Digital Television Revolution

[Greg Lawrence]

GO! looks pretty crappy to me.
Speaking of crappy, I bought a TEAC 500Gig twin tuner PVR about 2 years ago. Paid $1000 at the time, but there wasnt too much to choose from then. Nothing but trouble. Keeps on locking up and I only record in SD now, as the stupid thing cant handle recording HD. I suspect that either the processor or ram is insufficent.
Only positive is that it puts out 1080p, which I really need with a 130" projected image.

 

[technocat]

I am not familiar with the Teac and you don't state the model number but upgrading the firmware maybe an option if it has the facility for such an upgrade, or if you haven't already done so reinstall the factory settings and retune the channels.
If the Teac, like Yess, Digitec or other Chinese manufactured PVR's and STB's, they were somewhat lacking in technical support. However it would be worth a search on the net for some info on your particular PVR and also try DTV FORUM Australia for a wealth of information.

 

[Greg Lawrence]

Yes Ive updated the firmware and reset to factory defaults mant times. No more firmware updates have been available for about a year now.
They use to have a guy there to talk to, but now its just a call centre. Send it into one of our authorised repair centres is the standard answer. Out of warranty now of course and that leaves me without a tuner (projecters dont have tuners) for a couple of weeks at least.

 

[technocat]

Unfortunately the electronics on a PVR and STB's are mostly contained on a large scale intergrated, (LSI) chip which are quite complex. The trouble is that if a problem occurs on this chip it takes the functionality of the equipment with it. There are many service centres that become virtual graveyards for this equipment as the cost of resurrecting such gear outweighs any advantage when the purchase of new more up to date technology is more beneficial and cost effective. Also the pathway to sourcing parts for the repair of cheaper brands of consumer equipment can be quite murky if not down right impossible. Many service workshops won't take some brands on for warranty backup because of a manufacturer poor reputation for parts supply. Two years use out of a PVR is a bitter pill to swallow as five years is considered good and from a service point of view ten years is hardly worth the effort. If patience runs out with your existing TEAC and you decide to go another mile with a new PVR pay a bit extra for a better brand such as Topfield or Beyonwiz as they offer much better technical backup and service.

Cheers