Customer Reviews:
 Only one tuner rather confusing manual good picture August 11, 2010
C. E. Carter (sheffield UK)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The normal way that people record programmes these days is, not using a timer, but using a the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide). This uses broadcast information about the time that a programme is due to be on air. Not only is this more convenient but, if the programme turns out to be broadcast at a slightly time, the change is relayed to the recorder so that part of the programme is not missed.
Unlike the hard drive recorder that I have used previously, the Toshiba RD100KB has only one tuner. This means not only that you cannot record two programmes which overlap, you cannot use the EPG to set one programme whilst another is in the process of being recorded. You can see what you have on the hard disk and what is scheduled to be recorded and you can set a programme to be recorded using old-fashioned timed recording. If you want to watch one programme whilst another is being recorded you can only do so through your television (assuming it has its own built-in Freeview tuner).
My second concern is that that I found the User Manual confusing. What I feel is needed, is a quick user guide for the simpler things you are likely to want to do. For example, in order to find out something as simple as how to record a future programme onto the hard disk and check that you have done it correctly you need to consult pages 11,27,28 and 34-37 amongst others. It is not that difficult as I explain below.
With the machine set so that you are watching television though the recorder (I think this is what is meant by the `STOP mode' in Toshiba terminology - not explained anywhere in the guide, as far as I can see) switch to the channel that your chosen programme will be on. Press the GUIDE button. Then move to the required programme using the navigation buttons on the centre of the remote. Now press one of the coloured buttons according to whether you want the programme to be recorded every day (red button) every week (green) as a set of programmes that may be recorded at different times and on different days (the SERIES button yellow) or just as a one off (the blue button - confusingly labelled TIMER). Press ENTER/OK (the centre button of the navigation area). A page is then displayed with the relevant information on it for the programme that you have selected. If it is a series a list of all the programmes in the series is displayed. Press (ENTER/OK) again to accept it and you are taken to the next screen. If you selected a series, according to the `user's manual' you should see as series icon; on my recorder (using the current software incarnation) you don't; you just see the first programme in the series, which makes you think that you have gone wrong. You have to press ENTER/OK again then select info before the icon appears. So not only is the instruction manual difficult to follow it is actually wrong in at least one place.
Having said all this the Toshiba is reasonable value for money, does give much better picture and sound quality than my previous, dual-tuner, model and you can also play DVDs with up-scaling and, of course, dump programmes to DVD media. However, I shall still be keeping my old two-tuner model which I had hoped would become redundant.
 Easy to use August 1, 2010
Dillon
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Very easy to set up and use, haven't yet copied from hard drive to disc yet but I'm sure it'll be as simple as all other functions.
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