Digital TV recorder?

[ivrytwr3]

Hey all,

In my home we only have Sky, no aerial for terrestial TV - so no idea about anything outside of Sky!

My dad has asked me for help and i am a bit stuck! A few years ago he bought this stupid CD/DVD and VHS comined machine which records his TV to either DVD or VHS (Salesman assurred him it was the best bit of kit EVER! (twit!))

Anyway, now that the Digital Switchover has happened my dad finds he can't record digital TV. He has asked me to see i can find a digital recorder that also plays CD and DVD - so records TV to the hard drive, but can also be used to play DVDs and music Cds etc.

Is there such a thing?

Ta all!!

[ivrytwr3]

right i'm struggling here to understand freeview etc. He does not have a dish, he is in a home that does not allow dishes, can he use one of these boxes i am talking about?

Like i said i have sky so i really have no idea about this.

[nibblitz]

If he has a connection point to a TV aerial then he should be able to get Freeview...

Im not sure you'll get a Freeview recorder with cd/dvd player built in, not cheap anyway... Probably best to buy seperate Freeview Box and DVD player... (DVD players play CD's too)

Here's some ideas...

Cheap Argos SD Freeview Recorder

Argos HD Freeview Recorder

Cheap Argos CD/DVD Player

[cactikid]

better to keep to separates like a dvd/cd player and new sat/cable boxes can/may use internal/external hdd depending on model like pvr ready.

[ivrytwr3]

OK an update, the TV my dad has is this 6 - 7 year old thing that cost about ?2k and it is sh*t. An Aquos 32" thing that has all its connectors built into the stand which runs into a box at the bottom of the stand! The main thing is it has NO HDMI input/output, only SCART and a few others (yellow, red, white etc)


He has steered away from Sky (doesn't want a dish or extra wiring) and is looking at seperates, ie a freeview recorder and a seperate DVD player.


Can anyone recommend a decent setup that will be easy to use for an old timer and firstimer to Freeview recorders?!


Ta all!!

[Mee?kat]

Yer i would,nt buy a combined unit either even if what you were looking for was available as if it breaks you lose the lot.

Google this below
Goodmans GDB1225DTRXI 250GB Freeview+ DTR



There is one on fleebay just now for ?99.99 brand new delivery included. It has a twin tuner also.



As he does not have a hd tv this one might suit but unsure of the quality of the tuner in the box.


I have found that tv,s with built in freeview work best but i realise that does,nt help yourself.


Good luck

[ivrytwr3]

*UPDATE*

Got him 2 seperates - a Sony DVD player and this:

Humax PVR9300T500 Freeview twin tuner 500GB PVR (HDMI & SCART) - HUMAX UK Direct Sales Website (Humax Freesviewtwin tuner)

It does exactly what he wants and he is happy with it (thanks for the advice), but the guy he got out to set it all up said he could not get it the Humax working on its own and so needed to keep the original freeview box connected.

Surely that is not right? I was hoping to get rid of the freeview box and use the Humax to connect to the TV directly.

[cactikid]

freeview box use an aerial to pick up the signal and once setup needs to be scanned,recheck all connections are correct.have the aerial going to the humax box.

[wongers]

have a look at the instructions mate and have go yourself i'm sure you can connect directly to the humax if your dad paid for installation when buying the box get in touch with the place he bought it from and insist they send someone out who actually knows what there doing

[ivrytwr3]

Dad lives a few hours away from me and so i got the kit delivered to his place and he got the local TV repairman in to fit it.

Next time i am at his i will have a look.

[wongers]

thats exactly it then mate the feller didn't know what he was doing i've had a humax box it connected straight to my sat dish if its freeview it will connect straight to his aerial