[summerhill]

Am going through the process of switching from old but trusty Panasonic CRT tv and video recorder to new technology (LCD tv 26 inch) and need ability to record from Freeview (ideally two recording chanels while watching a third). Read and seen a lot but still confused. Is there an ideal combination, which is simple to use and doesn't have too many trailing wires? Does buying one brand of kit (Panasonic; Sony?) make it easier for compatibility? Grateful for advice. My first post so please be forgiving, and keep it simple!

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by summerhill

Am going through the process of switching from old but trusty Panasonic CRT tv and video recorder to new technology (LCD tv 26 inch) and need ability to record from Freeview (ideally two recording chanels while watching a third). Read and seen a lot but still confused. Is there an ideal combination, which is simple to use and doesn't have too many trailing wires? Does buying one brand of kit (Panasonic; Sony?) make it easier for compatibility? Grateful for advice. My first post so please be forgiving, and keep it simple!

You need a twin tuner freeview pvr. The best ones are made by Humax - Current models 9150 and 9300 (There are still a few 9200 models around)
and Topfield 5800 and 5810. The 9300 Humax and Topfield 5810 have hdmi (digital) outputs but as the scalers in either are not a patch on a good TV best connection for any of them is a scart lead and set to use rgb

[Mr_Sukebe]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

You need a twin tuner freeview pvr. The best ones are made by Humax - Current models 9150 and 9300 (There are still a few 9200 models around)
and Topfield 5800 and 5810. The 9300 Humax and Topfield 5810 have hdmi (digital) outputs but as the scalers in either are not a patch on a good TV best connection for any of them is a scart lead and set to use rgb

Do any of those units include a DVD player?

[Phil_P]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sukebe

Do any of those units include a DVD player?

No, they are dedicated PVRs

I wouldn't go for a combo unit - get a good PVR and a good DVD player.

[summerhill]

Thanks for that - I should have added that I also would like to play dvds (not necessarily record onto them) Am I right that there doesn't seem to be one good quality unit which will play dvds as well as give me the two channel recording of Freeview onto hard disc.

[Geofbob]

Originally Posted by summerhill

Thanks for that - I should have added that I also would like to play dvds (not necessarily record onto them) Am I right that there doesn't seem to be one good quality unit which will play dvds as well as give me the two channel recording of Freeview onto hard disc.

Yes, so long as it also records onto DVDs (as well as hard disc). But a hard disc recorder with tuner & DVD player only, I very much doubt it. (It would be something like a casette player which didn't also record.)

[LV426]

Sorry, but I have to contradict. There are no Twin-Tuner machines which also have any DVD ability. All DVD recorders (which therefore also play back) are single tuner. Receive one programme at a time. All twin-tuner devices are PVRs - have no DVD ability.

To do what summerhill asks will require two boxes. One twin tuner PVR (eg Humax, Topfield) and one DVD machine with whatever features he wants - from basic player (Oppo are rated very highly on this forum I gather) through to a Hard Drive/Recorder/Player.

[Geofbob]

Originally Posted by LV426

Sorry, but I have to contradict. There are no Twin-Tuner machines which also have any DVD ability. All DVD recorders (which therefore also play back) are single tuner. Receive one programme at a time. All twin-tuner devices are PVRs - have no DVD ability.

So no DVD recorder with digital tuner would allow watching one channel while recording another (for which 2 tuners are needed) - I find this surprising, but expect LV426 knows what he's talking about. Of course, there would be this capability if such a recorder was hooked up to a TV with an inbuilt digital tuner.

[summerhill]

Thank you all for the very useful information - at least I don't feel I am missing a trick. Seems there must be a gap in the market for a digital version of the old video recorder and player in one box!

[Geofbob]

Originally Posted by summerhill

Thank you all for the very useful information - at least I don't feel I am missing a trick. Seems there must be a gap in the market for a digital version of the old video recorder and player in one box!

Sorry to prolong the thread, summerhill, but that to my mind is what DVD recorders with digital tuners are. I think it was your reference to wanting twin channel capability which complicated the issue. In fact, a DVD recorder with Freeview tuner connected to a TV with Freeview tuner is more or less the digital age update of a VCR with analogue tuner connected to a TV with analogue tuner (but plus the hard disc & editing functions!)

[LV426]

And in that, Geofbob is quite right. What you can't have is

play dvds as well as give me the two channel recording of Freeview onto hard disc

(or, at least, what I thought you meant by that). After all, no VCR ever was able to record two things at once (if that is what you meant).

So, in one box you can EITHER
- have two tuners and be able to record two things at once, whilst playing a previous recording back if you so wish - without any DVD feature
OR
- have one tuner and the ability to record only one thing, plus have DVD record and playback.

Either of the above in addition to anything the TV is able to do. So, for example, if the TV has its own Freeview tuner, you can watch that independently of what either box may be recording.

[summerhill]

Thank you both for the additional information - as soon as I had posted it I realised my mistake and now it is quite clear what is available, Many thanks to everyone

[summerhill]

Since my last post on this subject I have been going around in circles - Humax vs Topfield and what about the Hitachi that Which? seem to rate? Was just on the point of buying the Humax 9300t because of the hdmi connection when the question of the fan noise "like a jet engine" arose again. Has anything changed - is it worth holding off for a few months for the "perfect" PVR to appear. Does anyone know if something good is coming along? Grateful for any advice. Seems to me there is serious money to be made for some manufacturer to get everyhting right on the Freeview pvr front!!

[penfold27]

Originally Posted by summerhill

Since my last post on this subject I have been going around in circles - Humax vs Topfield and what about the Hitachi that Which? seem to rate? Was just on the point of buying the Humax 9300t because of the hdmi connection when the question of the fan noise "like a jet engine" arose again. Has anything changed - is it worth holding off for a few months for the "perfect" PVR to appear. Does anyone know if something good is coming along? Grateful for any advice. Seems to me there is serious money to be made for some manufacturer to get everyhting right on the Freeview pvr front!!

You could always try getting a 9200T, which was also a Which best buy. Not many around to buy new now (check CW Digital or the Humax shop though) but can be found on ebay regularly. No fan noise to speak of and identical functionality as far as I can tell. Plus the bonus of a USB port that actually works! No HDMI but from what I read you are better using scart anyway!

We have a 9200T and love it! I could have bought a 9300T but decided that pound for pound the 9200T was a better buy.

[Cyril]

Originally Posted by summerhill

Thank you all for the very useful information - at least I don't feel I am missing a trick. Seems there must be a gap in the market for a digital version of the old video recorder and player in one box!

Unfortunately all UK ones are PC-based.
There is one in Australia (at about £1000), and several I think in USA and Japan
http://panasonic.com.au/products/cat...?objectID=3513

So no simple set top box all-in one with DVD and twin tuners and hard drive is available in the UK if you exclude Media Centre PCs.