Saturday, September 24, 2011

brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR with 320GB HDD Built-in, EPG Supported - Black


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Brite-view, BV-980H, Digital TV Recorder (ATSC HD PVR Settop Box), 320GB HDD built-in, EPC, Clear QAM

This review is from : brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR with 320GB HDD Built-in, EPG Supported - Black
Brite-View OTA HD DVR . Probably like several other users, I heavily rely on digital OTA channels and netflix to feed my TV in the daily life. I found brite-view DVR might be a choice since it supports EPG schedule recording and usb port for increasing recording capability.

First, I have only used it for few days so I wasn't able to test out all of the features but I did get to test out the basic ones. Here are some thoughts:

1) the size,weight and built quality is decent enough.

2) user manual is not that useful and you probably need to download newer version on their website.

3) after finish initial setup, you have to press "menu" button on the remote to scan TV channels.

4) remote control is not really responsive.

5) it takes between 5-10 secs to load EPG and you can view detailed program description from EPG.

6) video quality is good. (I am using RCA ANT1650 with BV-980H)

7) takes too many steps to play my recordings under file management. (got the email form them and they will add shortcut on the menu for ME :)

When I emailed and called technical support to ask how I should scan OTA channels from 980H (not showing on instruction), they also told me they will update new firmware to fix some bugs and improve the performance by end of July. So far, it works as advertised to get 4 stars. I will wait for their new firmware and upadte my review later.

brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR with 320GB HDD Built-in, EPG Supported - Black Reviews
Has great potential if they fix user-interface and bugs. Returned mine. . I think this high definition single-tuner hard disk recorder was a great concept on paper, but I think it was rushed to market before the user interface was thoughtfully created and tested. I ordered one and tested it extensively for two weeks, and ultimately returned mine. Mine got returned MOSTLY because it was apparently defective (so said brite-View technical support when I explained the problem I was having -- which was that it was not receiving a solid signal, so my video had pixelation in it, which in turned interfered with successful recordings -- recordings would end unexpectedly midway through recording). And no, I didn't have a bad feed or bad wiring. All my other digital devices (1 HDTV and 2 other digital recorders) worked flawlessly.

I was using the unit to record not from antenna, but from cable TV (it will work with either). It does work well (assuming you don't have a defective unit like mine apparently was) to record "QAM" digital cable TV signals -- that is, HD cable TV signals that are not encrypted by the cable company and do NOT require a cable company set-top box to be connected to your digital recorder or HDTV. I am just a "basic cable" subscriber and do not need/use a set-top box. My cable company (as many/most do) provides unencrypted HD channels of all the local broadcast TV channels in my area, plus a few others like community access channels. All that with no set-top box and for "only" about $20/month.

My unit's defect notwithstanding, the unit made beautiful HD recordings (when it could lock onto the cable signal).

However almost everything else about USING the unit was difficult. The menu's are not thoughtfully laid out and it takes lots of navigation to get from one feature to the next. The process of scanning for available channels, and then customizing your own list of usable and favorite channels is buggy and unfriendly. It took me LITERALLY 4 hours one evening to customize my channel list after an auto-scan of my cable feed.

Even simply trying to "channel surf" while watching live TV through its own tuner or while setting up a timed recording was frustratingly slow. It takes 2-3 seconds to go from one channel to another, so if you need to flip through 10 channels to get to another channel you want, you better not be in a rush -- it could take you 30-60 seconds or more, just to change the channel! The "favorites" channel feature would help speed up that channel changing process -- if it worked properly, which it does not.

Setting up timed recordings (and then later retrieving the successful recordings) are also more difficult than any other recording device I've ever used. First of all, all timed recordings are set using military time. If you are unfamiliar with military time, you have to keep making the conversions in your head (or use a cheat-sheet which I created) just to get it to record at the right PM hour (what real time is "17:30" again??)". Then finding the resulting recordings in another section of the menu system is difficult, because the resulting displayed file names are written/formatted in techno-geek code (again including military time references in the recordings' file names), and again you have to do some mental decoding to interpret which file is which. Nowhere in the set up and then the recording of programs can you simply enter the program's actual name for easy reference. This unit is nowhere even close to the ease of programming of say Tivo (the gold standard), or even of Windows Media Center, or how my Panasonic digital recorders work. Even 1980's era VHS recorders made program recording easier!

So, even though the unit makes an excellent actual recording of an HD signal, I have to give it a thumbs down ultimately, due to its other many shortcomings in its user interface. If you don't care about an easy-to-use intuitive interface, and are a VERY VERY patient individual, you might actually like this recorder.

If you are seriously considering buying this unit, I strongly recommend that you first read through the "AV Science Forum" which has a long thread of discussion about this unit from those who've purchased it. Google "AVS Forum" and then at site, search "BV-980H."
brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR with 320GB HDD Built-in, EPG Supported - Black Opinions
Bite-View BV-980H digital video recorder . Great recorder. Has some software improprieties that will probably be fixed in software updates. Of special note is that it records HD in HD and SD in SD. You can't select to record HD in SD to extend recording capacity. File Management (playback) is buried under "Record" an illogical location. It doesn't turn off after scheduled recording. Suggest you keep sleep timer set at default 4 hours so it will eventually turn off. Expect these bugs and others to be fixed in software update. Once you figure out how to use it, it works great. Picture quality excellent.
Brite-View DVR . Works as described. Finding my first recorded show took a little hunting around on the menu. The rest of the menu is pretty easy to understand. I had the Brite-View set-up within an hour. This is my first DVR so I cannot compare it to other brands. The Brite-View has recorded every show without fail. The drawbacks are: 1/ It turns on automatically for the recording of the show time, but stays on till the timer shuts it off 4 hours later. 2/ You cannot transfer recorded shows from the hard drive, you have to erase shows to make room on the hard drive. 3/ It automatically records each show in their native level of definition set by the television station. Some shows could be recorded in a lower def if that were an option, without loss of quality, to save space on the hard drive. That being said, I think the Brite-View DVR is a good product. It does what it says it does, recorded your television shows so that you can watch them later.
One option also consider the DTVPal or CM7000 . This looks like one option, but one should also consider the DTVPal or CM7000 DVR, the former of which I have. Those units lack the reported QAM cable DVR capability of the BriteView but have dual tuners to allow recording two programs or watching one and recording another simultaneously. More importantly, those units have more time on the market, more firmware updates and bugs fixed, and more user community support. It's good to see more options in this area though.

Cons Review
Not recommended . I tried two of this item & neither was satisfactory. I returned the first one for a replacement. Now I am returning the second one for a refund. Both units had the same problems. The timer record function on both units was unreliable. They would often fail to record the scheduled time frame. The sound was also a problem. There would often be no sound when playing a recorded program or when viewing real time. I could get the sound to come in by toggling the source button on the remote (can not toggle this during play back, so I had to make sure the sound was working before starting play back.) This is not a game I wanted to play. The unit is not user friendly. It takes too many steps to find & play a recorded program. When viewing the list of recorded programs, there is no thumbnail preview. There is no provision to delete multiple programs at one time. There is no provision to lock (protect) a recorded program so that it does not accidently get deleted. These are the most irritating problems. There were more. I do not recommend this product.
Great idea extremely poor execution . Great idea, extremely poor execution.I would only recommend this to someone who wanted to waste time and money. I returned mine.Some of the problems:1. Manual is nearly worthless. Eg, does not tell you how to play back what you have recorded. No support contact info in the manual.2. The firmware that came with the unit is aweful. Must have been a 7th grade school programming project.3. The firmware upgrade is not that much better. Must have been an 8th grade school programming project.4. Could not get it into Pacific Daylight Savings time. No matter what I did, it would never show the right time. Finally gave up and let it be Pacific Standard time. This required a lot of conversion just to set up a recording time.5. Twice I left the unit alone for a couple days. Turned on the TV. Unit had locked up on its own. This required a reboot by unplugging power.6. Rebooting from turning power off and on caused some of the programming to disappear.7. Program guide that loads on the screen is slow to load and slow to respond to the remote control.8. Support is pretty much non-existent. My second call was never returned.There is a need for a high-quality device to record over-the-air TV. Whichever company can actually make it happen will be a big winner. The company that put this device together is unlikely to be the big winner.Interestingly, LG made an LCD digital TV with a built-in DVR that gets program information over the air. A friend has one of these and uses it only with over-the-air TV and it is fantastic. It is an LG 42LD1DR. Why LG does not produce a stand-alone digtial receiver with DVR is beyond me, because they obviously know how to make it work well.
not worth the cost . After cutting the cable and switching to over the air i was looking for a device that would easily record television shows. I didn't want a monthly fee and this device seemed to be what i was looking for. I was disappointed. My opinion as follows:
pros:
1. digital tuner
2. plenty of space for recordings and the option to record to an external hard drive
3. compact size and no unnecessary flashy blinky light things

negatives:
1. The remote control - appears very cheap. light as a feather. and nearly all buttons are round making it difficult to navigate in the dark.
2. non user friendly menu screens - seems difficult to set up recordings and navigate for the playback. they are also slow to respond.
3. No documented way to easily transfer files from the installed hard drive to a external drive
4. only 1 tuner so cannot record and watch something else at the same time


i would not recommend this device for the money.
Patience patience patience . I looked for ages for a indepent DVR and already am thinking I should have looked longer.
The brite-view is very slow to boot up and react very late to the remote which makes you think you diud not press the button and so press again to onloy end up where you dont want to be.
Set up a recording is tidious. You loses the sound connection between watching two shows or switching between show and recording once and a while.
Changing channels is slow.
Manual channel edit is totally useless since it does not accept digital channels input.
When autoscanning for channels all channels are put in the channel list even the ones that are encrypted and not viewable. On top of that all channels are considered favorites. So in order to browse the channels you actually can receive you will have to go through the channel list and set one by one the ones not viewable to skip manually. I still have sour thumb from doing that!!! And after a firmware update you have to do this all over again!
This DVR is not for average joe
With the latest firmware update sound only works when you set up the device to play 480p (when using hdmi), 720p also works but only when you hook up straight to the TV (I have a 1080p TV). Sound does not work when set on 1080i or HDMI auto.
I am not really unhappy with this purchase and customer support based in USA has to contact the Taiwan one for everything and anything I wish I could retund this without losing money!!!
It gets the job done... barely. . Written October 24, 2011: It gets the job done... barely. It does some things very well: I can't tell the difference between the original broadcast and a recording.If you record to a USB Drive, you can move the USB drive to a PC and play the recordings back or (using your own software) burn a DVD for your Aunt Millie. (You have to set-up the USB Drive recording in advance, it`s not possible to copy programs between the internal hard drive and a USB drive after the fact.)If the power fails: The settings and recording schedule are remembered. However, after playing with the brite-view bv-980h for just a couple hours I found...Live TV
---------- The info button displays the Date/Time, Channel Name, Program Name and etc, but does not display the Episode Description. (The Episode Description can be seen from the EPG by highlighting a program.)If you pause Live TV: When you start to play again, a large overlay banner is displayed at the bottom of the screen until you exit the time delay function.: Really annoying.While recording a TV Show from the schedule , a large overlay banner is displayed at the top of the screen: Very annoying if you want to watch a show while it is being recorded.Electronic Programming Guide (EPG)
-----------------------------------------------I *assume* that all single tuner DVRs must tune to each channel to retrieve that channel's guide information. That would explain why it takes about 15 seconds to display each 6-channel page of guide information. However, the brite-view makes this issue worse, because:
1) It does not remember *any* EPG info. If you page forward, then back, you still have to wait 15 seconds for the first page to reload. It should remember the entire guide for at least an hour.)
2) It uses the tuner to display the currently selected channel (It should use the tuner to retrieve the EPG info for the *next* page.)
3) You can not jump to a channel within the EPG by entering the channel number on the remote. Obviously, you should be free to jump anywhere within the EPG by entering the channel number.)
4) It does not have page-up/page down keys. If you want to display the next page, you have to press the Menu Down key six times, and each time, you have to wait a couple seconds while it tunes to that channel. (The channel up/down keys should move a single channel. While the menu up/down keys should move an entire page.)I can receive 30 channels. Working as fast as I can, it takes me almost 2 minutes to bring up the guide and page down to the last (fifth) page.While viewing the Electronic Program Guide, you can set a recording by highlighting a show and pressing the record button. However:
1) There is a bug: If I page backwards from the first page to the last page, then highlight a program on the last page and press record: It will record the wrong channel. (It will record the channel from the same position on the first page, not the channel from the last page.)
2) There is no way to record a series from the EPG. (You can schedule a single recording, exit the EPG, go into the Menu and change the scheduled recording from single time to repeating Daily/M-F or weekly. That process takes about 15 to 20 button presses.)
3) If you attempt to record a program that has already started, you will receive the message "Date/Time not feasible". (You can record a program that has already started by pressing the record button from Live TV.)
4) You can not tell what shows are scheduled for recording from the EPG (After pressing the record button, a red dot is initially displayed in the episode description area, but the dot is lost as soon as you move off the episode.) Menu System and Settings
---------------------------------In my time zone (EST), it's not possible to set the clock to the correct time. Manually changing the time has no effect. Turning Daylight Savings Time (DST) on and off has no effect. There are only 6 Time Zones to select, EST is the east most. The Automatic Time set is off by an hour. At least people in other time zones can correct the time by setting the box 1 time zone to the east.It takes *seven* button presses to display the list of recorded shows. (There is a nice big "Source" button that toggles between Live TV and Video In. It should rotate between Live TV, Recorded Shows and Video In.)Editing the Favorite Channel list has no effect. It's not possible to go directly between the EPG and the Menu. (You have to exit to Live TV, then enter the other.)The menu button is not consistent. It should always toggle between Live TV and the home screen of the menu. However, if you are viewing the list of recordings (a menu sub-screen) it will toggle between that and the home screen of the menu.Remote Control
--------------------There is no button to directly access recordings.The EPG button is small and buried amongst the skip forward and skip backward controls. Conclusion
--------------The bv-980h was released over 6 months ago, and there have not been any firmware updates. brite-view should show some pride in their product and fix some of these issues.============================================Update: I could not take it anymore. I'm returning the DVR. Instead, I'm going to use my office PC as a DVR. My Office PC has an HDMI output. Also, I already have a USB ATSC tuner and a media center remote control. I've purchased a 25 foot HDMI Cable ($5), and a 30 foot Active USB extension cable ($12), I'm going to run both cables from my office into my basement celling and into my living room.Wish me luck!


Feature brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR with 320GB HDD Built-in, EPG Supported - Black

  • Brite-view, BV-980H is designed for recording over-the-air (OTA) digital TV with 320GB HDD built-in & EPG
  • 320GB HDD built-in that can record up to 450 hours of SD content or up to 39 hours of HD contents
  • EPG (Electronic Program Guide), Time-Shifting function, Closed Caption Support and Parental Control With just a click
  • ATSC and Clear QAM Digital TV Reception & Energy Star Qualified
  • Easy Firmware Update To update firmware, users simply opt for the USB firmware update.
  • It is not tied to a cable or satellite service
  • You can scroll down the program guide and see "what's on", making it easy to pre-schedule the recording of your favorite show




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Product Details

EAN : 0874409003302
UPC : 874409003302
MPN : BV-980H
Brand : Brite-View
Color : Black
Weight : 3 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 14 inches
Width : 8 inches
Binding : Electronics
Manufacturer : Zinnet, Inc.
Model : BV-980H
Publisher : Zinnet, Inc.
Studio : Zinnet, Inc.

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