Freeview HD recorder with a FreeSat box

[markcrew]

I have no terrestrial signal through my ariel but I do have a satellite dish and signal through it. If I buy a plain freesat box (cheaper than fixing the ariel), can I still use the freeview box's HD recorder to record channels through the freesat?

All help appreciated,

Mark.

 

[Geofbob]

It depends on what sort of recorder you have. If it's a Freeview PVR with twin Freeview tuners & a hard disc, then it can only record from its own tuners - so, no you can't use it to record satellite TV. But if it's a DVD/HDD recorder - whether or not it has an internal Freeview tuner - yes you can use it to record from an external source such as a Freesat box.

 

[markcrew]

Thanks, I have had partial success. I have the dish input into the Freestat box, a scart from the freesat into the freeview HDD + DVD recorder slot (AV1 TV) and a scart from the freeview HDD + DVD recorder slot AV2 (EXT) into the TV set into slot 2 (audio / visual).

I can watch multiple channels on the TV fine, and I can record the programme I am watching, but nothing else. I cannot retune the freeview HDD + DVD recorder box to pick up the freestat signals and then record in advance. Is this limited functionality all I can get?

Thanks again in advance. MC

 

[technowizard]

This is the limited functionality you get from having an external recorder. I would also recommend for the best PQ is to plug the freesat into AV2 on recorder, TV out on AV1, TV in on AV1. Set the recorder and freesat box to RGB and the PQ should improve, from what you described you're only viewing composite.

 

[markcrew]

Is this Red Green Blue? Is this setting on the menus of the freestat and freeview boxes?

Sorry for my low levels of expertise....

Thanks again in advance, MC

 

[Geofbob]

Is this Red Green Blue? Is this setting on the menus of the freestat and freeview boxes?

Sorry for my low levels of expertise....

Thanks again in advance, MC

Yes, it probably stands for "Red, Green, Blue" but you should just find "RGB" on the menus for the various inputs/outputs of your box, recorder & TV.

If you want to set a timer recording, you'll have to do it by setting a timer on the Freesat box (just press the OK button when you've highlighted the relevant programme); and then set a corresponding manual timer on your recorder. Best to allow a few minutes leeway at each end on the recorder, in case the two clocks are not precisely synchronised, & to give time for the recorder to switch itself on.

 

[technowizard]

Which HDD + DVD recorder do you have? It will be useful to know so as to give the best advice.

 

[markcrew]

Thanks, - it's a Panasonic DMR-EX 768

 

[technowizard]

Good choice , i'm personally very fond of the pannies.
To enable RGB on the panny, press functions, go to others and enter setup. In the setup menu, go to connectiion, go to AV2 settings and change input to RGB/Video. Return from that menu and set AV1 output to RGB. The Panny is now set up.
Plug the TV Scart of the Freesat box into AV2 on the recorder. Then Plug the scart from AV1 into AV1 on the TV.
To enable RGB on the freesat box, do the following;

• Humax - Press menu, Tv settings and change TV scart to RGB
• Bush/goodmans/grundig - Press menu, go to settings and change Tv output to RGB.

I am personally very fussy for keeping sure that people use RGB instead of composite.

As far as functionality is concerned, using timer record on panny and reminders on box are as far as you can go without coughing up £250 for a decent Freesat+ box

 

[markcrew]

Thanks for your help, all sorted!

 

[DesktopMike]

So, I currently have a Panasonic box which works off FreeView, click 'select' and up comes a menu of programmes and I can select anything up two weeks ahead of schedule and set my system to record it.

Now if I go and buy a std FreeSat receiver are we saying that we will lose this functionality?

To confirm what the post says...you would only be able to record what was currently being viewed!

 

[logiciel]

What exactly is your question?

 

[Broadz]

So, I currently have a Panasonic box which works off FreeView, click 'select' and up comes a menu of programmes and I can select anything up two weeks ahead of schedule and set my system to record it.

Now if I go and buy a std FreeSat receiver are we saying that we will lose this functionality?

To confirm what the post says...you would only be able to record what was currently being viewed!

To confirm what which post says? What are you talking about?

And why do think that introducing a Freesat receiver (be it a standard receiver, a Freesat HD receiver or a Freesat HD PVR) would have any impact on a Freeview PVR? One gets its signal from a satellite dish, one from a TV aerial. They are totally independent of one another - neither knows that the other exists. The only time the two will meet is when you connect them both to your television set (or an external recorder, i.e. a VCR or DVDR) - and still neither will care that the other exists, or have any impact on what the other can or can't do.

 

[DesktopMike]

By your answer, you clearly understood what I was talking about and gave a good answer once I had waded past the iritating tone.

I was just asking the question if it were possible to ustilise the capabilites of the existing piece of kit I had.

 

[Broadz]

By your answer, you clearly understood what I was talking about and gave a good answer once I had waded past the iritating tone.

But which post indicated that you couldn't do what you have since found out you can do?

 

[logiciel]

To confirm what the post says...

"To confirm what which post says?"