freeview + box / hard drive DVD recorder

bethie

Hi -

I'm looking to purchase either a Freeview + box or a Hard drive/ dvd recorder.

There is so much information out there that I am a bit confused!


We currently quite an old TV (doubt it is HD ready), and I can't imagine that we will be upgrading in the next couple of years. We currently have Freeview on it.

No interest in getting a blu-ray DVD as it wouldn't make a difference on our TV.


What are my options, and what would be the most 'future proof' for the next couple of years? Is it worth getting just a Freeview + box / harddrive, or springing for the DVD recorder included as well?

price range, I'm interested in anything sub £300. Any particular models good?


Cheers.

jrr3

I personally cannot see the point of getting a dvd recorder unless you want to pass the discs around to friends etc.

I have a basic freeview recorder, cost about £90 and does everything i would ever want, apart from record 3 channels at once.
I think £300 is a lot to spend on a recorder myself.
Could easily get a good one for sub £200
HUMAX are a pretty good make

macman

Humax 9300T PVR is your best option.

Edinburghlass_2

If you can get down to Argos today, they are selling the above Humax at £169.99. Price held only until today but if you reserve today for Boxing Day and ask nicely they will often give it to you at the price given when you reserved, but not guaranteed.

bethie

thanks everyone for the help.


in-laws actually went out and got us a humax 9150t - I had been told we were getting just cash and I had been planning on topping up their cash with some of my own.


cheers.

macman

The 9150T is not a lot different, just a smaller hard drive and lacks an HDMI socket.

derrick

jrr3 wrote: »

I personally cannot see the point of getting a dvd recorder unless you want to pass the discs around to friends etc.

HUMAX are a pretty good make

The problem with PRVs, is that if they fail,(as my Humax did after 2 months), you lose all the recordings on the HD, at least with VCRs/DVDs if the machine fails, you still have the recordings.

The Humax would not load, and after speaking to Humax, the only solution was an exchange, I lost the last 5 episodes of "The Wire" and various films, they are not all they are cracked up to be.

macman

Any hard drive can fail at any time, but yours is the first incidence of a Humax PVR drive failure that I've seen on this board.

derrick

macman wrote: »

Any hard drive can fail at any time, but yours is the first incidence of a Humax PVR drive failure that I've seen on this board.

Maybe so, but with other hard drives,(computer), you can back up, with the Humax 9150 you can't, so when the HD fails there is no way to recover anything on the HD,(at least that is what Humax told me), with other HDs it is possible to recover data on them, with discs and tapes you still have the recordings, all I am saying is they are not all they are cracked up to be, and if this Humax fails I will go for a DVDR

macman

I think the 9150T does have a USB port, though not sure if this is enabled. It has been disabled on the newer models. If yours is enabled, then you can back up to a further USB hard drive, laptop etc to DVD if you wish.

derrick

macman wrote: »

I think the 9150T does have a USB port, though not sure if this is enabled. It has been disabled on the newer models. If yours is enabled, then you can back up to a further USB hard drive, laptop etc to DVD if you wish.

No it does not.

The only extra conn is an RS-232C 9 pin conn, which the manual states "Connects to the PC to update software"

Other conns on the rear are, (quoted from the manual and on visual inspection);-
TV Scart
VCR Scart
RS-232C
Antenna in
TV/VCR, "Connects to the RF In of the TV or VCR using an RF cable"
ON/OFF

I was told over the phone by Humax tech support that the 9150 has no ability to "back up from the HD".