- Full freeview and USB play back!
- Record TV straight to a USB device or hard drive!
- Picture: BMP, TIFF, PNG,GIF, JPEG
- USB HOST: USB 2.0 high speed; Support FAT32
- Video: MPEG-1 (AVI, MPG, DAT), MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI, DivX, XviD)
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Product Description
At a glance the Xenta DB-18 doesn't look like anything special - its the standard
black box - but scratch beneath the surface and some of the specs are impressive. Not only does it offer full freeview and usb play back it can record tv straight to a usb or hard drive
Supported Files:
Video: MPEG-1 (AVI, MPG, DAT), MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI, DivX, XviD)
Audio: Wave, AAC, WMA, MP3
Picture: BMP, TIFF, PNG,GIF, JPEG
Input Interfaces:
USB HOST: USB 2.0 high speed; Support FAT32
Specification
1 scart connection
auto/manual search
Multi language OSD menu
Parental control
1000 channels
7 day EPG
Slim line remote control
Supported Files:
Video: MPEG-1 (AVI, MPG, DAT), MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI, DivX, XviD)
Audio: Wave, AAC, WMA, MP3
Picture: BMP, TIFF, PNG,GIF, JPEG
Input Interfaces:
USB HOST: USB 2.0 high speed; Support FAT32
Specification
1 scart connection
auto/manual search
Multi language OSD menu
Parental control
1000 channels
7 day EPG
Slim line remote control
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
This small Freeview set-top box has the capability to record television programmes to a USB memory stick. The box is good value for money - but it is inexpensive! It will not record radio programmes. The method used to set any of the 8 timers for recording is a bit obscure, and other reviews (elsewhere) have noted recording problems if the box is left in standby rather than switched on. The box does not incorporate a UHF modulator, so it must be used with a television with a SCART connector.
The manual is not well written, but the box (and its remote control) has several features which pleasantly surprised me. There is a recall button to swap between channels ("back" would have been a better name), and a freeze and zoom facility. The box only has a single tuner, and does not have the capability to replay while recording. The box will store all TV channels in the correct order, but it takes some effort to find the menu choice to make this happen.
I recommend this item as a set-top-box for a second TV, with its record facility as a bonus. Recordings are in mpg file format.
The manual is not well written, but the box (and its remote control) has several features which pleasantly surprised me. There is a recall button to swap between channels ("back" would have been a better name), and a freeze and zoom facility. The box only has a single tuner, and does not have the capability to replay while recording. The box will store all TV channels in the correct order, but it takes some effort to find the menu choice to make this happen.
I recommend this item as a set-top-box for a second TV, with its record facility as a bonus. Recordings are in mpg file format.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
I bought this for £20 delivered out of curiosity at the facilities offered for the price rather than expectations of high performance.
It is a real pig to work out the sequence of controls, but once done it is an adaptable recorder, although it does have the habit of truncating a number of recordings to a few seconds. You also, as elsewhere stated, can't put it in standbye and expect it to work as a recorder.
However, unlike other USB recorders, it does build files up to 4 gbytes before starting a second file, and once you've worked out the interface with the daily style EPG, is quite adequate at installing a pattern of future recordings, although you do periodically have to ensure it hasn't crashed.
One thought I had is that if you are going away and dont want to miss a recording it will slip into your luggage very easily to be set up to record while on a UK based holiday.
Remember to play back in Movie mode to avoid the annoying REC symbol on the screen.
Perhaps a great gift for a teenager going away to University as long as it comes with a 16+ gbyte memory stick?
AN ADEQUATE RECORDER IN A FORMAT FULLY ACCEPTED AS INPUT TO A COMPUTER FOR £20! - I'D GIVE IT 5 STARS FOR VALUE FOR MONEY IF IT WASN'T FOR THE PERVERSE CONTROL SYSTEMS AND VERGING ON POOR PICTURE QUALITY!
It is a real pig to work out the sequence of controls, but once done it is an adaptable recorder, although it does have the habit of truncating a number of recordings to a few seconds. You also, as elsewhere stated, can't put it in standbye and expect it to work as a recorder.
However, unlike other USB recorders, it does build files up to 4 gbytes before starting a second file, and once you've worked out the interface with the daily style EPG, is quite adequate at installing a pattern of future recordings, although you do periodically have to ensure it hasn't crashed.
One thought I had is that if you are going away and dont want to miss a recording it will slip into your luggage very easily to be set up to record while on a UK based holiday.
Remember to play back in Movie mode to avoid the annoying REC symbol on the screen.
Perhaps a great gift for a teenager going away to University as long as it comes with a 16+ gbyte memory stick?
AN ADEQUATE RECORDER IN A FORMAT FULLY ACCEPTED AS INPUT TO A COMPUTER FOR £20! - I'D GIVE IT 5 STARS FOR VALUE FOR MONEY IF IT WASN'T FOR THE PERVERSE CONTROL SYSTEMS AND VERGING ON POOR PICTURE QUALITY!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Although to describe the Xenta as a "PVR" is perhaps over-egging things (it has no Freeview+ functionality so if a programme runs early or late you just miss it..), but bottom line is that it will record (about 10 hours on a 16GB USB stick) and is priced lower than many simple freeview decoders. RGB picture quality with a good scart link is, on my set, beyond reproach.
It is of course (as BernardG describes very well) a bit wacky on the user friendliness front, with an enigmatic user manual. It also frustrates me because it is so close to being even better: you can for example play mpg video files from any other source, not just the Xenta's own recordings (Great!) BUT it will only see mpg format files. So you can't watch MP4 or flash videos from your pc/internet unless you first transcode them to mpg with the resulting loss of quality. This means it's not really what it is so close to being as well as a "nearly PVR", i.e., a media streamer.
Still, I feel a bit mean giving it only 4 stars in spite of the obvious limitations. Why? The obvious, amazing, value....
It is of course (as BernardG describes very well) a bit wacky on the user friendliness front, with an enigmatic user manual. It also frustrates me because it is so close to being even better: you can for example play mpg video files from any other source, not just the Xenta's own recordings (Great!) BUT it will only see mpg format files. So you can't watch MP4 or flash videos from your pc/internet unless you first transcode them to mpg with the resulting loss of quality. This means it's not really what it is so close to being as well as a "nearly PVR", i.e., a media streamer.
Still, I feel a bit mean giving it only 4 stars in spite of the obvious limitations. Why? The obvious, amazing, value....
Most Recent Customer Reviews
OK for 2 months - then it died
.
Key fact: >>>After just 6 weeks of use it locked up and died one morning<<<
Summary: Potentially good but unreliable and quirky - only buy this if you... Read more
Key fact: >>>After just 6 weeks of use it locked up and died one morning<<<
Summary: Potentially good but unreliable and quirky - only buy this if you... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Cosmicomics
dont buy it
brought this just after xmas
installed ok and found all the channels
picture was good - but kept jumping very intermittent - showing bad signal (when my other tv's are... Read more
installed ok and found all the channels
picture was good - but kept jumping very intermittent - showing bad signal (when my other tv's are... Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Bradshaw
It records but is very basic
I purchased this along with a 1.5TB Samsung external hard drive and intended to use this purely for recording films & TV series. Read more
Published 4 months ago by JezB
Querky but great value for money
Works really well although the user interface is a little crude. The freeview tuner is not as sensitive as my Sony stb or Pana tv, but with a good signal works well. Read more
Published 6 months ago by John Ovenden
Xenta Freeview receiver and USB recorder
I have been using this box for about 6 months now. Personally, I wouldn't buy it again based on the experience that I've had.
Pros:
1. cheap
2. Read more
Pros:
1. cheap
2. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lamont Young
You get what you pay for
I was impressed at first with the ease of setup.Then the problems began.
First the unit does not work unless you point the remote control directly at it from a range of 4 feet... Read more
First the unit does not work unless you point the remote control directly at it from a range of 4 feet... Read more
Published 7 months ago by P. DRAPER
A bargain at 13quid on ebuyer
At [] quid, this is a bargain. The remote Infra Red takes some getting used to and isnt always very responsive. Read more
Published 8 months ago by TableWolf
You get what you pay for....
Great price for this gizmo which allows you to record Freeview onto a USB drive in mpeg format. But I have to agree with the other reviewers - the user interface is AWFUL. Read more
Published 9 months ago by SYMON
So near . . .
The other reviews have captured the spirit of this wee device - it does what it says on the tin for an amazing price. Read more
Published 10 months ago by On Anon
Xenta DB-18 Loving it and Loathing it in equal measure
I bought this on the basis of it being able to record onto a USB memorystick rather than an internal hard drive and because of its amazing price. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. T. C. Johnson
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