Topfield PVRt 5000

Without doubt, this is my most favourite gadget of all. I cannot believe that more people in Australia haven't caught on to the Topfield.

This gadget is a Digital Set Top box that also contains a hard disk drive to record your TV programmes. But if you think this is just an improvement on the VCR, then you are wrong. It is much more than this.

A VCR is a dumb device that will start recording at a set time, and finish recording at a set time. It is limited by the need to use Video Cassettes as the medium, and its inability to interact with a programme guide. There are devices on the market that replace the old video cassette recorder with either a recordable DVD or a basic HDD. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE - THEY ARE A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY!!! The real benefits come when (and only when) you can access an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) for the device and when you get true dual tuner capability. If you cannot load and use a full 7 day EPG with the device, and cannot record 2 channels while watching a previously recorded programme - DO NOT BUY IT.

Why I like the Toppy

The Topfield PVRt 5000 is a very special Digital Set Top Box. Why? Well I'll tell you why.

It has an inbuilt Hard Disk drive. The current model is 120 GB meaning you can record over 60 hours of TV to watch at your leisure. It is possible to upgrade the HDD to any size that you can buy. Many people do this, but tend to wait until >12 months (after the warranty expires), as doing so voids your warranty.
It has 2 inbuilt SD digital TV tuners meaning you can record 2 programmes at the same time.
You can watch another programme at the same time that you are recording 2 other programmes.
You can skip over TV commercial breaks with the push of a button. You never have to watch commercials again.
You can pause live TV - not that I ever watch live TV anymore. Why would you when you have a Toppy!?
The Topfield has a very strong user community that writes custom software to enhance the way the Topfield operates.
You can access an Electronic Programme Guide from various places on the Internet, and when combined with the right software, your home PC can automatically programme your Toppy to record all your favourite programmes without your intervention. The software I use even sends me an email at work to tell me if there are any recording conflicts.
You can download your recorded programmes from the Toppy to your PC and turn them into DVDs

How to get the most from it

Get onto the Topfield forum and start to learn about what you can do with your Toppy.
Read the newbie guide at the Toppy Forum.
Get TED/S; what ever you do, get TED/S. TED/S is software that sits on your PC, it harvests an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) from the internet (various sources - free or subscription) and then programmes your Toppy to record your favourite programmes.
Get a wireless IceBox to connect your Toppy to your WiFi PC network. There are 2 versions, IceBox 1 and IceBox 2. The main difference is that you can copy recorded TV programmes from your Toppy back to your PC using the IceBox 2, but you can't with the IceBox 1. The IceBox 1 is now superceded so you can only buy it second hand. You do not need to subscribe to IceTV to be able to use the IceBox. You can use TED/S to get a free EPG from the Internet, however from time to time there are problems with this approach (ie it stops working). Personally I am happy to pay the small fee to IceTV to know that it always works.
Get some TAPS (Topfield Application Programs) to enhance the features of your Toppy. I have provided a list here of the taps that I personally use.

Progress Bar Keys	This is a must have TAP. It enhances too many features to mention on this site. Just get it - you shouldn't be without it.
Improbox	Not essential, but it sure does improve the look and feel of the Toppy information bar that appears when you start/stop recordings and change channels. Nice to have.
JustEPG	This is a much improved Electronic Programme Guide viewer for on screen display. It allows you to see what is on every channel at once (like looking at TV Week) and also allows you to create a timer to record any show you like. Must have.
Little Clock	Just a tiny little clock that sits in the top left hand corner of your TV screen and tells you the time.
TF5000 Display	The Topfield 5000 PVRt has a basic 88:88 display - that's it. The clock only displays when the thing is turned off, and the display provides very little information. This is where TF5000 Display comes in. It turns this tiny little display into a fully featured display. It can even tell you the name of the programmes you are recording. Must have
Free Space Bar	When you look a the list of your recorded programmes, it shows a bar chart inidicating how much free space is on your hard drive.

You can get many more taps from the following tap download sites
http://www.topfield.cc/index-e.html
http://tonyspage.abock.de/

What to tell your wife

she wont have to watch TV commercials ever again.
she will never miss McLeod's Daughters when she is talking on the phone.
she can record her favourite TV programmes that are on late at night, and watch them at a time that suits her
Tell her that if after a month, she doesn't agree it is the best thing since sliced bread, you will ..... [add your own content here]. Don't worry, she will love you for it.

Useful Links

Upgrade your Toppy HHD
The Topfield Australian Forum
Topfield Website