| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 3:17:24 PM | OK, I know this question should probably go in the Technology forum, but they are all American in there from what I can tell and I want some UK advice.
I'm looking for one ot two of these nice DVD/DVR machines that you can use to record your favourite TV progammes to hard disk instead of the old VHS tapes. And what is all this HDMI stuff about?
I haven't got a clue which is best as computers is my thing and not audio/visual so can anyone give me some advice?
Would be nice if there were some you could network so you could shift the programmes between them upstairs and downstairs for example without having to keep burning them to DVD all the time, or record on both.
Thank you | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 3:19:44 PM | I haven't got a clue which is best as computers is my thing and not audio/visual so can anyone give me some advice?
My advice is......Dont buy one off dodgy Dave down the local on a friday night...
Hope that helps | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 3:22:18 PM | HDMI refers specifically to Hi-def playback.
unless you have a TV that supports Hi-def, or intend getting one in the future. then HDMI is not something you need to worry about.
otherwise the standard inputs of SCART, composite or s-video are fine. | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 4:03:10 PM | If you're technical ... build your own Graham.
Look into MythTV, a linux distro specifically for that purpose and there are more coming out from the community.
You can, with some effort make MythTV a complete multimedia center and maybe learn a few things at the same time.
Most personal (encased) PVRs will not let you move the recorded movie/program from the hard disk without breaking thru the security which that prevents that.
As well, most TV programs, popular ones anyway, are available for download from the net thru bittorrent, hours or days after the program aired.
HDMI is highdef. Supports 720 lines of resolution and above. You need a TV that can support that as well.
I would suggest, at the worst, just buying a video card for your computer than will record the video feed to hard disk. Bunch of video cards do that.
As well, most popular series can be bought a video store (full season/series) for 20-40 bucks $CAN a few weeks after the season completes.
Anyway searching for Personal PVR (net) will provide a lot of choices.
Would be nice if there were some you could network so you could shift the programmes between them upstairs and downstairs for example without having to keep burning them to DVD all the time, or record on both.
Most personal PVRs and video cards can do this ... the only concern is compute power to decode one and decode and record the other. Generally not a problem ... even cheap cpus can do this now ... 2.0GHz and above. All personal PVRs should be able to do this.
There you go ... an opinion. | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 4:22:45 PM | I will look into MythTV as that sounds quite interesting. Not sure how it will pick up the channels at this point as I haven't found it yet.
As well, most TV programs, popular ones anyway, are available for download from the net thru bittorrent, hours or days after the program aired.
Our ISPs over here in the UK are quite strict on monitoring what people download sometimes. I've known several people get nasty letters about breaching copyrights and such for downloading stuff via Bittorrent.
As well, most popular series can be bought a video store (full season/series) for 20-40 bucks $CAN a few weeks after the season completes.
Sadly here in the UK the DVD boxsets take ages to come out and can range anything from £40 to £100+ and that's GBP. We get ripped off good and proper over hear for these. | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/2/2008 4:40:31 PM | www dot mythtv dot org
Picking up channels is video card tuner issue off course ... so shouldn't be an issue. Hauppauge probably has one.
Yep, it's an interesting project ... won't save any money ... but interesting.
Sorry to hear about bittorrent and the video prices ... glad it's not happening to me. :-)
take care | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/3/2008 12:15:07 AM | Sky +.
The nice man gives you a little box and you point the clicky thing at it and it records TV. If you press the green button, it records the entire series even if the schedulers change times...even I can operate it.
Does not do play back so you need a DVD player....
Who said women don't know about technology? | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/3/2008 12:27:15 AM | i have a dvd recorder..
so easy to use even i can do it!
the problem comes when your connecting it in conjunction with a sky box...hence why mine isnt is use right now...
it is possible to do but caused mine major problems. | |
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/3/2008 1:46:15 AM | I have a sony DVDR and SKY+, works very well together. The sky+ series links all the episodes I want then I copy them to the DVD recorder's hard drive where I can edit all the adverts out and then burn them to the DVD. Really it’s as easy as that. I also copied all my old videos of the family that I had been taking, onto the hard drive, edited and burnt onto DVD as well. I was surprised how much the quality of the videos had deteriorated over the few years they had been stored.
Not to sure what you mean by shift it upstairs or how you could network all this, if at all, you would need a driver to read all the different hard drives. I know you cant directly access the Sky+ hard drive anyway, tried all sorts, also for some reason the USB port at the back is a dead port so don’t know why its there. Best is to use a WIFI set up to transmit the TV signal round the house so you can pick up reception upstairs. The Hard drives only hold a certain amount of video so it is better to copy to DVD anyway, can buy DVD’s at 20p each. It’s all to easy to lose programs off the hard drives, my Sky+ was stopped by accident and I lost all the saved programs.
HDMI is the high definition format that the manufacturers are moving to. Unless you go for the complete set up, HD DVD, HD TV, HD reception, its pretty pointless spending money on just 1 piece of equipment. I had HD TV and HD reception but I didn’t notice the difference as most programs weren’t initially recorded in HD so transmitted in 'simulated' HD, all I notice is a drop in the sound quality. I cancelled the Sky HD as it was £10 per month extra. In a few years time, when more programs are recorded and transmitted in HD then yes it will be worth it.
Hope this helps
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| DVD/DVR machine advice
Posted: 7/3/2008 2:06:31 AM | | I dont see the point in recording anything, just wait 6 weeks and its all repeated anyway or in the case of the BBC they just show all their stuff on BBC1 then chuck it all on BBC3 5 minutes later anyway. | |
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