Info required please on these PVR thingys

steady__eddie

After several years of enforced austerity, last weekend I bought myself a new telly. All singing, all dancing, HD, freeview, picture in picture, the works and now that I've found out how to switch it on and change channels, I'm quite chuffed with it.
Stage 2 of the spend my way out of recession programme is to be able to record progs on freeview. Prior to last weekend, I had an analogue telly and a Sky box which I received Freesat (no subscription) on and recorded via a scart lead on a VCR. Is there a piece of kit available which would allow me to record both freeview and freesat or to use an old analogy, would I be trying to play a Betamax tape (if anyone is old enough to remember them) on a VHS machine ?
I have seen loads of ads for freeview recorder and quite like the look of this http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/17290272/Icecrypt-T2400-1TB-Freeview-HD-PVR-Recorder/Product.html but I surmise from the title that it is purely for freeview and would not meet my requirements
Are Freesat recorders available or is a subscription to Sky, (or my trusty old VCR) the only option ?
Many thanks for reading.

Spank

does your TV have a USB port? if it does you can plug a USB stick into it & record to that.

missile

If you check the channels you will find there are very few channels on free sat which are not available on free view (free to air) and conversly very few on free view which are not on free sat.

I bought a Topfield 5810 which allows me to record two free to view channels whilst watching another. Much like Sky+ but no subscription to pay. The Topfield upscales the SD signal to 1080i. I still have my sky box and watch the occasional program on free sat.

The spec for the box you have chosen looks good, but I have never heard of that manufacturer.

steady__eddie

Damn it, no USB port, (never thought to check that before purchase).
Unfortunately, the wery few channels that are on free sat and not on freeview are the ones that I watch most, Controversial, Showcase, (did 9/11 really happen ?) and Movies for men, (how the jerrys bombed our chip shops). Conversely on freeview, Dave, Dave ja vu (who is this Clarkson geezer ?), Yesterday and and Quest.
What's the point of being awkward unless you show it ?

kwikbreaks

Take a look at the Humax FoxSat range which are generally reckoned to be the best FreeSat PVRs. They are not cheap and you need at least two leads to be able to watch any channel and record another although there are limited options with just a single. If you can reach the dish safely then changing a single LNB for a quad one is fairly cheap and certainly not difficult.

geordieracer

missile wrote: »

If you check the channels you will find there are very few channels on free sat which are not available on free view (free to air) and conversly very few on free view which are not on free sat.
.

Now thats just not true.

tweeter

If you get the Topfield you can watch a channel while recording two others, whereas Humax's in my experience, will let you record two channels while watching a recording only. HTH

espresso

tweeter wrote: »

If you get the Topfield you can watch a channel while recording two others, whereas Humax's in my experience, will let you record two channels while watching a recording only. HTH

They both only have two tuners. Therefore to watch a live channel, it obviously has to be on the same MUX as one of the channels currently being recorded.

kwikbreaks

I have a FoxSat HDR but can't say for sure if it's possible to record 2 and watch another as I don't recall ever finding a time where there was more than one thing worth watching anyway

Inactive

steady__eddie wrote: »

Damn it, no USB port, (never thought to check that before purchase).
Unfortunately, the wery few channels that are on free sat and not on freeview are the ones that I watch most, Controversial, Showcase, (did 9/11 really happen ?) and Movies for men, (how the jerrys bombed our chip shops). Conversely on freeview, Dave, Dave ja vu (who is this Clarkson geezer ?), Yesterday and and Quest.
What's the point of being awkward unless you show it ?

OK, so buy a Freeview PVR and a Freesat PVR, best of both worlds.;)

Jeff_Bridges_hair

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I have a FoxSat HDR but can't say for sure if it's possible to record 2 and watch another as I don't recall ever finding a time where there was more than one thing worth watching anyway

I use this excuse when i dont record what the missus wants while im watching football on ESPN