We watch TV on a Panasonic 42" TH-42PWD6 plasma and the Toppy gave far better picture quality from what we had been used to. It was instantly better than the Panasonic TUCT-100 we had before, and I'm not going to mention the Pace years. We used to use a Sony VTXD800U to provide a freeview signal to our analogue DMR-HS2, and this picture was always good, but the Toppy is even better. It isn't just about picture quality with the Toppy, with some TAPs loaded the box is really easy to use and works effortlessly with the Beo4 once you've overcome the Toppy "white button" to Beo4 mapping decision. 

Our setup is a bit compromised at the moment as it is a SD plasma and the simplest way I could get the BS3 to connect its DVI was via a new and more modern board for the Plasma. When we were waiting for the B&O kit to turn up we tried out the Toppy via RGB Scart and were impressed with the picture quality and even after the BS3 scales SD broadcasts up to 720p and the DVI board/TV back down to 480p its still very good (albeit with the introduction of stuttering fast motion, mostly noticeable on sideways scrolling credits - but not the Toppy's problem as it wasn't there when direct connected)

I'm waiting for B&O's Full-HD screen offering (BV4-50?) and the Blue-Ray/HD-DVD solutions to settle, ideally a DMR with BlueRay and HDD/DVD-RAM/DVD to emerge, and then decide whether the increase in pixels is as good as it should be. I'm thinking about connecting my PC to the screen and I think for Photo viewing and possibly using/editing on the PC, Full-HD offers some potential benefits.

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped, B&O is not convinced about the dvd format as a valid storage media nowadays, so they are already looking at the blu-ray/HD-dvd/media cards as new storage options.

HDR2 will be the only external hard disc recorder for the moment.

 Anyone else can confirm?

DVD 2 will look very similar in appearance to the HDR 2. 

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped

I have seen the DVD2 referenced on B&O dealer's intranet site. We looked and there is no specs, the page is blank, but it is referenced. Dealer think it will be here rather soon.

The DVD 2 specs page 2.

HTH 

The DVD 2 specs page 3.

HTH

Looks like there is a tuner, as there is an RF in and out.

I like the Firewire IN as well.

Lots of connections, a departure from the minimalist connections of the HDR2.

 I want one of those...

Thanks Pedro !

 

Bingo:

With only a analogue tuner, it is not of any use.

In Holland, we don 't jave analogue terrestrial broadcastings anymore and the cable  companies are also switching to digital.

In England it is also all freeview.

I wonder what kind of people invent such a thing as the DVD 2.

 

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped, B&O is not convinced about the dvd format as a valid storage media nowadays, so they are already looking at the blu-ray/HD-dvd/media cards as new storage options.

I only wrote the exactly words that my dealer (very serious and reliable one) told me in May 5 2007, and I trust him.

Santiago:

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped, B&O is not convinced about the dvd format as a valid storage media nowadays, so they are already looking at the blu-ray/HD-dvd/media cards as new storage options.

I only wrote the exactly words that my dealer (very serious and reliable one) told me in May 5 2007, and I trust him.

 We trust you, nothing personal here, but B&O cannot stay that long without a DVD player.

I still hope your dealer was wrong and that they bring that DVD2 out soon. Time will tell.

 

 

So, the DVD2 has the same size hard-drive as the HDR2 plus it also includes a DVD drive for a similar price. Why would anybody chose the HDR2 over the DVD2?

 Ian
 

Interesting that it has Guide Plus on - trying to work out which manufacturer it is from! I would guess Philips!

On the intranet site, there were a mention of a japanese brand, toshiba I think.

You may be correct, but it has a lot of the features of the Philips DVDR7300H  and the back panel looks identical. I dare say B&O have put in their own menus but otherwise, what do you think?

What's Hot Quick TV time shifting, HDMI and 1080i support, loads of great features, 250GB of storage space What's Not Analogue tuner, unfriendly menus. The Final Word The Philips DVDR 7300H would be one of the best hard disk recorders on the market if it came with a digital tuner, and the lack of it turns a great product into a mediocre one. Here's hoping a future release will see a digital version, and an update to the not quite user friendly menu system "and the lack of it turns a great product into a mediocre one." a £2,000 mediocre one , oh well i thought brussels were outlawing the production of tv's without integrated freeview ? it's a digital world now , analogue is SO last century

I should point out that I have no real inside info about this - just a calculated guess!

Flappo The Grate:

What's Hot Quick TV time shifting, HDMI and 1080i support, loads of great features, 250GB of storage space What's Not Analogue tuner, unfriendly menus. The Final Word The Philips DVDR 7300H would be one of the best hard disk recorders on the market if it came with a digital tuner, and the lack of it turns a great product into a mediocre one. Here's hoping a future release will see a digital version, and an update to the not quite user friendly menu system "and the lack of it turns a great product into a mediocre one." a £2,000 mediocre one , oh well i thought brussels were outlawing the production of tv's without integrated freeview ? it's a digital world now , analogue is SO last century

 The is no digital tuner, but it will be able to record from the one inside the TV. No as good as an integrated tuner, though...

The menu is unfriendly, but chances are that there will be a B&O menu.

Santiago:

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped, B&O is not convinced about the dvd format as a valid storage media nowadays, so they are already looking at the blu-ray/HD-dvd/media cards as new storage options.

I only wrote the exactly words that my dealer (very serious and reliable one) told me in May 5 2007, and I trust him.

Well, I've talked today with my dealer today, he is very sorry for give me the incorrect info, and I'm also sorry to diffuse here the old incorrect info guys (in fact the blame to the commercial B&O department), and finally the DVD2 will be coming out very soon.

My dealer is so embarrassed about this episode that he will swap my brand new HDR2 for the first coming DVD2 for free.

Best regards.

Santiago:

Santiago:

Santiago:

Latest news from my dealer:  the DVD2 project has been definitely stopped, B&O is not convinced about the dvd format as a valid storage media nowadays, so they are already looking at the blu-ray/HD-dvd/media cards as new storage options.

I only wrote the exactly words that my dealer (very serious and reliable one) told me in May 5 2007, and I trust him.

Well, I've talked today with my dealer today, he is very sorry for give me the incorrect info, and I'm also sorry to diffuse here the old incorrect info guys (in fact the blame to the commercial B&O department), and finally the DVD2 will be coming out very soon.

My dealer is so embarrassed about this episode that he will swap my brand new HDR2 for the first coming DVD2 for free.

Best regards.

Not sure I would do that! I think the HDR2 offers a bit more in some ways than the DVD2. I think there is definitely a case for having both! It may interest you to know that the HDR2 will be more expensive than the DVD2. I put this down to the HDR2 being quite a bit more flexible. I suppose I would have favoured a dedicated DVD-R device that would simply add on to the HDR2 but with the ability to play Blu-ray or HD-DVDs as well. I dare say once one of the formats is widely adopted, we may see such a device.

From what I read, I do not think the DVD2 will be as limited as you think, Peter.

Santiago, has the dealer got the retail price? (got to start saving!) 

wtlc2zpx:

From what I read, I do not think the DVD2 will be as limited as you think, Peter.

Santiago, has the dealer got the retail price? (got to start saving!) 

Sorry but not retail price at the moment, he assured me that he doesn't know yet. 

But he has given to me a printed DVD2 user manual (65 pages)...so I'll see tonight all what this new DVD2 can exactly do and compare it with what my HDR2 does at present.

please tell us a.s.a.p. what you find out!

Rombeek:

please tell us a.s.a.p. what you find out!

DVD2 only stock 42hours in the hard disc using high quality mode, versus 59h for HDR2 with the same HDD capacity, surely the HDR2 video compressor card is better.

DVD2 has not STB-C fitted for external tv decoders. 

DVD2 dvd player don't read Divx. 

Result: DVD2 has no interest for me at all, definitely I'll keep my HDR2.

So you lose 17h recording time - But you gain a DVD drive

Regarding the STB-C situation - What does that mean exactly - It can't record a digital signal (from an external box)? What about the built-in DVB-T card?

Ian