tv recording

[devonwoody]

Did I hear correctly that video recorders will not work when TV goes digital,(only the program you are watching will record)
It means a digital DVD recorder to carry on as present?

 

[andrewm]

Did I hear correctly that video recorders will not work when TV goes digital,(only the program you are watching will record)
It means a digital DVD recorder to carry on as present?

Yes. In the analogue world both your video and TV have analogue tuners in them. If you get a digital TV you are only changing the tuner in the TV so the video can still only receive analogue signals. As you say, you can record the programme that you are watching (or not, if you are out) by recording from the external input. To be able to record one while watching the other you will need digital tuners in both. No different than in analogue days really.

I have a hard-disk recorder and it is great. No faffing around trying to find a blank tape or DVD. It also has a DVD so I can archive but if all you are doing is time shifting you won't need that. It really is a great piece of kit.

Andrew

 

[RogerS]

Yup....I've been using a Humax for about a year now. Excellent if a little quirky at times. There's an excellent support forum.

 

[devonwoody]

found this one at John lewis with specification.
But I thought I only had to buy a free view box to watch tv when my area came in. They never said you will need a recorder as well did they.

anyway heres the spec.

link

 

[RogerS]

Yup, that's the one.

You don't have to buy a recorder - a freeview decoder will do just as well to watch TV.

 

[devonwoody]

Yup, that's the one.

You don't have to buy a recorder - a freeview decoder will do just as well to watch TV.

But what happens to all my old casette tapes if I purchase a digital TV.

My old vdr, will that play the tapes? or have I got to have a freeview box to keep them working with the vdr and an old analogue tv?

 

[RogerS]

dw - you best bet would be to post on the avforums website

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Roger , bookmarked the site.

 

[martlewis]

I work for a large electrical retailer and hope I can offer advice. Your video recorder will live on... As long as it has a scart socket then there won't be a problem connecting to any of the currently avialable digital tv's. As for recording digital, just connect a freeview box into the video recorder by either scart or by tuning the video recorder to the channel used by the freeview box. HTH

Martin

 

[LeeElms]

As for recording digital, just connect a freeview box into the video recorder by either scart or by tuning the video recorder to the channel used by the freeview box.

However, the recorder won't be able to select which Freeview channel to record, so you can't record a series of programs on different channels automatically.

 

[Michael7]

I have a hard-disk recorder and it is great. No faffing around trying to find a blank tape or DVD. It also has a DVD so I can archive but if all you are doing is time shifting you won't need that. It really is a great piece of kit.

Harddrive recorders are great. We havent had to sit and watch an advert for years, we record everything, watch whats on the library and fastforward the adverts

 

[mr]

As for recording digital, just connect a freeview box into the video recorder by either scart or by tuning the video recorder to the channel used by the freeview box.

However, the recorder won't be able to select which Freeview channel to record, so you can't record a series of programs on different channels automatically.

Well you could if you set your video recorder to start and stop recording at the appropriate times and set your EPG to change channel on your freeview tuner according to your recording schedule.


Cheers Mike

 

[LeeElms]

True ... sorry for my inaccuracy; however, a little tedious & error prone, perhaps.

 

[mr]

however, a little tedious & error prone, perhaps.

Very, couldn't agree more.
Praps Its just me getting old but I seem to recall that life was once just this way, ie wee kludges and "get arounds" to achieve what you wanted to.

Cheers Mike

 

[andrewm]

however, a little tedious & error prone, perhaps.

Very, couldn't agree more.
Praps Its just me getting old but I seem to recall that life was once just this way, ie wee kludges and "get arounds" to achieve what you wanted to.

Cheers Mike

Nah, the only work arounds a kludges required to be able to watch the programme you wanted was to make sure you got home in time. We didn't used to have things like videos, Heck we didn't used to have more than two channels to choose from!

Andrew (who remembers two channels but only just)

 

[mr]

I remember 3 channels and staying up the best part of the night to watch Woodstock which as I recall was shown on Channel 4 on its first day of broadcast. Still only have 4 channels, though used to have millions of them but then I had an wall to wall receivers and a towerblock roof full of satellite dishes. Hey ho the heady days eh.
Still theres usually nothing on anyway.

Cheers Mike

 

[mickster]

I remember B&W TV, watching the snooker and being advised "For those with B&W TV's, the Pink is behind the Blue."

I also remember sitting for hours in front of the TV (B&W), playing on the 'Computer' (16k ZX Spectrum). The TV broke down and Mum got it replaced...then sat on the sofa, pissed off, because 'Einstein' didn't immediately notice that the world was now in technicolour!

"Flippin heck Mum, I'm on level 9 of Jet Set Willy!!"

Happy days....

 

[mr]

ZX Spectrum?
What do you want one of them for you've got this (mother points at bbc micro and tape deck).
Them was the days - not.

I have just realised that Im getting old and starting to sound like my granddad would have done had he been a grumpy auld booger rather than the gent he was.
Thats a depressing thought - and I don't mean the getting old bit.

 

[andrewm]

I also remember sitting for hours in front of the TV (B&W), playing on the 'Computer' (16k ZX Spectrum).

16k, eh lad, that's luxury. My Nascom 1 had 1k, plus 1k video. And I managed to write 'space invaders' for it - in hand-compiled machine-code.

Andrew

 

[devonwoody]

I've had cable tv (virgin) now for 6 months and I cant recall wanting to look at any channel above number 4 yet.
What a load of .........