The Topfield TF7710 is a satellite receiver and personal video recorder featuring support ... more
for both free to air and pay per view satellite services, HDMI output supporting high definition resolutions up to 1080i, Dolby Digital audio output, easy to use ...
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
on the rear panel to allow for ?upscaled? standard definition on an HD-Ready TV. In this respect I believe the Topfield 5810 pips main rival Humax to the post in being the first Freeview PVR to offer this. The USB port is now a ?type 2.0? which will mean nothing except to those who try to retrieve programmes off the 5810 onto a PC for editing and archiving. The previous USB 1.0 port on the 5800 takes about 45 minutes to offload a one-hour file.
Please note: The HDMI port only upscales. No-one?s holding their breath for real HD Freeview (although I did trip over a field trial from Crystal Palace a while back whilst using a PC-based tuner card) and it?s quite likely to be hobbled by copyright protection to prevent it being recorded, or so the scuttlebutt goes.
In fact it was this information, i.e. that terrestrial HD?s a long way off yet that led ...
Advantages: Features,Build quality,Extra Features Disadvantages: None yet
Introduction-
With the digital switchover in full swing Personal Video Recorders(PVR) with built in freeview tuners are sure to become a must in most households.The Topview is packaged with two tuners to allow you to record one channel while you watch another.With some nifty little features it is sure to be a viable alternative to Sky+ without the added expense of a monthly subscription(you just have to love the free aspect of Freeview especially in the current economic climate).
The Product-
As i mentioned above the TF5810 is a Personal Video Recorder or PVR for short which is fitted with dual Freeview tuners allowing you to record video and audio to a hard disk much like a video recorder used to do.With features like an electronic programme guide,HDMI output,digital audio output and a USB port the product is feature rich ...
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.
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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 ...
BNibbles 26.07.2005 (26.04.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Topfield TF5800T
