Freeview with HDD
 

Hi all

I have fancied one of these for some time but I am a bit lost as to which one to buy. I would like one with 80/160 GB hard drive. Twin turner and the ability to recorded series over a number of weeks (how does that work does it need to be set to timer like a VCR/DVR or can you carry on user it like normal over the period of time????)

Would really appreciate any recommendations.

Many thanks

Mike

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

Have a look at the Digital Spy forum - sorry mods ;)

There isn't a series link concept on Freeview though apparently they're working on it for the future.

I've got a Topfield TF5800 - a bit pricey, but fabulous bit of stuff - you can (easily) add replacement EPGs and so on and a lot of them will do a sort of series link based on programme names.

For example, I've got mine set to record anything called 'Planet Earth' and they just magically appear - it picks the timing up from the EPG that gets broadcast, so it won't get phased by schedule changes so long as the broadcaster updates the EPG.

The Humax PVR-9200T is supposed to be good too, though I don't know if it can do the sort-of-series-link bit - it'll obviously do 'every friday 9.00 - 10.00 on C4' though.

Do you want to transfer the recordings to your PC? If so, it's the Topfield or the Humax or as far as I know nothing else.

If you can live without that & the series link then there are cheaper ones too - the new Daewoo DSD-9502T seems quite good.

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

If you want to keep any of the recordings then I recommend the Panasonic DMR-EX75EB. It combines a Freeview tuner with HDD & DVD recorder...

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

I wouldn't ;)

It's phenomenally expensive, and only 1 tuner.

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/120690/rb/23731760240
sorry if I'm not allow to post links.

Anyway this only has 1 tuner but 80gb HD and £72 delivered. Have ordered one for my parents for Xmas as their VHS has died and their Freeview box is an old ONDigital one.

Not a well known brand, but I've bought the budget stuff from Ebuyer before and it's always done the job for me.

Re: Freeview with HDD
 

I have a modified thompson DHD4000 and im quite happy with it.

(i pulled the orginall 40gb hdd and replaced it with a 160gb, although it only sees 138gb of the drive but that still amounts to 75 or so hours of recording)



never tryed series linking (not sure if it can do it) but to record you just highlight what you want on the EPG and then press the red button and it sets a timer to record it :) . There also a facilty to set a manuall timer just in case the EPG data is missing.

It uses the 4TV epg which gives 14 days of listings, only downside is it means the DVR wakes up at 3am to get the EPG updates (its in my bedroom so on the odd occasion its woken me up before although i usally sleep right though it :p: ) not sure if that would messup any recordings that were set to record at that time :shocked: