Digital switchover

[Martin]

I've given up on the Crystal Palace transmitter after finding out that Heathfield is currently sending digi-stuff my way  (goes up on roof to move aerial, see Princess Royal Hospital Orthopaedic ward for updates)

On a more practical note; I need a new DVD recorder (for the lounge) and probably a flat screen TV to replace the old Sony haybail in the boy's bedroom, I notice that none of the currently affordable Western Consumer Items will pick up non-analogue channels,

Am I just supposed to wait until 2012?

[simonali]

Don't necessarily have to buy a DVDR. You could get summat like this?

http://uk.lge.com/products/model/detail/lcdtv_32lt75.jhtml

[Martin]

Don't necessarily have to buy a DVDR. You could get summat like this?

http://uk.lge.com/products/model/detail/lcdtv_32lt75.jhtml

I like the DVDr concept as I can watch the stuff anywhere and make copies on my PC

Plus buy "3 for £1" VHS tapes from charity shops and copy them onto DVD (sometimes, quite a few are copy-proof)

[simonali]

Get a 30 quid tuner card for the PC if you really must archive to disc?

[Mr Larrington]

ISTR there are gadgets available which combine a Freeview doofer with a hard disk and DVD recorder, though I have not got one myself.

[border-rider]

Get an old/cheap PC, bung a Freeview PVR card (or two) in the back, sling XP-MCE onto it and you've got a machine that save/record/realtime pause TV, can play and record DVDs and can be accessed from any other networked computer.

[Martin]

I don't want to go PC based; Mrs Zoom can't even work the current DVDr; it's mainly to perpetuate the old TV time-shifting concept

[simonali]

There's one make of TV card that comes with streaming software, so you can watch TV anywhere in the world, as long as you have a wi-fi connection. Like a cheaper version of Slingbox, but the name escapes me for a minute.

edit: found it

http://www.nebula-electronics.com/

[border-rider]

With MCE it all operates off  a remote control.  Dead easy - there's a guide, just like any Freeview system, and you navigate/play/record/etc using the remote.  The app comes on as soon as the machine does and there's no need to even think of it as a PC.  It doesn't behave like one.

Mrs MV couldn't be bothered with the PC experience to watch TV, but sh gets on fine with this thing.

[Martin]

sorry; getting a bit carried away here; all I want is a box that sits under the TV with a red record button; I can count on the fingers of one finger how many TV programs I've recorded in the last 3 months.

I think I'll go for a nasty £58 Argos one as I suspect that by 2012 our TV may not even come via a UHF signal.

[Biggsy]

ISTR there are gadgets available which combine a Freeview doofer with a hard disk and DVD recorder

eg. the excellent Panasonic DMR-EX75

[Biggsy]

sorry; getting a bit carried away here; all I want is a box that sits under the TV with a red record button; I can count on the fingers of one finger how many TV programs I've recorded in the last 3 months.

You also said you want a new DVD recorder.  Cheapo Freeview boxes tend to have relatively poor picture quality and crummy user interfaces.  If you can afford the Panasonic machine I mentioned, I would recommend it.

[Martin]

ISTR there are gadgets available which combine a Freeview doofer with a hard disk and DVD recorder

eg. the excellent Panasonic DMR-EX75

thanks; more like it, only it's black  Why do they keep switching all this stuff from silver to black and back every 4 years? (no reply required)

[Biggsy]

Reply required to tell you that (new) silver ones are on eBay    They're going for about half the price they were two or three years ago.

[mattc]

With MCE it all operates off  a remote control.  Dead easy - there's a guide, just like any Freeview system, and you navigate/play/record/etc using the remote.  The app comes on as soon as the machine does and there's no need to even think of it as a PC.  It doesn't behave like one.

Get an old/cheap PC, bung a Freeview PVR card (or two) in the back, sling XP-MCE onto it and you've got a machine that save/record/realtime pause TV, can play and record DVDs and can be accessed from any other networked computer.

Which bit of this setup makes the remote work?
(I guess the only drawback with this setup in the living room is the noise from an old/cheap PC).

[border-rider]

Which bit of this setup makes the remote work?
(I guess the only drawback with this setup in the living room is the noise from an old/cheap PC).

XP-MCE

It comes with its own remote with the usual IR link plugged into a USB port, and the app manages the remote, the TV/PVR cards and all the hardware gubbins

The noise isn't an issue - we were worried about that but we have it running on a 5 year old Sony tower tucked behind the flatscreen TV (which it drives rather well) and the noise is really not intrusive. 

In an ideal world I'd buy a low noise media-specific box, or a dumbish networked dedicated front-end.  But this was a "what can I do with this old PC" project. 

[simonali]

Bloke at work's got one of these and says it's really easy to use, yet really techy if you want it to be.

You can download the manual at the manufacturer's website if you like.

[tonycollinet]

Them (humax) is really good - if you can manage without the dvd, or use a separate cheapy.

Thought I would record stuff to DVD, but it really is not worth the effort.