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Which RTV to buy 55xx, 50xx, 4xxx

1787 Views 38 Replies 19 Participants Last post by TBP, Jan 29, 2004

CCJ

Discussion Starter · Jan 19, 2004

I am using a Showstopper unit and want to upgrade to a newer RTV unit. I am unsure if the latest series -- 55xx -- is my best bet or should I look for a deal on a 50xx or 4xxx. I don't mind upgrading a unit.

I want DArchive, a remote that works, a unit that doesn't stutter and skip, component out, and a unit that doesn't heat up like 3 Mile Island.

Any suggestions regarding size and subscription?

CCJ

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1 - 20 of 39 Posts

Bigjohns

· #2 · Jan 19, 2004

5040. hands down.

Your showstopper remote will work it.

and you can JP1 program it (see robman!)

and you get IVS, etc. and it's upgradeable!

John

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CCJ

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 19, 2004

Hate to ask a dump question but what is JP1 and IVS. I take it that the 55xx's disk cannot be upgraded.

Bigjohns

· #4 · Jan 19, 2004

any 5xxx series can be upgrade.

IVS = internet video sharing. If you miss a show due to conflict, power outage, etc., you can get it from somewhere else.. ( www.poopli.com )

DVarchive - copy or move shows to your computer to save them, edit out the commercials, (use reVue) and burn them to cd/dvd. Or just use it for more storage... you can view the shows from your PC (or any PC on your network) and / or the RTV5040...

I think DVarchive works with 5500, but not certain. I love my 5040 'cause in the 3 weeks i've had it I've missed 2 shows due to conflict and had them sent to me over my broadband connection! it takes a day to do a show, but it's all in the background!

John

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joesc1

· #5 · Jan 19, 2004

DVArchive works fine for the 5500 series replays. The only difference between 5000 and 5500 series replays is the lack of commercial advance and IVS. They were removed from the 5500 series, although there has been talk that reimaging the 5500 drives with a 5000 image will re-enable those features.

CCJ

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 19, 2004

Does IVS affect program sharing between two Replay units on a LAN or just units connected by the internet? If I have two homes and want to share programs between RTVs at both homes is getting two 5000s a better choice? Do the 5000 units come with component output? Finally is a 5160 considered to be a 5000 series model?

I've been reading other threads about the IVS issue and the 55xx work around. Seems a little bit on the bleeding edge of hacks.

CCJ

Ace987

· #7 · Jan 19, 2004

IVS only affects sharing over the Internet, so getting 5000s is better than 5500s if you want to send/receive shows over the internet.

5000s and 5500s have component output.

A 5160 is in the 5000 family and has both CA and IVS.

CCJ

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 19, 2004

Besides the issues mentioned, are there any other differences between the 50xx and 55xx such as build quality, reliability, etc? From what has been discussed here and in other threads the 50xx units really do seem to be my best choice.

CCJ

CCJ

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 20, 2004

Any other differences between the 50xx and the 55xx besides commercial advance and internet video sharing?

CCJ

Ace987

· #10 · Jan 20, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by CCJ
Any other differences between the 50xx and the 55xx besides commercial advance and internet video sharing?

CCJ

Not really. There is a input button instead of the commercial advance button on the remote, but that's just a sub-difference of the CA vs No CA thing.

There is also the variable speed fan on the 5500s, but supposedly the newer 5000s also have it.

CCJ

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 20, 2004

I guess my choice is clearly to get a 50xx if I can find one.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

CCJ

chinman

· #12 · Jan 20, 2004

I've got a replaytv 3060 w/ 120hr upgr (free lifetime activation) for $430 obo if anyone is interested. email [email protected]

frogster

· #13 · Jan 20, 2004

The whole key is finding one. Ebay is the only place selling them although some radio shacks carry them. However, the shack's prices are quite high.

Quote:

Originally posted by CCJ
I guess my choice is clearly to get a 50xx if I can find one.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

CCJ

chinman

· #14 · Jan 20, 2004

Frogster, email [email protected] and leave a contact phone number.

I may have a 5080 for sale.

davester2

· #15 · Jan 20, 2004

"Do the 5000 units come with component output?"

Do not use this "feature", unless you have a non-digital TV. I was mislead by the component output feature, and hooked up my 5040 to the component inputs of my Sony XBR HDTV-ready TV, resulting in a crappier picture than I had previously. The problem is that when a digital TV receives a progressive RTV component output, it turns off a lot of the image-processing responsible for the improved picture on the TV. The solution....use the S-video hookup instead. That produces the best picture on a digital TV. There's also an entry in the RTV FAQs regarding this issue. It's really annoying that the RTV manual does not point this problem out. They really should allow you to configure the component output to send an interlaced signal that would not disable your TV's image processing features....d'oh!

Gai-jin

· #16 · Jan 21, 2004

I was just out at best buy tonight to pickup another tivo, and stumbled across the display model 5040 selling for 150... they knocked it down to 125, with remote and power cord only. Check around with local stores, maybe yours has one still sitting around.

Gai-jin

Hover

· #17 · Jan 21, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by davester2
"Do the 5000 units come with component output?"

Do not use this "feature", unless you have a non-digital TV. I was mislead by the component output feature, and hooked up my 5040 to the component inputs of my Sony XBR HDTV-ready TV, resulting in a crappier picture than I had previously. The problem is that when a digital TV receives a progressive RTV component output, it turns off a lot of the image-processing responsible for the improved picture on the TV. The solution....use the S-video hookup instead. That produces the best picture on a digital TV. There's also an entry in the RTV FAQs regarding this issue. It's really annoying that the RTV manual does not point this problem out. They really should allow you to configure the component output to send an interlaced signal that would not disable your TV's image processing features....d'oh!

That sounds alot more like the "feature" of your tv causing the problem rather than the output of the replay's. What happens when you connect up your progressive dvd player using it's component cables? Is it a flaw in the dvd player that your TV shuts off all of it's features? Just wondering...

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ReplayLyndon

· #18 · Jan 21, 2004

The replaytv doesn't cause any "features" to be shut off. When you use the component out, the ReplayTV handles the line doubling. When you use one of the other outputs, your TV handles the line-doubling. If your TV has a better line-doubler than the ReplayTV, then Svideo will look better than the progressive out in some cases.

davester2

· #19 · Jan 21, 2004

Then is the Replay TV FAQ wrong? All I know is that the picture quality using component outputs is terrible and jittery compared to either direct coaxial or S-video outputs. To answer Hover's question, the progressive DVD player component output looks fantastic. The main issue I have is that the ReplayTV instructions don't give any hint that perhaps you shouldn't use the progressive inputs with a digital TV. Here's a quote from the FAQ:

"Yes, the ReplayTV transmits a progressive scan signal and the menu system and picture is very crisp. However, the digital video that is stored on the hard disk has been sampled from an interlaced signal and the ReplayTV does not further process this video. The result is that when the video is played through the Component Output to a digital TV, you see the original interlacing from the source MPEG movie file.

Digital televisions usually incorporate a technique called line doubling or deinterlacing when taking input from an interlaced signal. This technique combines parts of the next frame with the current frame to remove interlacing, the visible flickering that you see. However, when a digital tv receives a 480p component signal, it turns off this processing as it assumes that since the source signal uses progressive encoding, it does not require any reprocessing.

Switching to the SVHS input turns this processing back on. The SVHS signal is interlaced and requires line doubling to be displayed well on a digital tv.

So in effect, the progressive scan feature only applies to the menu system, freeze frames, and picture viewer. The videos that the unit records will contain interlacing inherent in the source and though its transmitted through the progressive scan output, the frames are still interlaced. This makes the "progressive scan" output somewhat useless unless your TV has a way to line double component inputs, or you can accept the jitter inherent to interlaced video"

Perhaps at a future time Sonic Blue may add a line doubler feature to the MPEG encoder, or to the decoder when the video is played through component outputs. Without this, the progressive scan output will continue to transmit the interlaced mpeg video, which will result in a flickering picture"

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frogster

· #20 · Jan 21, 2004

I have the component outputs connected to my projector and it yields a superior picture for some shows and yields no noticeable difference for other shows. It does very well for HDTV recorded shows.

1 - 20 of 39 Posts

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