The Topfield TF6000PVRE is a PVR receiver with an Ethernet interface, allowing recordings to be accessed and managed remotely over a home network or internet connection. It has reliable hardware and a user-friendly interface carried over from previous Topfield models. A key innovative feature is its support for third-party applications through an open TAP interface. Testing found strong performance except for weaker signals below 2Mb/s. The Ethernet interface provides fast transfers of up to 1Mb/s for conveniently accessing recordings away from the receiver.

1. TEST REPORT Satellite Receiver
Topfield TF6000PVRE
The first Topfield with a LAN interface
If you have ever tried to transfer a record- with this type of connection, so it is not the introducing the TF6000PVR, the first PVR
ing from a PVR to a PC you most likely had method of choice for all users – particularly, equipped with WLAN. TELE-satellite pre-
to use a USB 2.0 connection. Unfortunately if the PVR and the PC are located in differ- sented this receiver with a test report in issue
there are limits to the transmission capacity ent rooms. Some months ago South Korean no. 192.
and above all to the maximum cable length manufacturer Topfield offered a solution by
Now there is the same model The remote control that comes possibility of manual LOF configu- rect time signal over satellite, it
with an Ethernet interface, with the settop box is of top qual- ration. is possible to block out individual
hence the suffix E in the model ity and features cleverly laid out transponders by limiting the auto-
description. On the outside, the and clearly labelled buttons. The Thanks to using two fully inde- matic clock adjustment to certain
new receiver looks just like the included Topfield manual gives pendent tuners it was possible in pre-defined transponders.
TF6000PVR and the TF5000 PVR detailed explanations regarding our test to combine two totally
Masterpiece, because Topfield all functions of the box and guides different antenna setups. Tuner 1 We have come to expect a fan-
has opted for the same elegant you through all the settings that was connected to a DiSEqC motor tastic channel switching speed
case. The front panel comes with can be configured. A whole chap- while tuner 2 allowed quick chan- from Topfield and this receiver
a VFD display which includes the ter is dedicated to configuring a nel zapping as it was connected to makes no exception: less than
channel number, channel name, network router in connection with the 14 receivable satellites on our a second after selecting a new
receiver status and an indicator the TF6000PVRE. Wavefrontier antenna. Once the channel both audio and video
showing the number of record- initial setup is completed we turn are perfectly in sync. Thanks to
ings.
Everyday use to filling up the channel memory,
which is a little on the low side
the two individual tuners two
events can be recorded at the
The box comes with an 80 GB If you’re not happy with the with capacity for only 5000 chan- same time while a third live or
hard disk, which allows for 40 to English on-screen menu all you nels. recorded event can be watched.
50 hours of stored material. The need to do is choose another lan- The on-screen menu and the user
hard disk is so silent you hardly guage. The available options are Then again, the extremely interface have been taken over
notice it’s on. On the back panel German, French, Italian, Spanish, quick channel search made up from the Topfield Masterpiece and
we find all our usual suspects, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Danish, for this limitation – with an 80- TF6000PVR, which – according to
which include two LNB inputs with Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, transponder satellite it took only our opinion – was a good and wise
looped-through outputs, three Polish and Finnish. This Topfield three minutes with activated net- move because this way Topfield
RCA sockets for stereo audio and receiver supports DiSEqC proto- work scan. Of course you’re free guarantees consistency and uses
video, an S-Video socket and a cols 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 (USALS) to select a manual search, if you an OSD that has proven its worth
component output as well as an which means it can be used with so desire, and for the die-hards again and again in earlier tests.
optical audio output, an RS-232 a simple multifeed antenna just among you there is even a manual
interface and a USB 2.0 inter- as well as with a DiSEqC rotating PID input available. Like all receivers we test the
face. dish or a Wavefrontier antenna TF6000PVRE had to demonstrate
with 16 LNBs. The receiver’s system set- its reception skills under less-
Major functions like standby, tings allow various types of video than-perfect conditions. Unfor-
audio volume and channel switch- Unfortunately the pre-stored output, including CVBS, RGB, S- tunately, it was not able to lock
ing can be controlled with the satellite and transponder lists Video and YUV for PAL or NTSC. into our SCPC test transponder on
help of five buttons on the front are not fully up-to-date so, if In this menu, you can also adjust EUTELSAT SEASAT 36° East with
panel, and the usual two CI slots required, some entries will have the automatic configuration of the a symbol rate of just 1 Ms/s. It
are located behind a flap. The CI to be configured manually. The integrated real-time clock which takes some 2 Ms/s for the box to
slots accept all conventional mod- TF6000PVRE is fit for the C and keeps the correct time even after lock into a signal successfully and
ules like Irdeto, Seca, Nagravi- Ku bands and even exotic LNBs a power failure. As there are some to process it flawlessly. Very weak
sion, Cryptoworks, Viaccess, etc. need not worry you thanks to the providers which transmit an incor- signals are less of a challenge for
TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com

2. the TF6000PVRE as it passed tests
with BBC on Astra2D in Munich and
using the RS-232 interface, using
a USB connection or conveniently
TECHNIC Manufacturer Topfield, Seongnam, Korea
DATA Fax +82-31-778-0801
EUROBIRD2 in Vienna. What we did via satellite.
E-mail inquiry@topfield.co.kr
not like, however, was the fact that
Model TF6000PVRE
the signal and quality meter deliv-
ers unreliable values at times. Network Function Digital DVB-S PVR receiver
with Ethernet interface
The perfect overall picture of interface Channel memory 5000
this receiver is rounded off with The single most innovative Symbol rate 2-45 Ms/sec.
the built-in teletext decoder feature of the TF6000PVRE is its SCPC compatible yes (> 2 Ms/s)
and the user interface which Ethernet interface. The receiver USALS yes
is thought through to even the supports the DHCP protocol DiSEqC 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
smallest detail. The TF6000PVRE which means the TF6000PVRE
Scart euroconnectors 2
can also take over as an MP3 can automatically obtain an IP
Audio/video outputs 3 x RCA + 3 x RCA YUV
jukebox, playing songs that have address from a router or can
UHF modulator no
been transferred onto its hard manually be assigned a perma-
disk using either the Ethernet nent IP address by a user. The S-Video yes
or USB interface. MP3 files are box comes with an integrated Component output yes
played back without a glitch and web server and an FTP server, 0/12 V connection no
there is even the option of creat- both of which allow accessing Digital audio output yes
ing personalised playlists. the box from a local area net- LAN yes
work or even from the Internet.
EPG yes
Thanks to the so-called TAP Using an example configuration
C/Ku band compatible yes
(Topfield Application Program) the Topfield manual explains in
interface Topfield is the first man- detail which settings have to be Power supply 90-250 VAC, 50/60 Hz
ufacturer to allow a truly innova- selected so that remote access
tive feature on its receivers: TAP can easily be established.
is an open programming interface
which amateur or professional On a PC that is connected to
software designers can use to the Internet all you have to do is
develop their own little applica- key in the receiver’s IP address
tions which can be run on the in the browser’s address field and
receiver. immediately the receiver’s web-
page will appear on screen. This
So far, there are dozens of tools is the Topfield webpage some
Main menu SCPC reception
for various fields of application and might know from the TF6000PVR.
ranging from the permanent dis- Apart from deleting and renaming
play of the time on the front panel recordings on the receiver’s hard
and changes to the display all disk it is also possible to copy
the way to creating an automatic recordings from the receiver to
bookmark whenever the playback the PC. In addition, timer entries
of a recorded event is stopped. Of can be added, edited or deleted
course professional programmers and recordings can be started or
have come into the picture by stopped. A status display shows
now as well, resulting in alterna- the current operating mode of
EPG LAN settings
tive program guides being avail- the TF6000PVRE.
able which include managing the
archive of recordings and many The integrated FTP server
other little gadgets that address allows easy access to the record-
specific features of the PVR and ings that are saved on the receiv-
make using the TF6000PVR even er’s hard disk. Either anonymous
easier. access can be selected to only
download files, or personalised
On the Topfield website www.i- access to download and upload Access the TF6000PVRE via Editing timer entries with the
topfield.com the company offers files like MP3 songs, for instance. the Internet using the receiv- receiver’s webpage
the free Vega software for edit- For personalised and password- er’s webpage
ing the channel list on a PC. All
channel list data are read out and
protected access a user has to
be defined on the receiver who is
Expert conclusion
transferred to a PC via the RS- granted rights to read and write +
232 or USB interface, are then on the hard disk. Thanks to its tried-and-tested concept the
conveniently edited on the PC TF6000PVRE is a technically mature and very reliable
and later transferred back to the In general we were impressed PVR receiver for the whole family. With the appro-
receiver’s own channel memory. with the network features of the priate cabling the Ethernet interface can be used to
If you want to copy recordings TF6000PVRE, just as with the access the receiver from other rooms in the house or
even from the Internet, if a new timer entry needs to be Thomas Haring
from the receiver’s hard disk to TF6000PVR in the previous test. TELE-satellite
a PC using the USB 2.0 interface The transfer speed of the Ether- created during a holiday, for example. Another exam- Test Center
Austria
you can use the Altair file man- net interface comes up to 1 Mb/s ple is to play and watch files directly from receiver.
ager. under normal conditions. The workmanship and the overall impression are immaculate, as we
have come to expect from Topfield.
As Topfield places great empha-
sis on continually improving its
This even allows a unique fea-
ture of this Topfield: you can play
-
none
receiver software there are three and watch files in the receiver
ways of updating the software: directly via the PC!
TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com