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Digital TV? Do it yourself
Although some people enjoy the challenge of sloshing paint around and wrangling with tiles, the attraction of DIY for most is that it can cost less than hiring a professional.
Similarly, those with a lot of technical know-how sometimes like to build their own computers, as doing so can be much cheaper than buying a complete system.
The same people might be tempted by Maplin’s latest product: a hard disk Freeview recorder that buyers must put together themselves.
The recorder costs just £60, but in order to use it you’ll also need to buy a hard disk to go inside. It uses 3.5in hard disks, the kind found in most desktop computers. Confusingly, though, there are two kinds of hard disk: IDE and Serial ATA. This recorder only works with the older IDE type but the good news is that these are cheap: a 160GB disk costs around £35.
Fitting this disk inside the recorder was impressively easy: there’s a hatch on the bottom of the device, and after fixing the disk into place with the provided screws it was as simple as plugging in two cables. After screwing the hatch back into place, the recorder is ready to use.
Unfortunately, this was where our troubles started. After turning on the recorder we were surprised to hear the hard disk inside starting to spin – we assumed this would stop momentarily, but instead it kept going. And here’s the problem: most desktop hard disks are noisy. Inside a PC case the sound is usually muffled, but this recorder’s thin case does little to block the constant whining sound.
This is a shame, as the recorder itself works reasonably well: there’s an electronic programme guide (EPG) to schedule recordings and select programmes to watch, and with two tuners it’s possible to watch one show while recording another. Ultimately, though, the biggest problem with this device is that it’s not particularly good value.
When a ready-made Top Up TV 160GB recorder can be picked up for about £100, there’s just no reason to build one yourself. To read our review of the product, click here.
Our verdict
Good points: Noisy when in use Not good value Bad points: Good EPG Two tuners Overall: Annoyingly noisy and not very cheap
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a good idea
I was looking for reviews of this product as Maplin have dropped the price to £39.99. The major advantage of a unit like this over other PVRs is that you can swap the drives out easily when they are either full (I hit capacity on my 160gb drive recently) or when you want to copy to PC to keep the programme. At the moment i have to disconnect my Humax from the TV and audio, carry it up to the room where my PC is, plug it in to the USB, download the files to PC (takes a long time, and you have to check the filenames beforehand) then disconnect carry back downstairs and hook everything up again. Disappointing about the noise but if the reception, picture and sound quality are good then it may be worth £40 as a second pvr.
Posted by Caroline Monroe, 12 Jun 2008
Compatable
Will the files be PC compatable?
Posted by Rob, 02 Dec 2008
Not up to the job
I purchased this as I though the price was great and I had a spare 250GB drive. It is truly awful and after 24 hours returned it. The EPG is the only thing that is a ok (just). The set-up screens are fairly straightforward. Recording was very poor - broken image mot of the time. I tried various drives as I though there may be a fault with the first one. Same result. My advice would be to save yourself £40 - this unit just isn't up tho the job.
Posted by Hugh, 20 Dec 2008
hmmmm jury still out
As I have built my own pc s for some years now this looked like a cheap way of upgrading to a new freeview box with twin tuners and a recording/pause function. (My wharfdale box just suddenly died after 3 yrs. After I opened it up out of interest, I found a small area scorched and a chip (stamp sized ) split open nearby, heat damage I assume.) I purchased this Maplin barebone for £39.99 about 5-6 weeks ago from maplins mailorder. I had a spare 20gb ide drive so thought that will do for the mo. Turned out it was dead so managed to get a 2nd hand 80gb for £20. As the reviewer said, easy to install, the cover slid off/on, no screws and just the ribbon and power cables to connect. Don't know if it was just mine but the ribbon cable was a bit on the short side. It could have done with being 2 " longer to make things easier. The picture glitches occasionally, I have checked aerial and its leads, it was ok with the wharfdale for 3 yrs ! Over the last couple of weeks every morning half the channels will have disappeared, if I do a scan I get them back but it takes about 5-10 mins, which is hardly convenient to have to do every day ! Having checked and tried different leads including the scart leads. I decided to see if things improved if I ran it without the HD in. No difference after 4 days now still the same problems. As the reviewer said its not exactly silent either. I tried a spare 8gb drive and that was noisy as well. When I removed the 80gb I nearly couldnt hold it it was so hot. None of my harddrives get anywhere near that hot when I have taken them out of computers. I guess with it constanly recording with the pause tv function, the HD is constanly in use where as in a comp a fair bit of the time it sits idle . Also in the freeview box theres hardly any room around the HD, the vents in the cover are underneath, hot air rising of course has nowhere to go except around the HD hence it gets very hot ! Bad design there. Also today flicked the TV on terrestial BBC1 normal picture, put the 3view box on BBC1 everything had a purple haze ( feel a song coming on ) switched back to terrestial normal pic again, then went through the few 3view channels I have left, all had got this purple hue. I phoned the mailorder line and asked if I could return it to a local maplins and exchange for another one, the lady said yes ! whether the shop staff will help, I will find out tomorrow ? I am hoping I just got a duff one and that the replacement is ok : ) we will see ??
Posted by dave, 23 Jan 2009
Further to "hmm jury still out"
Hi back again for a follow up. To give Maplins there due, my local shop did replace it, initially with a returned one. As I was given the box I suspected it wasn't new and when I opened it leads untied, battery in the remote etc, anyway I made sure the next one was new ! Not that that actually helped. Connected it up initially without the hard drive to make sure that wasn't a factor. Auto scan found the channels and over the next 4-5 days same old problems, kept losing channels. Once while watching Dave for about 5 mins suddenly it just dissapeared and didn't return until an auto scan had been completed. Other channels dissapeared in the same manner BBC1 BBC2 ITV CH4 CH5 Virgin SKYNEWS and so it went on there seemed to be no pattern. OOh what channels I wonder will dissapear today ! The signal strength on any of the channels has always been between 98% - 100% so I don't believe its due to a weak signal. The EPG personally I haven't found to be brilliant, most of the time most of the channels it would say "no event" occaisionally it might deign to inform what was on, and the menu systems are not particuarly wonderful. To find some positives when the EPG was working ok, I found that setting up a recording was fairly easy as was finding watching and deleting. This 2nd box still has that same problem re the pink/purple hue, weird still can't work out how or why this is happening, As I said before the terrestial tv picture is fine, anybody any ideas? Tommorow I will be going back to maplins for a refund. I feel I have given it a fair crack so to speak and have now had enough. Sorry Maplins before I have always been impressed with your products and prices but not this time. Dave : (
Posted by dave, 03 Feb 2009