Watching one digital channel while recording another- how is it done?

[Proofraider]

Now that our TV region has gone digital, I've bought a Freeview+ box with DVD/HDD recorder and connected it to my ordinary old TV - works very well, reception great etc., but I can't record one channel while watching another, and I'm told that I need a second digital tuner to do this. I don't want to buy a new TV, but I gather that if I get another cheapie Freeview box and connect it, that'll do it. Please can someone advise on how the second box should be connected to the other bits?? Thanks!

[redman41]

Your Freeview + Box should have a buit in Twin Tuner ! What are the specifiations on the Box which it came in ?

[Proofraider]

Hi, Redman41 - it doesn't have a twin tuner - I've already asked Panasonic about that and this model doesn't - the ones that do are really expensive at present. I just wanted to avoid getting a new TV if possible, as it seems wasteful when there's nothing wrong with the one I've got.

[redman41]

Nothing to do with your TV at all, its all to do with your recording device.
Other than change it for a Freeview Box with twin tuner all you can do is record what you are watching which is a bit of a pain

[Postdog]

Sorry, not helpful to you, but if you've been sold a modern peice of kit like that and it doesn't have a twin tuner, then it was a crap salesman. I've had a box like this for about 5 years now, recently had to change it because of a fault, and when I looked I found twin tuner freeview boxes from around £100. The one I bought was about £160. How dear is dear?

[Proofraider]

Hi, Postdog - that's extraordinary - I haven't seen a twin tuner with DVD and HDD recording for anything like that price - what model is it?

[ChuckFickens]

http://www.maplin.co....gle&u=517606&t=module

Or if you have another input on your TV buy a cheap standard freeview set top box so you can leave the recorder you have recording and switch input on the tv to watch something else using the set top box.

[Hopkirk]

How many scart sockets has your TV got?

If only one, then you are out of luck.

[plautus]

In 2009 I bought a Bush DTU250 from Argos for £97 which is supposed to give 120 hours or recording but it's actually more like 160. You can get them for less than that if you want less capacity. As we have not yet gone digital I can record two programmes simultaneously while watching a third on terrestrial.

[Postdog]

They don't have DVD, just HDD. Why would you want a DVD anyway?

The memory is usually big enough to save loads of recordings on, so if you wanted to store a few you could. I have loads of stuff on my digi (a Humax) yet not even used a quarter of the memory.

Whatever surely if you have a DVD recorder anyway you can records from an external source.

[scotman]

I think that most items in that price range will be HDD only. Argos currently have very cheap twin-tuner kit available.
I have the same 'problem' as OP. I connect the recorder, set up the recording and then change to my older box and watch on that. All I have to do is remember to press the 'record' button at the correct time.

[Proofraider]

Hi, Postdog - I need to record on DVD for work purposes, so to minimise the number of bits and pieces attached everywhere I wanted a box with that as well as HDD. That would explain the difference in price.
Hi, Hopkirk - TV has two scart sockets.
Please could someone just advise on which leads need to be connected to what?? Is it just a question of attaching another Freeview box to the TV with a scart lead? Doesn't the second box have to connect to the aerial lead in some way, which would mean connecting it via the first box? Getting a bit confused here...

[scotman]

If your recorder is half-decent it will have an aerial in and and aerial out socket. This will enable you to connect an input to both boxes.
If it doesn't you will need to get some form of aerial splitter to provide signal to both. You may then require a signal booster.
After that you should be able to connect both boxes to TV using SCART leads.

[jacksprat16]

output from the aerial socket in one box to the aerial input of the other box make a small cable link for this or buy the least long one

[ChuckFickens]

Or buy a cheap 2 way amplifier

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.209-0685.aspx

[ChuckFickens]

oppps, sorry scotman, didn't see you'd already said that.