Topfield TF5800PVR

Advantages: Probably best in field. easy to use basic functions
Disadvantages: You'll get more out of it if you can link it to a PC

...-tuner PVR (that?s a personal video recorder) to trap as many programmes as I fancy to free me from sitting down to scheduled TV. I can also skip tedious commercials with ease and am therefore single-handedly the downfall of ITV. Up till now, I relied on my excellent Topfield 5800, affectionately known on its own forum as ?Toppy? ? not a high-street name I?ll grant you, but once you?ve got the hang of one, I?m convinced it?s the best there is when it comes to versatility. Well until now that is. Then Topfield went and muddied their own and everyone else?s waters by producing the Topfield 5810, a slicker looking machine, much more in the mould of a ?proper? piece of shiny black A/V equipment - why it?s even nearly a standard width. Essentially, a lot of the improvements are cosmetic. The fluorescent display now shows the proper channel name, e... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Twin tuner flexibility. Good tech support with upgrades etc from toppy.org.uk forum
Disadvantages: A lot to learn, not helped by p***-poor manual

...April 2008 - Two years down the line, I remain convinced that, foibles excepted, the Topfield 5800 remains the clear leader in its field, so much so that I've bought second one before they stop making them in favour of the new 5810T. *************************************************************** I'd owned a PVR before; the excellent Humax 8000PVRT, designed solely for Freeview digital terrestrial TV, but since buying it, two things happened. a) I got fed up with paying £19.50/month to Sky, just for a load of dross intermingled with the free channels I can get elsewhere and b) My TV started to become very troublesome, and any replacement I was to buy was likely to be a flat screen monitor requiring outboard tuners. The Humax's single tuner for Freeview would then have been a limitation. To put the icing on the cake... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Twin tuner. Additional apps can be added.
Disadvantages: Initial startup takes a few seconds. Think this is with all PVR's Thou

...and swap between them at a press of a button. Yes I know the price is a lot more than the cheap brands but it offers so much more. This is truly an exceptional piece of kit. You can even change the size of the hard disk with the information provided on the forum at http://www.toppy.org.uk/ (This will invalidate it's warranty). So really what more can I say. With this box anything goes but not only that it does it in style with great quality. There are other reviews for this product on Ciao aswell but under another listing name so go and check out what some of the other users have to say. Link http://www.ciao.co.uk/TopfieldTF5800T6238789... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful