[dear lazyweb] Digital TV recording

[inulro]

So, it's getting to the point where I'm looking at what we're spending, and have to admit that we're shelling out waay too much for cable TV.  Not that I don't use it, but now that everything comes out on DVD right away, I'm less bothered about missing out.

What I will miss if I cancel the cable is the V+ box.  I haven't watched anything when it was on for years.  I no longer even know what day my regular programmes are on.  I know all the major channels have catch-up on their web sites, but those are up for limited time, and sometimes it takes me a really long time to get around to watching stuff.

So what I want to know is, is there such a thing as a Freeview box that records?   Or a digital recorder that isn't tied to paying one of the cable companies loads of money every month?

Comments

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Humax (freeview) DVRs used to be Really Quite Good.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Seconded. I still have mine as I haven't had TiVo long and I'm still watching stuff on the PVR. It's really good.

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

Thirded. Ours lasted years and is still going; we gave it to my father-in-law when we moved.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Sucks that TiVo is tied to Virgin Media over there! Then again, y'all have TV taxes, which we don't, so it's harder to be a random anonymous antenna viewer there.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Shedloads of Freeview DVRs/PVRs out there. Some which also record to DVD if one should so wish.

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

The phrase you are looking for is "Freeview Plus". They start at around 80 quid.

http://www.freeview.co.uk/Freeview-Plus

Mandatory features of any DVR (digital video recorder) which carries the Freeview+ badge are:

Eight day programme guide. Set any programme to record by selecting from the guide, no need to enter channel number or start time.

Twin tuner. Record one channel whilst watching another, or record two channels whilst playing back a previous recording.

Series link. Record an entire series after selecting only one entry in the programme guide.

Chase play. Start watching a programme you're recording, from the start, after it has started but before it has finished. For example, start watching How I Met Your Mother five minutes after it started broadcasting, watch from the beginning of the show and fast-forward over the adverts.

Conflict resolution. Select three programmes to record at the same time and the box should automatically try to solve the clash by looking for repeats/re-showings/+1 channels.

Suggested programmes. Select a programme to record and you may be offered related programmes too (e.g. record Doctor Who and it may ask you if you also want to record Doctor Who Confidential). This feature can be turned off.

Top-end brands are Topfield and Humax. Thomson is a good value brand. The usual suspects of Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic will do you no wrong in the mid-price range. I've also heard good reports about Goodmans at the budget end provided you don't care about build quality or design (plasticky, poor remote etc).

If you want something very cheap, consider a reconditioned Thomson DTI 6300 at around 50 quid. These are often sold as Top Up TV boxes but you do not have to take out a Top Up TV subscription. They're proven hardware which is still strongly supported with software updates to this day (software updates happen automatically over-the-airwaves). We have a Thomson DTI 6300 in addition to our Sky Plus satellite box; we use the Thomson to record children's programmes for playback in the play room if the grown-ups want to watch something else in the lounge.

There is also "Freeview Plus HD" which has a couple of extra basic high-def channels, a high-def HDMI socket and a network port. Some, but not yet all, Freeview+ HD boxes are capable of playing BBC iPlayer over network cables. Freeview+ HD starts at around £175.

Bare in mind that if you want to watch recorded programmes in more than one room, then you will need to either:

Buy a box with an RF Modulator and use something like TV Link Plus and magic eyes to send the remote signals back to the box, or

Use wireless video senders, the performance of which varies greatly depending on location, other wireless traffic, wall thickness etc.

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

Also note, in case you're tempted, you get better quality channels on Freeview (through a standad aerial) than you do through Freesat (through a satellite dish). Dave channel, for example, is on Freeview but not on Freesat. You get more channels on Freesat but they tend to be a lot more rubbish. However you get (slightly) more HD channels on Freesat HD than you do on Freeview HD.