Viewing and recording Freeview and FreeSat

John_Gray

Just wondering how practical and/or straightforward it will be to view and perhaps record stuff from either Freeview or FreeSat or both.

I'd want to be able to view any of the Freeview or FreeSat channels, or play pre-recorded programmes from a hard disk. Also to be able to record perhaps several channels from either Freeview or FreeSat or both, at the same time.

I'm assuming I will need to get a FreeSat dish with at least a dual LNB, and probably a new HD TV, and a recording device.

Can you get HD TVs yet with built-in FreeSat and Freeview tuners? If not, I'd obviously have to get a box to handle whichever isn't built into the TV. But the fewer interconnecting cables, the better...

All suggestions/scorn gratefully received!

kwikbreaks

If you go for Freeview and Freesat then there is quite a lot of duplication of hardware for not a vast number of extra channels which you may well not watch very often anyway.

The simplest answer is to get a PVR for one or the other. If you want HD then the Freesat equipment has been around longer giving the manufacturers a chance to sort out the wrinkles in the firmware and for there to be a bit of discounting. If you don't want HD then Freeview PVRs have been around a long time so you could pick up a refurb for maybe £50 or less - maybe even a new one.

There are many ways of playing stuff you've downloaded - probably the simplest if your PVR or TV can't take a USB drive would be a divx dvd player (£25 up) - you could use DVD-RWs.

Most PVRs have dual tuners so you can watch/record up to 2 and if you want also watch one that you've recorded earlier. Most programs on the main BBC ITV channels get repeated multiple times on the 2,3,4 variants that I doubt you'd miss much and if you did there is always streaming.

scotsbob

This web page allows you ro compate side by side all the Freeview PVRs (including HD) and the Freesat PVRs. http://www.pvrjunction.co.uk/resources/compare-freeview-pvrs/

I have a Freeview PVR (Inverto) which can record 2 channels at once. I also have a Technomate satellite receiver which records onto either a USB stick or a portable hard drive.

At the moment there are more HD channels available on satellite and you may want to take that into consideration.

Shimrod

John_Gray wrote: »

Can you get HD TVs yet with built-in FreeSat and Freeview tuners? If not, I'd obviously have to get a box to handle whichever isn't built into the TV. But the fewer interconnecting cables, the better...

You can get TVs with both, but TVs with Freeview HD seem to be at a slight premium as they tend to be the newer models. Here's an example http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/642274/PANASONIC-TX-L37G20B

I'm sure I've seen TVs with both types of tuner for £600 or less, but this was the first example I came across...

Rich99

Just remember that if you buy a PVR, then it probably doesn't matter what your TV supports - the signal will be decoded by the PVR, then send by HDMI to your HDTV (or SCART to an SD TV etc). Your TV won't need to support HD freeview as well.

tronator

John_Gray wrote: »

Just wondering how practical and/or straightforward it will be to view and perhaps record stuff from either Freeview or FreeSat or both.

I'd want to be able to view any of the Freeview or FreeSat channels, or play pre-recorded programmes from a hard disk. Also to be able to record perhaps several channels from either Freeview or FreeSat or both, at the same time.

I'm assuming I will need to get a FreeSat dish with at least a dual LNB, and probably a new HD TV, and a recording device.

Can you get HD TVs yet with built-in FreeSat and Freeview tuners? If not, I'd obviously have to get a box to handle whichever isn't built into the TV. But the fewer interconnecting cables, the better...

All suggestions/scorn gratefully received!

If you're familiar with Ubuntu/Linux, you could try to setup a MythTV box. It would do everything you can dream of...

You can put as many TV cards as you have free slots in it. I don't know what HD cards are available/supported yet though...

I have a dual freeview card in my box and record up to 4 shows at the same time. Barely watch live tv anymore...

I recently helped a friend to setup a MythTV box with a freeview and a freesat card. I bit more challenging but it worked at the end.

rsvtoddy

I have both the Humax SD freeview PVR and the Humax freesat HD PVR and whilst there is a reasonable difference in quality between HD and SD, both are perfectly fine on a Panasonic 42PX80 plasma.

In general I think I prefer the freesat PVR, not just due to picture quality. Don't forget the freesat PVR will need 2 leads from the LNB at the dish to function fully. Mine has one of them duplexed with the freeview signal which works fine.

Haven't seen a freeview HD PVR but believe they are more expensive though will save on installation costs.

HTH

GeoffX

With a piece of software such as DVBViewer (Windows) and three dual tuners you could record everything simultaneously, except HD content. Freeview is broadcast on six channels and the better software allows you to record multiple channels on each 'multiplex'. So, for instance, even with a single tuner you could record - at the same time - BBC1, BBC2, BBC3 and BBC News or ITV1, ITV2, ITV2+1, Channel 4, Channel 4 + 1, More4, E4, Five and Heart.

Hammyman

John_Gray wrote: »

Can you get HD TVs yet with built-in FreeSat and Freeview tuners?

Yes. Just bought one this week - a Panasonic TX-P42G20. Has built in FreeviewHD and FreesatHD and if you hook up a USB hard drive to it, it'll pause,rewind and record programmes. Its one of the few models I've seen with decent SD programme picture.

Was £901 from Richer Sounds inc 5yr warranty or £819?? without. The TV has excellent ratings from AVFORUMS review - having THX certified picture and being as close to ideal without ICF calibration as its possible to be and without costing the £2500 the Pioneer Kuro (now discontinued) did.

http://www.avforums.com/review/Panasonic-TX-P42G20-Plasma-HDTV-Review.html

Hammyman

GeoffX wrote: »

With a piece of software such as DVBViewer (Windows) and three dual tuners you could record everything simultaneously, except HD content.

Actually, continuing in that theme, if you have any version of Vista/Win7 except BASIC and BUSINESS on a computer then all you need to do is add a twin tuner card for either freeview (inc HD or not) or satellellite (inc HD or not but you'll not get the freesat EPG) and use Windows Media Center to do it all. You could do all you need to do if you used Freeview for about £50.

almillar

The Panasonic G20 series, as recommended by Hammyman above, is excellent. As mentioned, there's FreesatHD plus FreeviewHD, and you can record off one whilst watching another, to an USB drive. Perhaps you might want to chose this solution, plus, say a FreesatHD PVR (Humax Foxsat HDR for example) (they're cheaper and more plentiful than FreeviewHD) to keep you covered. You'd want a quad LNB, and wire 3 outputs from the dish - 1 for the TV and 2 for the Freesat recorder.