Just got TVDrive, happy but a coupleof questions

dave_bass5 · 07-06-2006, 8:56 AM

Hi
TheTW guy turned up yesterday on time and it only took 15mins to install the box. he gave me a hdmi lead although i dont need it yet (still on SD) and so far im happy with it but i do have a couple of questions so thanks in advance for any help

1. I set the box to record Eastenders (for the misses but i wanted to see if it was in DD and wether the pic was better than SD on a SD screen) on the BBC HD channel. i double checked i had done it right but when we got home it wasnt recorded.
Is this me or are you not allowed to record HD? i can record the preview ok.

2. Looking through all the Telepot programs they seem to be very BBC biased. couldnt find any C4 or ITV ones. Are there any coming?

3. cant think of anything else at the moment

KevinPedrick · 07-06-2006, 9:08 AM

1. I've recorded HD from the BBC channel no problem. Both the preveiw, the not originated in HD and Planet Earth.

2. They are indeed very BBC biased although there is some Granada and some Flextech. I think its mainly BBC cause the BBC don't have advertising concerns like the others!

Channel 4 now have their own VoD area under Teleport Life, and under Teleport Life HD. Only Desperate Housewives in SD and HD and Lost in SD so far, Lost HD is on the way and I'm hoping for West Wing soon. Lost and Desperate Housewives is charged at 99p an episode.

3. I find meditation can help focus your mind. Try concentrating the front of your brain on a mundane activity and leave the back of your brain to experience some deep thought.

dave_bass5 · 07-06-2006, 9:29 AM

Kevin
Thanks for the quick reply as usual.
Ill give BBC HD another go this evening. I just hate things not working as they should, even if i dont need them to.
I must admit i didnt realise there was so little HD content at the moment on TW. This time yesterday i was looking in to getting a LCD screen but think ill wait for a bit now. im not intrested in the world cup so thats not a reason to get one and i have a 32" WS and can only afford to get a 32" LCD so its not woth it for a couple of programs i wouldnt normally watch each night and i wouldnt pay for programs when i have 10mb Broadband. Of course once we have a few free HD channles up and running i will get one.
I guess as the weeks go on more Telelport content will appear. i think its a good idea just a bit limited at the moment.
I go to work to relax and clear my mind and i try not to focus on anything while im there. maybe i need to do some overtime

ph7 · 07-06-2006, 9:30 AM

I still find the 99p deal disgraceful.

I know that these are commercial channels but surely they could still do the video on demand but with the commercials still a part of the transmission. I wouldn't have thought that it would be that difficult for telewest to lock the fast forward controls during the breaks so that we cannot skip the commercials.

HD or not there is no way I would ever pay to watch something previously aired. Sureley the broadcasters would make more money out of commercials than through the limited umber of people who will pay.

I mean for the 1st series via VOD it would cost £21 because of the 2 free episodes. The DVD box set with all of the extras is only 24.99 brand new or £15 second hand....plus you would actually get to keep the DVDs

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today.

dave_bass5 · 07-06-2006, 2:07 PM

Ok, just thought of another question if anyone wants to chip in.
I can see how i can copy recorded programs 9i know,, not Teleport) to a dvd recorder but can i do this using RGB scart? I havnet tried it yet as i dont have a dvd recorder but im planning on getting one very soon.
i cant believe TW would really allow this but it would be nice
Thanks again.

buffalo2102 · 07-06-2006, 3:24 PM

Yes, you can do this. Some people are doing this to get around the fact that widescreen programmes are letterboxed on the VCR output.

dave_bass5 · 07-06-2006, 3:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buffalo2102

Yes, you can do this. Some people are doing this to get around the fact that widescreen programmes are letterboxed on the VCR output.

thanks for the reply. so i take it that if i use a RGB enabled scart the transfer will take place over RGB rather than composite?
seems too good to be true but ill give it a go
and no copy protection i assume (apart from the Teleport stuff)?

buffalo2102 · 07-06-2006, 4:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave_bass5

thanks for the reply. so i take it that if i use a RGB enabled scart the transfer will take place over RGB rather than composite?
seems too good to be true but ill give it a go
and no copy protection i assume (apart from the Teleport stuff)?

Yes, you can do it but you have to do it manually, not using the archiving utility on the box. The best way is if you have a DVD recorder with two scarts so that you can loop the RGB scart from the TV Drive through the recorder to a TV. You then just set the recording that you want to archive to playback and press record on the recorder.
It's a bit of a pain as you can't really watch anything else while you are doing it but some people set it to archive before they go to bed.

The teleport stuff can't be recorded anyway I don't think.