder +HD supports 7 day epg:
posted by Admira at 12:52 AM on May 14

Beware also that there's some musings - maybe paranoia, maybe not, but who can blame local DTV aficionados after Nine / HWW's antics with programme guides & copyright over the years - that at some time in the future the EPG may be encrypted (presumably as a private stream, allowed for in the DTV specs), with decryption only available on network-blessed PVRs with ad-skip disabled. They've already presaged the second part of that in their initial "Welcome to the wonderful world of broadcast EPGs! (10 years " announcement.

The phrase "a cunch of bunts" comes to mind. The stranglehold the media networks have developed on a succession of gutless Australian governments (and the current one looks no different) makes "cuius testiculous habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum" look positively tame.

Remember, Rupert Murdoch learnt his trade here...

In short: don't hold your breath waiting for a real, decent, accurate, and useful EPG in the future, and don't expect to be able to perform the heinous act of skipping advertisements
posted by Pinback at 1:12 AM on May 14

I'd highly recommend the topfield range of PVR's... I have the 5000 model (with a connection to a computer to upload the EPG), but you might look into the 6000 model or the 7000 model (which is HD). All the toppy's above the 5000 also have the ability to be updated using small programs called TAPs, which give you all sorts of extra functionality if you want it, which is cool for an IT person (but not necessary if you want to keep it simple).

I'd also recommend icetv as a delivery mechanism for the 7-day EPG. Although the EPG is now delivered by the networks on the TV signal, the quality of the icetv offering is much better and well worth the $13 a week... Ice also sells the Topfield PVR's on their website, and most Toppy's you buy in store also come with a free 3-month ice subscription.

The only problem with this solution is that you don't have the DVD player part. However, it might be worth asking why you want it? Most of the time with TV shows you watch them and then delete them. I've never really missed my toppy not being able to burn DVD's, especially since you can shift something over the USB cable to a PC if you really want to keep it.
posted by ranglin at 3:35 AM on May 14