Basic question - Taping from digital?

M

martinha

Guest
Sorry if this is a really basic question but...

We bought a Sony KD28DX40 iDTV and Sony video the other day. Am I right to assume that we cannot tape a igital channel whilst viewing another digital channel (as there is only one digital tuner in the set-up)?

Conversely I assume we can tape an analogue channel whilst viewing a digital one? Do the new recordable DVDs on the market have an analogue and digital receiver inside so that you can record from digital and watch something else?

Sorry about the numerous questions but we're a tad confused and don't know if the TV or video are working OK!

Martin, Bromsgrove
 
As far as I know, with IDTVs you can tape one digital channel while watching another - that was meant to be one advantage of IDTV over a separate digital tuner. However, as you say you only have one digital tuner, then I guess not! Double check you are sure about that though - it should give full details in the manual.

Regarding watching digital and taping analogue and vice versa, this should be possible too. Again, check the manual.

I always thought recordable DVD players didn't come with any tuners at all.
 
Originally posted by Squirrel God
I always thought recordable DVD players didn't come with any tuners at all.

God,

Philips / Panasonic DVD Recorders all have normal analogue tuners just like VCRs.

Sony KV28DX40 has one digital tuner and one analogue, so as said, it isn't possible to record one digital channel whilst watching a different one.
 
Originally posted by gringottsdirect
Philips / Panasonic DVD Recorders all have normal analogue tuners just like VCRs.
:eek: Cheers :)
Originally posted by gringottsdirect
Sony KV28DX40 has one digital tuner and one analogue, so as said, it isn't possible to record one digital channel whilst watching a different one.
Presumably all recent models have 2 digital tuners though, yes?
 
Get a DTVA for the VCR
 
Originally posted by martinha
Sorry if this is a really basic question but...

We bought a Sony KD28DX40 iDTV and Sony video the other day. Am I right to assume that we cannot tape a igital channel whilst viewing another digital channel (as there is only one digital tuner in the set-up)?

Conversely I assume we can tape an analogue channel whilst viewing a digital one? Do the new recordable DVDs on the market have an analogue and digital receiver inside so that you can record from digital and watch something else?

Sorry about the numerous questions but we're a tad confused and don't know if the TV or video are working OK!

Martin, Bromsgrove

Hello Martin

Haven't got an iDTV myself (use Sky), but I'll answer the questions to the best of my knowledge.

1) As you have only one digital tuner, you can only view, or record, one digital channel at a time. This is a problem all digital viewers have at present (Sky, Cable and DTT), though new hardware such as Sky+ and the twin tuner DTT box from Pace are seeking to redress this.
2) Yes, you can record an analogue channel whilst watching a digital one (and vice-versa). The exact details might vary according to which connections you have on your shiny new TV, but here are the basics:
* plug your TV aerial cable in to your video first
* then plug the RF cable that came with the video between the video and the TV as in the instructions
* to record analogue on the VCR, simply select the relevant channel on the VCR and record as normal.
* to record digital on the VCR, you'll need to set the VCR to record from the SCART socket which is connected from the TV. On the VCR, it's usually called something like Line 1/2 or AV 1/2.

The details about how to output a digital channel from the TV's scart socket while you watch an analogue channel on the TV should be in the instructions.

3) Finally, DVD recorders at present work on a similar basis to a VCR when it comes to recording broadcast programmes. They have a single analogue tuner and no digital tuner. The procedure for recording digital or analogue channels would be the same as that outlined above. The main advantage of a DVD recorder is much improved recording quality.
 
Originally posted by gringottsdirect
No. :)
The cheeky swines!!

Martin,

As the other Martin said, you can pick up an external digital tuner quite cheaply if you want to record one channel & watch antoher on digital at the same time.
 
Martinha

I've got the same TV as you - very happy with it.

As others have said, there is only one digital tuner in the TV, so you cannot watch one and tape another.

You can tape a digital channel and watch another analogue one (or vice versa). Normally, if you want to watch one and tape the other, you might as well watch in full digital glory and tape the analogue one...

AV Junky was nearly right about the connections:

The TV aerial should go into the TV first (DX40 has two aerial ins, so make sure it is the right one). This gives the digital tuner the best possible signal. Then the TV aerial out goes to the VCR aerial in, and the VCR aerial out goes to the TV's secondary aerial input. The manual shows this quite well.

Make sure you use the best quality coax cable (preferably satellite grade) for all connections, and don't use an RF amplifier if you can get away without it.

No-one has launched a VCR / DVD-R with integrated digital tuner, but hopefully it isn't too far away - Freeview is now getting a big push by the BBC.

Hope this helps - enjoy the TV. Now comes the DVD, AV Receiver, universal remote....

Super7
 
Question for super7

Make sure you use the best quality coax cable (preferably satellite grade) for all connections, and don't use an RF amplifier if you can get away without it.

I've got a big reel of coax that came from somewhere like Wickes or Screwfix, so I'm guessing it's not the grade you mean. I'm going to run a new line from the loft connection to a digibox and want the best possible feed. Where's a good place to get this satellite grade coax, without going to the local TV/aerial specialist who round my way like to 'punish' the DIYer with silly prices.

Thanks

:)
 
CT100
 
Thanks Martin

Re CT100

I've found this at www.satelliteonline.co.uk where they suggest CT125 for long runs. Is mine a long run? I'll be routing it from the inside apex of the roof space, down the back of a cupboard in a bedroom, across a floor/ceiling space to the other side of the house and finally down to the TV in the lounge.

Also, is there much loss/potential interference if terminating in a female wall socket and then taking a male/male to the TV? I could just terminate the coax with a male end and plug directly into the receiver. Must be better?
 
CTS 125 may be better but if you are going more than about 30-40 feet a mast head amp may help
 
Thanks Martin

Not used a mast head amp before, - will do some digging around and learn more about it.
:)
 
I'm looking to buy and IDTV in the very near future,will I be able to output RGB from the digital tuner to record on a Panasonic E30 DVDR? or can you only record via RF ?
 
Drew / Martin

There have been a few threads on here about amplifiers not doing any favours to DTT signals. I always needed a masthead amp on my cheap old aerial, but I got a new high gain aerial for the iDTV and don't need an amp for that (analogue picture is excellent as well from this aerial). It may therfore be worth trying a new aerial without an amp first.
If you do need one, have a look at Maplin - order code BW46A, YZ89W, YZ90X etc. You'll also need a power supply for these - BW50E / BV71N

By the way, my aerial downlead comes straight through the wall into the TV - no intermediate connections. If you don't want to do this, Maxview do a screened coax outlet (Maplin code QX91Y) which helps cut down interference.

Hope this helps

Super7

PS No affiliation with Maplin - just had their catalogue next to PC!
 
Another question about coax/cable.

I've found CT100 at about 90 pence a metre and CT125 costing £1.90 a metre, and I need perhaps 20 metres. But I prefer to buy a full reel, so I don't have to prat about working out how much I need, and I also have a reserve to cover additional wire ins, (and even cock ups etc). But at those prices, that means a fair amount lying in the reel.

Screwfix do 100m of "Satellite" at £11.49, so at that price I doubt it's up to the grade required.

But they also sell PH100 Satellite cable, SKY endorsed, EN 50117-1 CAI approved. And it costs £29.99 for 100m.

Is this PH100 an equivalent for high grade coax (like CT100) referred to earlier in this thread, - or something completely different?

Please let me know. I've got a Screwfix order ready that I can add the cable to. Or should I go to Maplin who sell FT100 (they say compatible with CT100) at £45 for 100m, or satelliteonline who quote CT100 at the same price.

More money, but I don't mind if there's a genuine difference and that's what it takes to get the best output.

:)
 
Drew

I'd go with the ScrewFix stuff for £29.99.

Whilst there is a higher grade (CT125), unless the run is very long (20m isn't too long I'd say), then you can probably get away with it.

As I said in an earlier post, my cable runs direct through the wall to the back of the TV: less connectors = less chance for interference

If you decide to do it this way, you can tidy up the cable entry point with a coax plate with the connector block removed (i.e. just leaving a central hole in the plate).

Oh, and another Top Tip - drill the hole from the inside of the house out - much easier to control where it is!

Cheers

Super7
 
Why does a DX40 have two aerials in?

I have a DX20 and it has only one aerial in. I take the aerial directly to the TV and then out to my Sony VCR, then out from the Sony VCR to a Toshiba VCR and the out to a TV card in my PC.

From that I can watch a digital channel, or watch a DVD or Video while recording 3 analogue channels. Or record a digital and 2 analogue channels.
 
aerial->DTV->vcrs->PAL
 
To super7 and Martin

Just a thanks for your help, - got the job completed in the end.
Used Raydex CT100 in a 50m reel on special from:-http://www.satcure.com/accs/page8.htm
It's in white only, at £12.95 plus £7.50 carriage plus VAT. For the quantity I needed it was the best deal I found.

Ran the cable from the loft down through the house and into the back of the freeview box without any joins/connections, ie no wall socket. But had to make a connection in the loft to the existing coax coming in from the aerial outside. Used screw connectors though.

Good picture, miles better than NTL cable. No channel 5 though. Am I missing something obvious? Should be there shouldn't it?

Cheers, Drew

:)
 
Channel 5 is on Mux A - SDN

TV Travel shop, QVC, C5, ITV News all on it

however the signal is weaker being QAM64 rather than 16
 
Drew

Glad you got everything sorted... except C5.

As Martin said there are a number of channels on the same mux as C5 - can you see any of them?

Super7
 
To Martin/Super7

Did an 'add channels' and this time it loaded the whole group.

Don't know why it didn't do this before.

Thanks,

Andrew.
 
Andrew

Good news!

Glad you're sorted. Now, if Sony could just fix the BBC Parliament issue....


Super7
 

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