"Adrian" MyFirstNameATTyahooDOTTCOMM wrote in message
news:42a96fb7.0@entanet...
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...
At present I have two video recorders which I use for recording two
different programmes at the same time, especialy when I'm out at the
times
they are being broadcast.

I undersatnd that set top boxes are available for use with conventional
TVs,
but how will that help me record differet programmes at the same time?

In 3 years when analogue switch-off is supposed to start, there will still
be millions of perfectly servicable VCRs out there along with libraries of
tapes which people don't want to lose. People will therefore have to buy a
new recorder (hard-disk or DVD or both) for new recordings and keep their
VCR as a playback-only device.

Of course, the problem with using a digibox with a VCR or other recorder
is
that you can't use the recorder's timer to set the channel to record. The
solutions to that are clumsy at best and probably beyond a large
proportion
of the buying public who want ease-of-use, not a basket full of remotes
and
a nest of SCART cables which only their teenage son understands.

I recently bought a PVR / DVD recorder which I got for a good price at
Richer Sounds. The down-side of this unit is that it's analogue only so in
a
few short years, I will have problems with it. Why did I buy a non-DVB
recorder? Because I wanted a hard-disk/DVD recorder combination and the
options are very limited at the moment. It amazes me that the vast
majority
of models available on the high-street are still without digital tuners.

If people can knock-out a STB for £30 with power supply etc, it must be
possible to incorporate one into a recorder for about £15 above the cost
of
the analogue tuner - or even include both for about £20 - so why are we
not
seeing digital recorders becoming the norm yet?

Here's a prediction:
When the switch-off starts to happen, despite all the pre-warning, vast
numbers of people will be caught without suitable equipment (particularly
the elderly). Digiboxes will be in short supply and priced to take
advantage
of the situation. Digital-enabled recorders will be even rarer Aerial
installers will be swamped with people who have left it until the last
minute to go digital, only to find that their aerial is inadequate and
their
loop-aerial on their bedroom portable is a waste of space. There will be
an
outcry, newspapers will get involved and switch-off will be delayed for
another year or more.

Adrian

You may well be right. I bought my first DVD player about 5 years ago (from
Woolies). Together with a PVR, digital video camera and a PC, I have
disposed of all my legacy VHS tapes (which, let's face it, are crap by
comparison) and now have a far superior (in terms of technical quality)
library of DVD's. It's probably a bit early to say, but I think that they
will stand the test of time much better than the VHS tapes I had from the
early 80's did. It never ceases to amaze me though, that people will allow
themselves to be stymied by advances in technology. So what if JVC are still
making videos. We are in a transitional period that WILL see VHS becoming
totally redundant, in the same way that audio cassette and vinyl became. If
you don't want to get caught out by it, do something about it.

Aidan

"Aidan Brick" wrote in message
. uk...
So what if JVC are still
making videos. We are in a transitional period that WILL see VHS becoming
totally redundant, in the same way that audio cassette and vinyl became.
If
you don't want to get caught out by it, do something about it.

I'm sure anyone who frequents this newsgroup will be more than capable of
making the right decisions and will be prepared. I'm equally sure that there
will be a huge number who won't. The elderly are, I would have thought, the
category most likely to be using old TVs and inadequate aerials, but and not
have multi-channel any kind when the analogue signals get switched off.

Adrian

In article 42a96fb7.0@entanet, Adrian wrote:
I recently bought a PVR / DVD recorder which I got for a good price at
Richer Sounds. The down-side of this unit is that it's analogue only so in a
few short years, I will have problems with it.

You've probably got the samer as me, but I have no problems recording from an
external Freeview box, and neither need you. Nor will any such problem occur if
they do switch off the analogue broadcasts. They could switch them off tomorrow
and it wouldn't make any difference to me.

Rod.

"Roderick Stewart" wrote in message
om...
In article 42a96fb7.0@entanet, Adrian wrote:

You've probably got the samer as me, but I have no problems recording from
an
external Freeview box, and neither need you. Nor will any such problem
occur if
they do switch off the analogue broadcasts. They could switch them off
tomorrow
and it wouldn't make any difference to me.

I bought the Pioneer model they were selling a couple of months back and it
is excellent. I don't regret buying it for a minute.I can of course record
from a freeview box, but it's timer recordings which become clumsy. There
seem to be two ways of doing this with the Pioneer + Freeview box
combination...

1) Set timer on PVR to record from SCART - AND - set timer on Freeview
box to come out of standby and select correct channel.

2) Use the timer on the Freeview box and set the PVR to wake up and
record when a signal is detected on the SCART.

Neither is ideal and would confuse the hell out of many Luddites and
technophobes I know, for whom VideoPlus is their limit.

Adrian

In article 42a99831.0@entanet, Adrian wrote:
I bought the Pioneer model they were selling a couple of months back and it
is excellent. I don't regret buying it for a minute.I can of course record
from a freeview box, but it's timer recordings which become clumsy.

Agreed. You have to set two timers instead of one. It's a minor nuisance but
not rocket science, and it can only be a matter of time before equipment is
available that has everything in one box.

Rod.

Roderick Stewart wrote:

it can only be a matter of time before equipment is available that has
everything in one box.

One of the Sony DVD recorders already has a Freeview tuner in it.

Regards

Mark

Mark A wrote:
Roderick Stewart wrote:

it can only be a matter of time before equipment is available that
has everything in one box.

One of the Sony DVD recorders already has a Freeview tuner in it.

Regards

Mark

Unfortunately it doesn't have a hard disc.
--
Adrian

Adrian wrote:

Unfortunately it doesn't have a hard disc.

No, and I see their new dual-layer model has gone back to an analogue
tuner for some odd reason. Strange.

Regards

Mark

On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:34:14 GMT, "Aidan Brick"
wrote:


"Adrian" MyFirstNameATTyahooDOTTCOMM wrote in message
news:42a96fb7.0@entanet...
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...
At present I have two video recorders which I use for recording two
different programmes at the same time, especialy when I'm out at the
times
they are being broadcast.

I undersatnd that set top boxes are available for use with conventional
TVs,
but how will that help me record differet programmes at the same time?

In 3 years when analogue switch-off is supposed to start, there will still
be millions of perfectly servicable VCRs out there along with libraries of
tapes which people don't want to lose. People will therefore have to buy a
new recorder (hard-disk or DVD or both) for new recordings and keep their
VCR as a playback-only device.

Of course, the problem with using a digibox with a VCR or other recorder
is
that you can't use the recorder's timer to set the channel to record. The
solutions to that are clumsy at best and probably beyond a large
proportion
of the buying public who want ease-of-use, not a basket full of remotes
and
a nest of SCART cables which only their teenage son understands.

I recently bought a PVR / DVD recorder which I got for a good price at
Richer Sounds. The down-side of this unit is that it's analogue only so in
a
few short years, I will have problems with it. Why did I buy a non-DVB
recorder? Because I wanted a hard-disk/DVD recorder combination and the
options are very limited at the moment. It amazes me that the vast
majority
of models available on the high-street are still without digital tuners.

If people can knock-out a STB for £30 with power supply etc, it must be
possible to incorporate one into a recorder for about £15 above the cost
of
the analogue tuner - or even include both for about £20 - so why are we
not
seeing digital recorders becoming the norm yet?

Here's a prediction:
When the switch-off starts to happen, despite all the pre-warning, vast
numbers of people will be caught without suitable equipment (particularly
the elderly). Digiboxes will be in short supply and priced to take
advantage
of the situation. Digital-enabled recorders will be even rarer Aerial
installers will be swamped with people who have left it until the last
minute to go digital, only to find that their aerial is inadequate and
their
loop-aerial on their bedroom portable is a waste of space. There will be
an
outcry, newspapers will get involved and switch-off will be delayed for
another year or more.

Adrian

You may well be right. I bought my first DVD player about 5 years ago (from
Woolies). Together with a PVR, digital video camera and a PC, I have
disposed of all my legacy VHS tapes (which, let's face it, are crap by
comparison) and now have a far superior (in terms of technical quality)
library of DVD's. It's probably a bit early to say, but I think that they
will stand the test of time much better than the VHS tapes I had from the
early 80's did. It never ceases to amaze me though, that people will allow
themselves to be stymied by advances in technology. So what if JVC are still
making videos. We are in a transitional period that WILL see VHS becoming
totally redundant, in the same way that audio cassette and vinyl became. If
you don't want to get caught out by it, do something about it.

Aidan


May I add that although cassettes & vinyl are considered 'dead'
formats, both are still being produced.

Marky P (vinyl junkie)

On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 17:20:55 +0100, "Adrian" wrote:

Mark A wrote:
Roderick Stewart wrote:

it can only be a matter of time before equipment is available that
has everything in one box.

One of the Sony DVD recorders already has a Freeview tuner in it.

Regards

Mark

Unfortunately it doesn't have a hard disc.
I have that Sony unit. I had to make the decision between intergrated
DTT or a HD, & I opted for the former. Editing is still possible
using the A-B erase function, & timer recording is so easy it's
unbelievable! Just select a programme from the EPG & it's done!
Shame there's no PDC equivalent on DTT though :-(

Marky P.