Do I need a digital DVD recorder?

Barbel Basher · 17-11-2009, 11:58 PM

Hi, first of all please note I am a technophobe and am struggling. I have had a Panasonic DVD recorder for approx 5 years , a model DMR-ES15EB. I recently bought (about six months ago) an LG LCD TV with biult in freeview.

Before the digital switchover I was able to record BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 from my DVD recorder. Now, since the digital switchover I seem to have 'lost' BBC 2 from my DVD recorder programs. Come to think of it, even after 'auto tuning' my DVD recorder, it appears to tune and store all the above channels other than BBC2. It also does not tune & store any of the freeview digital channels. Is this becasue my DVD recorder is not digital compatible?, do I need to buy a new DVD recorder?

Can somebody out their help?

many thanks

Steve

Geofbob · 18-11-2009, 9:25 AM

Yes, your recorder only has an analogue tuner. If you live in the North West region, it has lost BBC2 as a result of the first phase of analogue switch-off on 4 November; & it will lose the others on 2 December when the switch-over to digital is completed.

You will then still be able to use the recorder to record digital from your TV, but this will not be very convenient, will probably not give you a good quality recording, & you will not be able to watch another programme while recording one.

It certainly would be better for you to get a DVD/HDD recorder with an inbuilt Freeview tuner, which in conjunction with your TV would enable you to record one Freeview channel while watching another. Another option would be a Freeview PVR, but this would not give you the option of archiving onto (or playing) DVDs.

**LV426** · 19-11-2009, 8:19 AM

...and another option (not hugely convenient but may save a bit of cash) is to buy a Freeview Set Top Box and use it to feed your DVD recorder (via SCART, say) with Freeview programming. Some models, I believe, have recording timers onboard which can be set to power the box on and select a channel. Pick one of these. And then you also have to set a timer on your recorder to record from AV (SCART) at the same time. Cumbersome, but it works. Me, I'd choose a new machine.

Geofbob · 19-11-2009, 3:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LV426

...and another option (not hugely convenient but may save a bit of cash) is to buy a Freeview Set Top Box and use it to feed your DVD recorder (via SCART, say) with Freeview programming. Some models, I believe, have recording timers onboard which can be set to power the box on and select a channel. Pick one of these. And then you also have to set a timer on your recorder to record from AV (SCART) at the same time. Cumbersome, but it works. Me, I'd choose a new machine.

Thanks LV426 - in responding previously, I forgot all about that option - & it is in fact one I use for recording from a satellite box onto an old Daewoo DVD/HDD recorder. It's certainly not as convenient as recording from an internal tuner - eg you have to put in the name of the movie etc in the library manually- but it's not too difficult, as long as you synchronise the clocks, & allow a bit of padding at each end on the recorder's timer.

With some Freeview boxes at £20 or so, it may be a stop-gap while the OP is agonising over which Freeview recorder to purchase.

Barbel Basher · 19-11-2009, 11:58 PM

Hi guys and many thanks for you help so far. I have now purchased an LG digital DVD/HDD recorder so most of my problems are solved. I don't receive any programs in HD but I also bought a HDMI cable to link the DVD recorder to my TV, this has really improved the picture quality of my TV.

However, my next problem is this,: I also have an LG home cinema speaker system with a built in DVD player (not a recorder). My TV has three HDMI slots, my new DVD recorder has one HDMI slot, a plain black scart slot, and blue coloured slot similar to a scart (don't know what that one is for). The owners manual for the DVD is pathetic and gives hardly any instruction.

I have connected the DVD to the TV through one of the HDMI slots the TV with the HDMI cable, and also with a scart lead(bear with me here). My home cinema has one HDMI slot and a scart socket and is currently connected to the TV with scart lead. I can get the TV sound to play through the cinema system, but can't get the DVD sound (playback or TV) to play through the cinema system. Any ideas what I need to do to get this to work?.

Now that i've got 3 pieces of LG kit, i've now got 3 remotes, and none of them will 'fit all'. Have I complicated my set up by my own fault or was their no alternative?

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Steve

Geofbob · 20-11-2009, 12:54 AM

Well one obvious way of simplifying your set-up would be to abandon the home cinema sound system, & just use the audio in the TV. After all, you don't need the DVD player, as you can use your new LG recorder.

Otherwise, I find your description rather confusing. Eg you don't say why you've connected the recorder to the TV with both HDMI & Scart. I know you say the picture is better with the HDMI connection, but have you tried just using Scart, to see if you get home-cinema sound that way?

Barbel Basher · 22-11-2009, 6:15 PM

I don't really want to chuck away a £200 cinema sound syste. The reason I connected the HDMI cable and the scart cables was to see if I could get the sound system working as I currently only have one HDMI cable. I have tried your suggestion of disconnecting the HDMI lead and to my surprise I then got the DVD recorder sound playing through the cinema system.

I am now thinking of chucking all the scart cables and buying an addionla HDMI cable. his means I would then connect the DVD to the TV via a HDMI, and then also connect the sound system to the TV with the additonla HDMI cable.

Do you think tis will work and that the DVD will play sound throgh the cinema system?