Aldi - Technosonic PVR £99.99 - Freeview

nads

Sorry if this sounds thick but do you know if the Aldi, Lidl or Boots Pvrs work with ntl digital? Do you use both the pvr remote and the ntl remote or is it jsut the pvr remote?

Thanks

Fogg1969

None of them work with NTL digital. They've no input for external sources, they just use their integrated Freeview tuners.

nads

Thanks for that Fogg, don't have much of a freeview reception so counts me out.

Pity, as it would have been a nice Crimbo present ...for me

welshblob

Does anybody know how long the EPG will be, 7 or 14 days? I also wonder how much support this box will get knowing how buggy freeview boxes and pvr's can be.

Rob

boyohboy

Fogg1969 wrote:

None of them work with NTL digital. They've no input for external sources, they just use their integrated Freeview tuners.

Not sure Fogg is right about the Lidl one, It only has a Analogue tuner so would have thought you can put a sky or Ntl box in. People are talking about it here
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=312329
with a link to its manual .

GeoThermal

Fogg1969 wrote:

None of them work with NTL digital. They've no input for external sources, they just use their integrated Freeview tuners.

I know nothing about this but would the LIdl's one not connect to another device such as a Freeview/NTL digital via either the "DV-In (digital video), or Scart-in (RGB, Video)?" If not it seems a pretty useless device given the lack of channels on analogue.

dfarry

GeoThermal wrote:

I know nothing about this but would the LIdl's one not connect to another device such as a Freeview/NTL digital via either the "DV-In (digital video), or Scart-in (RGB, Video)?" If not it seems a pretty useless device given the lack of channels on analogue.

The PVR's do generally have two scarts I believe so I just assumed that they would for example record/timeshift say SKY or NTL too.... and not just freeview..

This is also the way the Recorder would work, the only downside being that it doesn't have twin digital tuners...

But considering the cost of freeview tuners and the fact you could use scart I think a combined DVD/HD based recorder may be more flexible than a PVR.

Thanks for the link B44rch I have looked at it and whilst i can appreciate the features if it can only record freeview then I also think that is limiting.....I have one of these connected to my PC http://www.nebula-electronics.com/

boyohboy

The real plus of the twin freeview tuner is :
1. The ease of programming , I have a Sagem and for the 1st time ever my wife can set a "video", just look through the EPG if you like the look of it, push the red button. Time,date channel all set. If you use sky or ntl you need to set that box too on the Lidl type.
2. You can record and watch another channel at the same time.
Downside is no back up that's easy to do. Shame no pvr with freeview and DVD recorder and hard drive.....or is there...

Niggy_2

boyohboy wrote:

..... Shame no pvr with freeview and DVD recorder and hard drive.....or is there...

Sony do the RDRHXD710 (160GB) or 910 (250gb) - both have DVD recorders & hard-drives but I believe they only have single freeview tuners and the cheapest you'll find the smaller one for is about £400

I understand that the humax mentioned above also has a facility to link it to a PC enabling you to copy the video files from the PVR's hdd. (I think I remember reading somewhere that this feature didnt work very well, it seemed a bit rushed, the output files are corrupted and the software isnt very good)

Fogg1969

boyohboy wrote:

Not sure Fogg is right about the Lidl one

Sorry, what I meant was none of the integrated Freeview PVRs that I am aware of accept an analogue input. The Lidl one being a dvd recorder with hard drive is likely to accept an analogue input, though I doubt it would dovetail nicely with an NTL box. It's a shame Tivo quit selling in the UK, one of those would have been better.

Freeview PVRs are amazingly useful gadgets though. If there's anything I want to watch on ITV, I get the pvr to record it, wander off to amuse myself with something else for 15 minutes, then whip thru' the program missing out all the ads... I've got it down to a fine art where I often catch up with the live transimission towards the end of the programme. I swear I've saved hours of my life now not being sold things. Until you've actually owned one it's hard to imagine just how useful they are.