T4 Upgrade Options and Considerations

[Bill Smallwood]

Dear Aficionados,

I've been a very satisfied BWZ owner since 2007. First with the DP-S1 and since 2015 with the excellent T4, but I'm puzzled about where to go from here, so would value some expert guidance.

• Is there an obvious next step towards newer technology, functionality, or refinement from the T4?

• What advantages and or disadvantages do the obvious upgrade path offer?

Your thoughts will be appreciated,

Bill

[MrQuade]

• Is there an obvious next step towards newer technology, functionality, or refinement from the T4?

• What advantages and or disadvantages do the obvious upgrade path offer?

The only current model in production is the V2 and there have been no announcements of any succeeding PVRs as of yet.

The V2 is a bit of a departure from the T and U series. It uses a chipset that is more like those that are used in mobile phones, and while the interface and the essential PVR aspects all look the same, the underlying capabilities are quite a bit different.

The V2 is a lot more powerful than the T4, and can play full 4K HDR videos, and output them as 4K HDR.

It can also run Kodi as a plugin, which is generally considered to be an app that runs on more flashy media devices.

The biggest difference though, is that the V2 is sold as more of a budget PVR than the T4. It doesn't have any space to install an internal harddisk, but you can plug a harddisk in externall via USB. It does have a MicroSD slot that you can populate and use as a harddisk, but space will be a bit more limited.

The V2 also only comes with dual onboard tuners, but can be expanded to 4 tuners by using an external dual USB tuner dongle (currently limited in stock).

The V2 lacks a HDMI input, and only has a basic 7 segment display for a front panel as opposed to the T4's OLED screen.

It is a much simpler unit that does away with some of the extras that are less frequently used in the interest of keeping costs down.

The V2 can run different firmware than what is available from Beyonwiz, but it is developed overseas for a primarily European market, so some of our local enhacements are missing. You get some bleeding edge features, but have to put up with a few rough edges as a result.

Something V4 more akin to the T4/U4 would probably be a welcome addition to the product line, but nothing like that has been hinted at, and I'm not even sure if the currently available PVR chipsets would even support all those features any more.

[gibster]

So any competing manufacturers have anything comparable to the T4? I haven't really checked, and do have a V2 in a box still unused up to this point.

Gib

[peteru]

Unlikely, Australia is not a market that is big enough to support any fancy hardware development. Certainly not big enough to have competition driven by PVR hardware development. To be a player in that market, you need to be ordering hundreds of thousands of units every year.

There is a major shift to get everyone onto subscription platforms that are vertically integrated. In other words, ensure that everyone can only get access to media on the terms that the big companies dictate.

The recent Google TV/Chromecast update is another nail in the PVR coffin. Designed to lock you into an eco-system that monitors everything you do and is designed to push you in the correct direction to maximise revenue. It may be free now, but once FTA TV goes the way of the dodo, there will be no freebies.

[Bill Smallwood]

Thank you for explaining the key pros and cons of the V2 compared with the T4 and the business considerations behind the failure to build on the shoulders of the T4. It seems that it will be worth investing in another trip to WA for the T4 and hope that it can live on.

My hope is that with more people staying home to keep safe from Covid19 there may be an emerging market for a more advanced beyonwiz.

What is the best thread to follow to keep abreast of any developments on the topic of progress with a worthy replacement for the T4?

[MrQuade]

What is the best thread to follow to keep abreast of any developments on the topic of progress with a worthy replacement for the T4?

This one was probably the most recent of any length.

[prl]

Thank you for explaining the key pros and cons of the V2 compared with the T4

If you haven't found it yet, there's a comparison matrix for the main features of all the new series (T/U/V model numbers) Beyonwizes.

What is the best thread to follow to keep abreast of any developments on the topic of progress with a worthy replacement for the T4?

There is unlikely to be anything but speculation posted in the forum until a new model is quite close to release.