Personal Video Recorders now under £50

PeteM

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

My telly is analogue. So if I bought this box, will it receive the freeview digital channels, and can I record off them, without having the telly on?

Ta.

Yes, in the same way a VCR doesn't need the telly switched on!

One major benefit over VCRs is that use of the EPG, (Electronic Programme Guide) which is used to set timer recordings without you stating channel, date, start and end times - it will also save the programme title, which is handy when you have umpteen things recorded!

Some boxes have a 7-day EPG, whereas others have upto 14 days.

You can still set a recording event outside of the EPG, but the recording won't have the title, etc.

ILikeFreebies

I've just taken out BT vision. It's an extra you can get with BT broadband. You get a 160gb freeview twin tuner PVR (made by philips I read) which can also receive on demand downloaded programmes (films, sport etc) via broadband. The PVR is free, though you are charged £30 for 'line activation'. If you're already on BT broadband you have to sign up for a 18 month contract from the date you order BT vision. You also need a BT home hub according to BT which can be ordered for a discounted price of £30 if you're on BT broadband option 1, but it's free if you're on option 2 or 3. If you haven't got BT broadband you can get about £40 from Quidco for signing up.

howard_bretman

Do not buy the digifusion. I bought one from microdirect in March last year and it worked ok for a few months then died. I then paid to return it and got a second one which was dead on arrival with the identical fault of the first one. When I phoned to report this at 0915 I was told it was the 3rd. report that morning of the same model. Microdirect refunded the return costs and two thirds of the original units price. When I queried this I was told because it had been ok for a few months. Buy a better model.

eilz

Can you use a Sky+ box with a Freesat card and record without subscribing?

angel00079

Would these be non-returnable to most highstreet stores like the standard freeview boxes. I brought a freeview box from a carboot sale, didn't cost much so took a gamble. It it not picking up a signal. We are in a freeview area and have just had a new aerial. So I don't know if it is the box, if we haven't connected it incorrectly or our aerial is not suitable (it should be).

I have thought about about getting a PVR but my worry would be that it would be non returnable. I can understand why stores have these policies as people probably take the mickey by using them for a month then returning them. Does anyone know where buy and return it if my aerial is not adequate (not pretending that it was faulty when it wasn't)?

bogs

Do not buy anything from Dabs.com they have the worst customer service ever, if it goes wrong they do it big style, they have no telephone support only live chat so when you finally get through to a real person they refuse to help you return goods and just reply with thank you for using live chat.....oh great. Dont say i didnt warn you, even my credit card company said oh god not them, dont just take my word for it google dabs reviews and see for your self!

Cappo_2

Hi
I read your article on cheap Freeview & Hard Drive Recorders, & thought I might add as a Virgin Cable customer that a V+ Box with a 160gb Hard drive in it is now reduced from £150 to £75 and you can record 2 channels while watching a 3rd channel. You also get the usual options like: Pause live TV. You get about 75 hours of recording, you can press one button to record program or to record series, so you never miss an episode of your favorite programs. You can use the all programs menu to look at what is coming on, & click on them to cue them up to record. I have one of these box's & I think it's just superb.
:beer:

JJ911

I decided to buy a Sagem PVR. I agree with an earlier poster in that you really need to buy something with a bit of quality. I bought my from Inkubus and so far I'm very impressed.

JJ

KGM_2

I live in a non-Freeview area, so while this £50 box sounds great, it wouldn't do me much good. However I've got Sky (on FreeSat I think it's called, i.e. no subscription), and would love to know if it's possible to get a box that records Sky, without having to subscribe to Sky+? Many thanks

speedqueen

Hiya

I've got a DVD recorder which I tape analogue tv to.
I've since gotten a freeview box from which I can get about 5 extra channels (not sure whether this is due to signal or the cheap freeview)
I usually record Ch4 during the day, but on a few occasions ended up recording Freeview instead - I have no idea how I did it! (I presume I'd forgotten the Freeview on, & so it was recorded rather than my Ch4...??)
Would I be able to get this Freeview PVR, use it to record Freeview, AND keep the DVD recorder to record analogue?

Sorry if it's a silly question, I'm not clued up on electronics....

Thanks