Page 1 of DVD Recorders

Being new to the medium of DVD recorders I need somones advice. At the moment I have seperate TV, VCR and Freeview box. As such If I want to record a digital channel I have to also watch it and cannot watch analogue while recording digital or record digital while watching digital. I want to go to DVD recorder but the choice is so varied I am confused (not difficult :D ). If I want to watch digital and record digital at the same time what gear do I need? Forget analogue we will be first to lose it up here anyway. I am quite prepared to ditch the freeview box and go for DVD recorder with built in digital (freeview) receiver if this will do the job but do I need to have "twin tuners" etc. All I want to do is watch 1 digital channel while recording 1 or even 2 other digital channels. Is it that difficult?
All help gratefully received.


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This item was edited on Saturday, 19th November 2005, 16:37

A dvd recorder with built in freeview will actually give you proper digital recording because a scart is not a digital connection like many people believe. if you find a DVD recorder with a built in freeview and an HDMI output, that would provide end to end digital recording and playback and i mean truly digital unlike Sky digital (which becomes analogue due to a scart
lead). In other words, a built in freeview recorder gives better recording quality than an external box so i would ditch the freeview box. The only Dvd recorder i know of with built in freeview and HDMI port is the Sony RDR HX910 which you can buy for less than £500 if you
shop on the net but it does`nt have twin tuners but you sacrifice that for HDMI which will make a huge difference to the playback quality.

The Panasonic DMR EH60D is probably the next best option, it has twin freeview tuners and a 200GB hard disk and shedloads of editing options but no HDMI.


If you own or plan to buy a plasma/lcd tv with HDMI input, i would go for the sony, if you have a CRT telly i would get the panny which you can get for less than £400.

If you cannot quite afford to spend £400, the Panasonic DMR ES20 is basically the same recorder as the EH60D with no hard drive and no SD card slot which is only around the £200 mark.

HAPPY SHOPPING

Thanks for the info.
The Panasonic DMR-ES20 is looking the best bet at the minute. It is an Xmas pressie for the mother in law who has just got the hang of her mobile phone although the last techy thing we bought her was the freeview box and that got tested, and left, on our own system and we had to go and buy her a new one. I think the same may happen here. :/
Do I take it correct that all DVD recorders with built in Freeview will record 1 channel while you view another? or does it have to have a specific specification ie dual tuner etc and how does this differ from those that I have seen that will record 2 channels at the same time?

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Quote:
The Panasonic DMR EH60D is probably the next best option, it has twin freeview tuners No it doesn`t. It has an analogue tuner and a Freeview tuner. Even then you can`t watch one while recording another. It seemlessly integrates channels from analogue if you can`t get Freeview. (The equivalent Sony model only has a (single) Freeview tuner)
Quote:
Do I take it correct that all DVD recorders with built in Freeview will record 1 channel while you view another?I don`t kow of any DVD recorder with twin Freeview tuner - a few PVR`s do though. You either need an iDTV or a separate Freeview box to watch one digital channel and record another with DVD recorders.

Ste

Indeed,there are no DVD recorders with more than one digital tuner currently.Also,its not guaranteed that recording is 100% digital.The Sony 500 at least does not record digitally.
The best bet is either:Keep the Freeview box and buy a DVDR with inbuilt DTT,then while recording on the DVDR you can watch on the Freeview box.
If dvd collecting or archiving is not important,then forget the DVDR and buiy a Thomson or Fusion HDD Freeview recorder.These offer 2 tuners,and aswell as recording one channel whil watching another,it can also record 2 channels simultaneously while you watch an earlier recording,just like Sky+,all in a single box with no sub.
Ideally,get the Fusion box,and also a HDD/DVDR,then you can transfer to the HDD for editing before burning to DVD

This has been edited because while I was trying to get my head around the terminology "nostalgiadvd" has answered my question.
It seems that the best solution is to get a Twin Tuner PVR with built in Freeview (such as a Digifusion FVRT100) and an ordinary DVD recorder that way I can record 1 digital channel and watch another and then archive to DVD anything I want to keep.
If I have still got this wrong someone please tell me.

This item was edited on Sunday, 20th November 2005, 22:35

yes, it`s the best answer in my opinion.
Once you`ve got one you`ll find that you will use the PVR all the time actually... it`s so much easier than mucking about with discs to record onto and setting up timers etc.
(and unlike Sky+ a Freeview PVR doesn`t involve any subscriptions to Murdoch`s empire. And nothing on Freeview is encripted either!)
And if there`s anything that you want to keep you can always archive from the hard disc onto DVD.

Thanks All
I don`t know what I would do without forums. All I have to decide on now is which Twin Tuner PVR. Here we go again!!!!

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I used to have the DigiFusion before I moved and lost the Freeview signal, and it was an excellent piece of kit. Very seldom had any problems with it and they have good support when updates are required. You will find it has its own 2 week EPG. normally not a problem but if there is a last minute change of program you wont get it as they update everynight around 2am.

At the time I bought mine, last christmas, it was the only one on the market that allowed you to record the subtitles along with the programs, just in case that would be useful to you.

It had twin scart outputs too if I remember correctly.

This item was edited on Monday, 21st November 2005, 18:24

The Fusion or Thomson boxes are very good.
Other makes have either small capacity HDD or single tuners.
But you will use the Fusion to record everything,and the dvdr just for archiving.
However,just to confuse matters there is a Panasonic Freeview PVR that allows basic editing.
Never seen it in action,but sounds excellent