Topfield TRF-7160 PVR

A versatile Topfield PVR with two digital TV tuners, USB and Ethernet

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User Reviews:

Douglas

0.5

1

Pros
The unit which runs hot
Cons
No cons as it's a DUD
• • •

I had mine and seem to have all of the above faults at some time, suggest not to buy this unit and once down at the Company headquarters for repairs unable to speak to a service person after hanging on for 20 minutes to find where it's at.

Boofs Dad

5.0

2

Pros
Excellent unit, Intelligent record, usability, networking, simple menus
Cons
Small buttons on remote
• • •

Such a great unit I bought one for my wife too. The first I purchased years ago did not come with intelligent record, but when the second did, I looked on the Topfield website and downloaded the software upgrade, installed it and now both have the feature - too easy. Those things which people complain about are easily solved, or people obviously expect too much. The blue light at the front was easily hidden by black electrical tape cut in a doughnut shape. It is easy to get files onto and off the box using the USB (I have an extension so I can easily do this, as port is on the back) or FTP to & from my PC. Subtitles work (ensure that the .srt file has the same filename). The buttons are small (I would like them to be bigger), but you regularly use just a few, one is big, one is yellow, one is blue, one has a red square on it. Even for an old guy like me, that's not too difficult. Oh and if you set the yellow button correctly, you don't have to watch adverts. 4 program recording is available based upon 2 receivers, so obviously it would not take a techno geek to understand that only 2 channels can be received. I think Simmo needs to have an electrician check out his house, as there is probably something more sinister than just a PVR issue withing his 4 walls.
There are also extra features available via TAPs from the Topfield Community.
We are so happy with the Topfield TRF 7160s, it has been so easy to change the way we schedule our viewing of programs that we like. We recommend the Topfield to everyone.

Anne

1.0

3

Pros
Nothing
Cons
TRF7160
• • •

My unit is just out of warranty and has started pixelating and skipping bits of what I have taped. I found that this seems to only happen with programs recorded after 11pm, so don't know if this is a signal problem or the unit itself, but it is very annoying. Does anyone know how to fix this problem.
Also I agree the remote needs a major overhaul the main buttons that you use are so small and not well marked.

David

4.5

4

Pros
excellent
Cons
awsome
• • •

The Volume control does not work on the digital channels, everything else is good....

Jim PConnor

4.0

5

Pros
Does what we want, what we bought it for
Cons
As below
• • •

The most annoying thing is the fact that after you have advanced the recorded picture, the bloody SOUND says goodbye!! You have to rewind a couple of seconds and then it picks up the audio again. Any ideas anyone?

Christo

0.0

6

Pros
Non that you would not expect from a cheap PVR
Cons
unreliable
• • •

EPG has not worked from day dot, it keeps jumping forward and backward and stops working, it seems to have a mind of its own. I am so frustrated that I too would like to just throw it in the bin. I would love to just take it back to the store and get my money back. I tried the firmware upgrade, it helped a bit but still have no confidence that the program will record. I have a cheap recorder that I use if I need to record somthing urgently. The recorded programs are not stored in any specific order and the recording name could be the program befoere or after what you recorded.

Kevin

3.0

7

Pros
not much
Cons
same again
• • •

how do you delete of the topfield TFR-7160, PLEASE HELP

James

0.0

8

Pros
nothing
Cons
external drive not found
• • •

Impossible to get recorded shows off the internal hard drive. Manual refers to options not available on the screen.
Avoid.

Keryn

1.0

9

Pros
Simple to use
Cons
Poor remote
• • •

I have been using my 7160 for only one day and the remote has stopped working altogether. Disappointing as up to this point I had found it to be a good product.

Fiona

0.0

10

Pros
ws fun while it lasted
Cons
dying after 3 weeks
• • •

Worked well for three weeks, although scrolling through the EPG and skipping back in time was very annoying however now it's pretty much had it! Seemed to have lost my recorded programs, turned it off a few times, didn't even recognise the remote. Error - do you want to format???? all data will be lost... NO, couldn't access recorded programs at all, now I can and they're skipping all over the place. WIll take back to the shop and ask for something better. Rubbish!

kibo

3.5

11

Pros
problem free so far!!!
Cons
cant get Seagate hd to work with topfieldtf7100
• • •

pretty happy im not very tech savy but unit much easier to operate than my previous Olin pvr sure ill work out how to get seagate to cooperate

terry

0.0

12

Pros
not a TRF-7160
Cons
trf-7160
• • •

wOULD HAVE TO BE THE WORST PRODUCT WE HAVE EVER PURCHASED

Marilyn

2.5

13

Pros
nothing
Cons
USB PORTS
• • •

Should be a USB Port on the front of the TRF 7160. Or have I missed some thing!

Kathy

0.0

14

Pros
7160 topfield
Cons
Topfield 7160
• • •

Waste of money first my topfield recorder keep skipping forward rang up and was top to fix it from a link they gave me lucky I have I teenager that understands what need to be done that fixed it for a whole month wow now it's coming up componet one and screen goes black every five minutes this is a piece of crap so possed off I wasted my money I feel like smashing it against a wall

Brian

4.0

15

Pros
ease of use
Cons
subtitles
• • •

I'm hard of hearing and subtitles do not work on this device. Any ideas ?

Ian

1.5

16

Pros
Nothing
Cons
Poorly designed remote control and menu system
• • •

The most commonly used buttons on the remote are right down the bottom so you almost need two hands to operate the remote. The buttons on the remote are tiny and you need to look at the remote (ie look away from the TV) to select the corerect button before pressing. Other systems have a much easier remote.
The menu system is complex and difficult. Other brands have a much easier and intuitive menu system. Who designs a system that uses the blue button for delete in one menu and the green button for delete in another? Topfield could learn how to design an intuitive and user friendly system by looking at their competitor's product.

frank holland

1.5

17

Pros
Multichannel record
Cons
Lack of NTFS support
• • •

As a basic recorder it works. The thing I found really hard was to work out how to get recordings of over 2 hours onto a USB stick or my PC. Tried to cut a file into smaller chunks to handle the Fat32 file size limitations---horrible. "do you want to cut or save this portion"? Save of course said I and it trashed the remainder---not obvious!!
It runs hot.
Way overpriced given the deficiencies.
Ideal for the Linux Geek.
No manual entry for TAPs which might be used to save the user interface.
Not pleased

Corey

2.0

18

Pros
Anything else
Cons
Topfield trf-7160
• • •

Hi,

I would agree with the above, avoid this PVR. It was great when we first got it, then you notice all the frustrating things, the EPG guide jumping backwards hours, sometime days is very annoying, and this is after the firmware upgrade. We are now experiencing Krys's issue with the skipping forward, which makes the unit completely useless. I'd rather have a video player.

Peeved

0.0

19

Pros
Blue light
Cons
TRF7160
• • •

Forgot to mention the remote. Cheap little thing with tiny little buttons and oh yeah it stopped working after a week. Box says Quad recorder but will only record from 2 networks that makes it a twin tuner dosent say that on the box. the media player is a joke not sure why they bothered. to listen to MP3 you have to open the folder with files then select a file play it and then when its finished you navigate back to the parent folder and select another file to play. will only play one file at a time. most definitely the worst media player in the whole wide world. Should have called it a single song player.

Peeved

0.5

20

Pros
Ability to record 2 channels
Cons
Everything else
• • •

I Bought this piece of crud as because the guy in the shop said it was the best on the market but for some reason I keep getting the urge to smash it as i scroll down through the EPG and instead of seeing what shows are on now i end up seeing what was on 4-12 hours ago. Scroll across 8 hrs or so to the current time then down once more and back 3 hrs WTF. I have a 30 dollar STB that is 10 times better in EPG What a lazy crappy piece of programming. Dont believe the skip adds on series Record thing on the box either the guy from TOPPRO said that just means you can jump your way through them or FF (der fred). 2nd rate Product and misleading features on the box.

simmo

0.5

21

Pros
BLUE LIGHT
Cons
power issues
• • •

my 7160 is broken again, if the power is turned off in any way, whether black out or other it will not restore, I have had a new board put in it and now it is out again after 1 week, in fact tonight i believe it caused the blackout in my house. Thanks topfield, i have had nothing but issues with what could have been a great product, please get it fixed ASAP

PeterT

4.5

22

Pros
Remarkably easy to initialize
Cons
Blue LED on front is distracting
• • •

Worked straight out of the box.
Does all I could want.
Even came with an HDMI cable in the box.
Manual well written but could use larger remote button symbols.

Randy Holmes

4.5

23

Pros
Only had it for an hour - too early to tell.
Cons
Remote buttons are fiddly.
• • •

I just bought one and the EPG (and everything else) has worked straight out of the box.

Are you sure you had it switched on?

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