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ALTECH UEC PVR9600 Triple Tuner 1TB PVR $141.29 plus delivery Dick Smith Online
Altech UEC PVR9600 Triple Tuner 1TB PVR $141.29 + Delivery @ Dick Smith Online
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rockycape on 19/11/2015 - 14:34 dicksmith.com.au (418 clicks)
Last edited 19/11/2015 - 15:07 by 1 other user
Last edited 19/11/2015 - 15:07 by 1 other user
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Glad your experience was better than mine. You are not alone in liking this unit.
It depends what you want from a PVR. If you don't push this unit, it should deliver the basics plus 6 program record & scheduling a whole series at a current bargain price .
And the Australian design team is active updating the software, so it will hopefully improve.
But as someone who's reviews have led to changes in design at one manufacturer, I noticed its flaws as soon as it started up. It usually takes at least a day before serious design issues are noticeable in cheapies, or weeks in top level units.
But it does show glaring design failings, that mean it had not been thought out well from the start. It looks like good hardware (it is a hardware company) looking for a good use, but not given to a competent design team to carry out the task.
You must not have owned many PVR's.
I bet even my Humax HDR-7500T beats the crap out of it.
The 2 are very different beasts for different uses / users.
boccos is very happy with this product. That's why I upvoted the opinion, although I think the PVR is very flawed.
One records 6 programs on 3 channels, stored to a 1TB drive, without many great features other than series record, the other can't record more than 2 channels to a smaller drive, but has the features ;-)
As I rarely need to record 3 channels, I know which one I'd prefer.
But I'm happy with a 1TB twin tuner with basic features at a cheap price, connected to 5TB of external HDD. It's been working flawlessly for nearly 4 years. Well I did contribute to its firmware development ;-)
On the rare occasion I need to record more than 2 networks, I start up my Homecast SD twin tuner with 160GB & no HDMI (good for basic docos or info programs I won't keep). I bought it in 2007 for effectively $35, after it was writen off under DS extended warranty.So I'm not picking on people with lower tech cheapies ;-)
And opinions change as we experience different products.
Typo in above comment… "2 channels" should have read "2 networks" etc.
Upgraded the ancient SD 160GB twin tuner PVR in DS sale. Got 1TB Panasonic twin tuner PVR for $10!
Remote was missing (existing Harmony works fine), but good networked unit (built in Wi-Fi & Ethernet), offering smart TV ability (comes with basic Apps like IView, SBS CatchUp for all those free movies), stores to external 2TB, & some nice features. Certainly not latest tech, but at $10 - a bargain.
This PVR is $89.
Worst PVR I've ever used - I've used over 20, many for reviews. It's really still in development stage with software. You need to download latest manual from their site, which reportedly is otn available sometimes.
It doesn't do what its says on the box! (eg No networking or Apps) Sold mine 2 weeks after purchase.
A very quirky design that may suit some that just want to record to internal HDD & play back. The basics show promise. Records 2 programs each from 3 networks at same time as playing recording or, watching another program on one of those networks.
Design flaws include:
Remote shares codes with LG TV's, so you need to request a replacement remote (took a week to arrive). Who designs a PVR that interferes with the TV it is connected to?? (eg muting PVR turned TV off!)
Despite having 2 rear & 1 front USB - wonderful in a PVR, when transferring files from internal drive you can only select the front USB from the choice of 3!
Won't access external HDD in my testing, only small USB memory devices - I tested to 32GB. Not much use with large file sizes recorded. So only much use for playing small files from flash drives.
In my tests, adding external HDD (1, 2, 3TB) caused the PVR to crash. (Connected when PVR was unplugged from power still froze PVR at start up.) You then need to unplug power & wait for unit to initial use.
Transfers recording to external device, rather than copying. Original copy is lost!
Files can't be moved back to internal drive, but can be played from external.
BUT, if you run short of space on external drive, it will report successful transfer, delete original - losing your recording entirely :-(
PVR is always on at full power, with HDD powered. That makes it probably the most energy inefficient PVR on the market.
That seems because it needs to update EPG for searching program changes. There is no way of not recording repeat programs, so you end up at multiple recordings of same program.Also it sometimes records the program after the program you set for series record.
Sound & vision were slightly out of sync.
The faults list is too long.
I have the LG problem also.. Is the replacement remote free??
Also sometimes the remote just doesnt respond eg when FF or RR the remote will then Jun to 32x after a big delay have you seen that also?
Just email them in Sydney (address in manual) & they send a free remote.
I had the unit for 2 weeks - 1 week waiting for remote, 1 week testing & deciding to sell.
(I was so pleased when it was gone. So I have tried to forget any other issues.)
Might be out of luck .. have emailed anyway ..
Contact Us
Altech UEC
Address:
Altech UEC Pty Ltd – Notification of Closure.Altech UEC regret to inform you that our company will be terminating operations in Australia as from Friday, 30th October 2015.
Accordingly, our office at 27 Sirius Road, Lane Cove West, will be closed as from this date.
Altech Multimedia, the parent entity of Altech UEC (UEC), is pleased to announce the appointment of NAS Australia as its Master Distributor in Australia.
NAS Australia contact details for UEC products are as follows:
Phone enquiries: (07) 3015 8790
Sales email enquiries: [email protected]
Service email enquiries: [email protected]
Logistics enquiries (optional): [email protected]E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 7 3015 8790
Fax: +61 7 3252 8541@droodle:
Ouch!
But I'm not surprised the Australian operations have closed. Cost of running local business (labour, design costs, etc) & lack of market penetration is death in business.It's website has been taken down numerous times, according to Whirlpool posts
The design seemed an expensive failure.
Try the whirlpool forum to find some one nearby who will let you copy their LG version remote - using a learning remote. Harmony have a database of remote codes for their remotes. I contacted them when a rare tv model wasn't listed. They searched the user database & uploaded all but one of the codes. I finally tracked down a store that sold the TV's & they let me copy the final code to the Harmony.
@droodle:
Complain to DS as they supplied a dodgy product. As they often sell cheap learning remotes, they should at least give you one.But ask at the new support email first! (Didn't notice that before)
So the response back from UEC has been positive - i contacted the support email and was replied to the next day by a director who asked for a pic of the remote, current version and LG version. I sent these off and got a reply 2 days later to say that they had identified the remote and would be sending a new one out in the next few days. That was yesterday so am still still yet to receive but have had excellent service so far.
Also future firmware upgrades were mentioned so this system may still have legs left.
cheers.
@droodle:
That's good news.
Remote will improve viewing pleasure.It is likely the firmware will still be developed, as discussion is continuing on whirlpool forum.
UPDATE: business has closed in Australia!
Potential lack of support & development is a definite reason to avoid this product which was still being developed!
small thread here, make up your own mind:)
When I reported what I found, I was quickly told no one was interested as they love their unit. I have contributed to the development of PVRs for a manufacturer.
So what is presented there may not reflect reality. Also covers earlier development issues with firmware.
Gday infidel do you have any recomendations for a basic set top box that supports mpeg4 and 1080p output? No inbuilt hdd required.
This PVR was a rare step back into the world of PVRs after a break.
So I would not know, especially with more plain SetTopBox you require.
Temporarily out of stock
Like the manufacturer!
Altech UEC regret to inform you that our company will be terminating operations in Australia as from Friday, 30th October 2015
So this goes by the old saying… "you get what you pay for"
This PVr is very good value for money and if you just want to use it as a vcr replacement and for timed recordings, it does the job really well. It can record 3 stations at once or 6 if each pair is on the same network.
Just to update my original comment. We own 3 of these units and not had any problems with any. At times we have recorded many programs at once without failure.
Sad to hear that Altech is no longer operating in Australia. The latest software is excellent.
Previously I owned Panasonic and Strong brand DVR's.We all have different uses for technology. What suits one may be terrible for another. Never had any issue operating the basic functions of scheduled record & playback with this unit.
Importantly the unit passed my standard torture test of recording maximum number of programs starting & stopping at same time. Many cheap PVR crash with too many recordings start / end at same time as processor struggles.
The features to set up recordings were better than any other PVR I have used (but I have not used the latest & greatest models). But recordings are determined solely by the EPG. You can't set a recording at a particular time. Pressing record on remote will record the current program from that point, unless you press stop. That is there are no manual settings (which many users would see as a great feature), it's schedule is set by the EPG, with good options to pad the program start/end times. When playing recording with say 10 minutes added to start & end, the program starts at the EPG start time, so you don't have to move forward to that, but can rewind back into the added recording time.
Series record uses program title to determine whether to record. That caused a few minor problems - also occasionally recorded program after one recorded, failed to record if there was slight addition to title, and no way to detect repeat programs (recording multiple copies of programs like SBS's 'The Feed'). But that's just a matter of being aware of the issue.
It was mainly the features that let this unit down. Freezing with external HDD, transferring rather than copying recordings - & losing recording in process if there wasn't enough space, etc.
But having the unit permanently on (standby only turns front display off & HDMI output off) is an almost unforgivable design flaw. (But it does not have the long boot time many PVR have because of it!)
The main thing is you enjoy it, for the use you have for it. You have experienced other PVR, so should be experienced.
Enjoy your PVRs :-)
Out of stock now anyway, but I bought one of these a few months back (it's cheap constantly, think I paid $160). It certainly has it's problems, but I've never missed a recording that I set. Having triple Tuners is very handy, considering I mainly only watch ABC and SBS. Yeah it probably won't last forever given the HDD is on 24*7, but I'm fairly happy with how it's been so far. If you check the Whirlpool thread there is apparently an update to the firmware on the way to hopefully fix a few of the bugs. I don't have use to plug in an external HDD and don't want to keep stuff, I generally watch things once and delete it. I can also use it to play back MP4's etc off a USB stick which is handy as well.
That seems what the designers had in mind - a PVR that detected EPG titles & automatically recorded them, with good padding features so you don't miss anything, and as many recordings possible at once.
The use of external storage was an addition (not even in original manual), so may be improved in firmware.
When I sold mine after 2 weeks, I checked it wasn't going to have HDD added. The buyer was delighted saving so much off the shop price & appreciated the test drive of the unit to understand it fully. I even added phone support for any issues.
But the demise of the company here does make future development a little uncertain, but comments on Whirlpool don't show any issue.
My testing of this unit showed it had a processor that could handle more than it currently does, the hardware is good, but the firmware isn't up to the new features.
Keep the unit well ventilated & cool to prolong its life. Heat is the killer of PVRs.
Constantly powered up is a poor design, but the external power pack is good & means it may last longer, reduces heat in the PVR, is easy to replace, & can be powered by 12V.
Enjoy the PVR :-)
Another avid ABC & SBS viewer ;-)
Just want to say thanks for the informative comments here.
I just got suckered into buying this is the Dick Smith clearance rush. Didn't do my usual research and careful purchase. Possibly regretting it now, but $89 isn't a bad price. Didn't open it yet, might see if they'll consider a return if I can find a better deal. Not sure that DS will accept a return though.
I know the feeling.
(Grabbed a $549 LG PVR / Blue-Ray recorder for $80. Too cheap to say no. But operation is primarily as a Blue-Ray / DVD player so firmware use as a PVR is poorly implemented. But there was no time to research after the price was scanned, so I bought knowing I can easily sell if not happy. Hello Gumtree!)
I bought a 1TB Panasonic PVR (no remote but no problem) in the DS sale at Carindale for $10 as backup PVR & am very happy with it. A well designed unit from a good manufacturer, which will last but won't be that exciting - just record 2 programs at once & store to up to 2TB external HDD. Replaces one of my older PVRs.
I grabbed this PVR for around $99 recently - as many on the Whirlpool forum like it, although I still don't understand why. At the price I knew it would be easy to sell on, which I did.
But if you want to just use the internal 1TB HDD, record up to 6 programs from 3 networks with excellent padding of start / end times & don't want to store programs… it's good value for what you paid.
Go beyond that & you are hoping future firmware development will save you. And that is a bit up to the receivers of the business…
So you haven't tried it??
We've had ours about 4 months does exactly as described and records 3 channels at once. Have had excellent after care service as the remote conflicted with my LG TV and received my new remote this week FOC.
Look forward to the new firmware
Good you are enjoying the PVR. It has its supporters and does a good job in basic use. And thanks for giving a viewpoint of a user who is happy with this PVR (now you've got your remote).
But…
Distributor / support is in receivership as we know. That does cast a shadow over this product.As for needing to supply a remote due to poor original design… You should never have to ask & wait for a piece of hardware to be sent to solve a known design issue. (Lucky you did receive it!)
I've never heard anything like it before. How they released a product which shares remote control codes with a major brand of TV is almost unbelievable. That should have been picked up early in design process, rather than worked around by sending out a free remote!
Cheap PVR & other electronics may share codes with similar equipment, but not with the 📺 it needs to operate with.
Sorry, but after teaching good design principles in IT at Uni it is hard not to see the obvious design flaws. At best I would tell a student to start again, rather than add on new features.
I view it from the perspective of many years of PVR use & assisting in development of firmware. Just using a device like this, I can understand the underlying design process that led to the product - and its not a pretty process here. I am used to quickly spotting flaws in design, and this has been one of the worst I've seen, but the hardware has great potential.
Granted, mine is a very different perspective to that of the average user. Each user will have slightly different uses & requirements. If the product fits those, ultimately that's all that counts for that person.
Great value here. Best TV recorder I have ever owned.