PVR capable of Recording FreesatHD and FreeviewHD

kah22

Hi
I'm upgrading my television system and buying the Sony-Bravia-40-KDL-40CX523 I want it to run with FreesatHD and FreeviewHD. I'm also buying a new PVR

My question is this. Are any PVR's capable of recording Freesat HD and Freeview HD.

The Sony Bravia has only got a Freeview HD tuner, am I right in assuming that if I attach the correct box that I will be able to receive and record a Freesat HD signal

As always many thanks for your advice.

Kevin

bcl999

No idea but I bet someone on www.avforums.com will know.

frequencycast

Hi Kevin,

There are no PVRs on the market that support both Freesat HD and Freeview HD. It's either one or the other.

A possible compromise would be to get a DVD Recorder/Freeview PVR - This will record Freeview HD to the internal disc and support recording of Freesat if you connect to a Freesat box using a SCART lead - It means you'll have a single recorder for both services, but you'll need a basic Freesat box too.

Thinking about it - given that just about all of the Freeview channels are on Freesat anyway, I'm not sure why you'd want the ability to record both Freesat and Freeview. A Freesat HD PVR, such as the Humax, should do the job.

As for connecting a Freesat HD PVR to the TV - You're correct. To connect a Freesat HD box, you'd use an HDMI lead from the Freesat box to the TV set.

kah22

frequencycast wrote: »

Thinking about it - given that just about all of the Freeview channels are on Freesat anyway, I'm not sure why you'd want the ability to record both Freesat and Freeview. .

Living in Northern Ireland I am able to receive the Irish Republics equivalent to Freeview (Saorview) it broadcasts quite a bit of sport and films in HD. That's why I'd like the ability to record both.

Kevin

macman

They don't exist. It would need to have 4 tuners in it.

almillar

Freesat HD recorder needs a Sky dish, plus 2 feeds to record/watch at same time.
Freeview HD needs 1 aerial feed.
Saorview AFAIK uses the same codec as our Freeview HD, so maybe you can record it with a box that supports both, BUT you're highly likely to need 2 aerials, as you'll need one pointing to your NI transmitter and one pointing to the Saorview one (which may need a different type of aerial too).
No machine that I know of that receives both.
You'll not be recording anything from your TV tuner, it's hardwired to the screen with no other outputs.
I count 3 boxes, 2 aerials and 1 satellite dish for what you're after!

kah22

Bought my new television today. The television guy offered me a good deal on a 42 inch Panasonic so I bought. It has an inbuilt Freeview HD tuner. The television set picks up Saorview (Irish Freeview) excellently, and that's with an old aerial. :j

At the moment it doesn't do a great job on Freeview, however, my aerial man assures me that when my local transmitter switches to full power I'll get an excellent picture. We won't have full Freeview in my area until next year.

I don't need Sky any more so what is the most effective way of ditching Sky and using my current dish and Sky plus box to get Freesat.

Do I just cancel my subscription with Sky and leave the card in the box?
Do I remove the card from the box and continue to watch?
Or is there a dedicated Freesat card that I can get? Where?

I appreciate that once I cancel my subscription with Sky I will not be able to record programs on my Sky plus box but that's no bother. At the moment all I want is the Freesat and the Saorview stations.

I'll get around to buying a new PVR next year when I can get Freeview HD.

As always thanks for your input.

macman

Cancel your sub, leave the card in the box, you'll get the !!!!!! channels. However the PVR functions (Sky+) will be disabled unless you pay Mr Murdoch £10 a month forever.
You can't get Freesat on a Sky box, you need a dedicated Freesat box or PVR (straight swap for the Sky digibox). Freesat does not require a card, (nor do the boxes have card slots) it's a subscription-free service.
If you're going for Freesat, get a Humax.