DVD/HD recorder advice & recommendations

I am looking to replace my DVD player and video with a DVD recorder/hard drive and wondered if I could get some advice and recommendations.

We have Virgin media cable TV at the moment, so don't know if it's possible to watch one channel and record another through these machines. (i.e. twin tuner) It would probably be OK to be able to watch terrestrial TV and record a cable channel (or vice versa).

Looking to spend about £200 and would like something that is multi-region capable. Also, does getting one with freeview built in affect the existing cable?

Any help and advice appreciated!!

 

Hi Jim & welcome

In the absence of advice from DVDR experts I can hopefully clarify the tuner question. To watch one virgin station while recording another one (or record two at the same time) you really need Virgins own PVR (the V+). I think that actually has three tuners.
All the twin digital tuner PVRs that you can buy off the shelf are Freeview only; they will not receive or record from Virgin.
I presume you can watch Freeview and simultaneously record from cable etc with a DVDR/HDD with an integrated Digital tuner but I do not know how convenient this is; I do not even own a DVDR.
To use a Freeview tuner you will of course need an aerial (assuming you can receive Freeview in your area) as well as the cable connection.
HTH
Richard

 

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the reply.

So, if I get one without freeview, in theory I can record cable and watch terrestrial (or the other way round) ??

Thanks,
James

 

If your dvd recorder is recording cable you will need to watch terrestial channels using the TV's own tuner (either analogue or digital depending on the TV type. This requires a terrestial aerial able to receive analogue/digital channels). You could also connect a freeview STB to the TV if it only has an analogue tuner. Again an aerial is required.

Recording cable on a dvd recorder will tie up both the recorder and your cable box so that you can only watch the channel you are recording unless you use the TV's own tuner.

In view of the switch from analogue to freeview digital over the next few years I would suggest you purchase a dvd recorder fitted with a freeview tuner.

 

James
Well if you can currently get terrestial analogue getting a DVDR/HDD is not going to stop you being able to do that. Obviously if you want terrestial digital (freeview) then you either need a DVDR/HDD that has its own freeview tuner or a separate Freeview STB.

All DVDR/HDD recorders have an analogue tuner which they record from (I presume) and as far as I know they can all record from cable.

How easy the later is I do not know; recording when you are home probably OK but setting a timer may involve having the Virgin box on the channel to be recorded and manually setting a timer on the DVDR to record from scart.

I do not have Virgin cable; do the standard boxes have timers? If they do it would help but even then as far as I know you would still have to manually set timers on both boxes. Does not sound ideal for regular recording.

Hopefully someone who actually uses a DVDR with a cable box can offer better advice?

Richard

 

I have a gift voucher for Amazon, so have seen these on their site - does anyone have any opinions?

Lite-On LVW-5045GDL Dual Format Multi-region Capable Multi Region capable DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Drive and DIVX £149.99
LiteOn HD-A740GX 160GB Hard Drive, Dual Format, Multi-region Capable DVD Recorder with DivX by LiteOn £174.99
LiteOn HD-A760GX 250GB Hard Drive, Dual Format, Multi-region Capable DVD Recorder with DivX by LiteOn £199.99
Lite-On 5026 Multi Format Multi-region Capable DVD Recorder with 80GB Hard Drive by LiteOn £129.99
Daewoo DH6100P Multi-region Capable DVD Recorder with 80 GB Hard Drive by Daewoo £174.99
Sony RDR-HX725 DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Drive by Sony £197.60