PVR and NTL

[masterhazzard]

I'm thinking of getting a PVR and have seen on from Topfield which includes freeview, Does anyone know if I would be able to connect it to my cable box and record from NTL Cable?

[daz300]

sorry what is pvr ??

[Stuart]

"Personal Video Recorder". It basically a hard disk based video recorder.

The most sucessful commercial example I know of is Sky +

[daz300]

now i know what you are going on about yes there is a way i think some one who will know will be here soon to tell you how . ( i hope )

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by masterhazzard

I'm thinking of getting a PVR and have seen on from Topfield which includes freeview, Does anyone know if I would be able to connect it to my cable box and record from NTL Cable?

hi and to the site , if the 'pvr' allows you to record from an input ' scart ' for example then i cant see why not

[simpsonsFAN]

Unfortunatly only Tivo could do this and thats not even produced anymore, Freeview PVR's only have a Digital Tuner and no scart input so they cannot record from cable - you do get the occasional Freeview PVR with a scart input but they dont have a "IR Wand" to change channels on the ntl set top box, nor do they have a EPG or tv guide so you would be messing about with manual timers anyway. Tecknically the HDRW720 could answer all your problems, it is one of about 2 pvrs with a scart input, a IR wand and a (limited) EPG, but the reality is that it is basically a over priced under performing "media center PC" without all the extras. If you really need a PVR for cable then you need a Tivo - 5 years old and still the only one! You can get them from places like ebay or alternatively Tivoland.co.uk - Although Tivo is not without its problems, sure it has a bigger EPG than sky+ and radio times put together, It does feel abit slow now (lighting fast compaired to ntl epg) but it is showing its age, also with all scart based PVRs it lacks the ability to watch one channel and record another, you proberly wont need this, but its nice to have.

If you would prefer you could wait for the telewest three tuner pvr with HDTV support that will tecknically blow sky+ out the water for telewest - then wait for ntl and telewest to merge then you will be king of the hill on hardware grounds - but as tivo showed us, its 5 year old hardware is still going strong with the best software. Tell me can you search by director or by actor of a movie when browsing for something to watch on sky? the answer is no because Tivo still hold ALL the old patients.

Anyway back on topic, your freeview PVR will only record freeview and would be better used as a paperweight if your trying to record NTL or sky.
-Chris

[GuestUK]

Just thought I'd chip in if I can help. I have analogue cable so it's probably different, but I know some people have accomplished similar things with ntl digital.

I have a hauppauge pvr-usb2 connected to my PC. The cable box is connected to my VCR, and then from my VCR to my pvr-usb2. This allows me to watch and record the same channel currently showing on the cable box.

I then purchased a USB-UIRT (a great device from http://usbuirt.com) which allows the computer to change the channel on the cable box (as if pressing the buttons on the remote)

I then use GBPVR (free from http://gbpvr.com) to schedule and record. It automatically changes the channel and records the programs I select in the TV guide.

I've been very pleased with this setup and it works really well. I'm sure it'd be possible to have a similar setup for digital, afterall, the output is the same, and you dont need a built in digital tuner (which I dont believe is even allowed with NTL to decrypt the signal with anything but the NTL box)

[nwc1000]

Tivo still king of the hill...........indeed yes, Had mine 4 years now paid £99 for it in currys and spent £100 on a 200gb HD for it i know have approx 155hours of recording in medium quality which is plenty good enough for the rubbish that i watch.

Tivo saved my life this week i moved on the 29th april and cable wasnt hooked back up till the 2nd may and still isnt working now but tivos 150 hours of recordings have got me through the last week!!

If you can get one then do it the best money you could ever spend.

Nick

[tabatha]

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...d.php?t=192899...

Hi...The above link will tell you all you need to decide whether to buy.....

[simpsonsFAN]

Originally Posted by GuestUK

I then use GBPVR (free from http://gbpvr.com) to schedule and record. It automatically changes the channel and records the programs I select in the TV guide.

Do you use this on a TV monitor? also do you use a remote control with this software for the guide etc? if so what one do you use? if not does it even support remote controls? I am interested in this as I have a DEC2000t gathering dust in the atic somewhere so would be interested if I could put it to good use.
-Chris

[GuestUK]

GBPVR supports full use of remote controls. I originally used it with the PC monitor and running it on the PC with the remote control that came with the PVR (Hauppauge remote).

Although after that, I bought a Media MVP ( http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/pro..._mediamvp.html ) of which is amazing! Better still, GBPVR works wonders with it. GBPVR runs through it. I can watch all my recordings I have made previously, watch videos that are stored on my PC and even watch Live TV through it with the added benefits (tv guide, pausing live tv, fast forward/rewing etc.). This way, the PC can still be used as normal, and I get the videos and TV on the TV.

And the Media MVP is fully controllable by remote control too (it comes with it).

I suggest you take a look at GBPVR in full ( http://www.gbpvr.com/screenshots.htm ) or even try it out. It works with hauppauge cards well. Anything you can do on it you can pretty much do with the MVP linkup.

I hope this helps answer - I've been very impressed with it and cant imagine how I went without. The PC automatically records all the programs I want and select, changes the channel automatically when it does it, then I can watch them or Live TV on my TV through GBPVR.

[simpsonsFAN]

that looks good then, but do you know if it is compatible with the haupauge DEC2000-T? or more importantly the DECs remote control?

The reason I ask is that I lost the remote control for my haupauge and To switch it on and off I use button "2" on my ntl remote!!, I dont know how but it works anway if I were going to do this properly I will buy a new remote for my DEC, but I dont want to pay the £15 for it if im not going to use it for this, for some reason im IP banned from the haupauge offical forums (dont ask), so I need to know if you know or if you know anyone who can help me in my quest to get a PVR without getting $ky+, (please forgive me from using the "$ky" joke, I have learnt my lesson - honest I have)
-Chris

[GuestUK]

that looks good then, but do you know if it is compatible with the haupauge DEC2000-T? or more importantly the DECs remote control?

Sadly, from what I could see, it doesnt look like the DEC2000-T is supported, but I could be wrong - details were vague and sketchy, nothing clear about it. It is possible it will be supported later though?

[exar_kun]

Also take a look at the software this company sell. It's the TIVO features that can run on a PC. I havn't looked into how the PC can be connected to the NTL STB.

http://www.snapstream.com/

I have my PVR connected up to my NTL box (Archos AV480) without any problems. In fact, I found it very handy that since the last firmware upgrade that seems to have removed the SCART through features on the Pace box both of the SCART sockets are set to output. I can therefore connect one SCART socket to the TV and one to the PVR. It doesn`t let me record and watch two different things obviously, but it does make the set-up simple as the Archos doesn`t pass through RGB, so I can still get an RGB signal to my TV this way.