DVD Recorder with 2 freeview tuners

phil2009

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Ive been browsing the net and it seems that all dvd recorders with freeview+ all have 1 digtal tuner, so you can record 1 channel while watching another?

So If this is the case am I better of getting a separate dvd player?
 
Ive been browsing the net and it seems that all dvd recorders with freeview+ all have 1 digtal tuner, so you can record 1 channel while watching another?

So If this is the case am I better of getting a separate dvd player?

With a one tuner recorder you can watch another channel whilst recording, only provided your TV has a digital tuner too.

There are twin tuner units available.
See this sticky thread which explains about them and also explains why you have never found twin tuner DVDR's so far.
 
Ive just won the Hitachi HDR163 freeview+ box for £39 on ebay. Theres mixed reviews on the box, with some saying its good and others says picture breaks up and freezes. But Ive found out over the years freeview boxes do suffer from electrical interference, so that may be why ppl are getting picture break ups and lockups, because its too close to other stuff

So all I need now is a cheap ass dvd player with digital audio connection, then Im sorted and can get rid of my 10yr old Samsung dvd/vcr combo player.
 
I had the earlier model, the HDR162. The Hitachi machines are all made by Vestel, so are pretty much identical to the machines from Bush, Alba, Wharfedale and several others (most sold by Argos). If I remember your machine is based on Vestel's T825 hardware.

I understand from Futuara that the newer T835 models are more reliable, but the T825 models do suffer some niggles. The EPG and recording list slows to a crawl with a large number of timers set, prone to random lockups too. Both of these issues can be minimised by a power cycle, if your machine has a low power mode activate it as that seems to help with those models that have low power on standby (it effectively switches the machine completely off, using only minimal power). The T825's also suffered occasional stuttering on playback, sometimes a recording will jump forward by a random amount, sometimes a few seconds sometimes a couple of minutes. Thankfully it doesn't happen often. The niggles aren't down to electrical interference, it's down to the software/hardware.

Overall though I always felt the good points outweighed the occasional issue. Accurate recording was pretty much always reliable, occasionally it would miss the very start or end of a programme, but not often and it was usually just the titles. It's easy to use compared to some others and it was cheap compared to others too. At £39 you've got a bit of a bargain and can't really complain if you get the odd niggle.
 
I had the earlier model, the HDR162. The Hitachi machines are all made by Vestel, so are pretty much identical to the machines from Bush, Alba, Wharfedale and several others (most sold by Argos). If I remember your machine is based on Vestel's T825 hardware.

I understand from Futuara that the newer T835 models are more reliable, but the T825 models do suffer some niggles. The EPG and recording list slows to a crawl with a large number of timers set, prone to random lockups too. Both of these issues can be minimised by a power cycle, if your machine has a low power mode activate it as that seems to help with those models that have low power on standby (it effectively switches the machine completely off, using only minimal power). The T825's also suffered occasional stuttering on playback, sometimes a recording will jump forward by a random amount, sometimes a few seconds sometimes a couple of minutes. Thankfully it doesn't happen often. The niggles aren't down to electrical interference, it's down to the software/hardware.

Overall though I always felt the good points outweighed the occasional issue. Accurate recording was pretty much always reliable, occasionally it would miss the very start or end of a programme, but not often and it was usually just the titles. It's easy to use compared to some others and it was cheap compared to others too. At £39 you've got a bit of a bargain and can't really complain if you get the odd niggle.

Thanks for that........A quick question, Will the box record scheduled programs if its on standby?

I was thinking that I might aswel keep my dvd/vcr player, but I have a feeling that there wont be enough clearance ontop of vcr/dvd player to keep the PVR cool enough, as there is only 2.5" from the top of the vcr/dvd to the next shelf.

dscf0946o.jpg
 
Yeah the Hitachi will indeed record from standby. It will wake itself up a few minutes before the scheduled recording is due to kick in (it checks for any changes to the scheduled time the programme is due to start).

From your image I see what you mean, the Hitachi can get a little warm when used for a while so with such a small amount of clearance you might not get enough airflow to keep it cool if it sits on top of the DVD/VCR combi.
 
Yeah the Hitachi will indeed record from standby. It will wake itself up a few minutes before the scheduled recording is due to kick in (it checks for any changes to the scheduled time the programme is due to start).

From your image I see what you mean, the Hitachi can get a little warm when used for a while so with such a small amount of clearance you might not get enough airflow to keep it cool if it sits on top of the DVD/VCR combi.


Ah thanks, as Ive been reading the manual online and it doesn't say anything about if it can record scheduled progs in standby mode.

I think I will have to put my vcr/dvd combo on my amp if I want to keep it, but then I run the risk of overheating the amp, as it gets pretty warm with nothing ontop of it. So I might just get a slim dvd player and sell my 10yr old vcr/dvd combo, as I dont really need a vcr anymore. It was the 1st ever dvd/vcr combo made:)
 
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I was getting a tad concerned as I could of had a newer Hitachi model for about £10-20 more, the 165, 255 or 505. But it seems that the 163 is better, as it has much more connections but down side is, it hasn't a very big hdd, but I can live with that:) Im guessing the software/hardware are better on the higher models tho?
 
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Also how easy would it be to replace the batt in my vcr/dvd combo, as everytime the power goes off, when power is restored the clock is reset and all my timer settings are lost. So Im guessing the batt needs replacing if theirs one?
 
phil2009 said:
Also how easy would it be to replace the batt in my vcr/dvd combo, as everytime the power goes off, when power is restored the clock is reset and all my timer settings are lost. So Im guessing the batt needs replacing if theirs one?

Very few use backup batteries now and you haven't told us the make/model no.

Sent from my iPad using AVForums
 
Ah its a SV-DVD1E. So if things dont use batteries anymore, why isnt it holding the timer and clock setting when there's a power failure.

Id thought they use the small flat round batts that you have on pc motherboards?
 
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phil2009 said:
Ah its a SV-DVD1E. So if things dont use batteries anymore, why isnt it holding the timer and clock setting when there's a power failure.

Id thought they use the small flat round batts that you have on pc motherboards?

Quite simply, some lower end makes don't fit them to save money, to make the end product as cheap as possible.

Sent from my iPad using AVForums
 
I received the box yesterday at last and picture quality seems better then the TV's freeview, more colourful and sharper. I dont think I will be using the low power mode as it takes about 20secs to turn on.:(

I have the box ontop of my dvd/vcr combo atm, and there's about quarter of a inch to spare,, ummmm?

dscf1043.jpg
 
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Well Ive had the box for a week now and Im impressed so far. We have a sky+ HD box in another room and the Hitachi has all the same features. Recording 2 progs at once, recording 1 prog while watching another and playing a recording that hasn't finished.

All that for £40 bargin, plus the picture doesn't break up when both tuners are in use, as ppl were experiencing with this box.
 

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