Connecting DVD Recorder to TV and Digibox - Help!

[Rosbif]

Thanks guys, phew lots to consider!! I think the BT Vision sounds similar to the Sky+ thing, only trouble is we don't have a DVD player, although can play through Playstation, so I would like to have the facility to watch DVD's too and maybe banish my BF to the bedroom with his Playstation

Also I would like to be able to keep some films to leave in my apt in France, however, I guess I would need to see what format my TV/DVD in France will read as I guess they can't read all DVD's. Why does there have to be so many different formats of DVD too!!!

Basically what I want is a DVD player/recorder, that I can record from digital channels and watch another one or set up to record programmes if I am on holiday and has a hard drive and normal drive for putting things onto DVD when I want to. But the series thing sounds good Ian.

It would be nice if it could make the tea and do the ironing as well

One other question slightly off subject, is Sky One just a subscription channel? The new series of Prison Break is going to be on Sky One Guess it will come to Channel 5 eventually though!

RB

[Mountain Goat]

Sky+ does sound really good, if the cost isn't important and you need Sky-specific channels. Isn't the transfer to DVD a bit difficult?

Sony's got no problem with series recording either and we get some Sky channels on Freeview including Sky One. No TCM which is a pity.

We record 2-3 films a day for the rental property - at around 12p each in DVDs it's a negligible outlay and appreciated by many punters.

MG

[Rosbif]

Great, I am going to look at the Sony one then that you bought MG. Will look at that £150 one!!

We don't get Sky One on our current Freeview, wonder why that is then. I only want Sky One, not bothered about any other Sky channels really.

What format disks do you record onto then MG for the rental property?

RB

[Hells Bells]

RB, your DVDs will play fine in a French DVD player, ours do.

[Mountain Goat]

RB, bad news, I may have led you astray. I can only find Sky 3 and Sky News on Freeview. I could have sworn the dog watches the Simpsons - isn't that on Sky 1? - I'll ask him how he does it when he gets back.

In the meantime, here's the Freeview channel list
for London.
MG

[Rosbif]

Hahahahaha - does the dog watch 'its me or the dog' as well?!!

The Simpsons is on Channel 4 these days... Oh damn that's a shame will have to find someone with Sky One to record it for me!!

Thanks Helen, thats good to know!

RB

[slartibartfast]

Sky One I think can only be received if you are a Sky subscriber. Telewest (Virgin) used to get SKY One until Virgin media took over and Murdoch took the chance to slap Branson in the coupon. SKY one had 24 and Lost.

The ease-of use factor is such a biggie IMHO you need to consider what your main use will be.

If it's recording and watching TV programs get a hard disk recorder of some type which has an integrated Freeview tuner (assuming you aren't going SKY or Virgin cable) . A DVD player can be had for about £20 these days and they will play all (most) formats. I just bough a Philips one for £34 and it's pretty good

If it is burning a DVD so you can keep them or take them away to watch somewhere else buy the above with a built-in DVD recorder ....... but that may really limit your choice so just buying a cheap DVD recorder will let you copy your previously recorded Feeview programs from your hard disk recorder to DVD. It depends how often you do that as to how big a pain it is.

Third option buy a hard disk recorder with integrated freeview for your normal recording / viewing needs and TV Freeview/Analogue Tuner card for your Mac/PC. This will let you record anything you want onto your MAC/PC then burn to disc later.

Copying from SKY+ to DVD is easy. Hook up a Scart , mark your recorded program as one you want to "copy". Put your DVD recorder onto the correct AV channel for he scart socket you have just plugged in. Press record on the DVD recorder and press Play on he Sky+ box and Robert is your dads brother

[Mountain Goat]

Doesn't Sky+ have some copy protection? Don't recordings vapourise after 7 days or something?

MG

[slartibartfast]

Not that I've found so far .. Your recording will stay on disk until you need to clear space and copying work OK for me (I don't do it very often as there is a need with SKY+)

I don't think you can record straight fro the SKY+ tuner to DVD but if you record it on the hard disk first then copy to DVD it's fine. If you did a lot of that type of thing it would be a pain.

For rental you can pick up decent DVD disks pretty cheap (£3 from Tesco for example). I'd rather burn a security copy of one of those on my PC than use stuff recorded from TV (or use a Tuner card if I really waned TV on DVD).

Don't even ask about the legality of a security copy .. or even using a bought DVD Disk in a rental property ... or even using a DVD copy of a TV Program or film recorded from the TV in a rental property


EDIT: I think the expiration may be on the SKY Box office stuff (pay to view) or the new SKY "Anytime (on-demand to your PC, SKY+ box or mobile device. Some free some, you pay for) These might be copy protected. I've never "bought" any

[slartibartfast]

Carole, I jus had a look at BT Vision and it looks quite good. If the total cost OK factoring in the Broadband it may be a good bet.

[Mountain Goat]

Ian, what's a security copy?

MG

[Rosbif]

Ian I already have the BT broadband and home hub, so the BT vision box would be free, you just have to pay £30 or £60 installation, but you also have to take another year's contract for your broadband. Then you 'pay as you go' for on demand stuff or you can take a monthly package if you want to.

Only problem is I wouldn't be able to record onto DVD's to go in the rental prop (well unless I can do it like you via a cheap DVD recorder) ... hmmm dilemma, is that so important or not really, maybe I shouldn't worry too much about that. I could then continue to use the Playstation to watch pre recorded DVD's.

Oh I don't know .......................... I'm rubbish at making decisions!

[slartibartfast]

MG, a security copy is a copy of a DVD. If you have original pre-recorded DVD's you can copy them on your PC. There is freeware out there which will de-crypt the copy protection and will shrink the content to fit on standard DVD disc (the pre-recorded DVD are usually much more than the 4.7Gb of a "normal disk". One of the well known bits of software does all the above in one operation. Some DVDs defeat it but there is usually a simple way around it (I am told).

I couldn't possibly condone any of this type of behaviour as it is probably illegal. I think morally however there is a difference between someone who has actually bought the DVD in a shop and takes a copy just in case the original gets damaged, and someone who copies them to sell pirate copies for profit.

If you want more information in the interest of your research , PM me


Carole .... go for BT Visions and buy a £20 DVD player in case you ever hire a film from Blockbuster. Job done !

[NeatandPicky]

Rosbif wrote

Basically what I want is a DVD player/recorder, that I can record from digital channels and watch another one or set up to record programmes if I am on holiday and has a hard drive and normal drive for putting things onto DVD when I want to.

We have a Hard Drive Sony DVD Recorder. It doesn't have built-in Freeview, (bought a cheaper model) but it has a little transmitter which sits on top of the Freeview or Sky box to change the channel at the right time. The other part of this is a feature called GuidePlus which is a grid-style 7 day program guide with one-touch recording like you get with Sky+.

What I do is record lots of stuff onto the hard drive, then edit out the ads etc, (the recorder has a feature to enable this) then copy to DVD. A bit time consuming, but we've collected quite a library now.

[Rosbif]

Thanks N&P .... I still haven't made my final decision as yet, still thinking about the BT vision as it will only cost me £30 but then I can't put things onto DVD.

Will have a good look at everything this weekend and make the final decision